Before John Cena made his shocking return in the 2008 Royal Rumble match, there was Armageddon in December 2007, another event he wasn't a part of. Headlining the show for Raw was Randy Orton vs. a recently returned Chris Jericho for the WWE Championship, so it was becoming painfully apparent WWE was running low on star power. Not only did WWE bring Jericho back into the fold in Cena's absence, they also lured John Bradshaw Layfield from behind the commentary desk and out of in-ring retirement, moving him to the Raw brand shortly thereafter. If they had to rely on on JBL to add depth to their roster, then WWE must have desperately wanted Cena to return sooner rather than later. To WWE's credit, however, they did a great job of building up a hot new babyface while Cena was away: Jeff Hardy. This was the show where he beat Triple H to earn a shot at the WWE Championship against Orton at Royal Rumble.