John Cena Returns and WWE's Future Stands Still Once Again
John Cena is back. WWE's top guy made his return on the December 28 edition of Monday Night Raw and it's as if he never left. Of course he never did and the fact is he won't until he's dead or they fire him. Whether or not he can be killed is up for debate and unless he puts a terminally ill kid through a table, he's probably not losing his job any time soon.
But the truth is fans are split on Cena's return and they should be.
Fans want WWE to move on. It's not as though everyone hates Cena because they don't. It's not as though everyone is totally in love with the new guard coming up from NXT because let's face it; there's a lot more work to be done there.
But the company has teased the future so many times that now fans are anxious to see it happen. That future is comprised of NXT stars, new directions, new catchphrases, a new feel and a lot more that a lot of us may not even know is on the horizon.
How exactly does a 38 year old, 13 year WWE veteran and 15 time world champion fit into all of that?
Cena has earned his spot. Whether or not he can work is irrelevant now; his time served and his reign as WWE's top guy trumps his talent level at this point. He deserves to call his own shots and the fact is he has no desire to ever leave WWE.
Maybe fans that want him gone should think twice about it. If and when Cena does slide out of the top spot, the company will need to be very certain it's ready to move on without him. That means another guy must be ready and by ready I mean totally ready.
WWE cannot afford to take any chances here; ratings are on the line, ticket and merchandise sales are on the line, there is no future if the ball is dropped here. Keep him too long in the top spot and fans complain the product is stale and predictable. Replace him too soon with a guy that's not ready and it may be impossible to recover.
Basically even though the respect level is there for Cena, it's a recognized fact that he cannot be the top star forever but he can't go anywhere right now.
So every time he comes back, everyone is reminded that WWE needs him. Maybe if he did have the reputation of a great worker, things would be different. Maybe if he were Shawn Michaels or Chris Jericho then the notion of WWE being stuck in neutral with him at the top would not exist.
When can WWE move ahead? Is Roman Reigns the answer or will he also go down to Cena like every other Superstar has? Has the answer even come along yet? Maybe whoever takes the torch should be nicknamed The Answer.
This is what happens when a pro wrestling company puts all its money on one guy. There has not been a legitimate long-term number two in McMahon's world since CM Punk and that's because WWE wanted Cena to remain in the top spot with no second option.
When no one is ready to move ahead then nothing moves ahead. That is the place WWE finds itself right now.
Triple H can break character and promote NXT as the future all day long but WWE has succeeded only in building it as an individual brand, nothing more. Cena still holds the keys to the kingdom and as long as that's the case, then fans will forever be faced with this very issue.
It, like John Cena, is not going away any time soon.
