John Cena's WWE Return: 10 Things We Can Expect
6. Ratings Spikes
The first Monday Night Raw to feature John Cena in over two years saw the show's viewership up substantially on recent weeks.
1,923,000 viewers tuned in to the July 16th edition of the show, which was up 21% on the median amount collated from the last month and the show's highest number since the traditionally major post-WrestleMania broadcast.
That's not to say 'Big Match John' was the sole reason of course. Crowds had returned on the prior SmackDown and were loud for Cena's shock return at Money In The Bank, resulting WWE smartly riding a wave of buzz they may not be able to maintain when the "new normal" isn't so new.
Advertised for the opening of the show, 'The Champ' was a reliable and friendly face for lapsed fans, and they were given the aforementioned Riddle interaction as a seamless segue into a regular edition of the show. That the numbers ended strong speaks to what Cena can still provide - especially if this current return remains brief.
And it's not just Raw that needs a lift...