WWE leans on its ‘John Cena’ trump card to garner interest once again
WWE does not have an infinite number of times they can go back to John Cena in hopes to build interest in the product.
John Cena is back. Again. WWE is celebrating Cena’s 20th year in professional wrestling and that includes the multi-time champion coming back to a WWE ring. The timing couldn’t be better, as injuries and absences hamper WWE’s already dwindling star power. His return marks two dire points: time is running out on their Cena “cash cow,” and they are playing against the clock when it comes to building new names that fans want to see.
Cena is set to return to television on June 27 when the show hails from Laredo, Texas. Expectations are that he and Austin Theory will be involved in a storyline surrounding the United States Championship with the hopes that never-ending interest in Cena will rub off on Theory, as the latter has struggled to gain much momentum of his own. While there are many other names that should get the opportunity to stand next to and interact with Cena, it’s understandable why WWE is going back to the typical playbook when it is needed the most.
Saying WWE’s roster is lacking star power right now would be an understatement. Roman Reigns’ “lighter” schedule has seen him removed from television for multiple weeks, and the unified Universal and WWE Championships have not been defended since WrestleMania. Then there’s the ongoing situation involving Sasha Banks and Naomi with the two women suspended indefinitely, and the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships put on the shelf. WWE was making a strong push behind Cody Rhodes, but the torn pectoral that shocked viewers at WWE Hell in a Cell will keep him out of action for nearly 6-9 months.
WWE has to begin trusting the young talent on the roster
Four of the biggest names the company had to offer, simply went from television without any real investment in names to take their places. WWE’s shotty booking has caught up with them as they do not have the on-screen depth necessary to fill in the gaps. So, they go back to Cena in hopes that he can be used to build Theory into a name that fans care about. Unfortunate circumstances.
Cena said it best last year when he commented on WWE’s reliance on “aging” performers. At 45-years of age, he’s very current in his analysis. But there’s also the fact that WWE takes a slow route in putting its young performers into a place to succeed. Then there are some other questionable booking decisions like what the company has done with Pete Dunne/Butch on the main roster that causes fans to shake their head and eventually tune out. WWE has a talented group of young performers on the roster, but that doesn’t always resonate with what viewers see on television.
Next. Four SmackDown names that should be in the MITB. dark
Cena’s coming back. Sure, that’s going to create some brief interest in the product. But WWE can’t continue to go back to the same guy and the same playbook. This roster needs an infusion of young talent, and while WWE has them on the roster it’s time to trust that group and leave names like Cena further in the past.