The 2011 WWE Draft appears to be the most predictable draft in recent memory. Most expect that one of RAW’s big two WWE stars will return to SmackDown but will the WWE make the right choice? The time is now to draft John Cena, not Randy Orton to SmackDown.
Even most casual of WWE fans will tell you that they believe that Randy Orton is going to SmackDown tonight. It makes sense on paper. John Cena and Randy Orton are the two biggest full-time WWE superstars on the roster. RAW has both and one is going, Orton appears to be the guy. But why isn’t anyone talking about John Cena to SmackDown?
[adinserter block=”2″]I am sure that even the thought of John Cena leaving RAW and going to SmackDown would keep Vince McMahon from getting his comfortable three hours of sleep a night. Vince and the WWE creative team have relied on Cena since he moved over to the brand in 2005 to carry the show and be the poster boy of WWE RAW. Heck, the WWE wouldn’t even let him sit out a week to sell a stipulation of being fired out of fear that the show would tank. I am sure that even bringing this up to Vince in a creative meeting would be grounds for either immediate dismissal or a spot dancing on RAW in Chippendale tuxedo.
But let’s be frank for a second here about John Cena. Is anyone really tuning into RAW specifically to watch John Cena? What if John Cena got hurt and missed a few months of action? Would the RAW ratings tank? Well guess what? Cena did get hurt back in 2007 and believe it or not RAW survived. WWE superstars stepped up and the fans kept coming. Not only would the same happen today, but maybe just maybe the RAW ratings could actually increase over time.
John Cena has probably done more damage to RAW in the last two years than good. That isn’t his fault. I blame the WWE creative team that use Cena as their security blanket and are afraid to create new stars the right way. Nobody and The Rock means nobody pins John Cena on RAW and if they do, they will make sure to return the favor five times over to erase that horrific thought from the memories of RAW fans. Removing Cena from the roster will actually allow babyfaces to move up and allow heel WWE champions to get big wins over top babyface challengers which will only enhance their position and the title’s.
On top of that, the elevation of a babyface on RAW to the main-events is practically a death knell. Take a look back at CM Punk’s first WWE world championship run on RAW. He was the top dog yet he was constantly overshadowed every week by Cena. By the end of his run he was probably more hurt by the push, being seen as a fluke champion next to Cena than he was helped. This has happened to numerous babyfaces over the last few years and as long as the shadow of Cena is cast on RAW, nobody is moving past that proverbial glass ceiling.
The same goes for heels. Look no further than your current WWE champion. The Miz is struggling and struggling badly right now as WWE champion. A big part of the problem is the fact that he can not only beat the top babyface on RAW, he can’t even hang with him. The great heel wrestling champions like Ric Flair, Superstar Billy Graham, and Hulk Hogan did cheat to beat their opponents, but you never felt as if they weren’t in the same league as their opponents. The fans see this with The Miz, they’ve seen it with Cena’s past foes, and they will see it with his next evil rival.
I have talked so much about RAW, but what about SmackDown? Wouldn’t Cena do the same damage to SmackDown? I don’t think so. Sure, Cena will still be positioned in a better position than every WWE superstar on the roster but they need someone like Cena in that spot. The roster is younger and a little more unknown to general WWE fans. A feud with a guy like Cody Rhodes and even Alberto Del Rio would elevate those guys over time and get them ready for an eventual move to RAW and a shot at bigger things. The difference with RAW and SmackDown is when the stars leave SmackDown for RAW it is seen as something as an opportunity and whether Del Rio loses to Cena or not on SmackDown, he is better for it once he gets to RAW.
The move would also help John Cena. Cena has gotten way too stale on RAW since his draft to the brand in 2005. He will have new writers, new opponents, and a new challenge to enhance SmackDown. John Cena would have to take new risks in order to elevate the brand to the “A” show and he is in a perfect position to do so. If John Cena could move to SmackDown, improve their ratings, make new stars, and turn it into a comparable brand to RAW, his legacy will be greatly enhanced by the time he hangs up the sneakers.
[adinserter block=”1″]Let’s call a spade a spade here when it comes to the WWE Draft. John Cena can make plenty of visits back to RAW whether he is an official SmackDown or RAW wrestler. Of course that would retard any progress the brand would make without Cena, but so be it. If the WWE really needs to pop a rating, bring him back from time to time. The WWE does it all of the time. The wrestlers of both WWE brands appear randomly on each show during the WrestleMania season anyway, so it isn’t as if you are going to lose steam on the Cena vs. The Rock main-event.
So instead of playing the safe hand and moving Randy Orton back to SmackDown, I think the WWE needs to take a big leap of faith and shake things up like they did back in 2005. Keeping Cena on RAW and moving Orton to SmackDown won’t change a darn thing no matter who else gets moved to either SmackDown or RAW.
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I agree with everything you said. I was very happy to see Cena go to Smackdown. Did you notice that no fans seemed to be booing Cena? That's pretty telling of what ''we'' want, but it's all about Vince isn't it? We don't seem to matter. Him being drafted back was a total crock of crap. Pure ignorance.
And as for this PG garbage: if you make a show Rated R……… every kid in the world will watch it!!!!! Even if it sucks! Kids are stupid and drawn to parental advisories like moths to a flame. Making it PG is absolutely pathetic on the WWE's part. It hurts everyone.
In conclusion; I think some very rich individual like Richard Branson should start a wrestling show on HBO. Tons of blood, impressive fighting from the females, titan trons on the ceiling as to not screw over 80 percent of the audience like WWE does, make a magazine that isn't kiddie bullcrap but more like Maxim meets Musclemag, etc. If that happens; I'll never watch WWE again.
Frank, Id be happy to post your rebuttal but not when it contains curse words. Clean it up and Ill post.
I LOVE how this writer just exclaims how this draft is "predictable" because one big Raw guy is being transplanted to Smackdown. Yes, that is probably true that a big star will be moved but I like how there is no attention to any other section of the draft. I mean, is the draft REALLY predictable or are you just picking and choosing what to "analyze" and claiming it's predictable based on solely ONE draft pick?
John Cena doing more damage? John Cena has put over more talent in the last two years than Rock EVER did. John Cena does ZERO damage to Raw and saying he does just makes you sound like a fool.
This is how the process works.
John Cena is the #1 guy
You build up heels to take on #1 guy
Heel takes on #1 guy
If the heel manages to be taken in as significant and important by the fans then they are made into stars
Edge
Randy Orton
Umaga
CM Punk
Miz
Lahsley
Khali
Jericho (Mid 2005)
Barrett and the Nexus
Sheamus
Before I get the mandatory stupid argument of, "BUT JOHN CENA BEAT THEM ALL! THEY ARE BURYED!" bull, let me explain something.
Firstly, winning a match doesn't mean you have to go over. This isn't a sport and winning doesn't mean anything. You can go over by losing just like Del Rio did at Wrestlemania.
Secondly, John Cena never, never, NEVER buries anybody. Again, losing a match doesn't mean anything. If you are on Raw, you are not buried. Regardless if you have a 30 minute segment or a 30 second match, WWE found reason to use you on THEIR show.
Thirdly, John Cena made all these people relevant to get proper TV time, titles, meaningful feuds, etc. So, for the love of God, nobody should EVER say John Cena doesn't put anybody over. He puts people over more than Rock ever did, Austin ever did, and Hogan ever did.
John Cena didn't outshine Punk's world title reign on Raw. Punk had a mini program with Batista and didn't deliver. The fans just don't give two damns about face Punk for the life of them. Why care about him as champ when you have Batista, Cena, and Mysterio all of which are better in the ring and better charismatic than Punk at that point in time? Punk's reign flopped because he was as stale as 4 month old bread. His gimmick has nothing of interest for the common fan to latch onto and getting the title off him was the smartest thing to do.
And before I hear the IWC garbage of how Punk is better in every facet than everyone, here is a wakeup call. If he was, he'd be champion more often. The typical IWC fan is a drastic minority to the casual fan that tunes in. Yes, I know you find that hard to believe but it is true.
WWE doesn't need to shake anything up. All they are going to do is send people to Raw in order to be in the Cena feud plate for 2011 like it should be because he is the top guy like Austin before him.
Btw, I'm not a Cena fan in any stretch of the imagination. I just know how wrestling works and I go with the smart thing on how to approach wrestling rather than what I want to happen on a weekly basis.
Where do I begin. For one, tell me at least two wrestlers that Cena has put over in the last few years not named Randy Orton. You have no idea what you are talking about because The Rock put EVERYONE Over.
No you don't have to get over by winning but Cena does NOT get anyone over. He jabrones all of those guys in promos, he never sells their threats (Umaga yes), and in the end, he beats every single one of them. Are you really going to tell me that CENA got Jericho over in 2005?
I would agree with you in that Cena did get Edge over but that was five years ago dude.
Listen I am not going to call you names because I appreciate the time you took to write that comment. It certainly was thought out. But you and I couldn't be further apart on Cena. But dude, you HAVE TO STOP telling me that Cena put more people over than The Rock because you couldn't be further from the truth. Quite honestly I would argue that Hogan put more over than Cena during his run. Austin, you got me there. He really didn't put anyone over than Foley, Kane, and Rock over.
Believe it or not we do agree on something. I couldn't agree with you more about what you said on Punk.
I also know how wrestling works and business is down and the ratings are descending and where I come from, this is a business and if your business is declining than something is wrong. It is far from the perfect picture you paint. John Cena does not put guys over. Tell me two full-time guys other than Cena and Randy Orton that are really stars. Go ahead, I am waiting. Don't tell me Punk, Del Rio, Rey, The Miz, or Morrison because none of those guys could carry the brand in their current state. Do you know why? Because Cena squashed most of them and the fans can see through it. Sorry but you don't know as much as you think you do.
But thanks for stopping by.