There is one confirmed match thus far for WWE SummerSlam 2022: Brock Lesnar vs. Roman Reigns in a Last Man Standing showdown for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship.

SummerSlam is one of WWE's "big four" annual pay-per-views along with WrestleMania, Royal Rumble and Survivor Series. The company tries to stack up the card with top-tier talents for SummerSlam. That will presumably include 16-time World Champion John Cena, who's slated to return on Raw next week.

In the latest edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter (subscription required), Dave Meltzer suggested that the plan is for Cena to face United States Champion Theory at SummerSlam.

"What will be more notable is after the announcement of the expected John Cena vs. Theory will Cena provide the extra box office magic for this show that he did for Raw this week in Laredo, TX for his return," Meltzer wrote. "In addition, the heavy promotion doesn’t start until after 7/2."

Cena's last WWE match took place at SummerSlam 2021 — where he fell to Roman Reigns in a Universal Championship match. A victory would have made Cena a 17-time World Champion, breaking the record he currently shares with Ric Flair. But with Reigns set to face Lesnar at SummerSlam, Cena will have to wait patiently for his next opportunity to become a 17-time World Champion.

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John Cena and Austin Theory

There have been several recent teases regarding a Cena-Theory match. The wrestler-turned-actor recently stated that Theory is his favorite wrestler, and that the United States Champion is in need of an Attitude Adjustment. Interestingly, WWE chairman Vince McMahon apparently views Theory as a young Cena.

Will Cena Put Another Star Over?

With Cena working on a part-time basis, WWE hasn't been shy in having him put over younger talents. The selfless Cena has put over the likes of Kevin Owens (2015), Roman Reigns (twice), Shinsuke Nakamura, Bray Wyatt and Seth ROllins.

It certainly wouldn't be a surprise if McMahon decided to have Theory defeat Cena at SummerSlam. If the WWE chairman views a younger talent as a rising star, he won't want to waste the opportunity to enhance their push. For Theory, a win over Cena would certainly help him reach the next level.

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