When John Cena returns to action late in December, most will assume he will jump back into championship contention, eventually accumulating yet another title reign of some sort. On the contrary. 2016 will bring with it a title drought for the biggest star in the industry, thanks to a youthful roster finally being put in the position to grab the spotlight and become stars on their own. Some will do that by mixing it up with Cena, who is still an elite performer and among the best in the industry. The neon t-shirt-wearing franchise star will continue to deliver Match of the Year candidates and will give the rub to whomever he works with, even in victory, but championship gold is no longer in his future. He simply does not need it. His star can neither be strengthened or weakened by yet another reign with the heavyweight title or United States Championship. Instead, he is at that point in his career where mentoring and prepping a new generation while bolstering shows with his considerable star power are of more importance than adding to his resume. If this prediction does come true, though, do not be surprised to see him add championship reigns 16, 17, 18 and 19 to his resume in 2017. Because...Cena. LOLZ.
Erik Beaston is a freelance pro wrestling writer who likes long walks in the park, dandelions and has not quite figured out that this introduction is not for Match.com. He resides in Parts Unknown, where he hosts weekly cookouts with Kane, The Ultimate Warrior, Papa Shango and The Boogeyman. Be jealous.
