5 Reasons Not To Cheer For John Cena's WWE Return

Shane McMahon's return to WWE (and subsequent demand for control of Raw) in February has led to many rumors that the company is interested in reinstituting the Raw/Smackdown brand split they had in place from 2002 to 2011. At Payback, Vince McMahon decided that Shane and Stephanie would run Raw together, which may plant the seeds for a split down the line.

Putting half of the roster on Raw and half on Smackdown will give each show its own feel and, more importantly, give fans a reason to care about Smackdown. The show has had a rough run for the past half-decade, and advertised changes like a return to Thursday nights and the USA Network haven't helped long-term when the company hasn't shown any dedication to it. To really make Smackdown work, the company needs to commit.

There's probably no better way to give Smackdown some legitimacy in the split than by sending John Cena there. Cena first cut his teeth on the blue brand, and a return to it now that he's a bonafide legend would help make the show seem like it's Raw's equal. Plus, the fact that Cena's not the number one man in the company anymore means that he doesn't need to anchor the main brand.

Nevertheless, Raw will remain unchanged. Cena may end up out of sight and out of mind for the WWE fans who still don't watch Smackdown, and most people's main gripe about WWE will still be as loud as ever...