Booking Carmelo Hayes to Retire John Cena is Best for Business

WWE booking and Carmelo Hayes are both getting a lot of attention on social media. That is why booking Carmelo Hayes to retire John Cena should get its due consideration. Anecdotally, WWE Unreal has drawn in lapsed or curious eyes to the world of pro wrestling by making that "fake sport" more real, in no small part thanks to John Cena. Likewise, many fans who watch the product with some regularity are demanding that Carmelo Hayes be utilized more, following a stellar NXT career and a massive rollout of the red carpet for him at the draft, which has yet to materialize into much else.

There are theories that abound about the impact of WWE's use of Unreal and the reasons for Melo's fall from the top, as well as why so few of the top-tier talent in WWE history are black men. Setting them aside for a moment, WWE can give both sets of fans what they have been seeking this December. All they need is to provide Carmelo Hayes with a John Cena moment.

"Ruthless Aggression" as a catalyst for superstardom worked for John Cena

Longtime wrestling fans know the story well enough. John Cena, the GOAT, had to start somewhere, and that place was dangerously close to unemployment. His rap-inspired persona was still a ways off, but he needed to impress someone and fast to save his job. When booked to face off with the now WWE Hall of Famer Kurt Angle, he took that ball and ran himself to the epicenter of the Ruthless Aggression Era. Working with the veteran Angle, Cena showed off what the next generation of superstar would look like, ironically living up to his prototype moniker just in time to drop it.

Carmelo Hayes is probably the last "great" NXT Champion. Trick Williams' tenure at the top, alongside current champion Oba Femi, has consistently felt like the least interesting part of NXT programming. In fact, moving Williams to TNA to continue his feud with Joe Hendry, now for Hendry's home title and not his own, made their program much better. The last time NXT had a centerpiece world champion was Melo, probably because he is what NXT is about, the next generation. Hayes is to Cena what Cena was to Angle many years ago. While it is not ruthless aggression, it is the next iteration. Letting Hayes create that future for the industry in a story that rhymes with Cena's own, by retiring the living legend, would more than prove WWE right for their initial big bet on Melo.

Ending a final run full of new moments on an old note would make no sense

The John Cena farewell tour has been met with mixed reactions from fans, partially due to overbooking and complex personalities. One thing this run has not been, though, is ordinary. John Cena is not out there playing his greatest hits to thank the crowd on his way out the door. Instead, Cena is playing a heel for the first time in a long time, and that means a lot of the matches do feel fresh. That is a positive for the story, but a simple, pardon the pun, attitude adjustment can't change how often Cena and Randy Orton, for example, have faced off. His run has worked best when it provided newness. That is a brave way to retire and one that only an icon can pull off.

Since John Cena is that icon, losing heart now would be a real shame. In Carmelo Hayes, we see a guy that Cena has crossed paths with, but only briefly. Likewise, Melo did work with Cody Rhodes for a brief period in some memorably fun matches. That connects him to the broader main event scene that Cena and Cody are part of. Reverting to the typical good-guy John routine for a match with an old rival one last time is how nearly everyone chooses to retire. Setting Carmelo Hayes to retire, John Cena lets a unique talent go out in a way that is unique to them, to the benefit of a new talent who wants to do the same.

A final battle in Boston, Massachusetts, should feature two local talents

Sometimes, when crafting a story, the audience matters most. Boston, MA, or a nearby locale, is likely to host a significant event to coincide with Cena's last match in December. Without the specifics yet, there is a late Q4 Saturday Night's Main Event that could be a contender for this last match, and the show could take place at TD Garden, MassMutual Center, or the DCU Center, depending on just how big they expect the show to draw. Letting John Cena call it a career in his home state, where the boyhood dream began, is a no-brainer.

Cena's origins in the Bay State are reason enough to do this, but Carmelo Hayes is a Bostonian himself. The only thing that can compare to a hometown thank you to one of the greats is for that same match to put over another homegrown talent. Neither guy had much of a choice in the matter of where they were born, but that doesn't matter. The crowds are more likely to respond well to a match as the stakes they personally feel invested in grow. Two locals, one hungry for a shot, one on his last appearance. That is plenty for the live audience to sink their teeth into.

Picking Carmelo Hayes to retire John Cena fits with WWE's new era ethos

Even without the very off-putting reality that Melo's race could very well be part of his position on the card, with plenty of anecdotal evidence, there is another, less nefarious but equally systemic problem. The WWE is now in its New Era. TKO is changing the culture, Triple H is running the shows, the talent acts and talks differently, and the champions look and wrestle differently. Despite these adjustments, the ancient, primal urge to resist change, cater to the old audiences of the "glory days", and push the talents with the right experience remains strong. Triple H and his team need to walk the walk in this new era, not just point out the things that have naturally changed over time. This match between Melo and Cena would be that. Put the confidence and athleticism of the future against the ruthless aggression of the past and watch the shift in industry around them.