Is John Cena Still Part of WWE SmackDown Live?

John Cena was drafted to WWE SmackDown Live in 2016, but is apparently no longer part of the brand.

In the 2016 WWE Draft, John Cena was drafted to the SmackDown Live brand, becoming one of its top faces. He’s appeared on it in spurts, due to outside media projects in movies, commercials and more. This includes hosting an episode of Saturday Night Live.

Cena’s last WWE TV appearance came at WrestleMania 33, where he defeated The Miz and Maryse in a Mixed Tag Team match. He then proposed to his then-girlfriend, Nikki Bella, who said yes, as they walked off into the sunset in Orlando, FL.

Well, over the past two weeks, WWE played vignettes to hype up Cena’s TV return on SmackDown, July 4. However, at the end of the video, a graphic played that labeled the Face That Runs the Place a “free agent.”

It’s interesting to note, as Cena’s name never got brought up in April’s Superstar Shakeup. Is he an unknown casualty of this Vince McMahon-created gimmick?

What may be the case, is WWE utilizing Cena as a special attraction, not belonging to either brand since his outside media career can overtake his time in the ring at any point. That would leave him able to bounce from SmackDown to Raw, and vice verse.

Is this a way of Cena saying goodbye to SmackDown Live? While he’ll appear on its July 4 show, that may be a way of him giving a farewell to the blue brand, declaring his intention of going to Raw or being told he’s going there.

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Cena’s situation has suddenly become interesting, so everyone will potentially see what’s next for him in about three weeks. There are options for the 16-time WWE World Champion, especially with SummerSlam approaching. What will he do?