What’s the story?
It appears that John Cena is conspicuously absent from SmackDown LIVE's new introductory video package.
In case you didn’t know...
John Cena has been featured in virtually every intro of the brand he performs for, be it RAW or SmackDown, since he rose to prominence in the WWE in the early 2000s. The 40-year old is widely heralded for his wrestling proficiency and mic skills and has been the face of WWE for more than a decade now.
The heart of the matter
John Cena, who’s a 16-time world champion, last competed in WWE at Wrestlemania 33 alongside his now-fiancée Nikki Bella. He hasn’t appeared on WWE’s main roster TV programming ever since.
As we had previously reported, Cena is busy with his Hollywood obligations and plans to pursue a career in acting. Several fans and experts in the professional wrestling community have said that his appearances on WWE programming will only continue to become more sparse.
However, it’s also essential to note that Cena has repeatedly gone on record to state that he’s a “WWE Lifer” and intends to stay on with WWE in some capacity for as long as possible.
Also read: 5 women John Cena has dated
What’s next?
John Cena has been scheduled to return on the July 4th episode of SmackDown Live. He has been absent from WWE programming because of his roles in Daddy’s Home 2 and The Wall.
Author’s take:
WWE needs John Cena now more than ever. SmackDown Live ratings continue to drop and the go-home show for Backlash drew the lowest ratings of the 2017 calendar year. No seriously!
The numbers don’t lie, and as much as members of the new crop of WWE Superstars claim to be the big dog or the face that runs the place, Cena is very much still the true face of the company.
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