The long wait is finally over. Superstar John Cena made a shocking return to the WWE universe with a surprise appearance at the "Money in the Bank" pay-per-view event in Fort Worth, Texas, on Sunday night. Dickies Arena exploded when Cena showed up at the end of the show to confront Roman Reigns, setting the stage for a blockbuster showdown at SummerSlam next month.
It has been 17 months since Cena last competed in the WWE. He squared off with "The Fiend" Bray Wyatt in a "Firefly Funhouse" match at Wrestlemania 36 that deconstructed his wrestling career. Cena lost in that pre-recorded contest that was dubbed a "cinematic" match.
Money in the Bank delivers with Cena return
As the COVID-19 pandemic raged on, Cena decided to embark on his movie career, grabbing coveted roles in "Fast & Furious 9" and the upcoming James Gunn-directed flick "Suicide Squad." He also just finished filming the HBO Max series "Peacemaker" in Vancouver, Canada.
Rumors have been rampant, however, that Cena was nearing a return to the wrestling ring. Still, fans had no idea that the much-awaited return will take place at Money in the Bank. They were treated to a fantastic pay-per-view event with Bobby Lashley defeating Kofi Kingston to retain the WWE championship and Charlotte Flair outlasting champion Rhea Ripley to regain the Raw Women's Championship belt.
The Men's Money in the Bank also delivered some fantastic action with Big E outlasting Ricochet, John Morrison, Riddle, Drew McIntyre, Kevin Owens, Shinsuke Nakamura, and Seth Rollins to grab the all-important briefcase.
The Universal Championship showdown between Roman Reigns and Edge was also electric in a rematch of their Wrestlemania 37 clash. Thanks to Seth Rollins' intervention late on, Reigns delivered a spear on Edge and retained his championship belt. Rollins continued to attack Edge after the match as Reigns revealed in his title win, with the champion uttering, "now the whole world can acknowledge me."
That was the cue for John Cena to make his grand entrance, leading fans in the arena to deliver a wondrous pop. It isn't a complete surprise that fans gave Cena such a reaction, given that this was his first live appearance in front of a crowd since a January 2019 episode of Monday Night Raw.
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Fans go wild as Cena and Reigns face-off
Money in the Bank, for that matter, is the first WWE pay-per-view event that allowed fans in the arena since the COVID-19 pandemic struck. That combination ensured a WWE crowd reaction that we haven't seen in years.
Cena didn't say a single word to Reigns as he made his way into the ring, but his message was loud and clear. Cena continued to goad Reigns, flashing his patented "You can't see me" hand gesture on the reigning champion as the show went off the air.
The two superstars have bad blood with each other, dating back to 2017 when they squared off at No Mercy. Cena embarrassed Reigns during a promo for that pay-per-view event, but Reigns had the last laugh, beating Cena in their singles match.
Four years after that showdown, it looks like wrestling fans will finally get that blockbuster rematch at SummerSlam on August 21.
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