John Cena is Right Choice to Lead WWE SmackDown

SmackDown is going to need to be on an even playing field with Raw, so having a top star like John Cena lead the show is the right move.

Last Wednesday, WWE announced the revival of the brand split, with Raw and SmackDown getting separate storylines and rosters. SmackDown will also be going live weekly for the first time ever. USA Network wanted better ratings out of the show after a few so-so months, so WWE is using a live Tuesday night show to attract fans (h/t Wrestle Zone).

To achieve this, the Wrestling Observer Newsletter is reporting that John Cena is set to lead SmackDown as the top face. With this show having been in the dumps for over half a decade, a prominent star like Cena leading the charge is the smart decision.

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Will most fans love the idea of John Cena headlining a show? Probably not. He has been in this position for over a decade as the Face That Runs the Place, but with injuries and other stars coming up the ladder, the need for him at the top has diminished.

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However, Cena is still a proven attraction. His name brings in fans of all ages whether they love or hate him, which is why WWE relying him to lure fans to the Tuesday night programming is the right call.

SmackDown is averaging 2,410,333 viewers (h/t PW Insider), which is about standard for what the show has done in recent years on Syfy. While WWE has moved around the blue brand, in recent years, to get higher ratings, they ultimately have put the show on the backburner. This happened after the show moved to a Friday night nightmare slow of 8:00 PM ET, when the brand split ended, and after it was moved to Thursdays in 2015.

If WWE didn’t care about SmackDown, why should the fans? So that led to them reading spoiler reports on Tuesday nights to see if there was anything worth watching on Thursday. Most of the time, that answer was no.

With USA pressing for better ratings and the sudden repackaging of SmackDown for a third time in 18 months, the pressure is on WWE. They have to go to the safe option to achieve what they’re looking for. They can’t use Roman Reigns in that option yet, so they are forced to turn to John Cena.

Forced is a strong word. It’s like saying WWE has no choice but to use Cena in this role as the lead man of SmackDown. It’s like saying there is truth behind this, because there is.

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WWE potentially using Mr. HLR as the top babyface of SmackDown is representative of inability over the past decade. They have failed to produce top stars to match someone like Cena, with many who fans wanted to see ultimately going to third of fourth in line and never moving. With Cena nearing 40 years old, WWE realized they need a new top star and are making Reigns that guy. However, if the plan is going to be to keep the WWE World Heavyweight Champion exclusive to one show and add a second top belt, someone is going to have to lead the other program. If WWE feels Cena is the only option to do that, then it falls back on their failures over the past 10 years.

The unwillingness to turn Cena heel is a factor here as well. It’s the “Boy Who Cried Wolf” tale that has been told for years with nothing to show for it. If WWE had any desire to make Cena a heel during his long career at the top, this could be different. He could be the lead bad guy to battle with the top face on SmackDown. It could have been Seth Rollins. It could have been AJ Styles (who is now a heel). It could have been other guys on the roster too.

Instead, we might be seeing Cena battle a top heel and likely come out on top if his history is anything to consider.

The only way this argument holds up is if John Cena leading SmackDown comes to fruition when the WWE Draft happens. Then we can say how he was the right choice to be the head guy on the blue brand. But we can also say how WWE backed themselves into a corner and was forced to go this route.

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Should John Cena be the face of SmackDown?