What John Cena Being "Fired" Could Mean For WWE.

[Jack-Hammer]

Last night on SD!, a new stipulation was added to the Cena vs. Big Show cage match at the No Way Out ppv. If Cena loses the match, he's going to wind up being "fired" instead of Big Johnny.

WWE is pulling out all the tricks to get people to pay attention to this match and, to be honest, this last bit has worked for me. I know, the idea of Cena being off WWE television for a while is something that seems like an impossibility, barring serious injury. On the surface, I agree that the idea of Cena being gone for a while does seem unlikely in some ways. Hearing this stip announced, however, reminded me of a few things said to be going on both behind the scenes & in Cena's own personal life that's made me rethink the possibility that Cena will be "fired" this Monday on Raw, especially after knocking out Big Johhny on SD! last night.

Cena is going through a divorce that's probably going to get messy. Cena might have to take some time away from WWE to get his ducks in a row, including having conferences & meetings with his attorneys. We all know how messy the Hogan divorce was and I've a feeling that this will be no different, especially now that rumors involving Cena being unfaithful out on the road are now coming to the surface. Plus, Cena himself works for WWE tirelessly and might need a little time off to recharge the batteries.

Something that sprung back to mind regarding the WWE itself is the talk of WWE putting more focus on CM Punk. I've read several reports at various points over the past few months suggesting that Punk's standing within the WWE is going to be elevated to fit in more on a level of a Randy Orton or John Cena. About the time Show began his latest heel run, I also read reports alleging that a feud between Big Show & CM Punk over the title was planned. If Show goes over John Cena at the ppv tomorrow then, with Cena gone, WWE will have no choice but to truly push CM Punk as a true top level face for the company. That is, if John Cena actually would be off television. If he loses, I don't want to see any of that crap they pulled with Nexus after Barrett beat him in which he still showed up each week.

I got to thinking about Cena's words to Show this past Monday and how they fit in with what, allegedly, WWE has planned with Show & Punk. Cena said that if Show lost, he'll not be looked at in the same light basically. If Show doesn't win against Cena but still goes onto feud with Punk, interest in the feud is practically killed from the start. It's not going to do CM Punk any good to defend his title against John Cena's leftovers. I might be completely wrong in my assumptions as it's sometimes impossible to know what Vince might decide to do at any given time. With the 1,000th episode of Raw coming up in a little over a month, it seems odd to think of John Cena not being part of that. At the same time, if nothing else, the WWE has created some intrigue as to what might go down at the ppv tomorrow night.

With Cena gone for a while, WWE will also have no choice but to really get behind some wrestlers on the roster and really push them to prominence I think. Guys along the lines of Punk, Ziggler & Bryan might step up. The WWE might step up with ideas for new talent like Damien Sandow, Ryback & Antonio Cesaro. There's talk that new talent could debut on Raw at the 1,000th episode. In some ways, Cena taking some time off might honestly be best for both Cena & WWE.

I think that the new intrigue surrounding Cena leading into WM & the Extreme Rules ppv has kind of worn off, so maybe him taking some time off would be a good idea in the long run. Ratings might not be as strong for a bit without Cena on the card but, Cena coming back with a renewed sense of excitement and potentially freshness about him is an intriguing notion.

 

[ian_d]

Firstly, i agree that Cena getting "fired" would be interesting and i also agree with your hope that they don't resort to having him on each week despite being fired, like they did with the Nexus angle. However i can definitely see the typical 'make Cena look strong' playbook come out here, and we get Cena putting Big Show through the ring and Big Show wins.

However, if Cena is off TV, there is too few faces around to replace him. All the guys you've suggested to step forward are heels with the exception of Punk who is pretty much ready to be taking one of the top spots, and Ryback, who has some question marks over his ability to have a good spot on the card.

 

[thebarber]

well considering the "your fired" angle Cena was in with the Nexus angle in late 2012, and seeing how shit that turned out with Cena still being on tv each week, and with Randy Orton, Jericho and Rey Mysterio off tv at present, I see "no chance in hell" that Vince would take John Cena off television for any period of time at present.
With Triple H being on Raw the following night to address the Brock Lesnar situation, the road to Summerslam will commence, and Cena will be a huge part of Summerslam. Big Show is plain rubbish and nobody cares about him, Cena goes over, Big Shopw goes back to being irrelevant proving Mr McMahon right, Triple H becomes the General Manager of Raw and Teddy returns to the Smackdown role. Taking John Cena off Raw for any period will result in a massive slump of disinterest in the ratings

 

[The Crock]

When I first heard about the stipulation of Cena potentially being fired, I didn't think anything of it. I figured that since we'd be seeing Cena/Big Show, the WWE were just trying to find a way to spice that up. Then, the more I thought about it, the more I saw it becoming a strong possibility. As Jack-Hammer said, Cena's going through a rough time in his life right now. The divorce will be getting really nasty and I think Cena's going to have to concentrate on handling that. The WWE understands that and will certainly want to make sure Cena comes out of the divorce as best he can, as that's their top superstar -- WWE is going to do whatever they can to protect their brand, including helping Cena come out of his divorce cleanly. On top of that, Cena has been consistently working on the road for YEARS now -- something that is unheard of from somebody in Cena's position. The guy is a workhorse and has probably been working injured (rumors would indicate that he has), so he most likely needs some time off. Cena getting fired next Monday is not as out there as it seems.

I do have some doubts about Cena losing to Big Show, though. WWE, as of right now, is VERY thin -- especially in the main event. Could they afford to lose Cena for an extended period of time? I'm not so sure they could. There's a long list of main eventers that are out, either via suspension or injury, and Cena needs to be there to sure up that hole. Nobody will be able to replace Cena when he leaves, like they can replace an Alberto Del Rio or someone of the sort. Cena's the top guy -- he's the face of the company -- and they need him more than ever, right now. The product stands the chance of greatly falling off and I don't think the WWE really wants to see that happen. I'm sure they believe in CM Punk and want to test the waters with him as more of the centerpiece -- I like the idea -- but with all the lack of supplementary guys (Orton, Mysterio, Jericho, Del Rio, Barrett, and so on), there's only so much that they'll be able to do, in the wake of Cena's departure.

Now, none of this is to say that there isn't a positive to Cena getting time off. Other than the basic rest and recovery, along with handling his personal issues, the WWE needs to learn to not have to rely on Cena. It's better to suffer the consequences of a Cena-less set of shows now, than never having to deal with it, and being left without any options once Cena hangs up the boots for good. As invincible as Cena has seemed, the day is going to come when he has to call it quits -- the WWE has to prepare for that and now seems to be about as good of a time as any. Younger talents and borderline main eventers will be able to step up, creating more competition and depth in the roster -- that'll certainly be of use once Cena returns. Basically, a small dropoff in the ratings and overall product while Cena is gone, will pay off greatly down the line.

The thing that most intrigues me from this whole scenario of Cena leaving is how John Laurinaitis' character will advance. Laurinaitis is already (arguably) the top heel in the WWE. If he -- or someone aligned with him -- takes out John Cena (the face of the company), then it'll only increase the reaction he gets. It'll only make the payoff sweeter when somebody finally knocks Laurinaitis down from his perch -- that rub will be able to create a larger face reaction for whoever does it, in turn. Laurinaitis could and will, in all likelihood, be propelled past heights that any heel has seen in recent times. The WWE will have an interesting dynamic to work off of, as Laurinaitis will take that Mr. McMahon role -- but finally actually reaching great heights as a heel, rather than just being the top heel because there's nobody else around.

So, while this is all just speculation, there's a lot to like and a lot to be worried about here. Cena's the guy who main events every Pay-Per-View -- regardless of whether or not he's champion -- and he puts that company on his back, when is needed; Cena will not be replaced. On the flip-side, Cena HAS TO leave, at some point, and this allows WWE to build up a number of stars to hopefully reduce the impact of his departure. Either way, it should be interesting to see if he indeed loses, and then to follow the impact of his considerable presence not being around.

 

[akrassikauda]

Looks like my prediction may come true. (Cena's Last Stand)

What will it mean for the WWE simple look at history look at the last time Cena had time off. The ratings dropped they rushed him back from injury early. Cena is in the Howard Stern bracket meaning 50% watch cause the love him 50% watch cause they hate him. For the haters they are going to hurt the most just like last time, once he's gone who are they going to hate. Your Cena sucks chants will be useless when he's not around. When WWE has had enough of the question of where is Cena they will bring him back. The people who will ask that question the most will be the charities and we know how much Cena does for them.

As I posted in another thread this does not get done without the return of Mr. McMahon he has to be the bad guy in this it won't work with Johnny.

 

[Deoxyribonucleic A.C.I.D.]

What it could mean? Absolutely 1000% nothing, but nothing more than nothing! Cena was fired last year and nothing happened. Cena was also fired in 2010, but again, nothing happened. Cena getting fired is just something that is not permanent and exists only to increase PPV buyrates or ratings. How many times has Cena put his carreer on the line during his main-event run?
1) I believe one against JBL at Judgement day in 2005.
2) Against Edge at Vengeance in 2006.
3) Against Orton at Bragging Rights in 2009.
4) His carreer was on the line during the Orton-Barrett match at Survivor Series.
5) Against CM Punk last year at MITB.
6) Against The Big Show this Sunday.
Don't you think 6 times is enough? Well, I do. I don't know. Maybe the WWE will play this one out well. We'll sit down and wait till Monday to see what happens.
But I believe that this tie, Johny Ace is the one that gets fired..

 

[JaylisJayP]

Good thoughts OP, but you're seriously overestimating Big Show's ability to put anyone over. I hope he doesn't ever feud with Punk. Honestly, I hope Big Show just goes away again. He's so horrible and insanely boring, I can't stand him.

I wish it were Show getting fired tomorrow.

 

[Strife543]

Whats wrong with cena beiing off tv for a few months? I mean this could be a chance to have CM Punk Ziggler or even Rhodes some time to shine and maybe work on that "big summer angle". Cena is going through a divorce not only that but Stars around Cena's age usually need time off to heal from injurues. I expect someone will interfere in the cage match this sunday ( possibly Lesnar or Johnny) causing Cena to lose and get "fired" allowing him some time off

 

[PlayTheGameHHH]

If they're gonna "fire" Cena, they have to remove him from TV. I don't want him "buying tickets", like you said, and showing up at every goddamn RAW.

With the brutal schedule and, of course, his divorce, I wouldn't at all be surprised if they do take him off the show for a while. They're gonna have to really push CM Punk and back him up 100% if that's the case.

I see it playing out like this --- Cena gets fired, a few months later Johnny Ace gets fired and replaced, the new GM reinstates Cena.

Or, Cena wins at No Way Out and Johnny Ace is fired there and then and we all move on. That would be an absolutely horrendous end to the storyline though, in my opinion anyway.

I totally agree 100% with your thoughts about a new, refreshed Cena (if he does indeed take time off).

 

[whoopin' ass]

i am not a huge fan of "fired" matches now because it usually isn't a big deal. once upon a time, it was a big deal because it meant someone was leaving the company and could show up in another company. what does it mean now? usually it means someone is injured or just taking time off. look how long big show was fired for. so Cena gets fired. and? he isn't turning heel folks. we know that already. and if they didn't change his character during his feud with the Rock, why do it now? we know he isn't going to end up in tna or roh. we know that if big johnny gets fired, he still works for the company. and so big johnny gets fired - we now get yet another general manager on RAW.

besides, i know things change but they just advertised cena vs big show/johnny in september.

 

[Ace630]

The only problem I see with Cena being off t.v is that there is no number two face to back cm punk up. I can see Punk being able to carry the brand for a few months but there isn't a number two face right now that you need to back him up.

We all see Cena as the number one and for many years Orton was his backup, and if need be there was Triple H or Taker if they needed to step in or even HBK.
I can't see anyone else on the roster right now that's ready for that step up to number two face.

I would love for Cena to take some time off and come back refreshed. Imagine the pop he would get if he just turned up randomly somewhere like at the rumble he returned at. So i can see the good and bad points of Cena taking some time off but i think it won't happen as Vince doesn't have backup right now

 

[CyberPunk]

If nothing else, this stipulation has increased the intrigue going into NWO. If Cena does take time off, there would be others who would get pushes (may be a face turn for someone). Cena being off TV would be a test for lot of guys. Can Punk carry the load? Who would fill in as second face on RAW? But with a big summer angle planned, they may take this risk, especially if they are building towards Trips and Brock program for Summerslam. I could even see Brock interfering and costing Cena the match at NWO (though with Brocks' limited dates, E may not take that risk).

Whatever happens, they have added an intrigue factor and I am looking forward to it.

 

[Radical Canadian Goose]

Not going to lie, I only read the OP and didn't bother to read anybody elses responses. I am unsure about this John Cena being fired stip because I thought I read somewhere that if he loses he gets fired from Raw. Hey I could be wrong, but if that is the case that is a stupid storyline, because he will obviously end up on Smackdown.

I think that "firing" Cena is a great way to go right now. Ratings are at an alltime low, and he is not helping anything. He is going through a messy divorce. Mr. Cena also is suffering some nagging injuries. Vince and the creative team need to try to push the young up and comers right now. Rest Cena, bring him back around the Rumble, in a push to build ratings. Also on a side note about ratings.... WHO CARES ABOUT A 2.7? GUESS WHAT IT IS NOT 1997 ANYMORE,there are more channels, more selection, less wrestling competition. Vince and co. need to stop worrying as his product will always be on tv. Now is the time to start building young talent, let the Franchise (Cena) rest up for a while, let him resolve his personal issues, and bring him back fresh

 

[JJ15776]

Not going to lie, I only read the OP and didn't bother to read anybody elses responses. I am unsure about this John Cena being fired stip because I thought I read somewhere that if he loses he gets fired from Raw. Hey I could be wrong, but if that is the case that is a stupid storyline, because he will obviously end up on Smackdown.

You are, in fact, wrong. Being fired "from Raw" wasn't mentioned anywhere. Big Johnny said he would fire John Cena, period. End of sentence, end of stipulation. And since Johnny's the GM of both Raw and Smackdown!(not to mention the Executive VP of Talent Relations), I don't see how he could possibly end up on Smackdown!

Anyway, I'm fine with Cena losing to Big Show being "fired" on Monday - as long as he's back by the 1,000th episode. And he damn well better be back in time to set up a match for SummerSlam. There's no excuse for taking him off TV until the Rumble or any such nonsense. His lawyers are the ones that will handle the messy divorce, Cena's role in that will be minor.

 

[Kizzani]

You are, in fact, wrong. Being fired "from Raw" wasn't mentioned anywhere. Big Johnny said he would fire John Cena, period. End of sentence, end of stipulation.

After reading this I wanted to call 911, I was sure this guy has his head so far up is own ass he would need surgery.

It once more than a year ago John Cena was fired and still wrestled as Juan Cena the masked sensation. Firing in the WWE holds about as much water as a wet paper sack.

What does it mean if Cena is fired, he comes back as somthing else. 1 option is Juan Cena setting up Sin Cara v Cena mask match ( same ******ed idea from last years WM) Number 2 option and my pick is John Cena is fired and snaps he begins to do the DDP,SCSA,steve blackmon running and beating the crap out of people. OR 3 He wants to get back in but has to work for Johnny ace, This makes him forced to turn heel setting up a battle with CM flunk.

 

[Sexcellence of Sexecution]

I think it's a bad idea to take John Cena off of TV. He's the top star in the company, and there are a lot of fans at WWE shows are there because they want to see him. CM Punk can still be elevated and made to be important while Cena is on the show, so I don't think that's a valid reason for him to take time off.

 

[Headman]

I would be pissed if they use the "Fired" stipulation AGAIN to get Cena off of television. If the plan were to give Cena time off they should have used the injury angle after the Lesnar match which would have sent Cena out on a high note. They've already done the fired thing so it just wreaks of lazy booking. Not to mention I'd be pissed if he takes time off anyway because I've got RAW house show tickets and he's probably the main reason I'm going in the first place. But that's my own selfish reasons. If he needs time off so be it, but I wish they'd be a bit more creative about it.

 

[DirtyD79]

If he actually does lose most likely it will be the return of "Juan" Cena. Just like the Nexus angle he'll keep buying tickets and coming in from the crowd to cheapshot Big Johnny. It will be just like he never left.

 

[Fansince1992]

Don't think Cena's Divorce is going to be as nasty as Hogan's was. No kids are involved and she signed some sort of Prenup before they were wed. However it still is a tough personal situation for Cena to deal with, so some time off will be much respected. Cena however may even want to continue working while the divorce is going through. Some people find that staying active helps in hard times. Time will tell.

Like Headman said if i was attending an upcoming WWE show, i'd be pretty pissed if Cena wasn't there. I am thinking Cena is going to lose to Big Show, and be Fired (to take some time out). Another thing i noticed is The Heel side of WWE is lacking at the moment. Why are all the Championship Belts held by the faces? Punk, Sheamus, Christian, Santino, Truth, Kofi, and Layla!
(This could change at No Way Out of course) Big Show beating Cena could build some much needed Heel Strength, and like Jack-Hammer said slot Big show nicely into a fued with Punk after No Way Out.

 

[ProWrestlingFan]

What John Cena Being "Fired" Could Mean For WWE ?

Nothing. As he is never "Fired". In 2010 John Cena was "Fired" but still was on TV every week after that.

WWE should just stop with these "Fired" storylines.

 

[GameOver]

I''m gonna go out on a limb and say No Way Out. (nwo) and WWE is going through a Revolution can we see where i'm getting at?

would be a great angle for Cena to get screwed once again by a group of "outsiders" and then Cena in a few months comes back battles them then eventualy reveals himself as the leader of the group turning on a long time friend/rival, oh wait that already happened in the 90's .

WWE atm has no choice but to try without Cena, Orton and all the other past stars anyway, sooner or later he's gonna have to either take time off or let someone else be the top dog in the long term or they will be in the same position they were when Hogan was winding down and there was only unproven people (for main event purposes) there to pick up the pieces.

and anyway i'm predicting Laurinitis is the only one getting fired, and he's not fired from WWE just from being GM and getting rehired by Big Show as his manager. WWE Advertising of the upcoming tour of Australia in August tells us Cena, Laurinitis and Big Show will still be around, ofcourse they could always run the Macho Man retirement type angle and say Cena or Laurinitis was already booked to appear on the tour so they are just working those shows.

and sure cards are subject to change.

This would just be another obstacle to overcome and rise above hate.

Could Cena be taking time off to deal with his current family issues? sure, i know i'd want to. but it wont be for long, returning to american tv by August in time to build up for SummerSlam IF he was the one losing at NWO.

 

[avriltt234]

if Cena is "fired" hopefully they will keep him off TV for more than two or three weeks this time, hopefully they will keep him off TV for a couple o months and try and push some of there young talent like Dolph Ziggler, Kofi Kingston, Cody Rhodes and the many more that they are not paying attention to while Cena is around.

However i would not like to see Cena gone for good because he is a good character and i do like to see him on TV.