News On Backstage WWE Atmosphere Ahead Of John Cena’s Return

John Cena will make his return to "WWE Raw" tonight to celebrate the 20th anniversary of his debut with the company, in what will be his first appearance since competing in a dark match at New York's Madison Square Garden on September 10, and first televised appearance since last year's SummerSlam.

According to the Twitter account @WrestleVotes, the backstage atmosphere in the locker room is a positive one ahead in regards to the 16-time world champion returning:

"Aside from the obvious business boost, I'm told the return of John Cena is as exciting for the locker room as it is for the fans. Cena is viewed as the ultimate leader, w/ his positive presence felt throughout the company when he's around."

Aside from the obvious business boost, I'm told the return of John Cena is as exciting for the locker room as it is for the fans. Cena is viewed as the ultimate leader, w/ his positive presence felt throughout the company when he's around.

— WrestleVotes (@WrestleVotes) June 27, 2022

WWE has been celebrating Cena's anniversary throughout the month of June in a variety of different way, from having current talents talk about what Cena taught them, to seeing them dress up in old versions of Cena's gear. Cena himself has also rewatched his debut and given his thoughts on it with the benefit of hindsight.

Cena's last televised appearance for the company took place at WWE SummerSlam last year, when he lost in the main event against Roman Reigns in a WWE Championship match. It has not been confirmed exactly what Cena will be doing on tonight's show, but a potential confrontation with the current United States Champion Theory could end up taking place. The two men have traded words back and forth online over recent months, with the young wrestler having previously claimed that Cena was his idol growing up, and the legend praising Theory for his work so far in WWE. However, Theory is currently involved in a storyline with Bobby Lashley, with the two men set to collide at WWE's Money In The Bank with the United States title on the line.

It is currently unknown whether Cena will be back for another short-term run and a potential match at WWE SummerSlam next month, or whether this is just a strict one-off appearance for him.