What’s the story?
According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, John Cena has been classified as a free agent to give him the freedom to work with talent from both Raw and SmackDown Live. In theory, this move will also allow WWE’s biggest star to perform on more pay-per-views and live events. He is also expected to have a greater degree of creative freedom than before.
In case you didn’t know...
The Leader of the Cenation has been away from the WWE since Wrestlemania because he has been busy with his Hollywood commitments. Cena has finished up his filming duties and is scheduled to be returning to the WWE very soon, with a scheduled appearance on Smackdown Live on July 4th.
The heart of the matter
This scenario opens up a lot of doors for the 16-time world champion who now has a plethora of talent to work with. WWE officials believe Cena will be able to boost Raw ratings while still keeping Smackdown Live’s numbers high. They’re also hoping that Cena will boost live event sales, so there is a possibility that he will appear at more house shows than in the past.
The West Newbury native is expected to have greater input during this run so expect him to work with several younger Superstars.
What’s next?
Cena’s next scheduled appearance is on July 4th on Smackdown Live. According to our featured columnist Billi Bhatti, the 40-year-old is set to face Jinder Mahal for the WWE Championship. Expect him to find his way back into the world title picture eventually.
Author’s take
That being said, Cena has done quite a lot when it comes to helping the underutilised men of the WWE over the past few years. Many are quick to call Cena out for burying wrestlers, but his US title run did the opposite, allowing the other guys a chance to raise themselves in the fans and creatives’ eyes.
Some of the best matches of Cena’s career came during the US Title Open Challenge, with Cena taking on the likes of Sami Zayn, Cesaro and Kevin Owens. I’ve never been more excited to see Cena return, as he has a chance to make a lot of dream matches a reality and elevate men like Baron Corbin and Braun Strowman to the top level.
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