7 Ways To Heat Up WWE In John Cena's Absence
It's time to create some new stars...or bring some old ones back!
Following the Hell In A Cell PPV, John Cena is reportedly taking time off from WWE.
WWE's top full-time star has been even more of a work horse than usual since WrestleMania, battling through a wide variety of opponents all over the card, and suffering a broken nose via Seth Rollins' knee earlier this year. While the nature and extent of his time off is not currently known, his absence will undoubtedly effect WWE programming.
It's no secret that WWE's ratings have gone into the toilet over the past month, with football routinely taking a major share of the audience. WWE has pulled in some of their lowest ever ratings, only comparable to 1997 when the company was in deep trouble in their battle with WCW.
In that sense, John Cena leaving TV for an extended period could forecast doom in WWE's mind, but there are plenty of avenues to explore which could not only keep the product afloat, but heat it up before Cena's eventual return.
We haven't heard if this time off will be the first step in Cena ceding his full-time status, but WWE has the chance to practice for when that day comes. So how can WWE heat up without John Cena?
7. Call Up Finn Balor
Let's start with calling up NXT Champion Finn Balor. Balor has been in NXT for just over a year now, and as the NXT Champion he has proved himself to be a cornerstone of that brand, and a potential superstar in the making.
At 34-years-old, working in developmental can't be the best thing for his future prospects. With the gaping hole Cena's departure creates on the babyface side, Balor would be a tremendous candidate to fill it. He's an exciting new face that could be matched against any heel on the roster, and with his demon character, he could go the cartoon route as well.
Balor can't progress in NXT anymore than he already has. His debut would give the creative team a new toy to play with (pray they dont mess it up) and WWE new merchandise to sell.
Conversely, if WWE was concerned about him anchoring NXT, he could still make appearances like Sasha Banks and Kevin Owens have done, and use him to solidify the next ace of the brand. But Finn's time has come, and it's time for WWE to call him up.