The 15-time world champion dropped out of the WWE blue team to concentrate on other projects, and without Cena around things have been pretty quiet. As was recently reported in the Inquisitr this week’s WWE Monday Night Raw was somewhat on the dull side. The wrestling may have been of good quality, but some fight fans are concerned that the WWE Creative team may have imbibed in a little too much Christmas spirit.

Thankfully, for Chicago fans, last night’s edition of WWE SmackDown had more fire in its belly, and John Cena set the scene. Cena took the mic and announced that he was back and, as reported by the Inquisitr, he told the assembled masses that he would take on AJ Styles for the World Championship at the Royal Rumble 2017.

To be fair, rumors have been circulating for weeks, that Cena would take on Styles at next month’s big PPV event. There is no doubt that Styles has been 2016’s main attraction in the WWE Universe, and having beaten Cena three times, the chance of this matchup was always high. A big doubt crept into the equation when The Undertaker reappeared. WWE watchers speculated that the big matchup at the 2017 Royal Rumble would be between Styles and The Deadman. Next up came claims that Styles would face The Undertaker and Cena in a three-way winner-takes-all bout.

While a match between Cena and Styles now seems a certainty for the Royal Rumble, the WWE Universe think that The Undertaker might just have a role to play.

The Undertaker returned to WWE SmackDown claiming that he was far from done, but then he disappeared again. At present, there is no confirmed information as to what The Deadman’s role will be at either the 2017 Royal Rumble or Wrestlemania 33. Forbes claims the scene is set for The Undertaker to win the 30-man Battle Royal, while Cena beats Styles for the World Championship. That, they claim, sets up the match that everyone wants to see, The Undertaker vs. John Cena at Wrestlemania 33.