Last night on WWE Backstage, it was announced that John Cena is returning to the WWE on February 28th’s Smackdown.
BREAKING NEWS:@JohnCena returns to @WWE on the February 28th edition of Friday Night SmackDown on FOX. #WWEBackstage pic.twitter.com/Zau9ZhhdBF
— WWE on FOX (@WWEonFOX) February 12, 2020
This news is big with the WWE fighting to steady the ship following their worst years ratings wise and their stock plummeting to start 2020. It’ll give fans an excuse to tune into a Smackdown that’s been skippable for weeks now. It also teases a John Cena return at WrestleMania 36, but is that really in the cards?
Also, given the timing being the day after Super Showdown in Saudi Arabia, could this be a way to ensure they have talent on hand in case of another issue with their plane?
Cena’s content where he’s at
John Cena only appeared in 8 matches in 2019 as he focused more on his acting career. He previously stated he tried to walk the line between both, but found he had to choose one or the other due to the demands of both professions. So, he followed The Rock’s lead and went Hollywood.
Chances are that just like Dwayne Johnson, Cena could still appear from time to time in a big even to draw in more fans. It’s expected and understandable that he’d want to give back to the WWE as it gave him the chance to be the star he is. Of course, the WWE could really use his star power in the ring as their current crop, aside from a few here and there, haven’t shown much in the line of being headliners and other have just been misused.
In a January interview with Jimmy Kimmel, he acknowledged he’s not a “regular player” anymore, but that, “WWE is still in my heart, I’m still a part of the family, I still keep in touch with a lot of folks, I try to do my best to teach and mentor and help where I can, but, man, I’m 42.”
He then added, “I’ve been proud of the effort I’ve put forth, and I just want to make sure that I never am in a position where paying customers like yourself look at the effort and go, ‘Meh. He’s just kinda sticking around because he’s greedy.'”
That’s a reasonable thought process and we have to give him props for it. It’s hard for any athlete to walk away when they can still perform, so this shows he’s put a great deal of thought into things.
Maybe it’s because of Super Showdown
The last time the WWE was in Saudi Arabia, there was a problem with the plane and a bulk of Smackdown’s talent couldn’t make it back in time for the show. They had to bring in NXT wrestlers to fill the holes, and NXT stole the show, proving they’re superior to most of what’s currently on the main brand’s roster.
This could be part of Vince McMahon wanting to be prepared just in case, and if that’s the case, it opens up possibilities on what happened last time and gives conspiracy theories a new life.
Yep, we just fanned the flames. Since there were differing points of view that didn’t line up with WWE’s official story, it’s only natural to mention it.
I’m not hinting that something’s wrong, just that McMahon is planning against having a portion of his roster stranded halfway across the world. Anyone that’s seen him, knows John Cena can carry most of the show if he has to. After all…
Cena still has it
As he showed at the Raw Reunion, John Cena returning to the WWE is something to enjoy. He still has his mic skills, and he makes everyone around him look better because of it. Like the rest of the Legends, his days in the ring are either over or numbered, and he’s going to be used as a gimmick to draw us in more times than not. Is that a bad thing? That depends. But it can be a really cool and fun thing to experience.
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