John Cena is finishing up with WWE this year. It also sounds like many expect him to make his final SmackDown appearance this week.
According to a report from WrestleVotes, there’s a belief in WWE that Friday’s episode of SmackDown could be Cena’s final appearance on the blue brand. Cena only has seven dates left with WWE, two of which have not been publicly announced yet. This includes a match at WWE WrestlePalooza. It seems unlikely that one of the new dates will be a SmackDown show.
“We’re told some within WWE are quietly expecting tomorrow night to be John Cena’s final SmackDown,” WrestleVotes wrote. “According to a source, with only seven remaining dates left—and just two yet to be announced—it’s unlikely another will be a SmackDown event, meaning Cena will have debuted and ended his run on the blue brand in the very same building, Chicago’s Allstate Arena.”
As noted, John Cena made his now-infamous debut on the June 27, 2002, episode of SmackDown. He lost the match, an open challenge against Kurt Angle. However, he made a great impression on everyone, which led to a significant run on the show.
What else is scheduled for SmackDown?
John Cena’s final appearance in Chicago is the only thing currently advertised for this week’s episode of SmackDown. However, CM Punk has also teased making an appearance. This is based on his remarks to Adam Pearce on this week’s episode of RAW.
Many fans have speculated that this will also lead to his wife and former WWE Divas Champion AJ Lee’s long-awaited return. Multiple outlets have reported that AJ will finally return to the ring for a tag team match pitting her and Punk against the husband and wife combination of Seth Rollins and Becky Lynch. It appears that WWE also spoiled that return earlier this week, but the match has still not been publicly confirmed.
Read More: CM Punk Seemingly Teases AJ Lee’s WWE Return
