When AJ Styles started his WWE feud with John Cena, the former TNA Impact Wrestling star talked about how John Cena held down other wrestlers and kept anyone from moving up the card into main event superstars. In the lead-in to the No Mercy match last night, Dean Ambrose made the same claims. When AJ Styles won the match and kept John Cena from tying Ric Flair’s record of 16 world title reigns, it seemed John Cena was finally stepping aside for the younger stars of the future.
John Cena may not be the WWE world champion, but that doesn’t mean he is stepping aside for anyone. In an interview with ESPN , John Cena said that he isn’t going anywhere and won’t step aside for his replacements in the WWE main event scene.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=16NViOtRda4
“I’ll answer it like this: Every single day that I don’t have an outside obligation, I will fulfill any commitment that I have to WWE. And I will attach this quote with it that every outside obligation I have is to expand the brand of WWE and there has never been a superstar to say that before.”
Now, this doesn’t really mean that John Cena will win that 16th world title, but it is almost a foregone conclusion that it will happen, probably at WrestleMania next year. However, what it does mean is that John Cena is not going Hollywood like Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson did.
A stunned @JohnCena came SO CLOSE to making history as 16-time World Champion…but NOT tonight! #WWENoMercy pic.twitter.com/aDnEbbqW38
— WWE Universe (@WWEUniverse) October 10, 2016
John Cena couldn’t win the WWE world title last night at No Mercy . Deadline reported that John Cena is heading to Los Angeles to start working on the second season of his reality competition series American Grit . That will likely keep him out of the WWE until December.
Last chance to apply for Season 2 of #AmericanGrit !!!! pic.twitter.com/a5ovWNM6K1
— BeyhanTVCasting (@BeyhanTVCasting) October 3, 2016
However, John Cena said that he will be back. Meanwhile, guys like AJ Styles, Dean Ambrose, Dolph Ziggler, The Miz, and more will continue to work every night for the WWE, keeping the SmackDown Live brand alive and well while John Cena is continuing to be a TV star. John Cena will also remain visible on Total Bellas , the WWE-based reality series with Nikki Bella, Brie Bella, and Daniel Bryan that was taped earlier this year.
That is something that John Cena says is part of being an important WWE superstar.
“I guess my mission statement is now to let the world know on a global scale that WWE certainly is a wonderful form of entertainment but its superstars are more than just superstars inside the ring. They do so much more outside the ring and have so much more to offer.”
RELATED WWE REPORTS BY THE INQUISITR
- WWE News: Roman Reigns Set For One Of Biggest Matches At WWE Hell in a Cell
- WWE News: Dixie Carter Says She Won’t Let WWE Buy TNA Impact Wrestling
- WWE Rumors: WWE Could Allow Fans to Vote For WWE Hall of Fame Inductees
- WWE News: Daniel Bryan Happy For New Baby, Happy John Cena Doesn’t Want Kids
- WWE News: Bret Hart Says Freebirds Don’t Belong in WWE Hall of Fame, Calls Them Screw-Ups
If John Cena sees his role as an ambassador that also works for the WWE as a wrestler, that is great news. However, there are still those who feel that John Cena hurts more wrestlers than he helps in the ring. Guys like Rusev, Bray Wyatt, and more have been examples of monster heels who were neutered somewhat after feuding with John Cena. Those two men are just beginning to regain their traction.
Wrestlers like Dean Ambrose, AJ Styles, and Dolph Ziggler need to have the chance to be the main event superstars that John Cena has been for the last 15 years. John Cena has done an amazing job of making AJ Styles look like a million bucks. That is what his role should remain in the WWE from this point on.
[Featured Image via WWE ]