WWE: Is John Cena Being Purposely Kept Back?

John Cena is being held back by the WWE, which isn't hard to notice.

The multiple-time world champion has been the face of the WWE for seven years. His character has been downgraded to a watered-down version of Hulk Hogan. Cena molded into the PG era just fine, and he’s done his job.

Little wonder fans love Cena. They adore him and make up a huge part of the “Cenation.”

Since 2011 however, we’ve only seen glimpses of the old John Cena. The old Cena didn’t take kindly to threats and went on the offensive. He was cutthroat in his insults, and adult fans loved him for that.

Glimpses of “The Doctor of Thugganomics” surfaced before Wrestlemania 27. Since then, we’ve seen few instances of that old Cena.

It should make us wonder: Is John Cena being held back by the WWE?

The answer is yes. Here’s why.

Rock vs. Cena: Once in a Lifetime

Since The Rock’s return, his mission has been to target Cena with scathing promos.

On his first night back, Rock called Cena a fruity pebble and got the majority of the WWE fans on his side. Cena let it blow over, at first. Then the next week, Cena returned to form.

Cena rapped on The Rock; he was just as scathing, if not more so. The rap was filled with innuendos and slurs, and was definitely not “PG friendly.”

The feud escalated as their Wrestlemania 28 bout drew near. Many personal insults were traded; from Cena outing Rock’s “notes” on his wrist to Rock’s claims of Cena’s lady parts (among other insults).

The gloves were off. But after their confrontations, Cena remained the "goody-two shoes" face.

Typical Cena reared his head for most of 2011, until a frustrated superstar made an impact. 

CM Punk Promo Fuels Cena

John Cena was in the ring while CM Punk cut his infamous promo in June of 2011.

That’s when the storyline danced between fantasy and reality.

Cena and Vince addressed the situation and played it well. Punk outshined Cena’s promo work, but give Cena credit for his ring work.

The match he had with Punk was one of the best WWE matches of 2011. Cena used moves we hadn’t seen him use often, such as the gut-wrench suplex and the Island driver (also known as Emerald Fusion).

Cena went on to use these moves in later matches. The champion then relaxed after his feud with Punk. He focused on the year ahead, feuding with Alberto Del Rio and Kane for the rest of 2011 and the start of 2012.

Brock Lesnar Returns

After Cena’s feud with The Rock, many wondered who he would fight next.

Enter Brock Lesnar. 

He F-5’d Cena to a thunderous ovation. The next few weeks saw the feud escalate with Cena doubting himself. Lesnar even made Cena bleed the week after Lesnar made his return.

After all, Cena has never defeated Brock Lesnar in his career.

When Extreme Rules arrived, Lesnar hammered Cena and beat him like we’ve never seen.

Cena bled, which must have been a terrifying sight for his fans, especially the little ones.

It was a sight that delighted his naysayers. They wanted Cena to be humiliated and defeated. Well, the first half came true.

Many criticized the finish. Cena went over Lesnar with a punch with his old lock chain and then delivered an AA on the steel steps.

The fact is Cena survived. He slowed down again feuding with John Laurinaitis and the Big Show. It was Cena’s return to the title picture when we saw another glimpse of a cryptic Cena.

Respect: Demanded or Earned?

The Raw after SummerSlam featured CM Punk’s continued quest: demanding respect from the WWE Universe.

Surprisingly, he named Cena his next opponent for his WWE title—as long as Cena gave Punk his respect.

What followed was a cryptic promo from John Cena.

He told Punk that if he beat him at the upcoming Night of Champions PPV, it would be the moment that defined his existence. 

When has Cena ever used the word "existence" before? Has he ever?

As for his demeanor during the promo, it almost sounded like Cena threatened Punk to get him to give him the shot. It was a warning what would happen if Punk didn’t give him the shot.

Cena threatened his legacy, and he sounded like his old self. If the old Cena does return, it will add a new layer to his feud with Punk.

The Future?

What does the future hold for John Cena?

Will he keep being held back, or will the WWE let the reigns loose on their top face?

As of now, expect Cena to remain the face that he is. His fanbase consisting of kids will only influence the WWE to keep Cena in his current state. They will continue holding Cena back.

Maybe the right feud will make Cena become better. Maybe CM Punk becomes that catalyst once more for Cena to return to his old self.

It may seem unlikely, but stranger things have happened.

John Cena is being held back by the WWE.

Maybe it's time to stop holding back their top face.