Really? Couldn't even go two full months without Cena

[LSN80]

I'm not even going to bash him and hate on the guy like most people do on these forums but the dependence that WWE displays toward the guy is sickening.

Why? Because hes a proven draw, moves merchandise like no one else, draws better ratings, and generates PPV buys. Whats more, the card is stronger with him on it then off. So I don't truly understand how that is sickening.

I have never seen a guy more depended on by WWE to carry the brand, and in 2013 I would say that this dependence is unwarranted.

What you call dependence, I call relying on your top asset. If your favorite football team, for example, was running the ball successfully with their franchise starting running back, would you complain because they weren't giving the ball enough to their backup? Of course not, so why would you complain about WWE relying on their top asset?

With Cena out, as the past two PPV's have shown, a lot of wrestlers have been in positions unfamiliar, with two below-average PPV's as well. Do you think that's a coincidence?

Hopefully, putting him in the WHC program means that he will take the belt from Del Rio (who has never been ready for a world title) and helps carry the blue brand out of oblivion.

Cena would still be a Raw guy, as the brand split has been over for several years. If anything, you'll be getting more Cena, as he'll be feuding with Del Rio on Raw and on Smackdown.

Kind of like Del Rio does? Why would Cena do differently, and why would you assume he'ld get involved? WWE shouldn't risk Cena's health if he's not 100%, but are you saying that a healthy Cena should be left off TV?

That's essentially your argument, which you realize is ludicrous, right?

The last thing WWE needs is to let Cena interrupt this McMahon-Helmsley Era and destroy its natural course.

You mean the Era from 1999 to 2002, that ended 11 years ago? Yeah, that's not this. But if this storyline lasts for some time, the natural course would be for the top face to stand up to the heel regime.

The top face, especially a rebellious one with a strong moral compass, should involve himself. Just as CM Punk should and likely will get involved in some way, so should Cena if the time comes. Unless Bryan wins and HHH/Stephanie both disappear following Hell In A Cell, the likely progression would be for Bryan to move on, and Cena to get involved at some point.

How do you guys feel about Cena returning after a month and a half from an injury he was supposed to be out 4-6 months from?

If judging by the last time he returned from injury, he didn't even come back to Raw until after the PPV, with the last time being Survivor Series 2008. That would be over two months off television.

But the bigger question is this: If Cena is healthy, why should WWE leave Cena off TV? Again, the running back correlation I made. If your star, starting running back was healthy, would you leave him on the bench in favor of his inferior backup?

The logic here simply makes no sense.

Do you think WWE needs him to come back? (I say only on SmackDown)

This is where the argument truly comes off the rails. What other wrestlers do you know that appear on Smackdown only? With the brand split, there are none. Some appear exclusively on Raw for the most part, like John Cena and CM Punk. But you'ld have the true face of the company banished to the pre-taped, Friday night, B show?

There's a lot of talk about things being "Best For Business". Having Cena relegated to Smackdown would be the antithesis of that, especially since no one else is relegated there. Further, it's the show where viewership is less, so having him on the show where viewership is smaller has what benefit to the WWE?

Did you miss him?

This is a case by case basis, and some people simply don't like Cena, or what he brings to the product. That's fine. Personally speaking, I have. When your favorite wrestler misses time, you tend to look at the product with slightly less enthusiasm then before. Others, such as Daniel Bryan, have filled that void in a sense, but yes, I miss watching Cena, quite a bit. I enjoy him as a wrestler and character alike, and he's had some of the strongest feuds of the past 10 years.

So many people complain about him now, but when the day comes that he's no longer an on-screen character, a large number of people will look back and see Cena for what he is.

A once in a generation type talent.

 

[THTRobtaylor]

In terms of why why moved it up, it is most likely they oversold his original down time estimate. Not for his benefit but to perhaps cover for the returns of Rey and Sheamus. The estimate had a lot of guys assuming they'd both be back for the Rumble and Rey would be sooner. It may be that Cena coming back that bit earlier gives Rey a bit more time to get in shape and saves the big Rumble return for Sheamus as they can't really pop that Cena shock win again.

If Bret could wrestle a shortened series of matches post stroke, Cena can get through a shortish match with Del Rio. With the current storyline it's almost destined to be a clusterfuck ending regardless so bringing him back early, as others have said helps the cancer stuff, pops the buyrate so Survivor Series is strong and perhaps as someone mentioned gives the chance for that "torch passing moment" to Bryan, not Sure Cena will be carrying him on his shoulders but I could see a heel turn from Bryan at that moment and then the cash in from Sandow... setting up Cena v Bryan into the fall. Or maybe Bryan tries to save Cena but then misses and hits him causing him to lose... or they just redo Hogan v Warrior, title for title for Mania... either works.

 

[CyberPunk]

I don't know what's wrong with Cena coming back. John Cena has been the backbone of the company for so long now, bringing him back in this fashion would only generate some much needed interest in the World title. He's a proven draw, and WWE needs some catching up to do after their last offering on PPV. Cena equals money. Plus, it's not like that he's going to main event the show for the WHC.

It's very obvious that it is not his permanent return, not yet. I may be wrong, but this just seems like a way to transition the belt from Del Rio to Sandow. Because when Cena returns full time, it would be made into a much bigger deal. Say whatever you want, but this more about jacking up the PPV buyrates than anything else (plus the PR).

 

[IT Factor]

The problem lately is that WWE are just plain boring and haven't been giving us the effort that WWE RAW and the usual PPVs would normally get. They have been doing this since WCW went under, but it has been even more obvious these last few weeks. They keep doing screwy finishes, they never change up their main events[usually some variation of The Shield being involved], and their shows seem lackluster. There is no momentum to speak of because their is no effort being put forward at all, therefore WWE has to keep relying on John Cena to save their ass every time that ratings or PPV buyrates are down.

The same can be said with bringing Vince McMahon back to television. Each time they start doing poorly, they assume bringing Vince back will bring the ratings & buy rates back up. Here's a concept that might work better: Start giving a damn about your product again! Give us a full effort show for each weekly RAW/Smackdown and also build your PPVs to logical endings and stop doing the Russo concept of shocking, screwy, swervy endings! People want to see a pay off to a storyline and doing back-to-back PPVs with piss poor endings that aren't definitive will make even the die hards question what is going on. As for Cena, he might bring back some interest and I applaud their decision to do something shocking by using him in a World Title match vs. Del Rio instead of automatically putting him back into the WWE Title picture. However, the only good that will come of this is potentially restoring prestiege to the World Title by letting Cena and other new people hold it. Maybe it will become a major title again instead of being viewed as the secondary main belt or another mid-card title. Whatever the case is, interest will not be held for WWE long if they keep doing the same old predictable, boring, non-sensical, and screwy endings that never progress a storyline. Instead of doing one main storyline that hinges on Triple H/Stephanie/Orton/Big Show/Daniel Bryan, why not do a bunch of things to see what works? The only storyline I have been interested in lately is the Rhodes Family vs. the McMahons/HHH and even that hasn't been executed well. Cody will in all likelihood return as the same lower to mid-carder and nothing will change. WWE needs to realize they are running out of big names and start pushing new stars, simple as that.

 

[chicagokmc]

Ever since the 80's when the WWF/WWE has had one person they felt they could ride, they have ridden that person as far as he'll go. Hulk Hogan, Stone Cold, The Rock and now Cena. If he is their number 1 and he is physically able to return, he should be brought back sooner than later.

Now, should Cena be involved in the McMahons/HHH drunk with power storyline going on? Not sure, but let me say this, when one of the current faces of that storyline is the 2013 version of Golddust, the WWE may not have a choice...