WrestleMania 31 Is a Turning Point for John Cena's Career as WWE's Top Guy

John Cena will not face Brock Lesnar for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania 31.  He won't be pitted against Seth Rollins with the Money in the Bank contract at stake.  Cena also won't go one-on-one with Sting in a showdown of icons, and he won't go to war with Triple H for control of WWE.

Cena is just going to kind of be there.  And that means his career is likely reaching a turning point.

Cena is booked to face Rusev, but it's unimaginable to many fans that he's not higher on the card. His name has incredible drawing power, his character is as polarizing today as it ever has been and he's still the top guy in the company.

There seems to be no legitimate reason why he's not being used in a top spot, and maybe that's the point.

credit: wwe.com

Maybe there's no good explanation because he's reached a crossroads and it's time for WWE to explore his options.  All is quiet for Cena.  There are no lofty goals to attain, no main event matches to get to and no destination he ultimately needs to arrive at.

But on the biggest night of the year, when the guys who have worked hard to make the company successful get to show off, how is Cena not included in that equation?  Rusev has taken some great strides in proving he can perform on a very high level, but he's still working to establish himself.

Do fans truly believe he will pin Cena at WrestleMania?

Despite any criticisms Cena has received due to his ring work or due to the fact that he dominates the top spot, he remains WWE's No. 1 draw.  Why is he being used against Rusev and not in a marquee match?

credit: wwe.com

The answer is twofold.  

The truth is that he's got nothing left to prove.  Cena has done it all in his career, and with the exception of tying Ric Flair's record 16 championships, there's no mountain left for him to climb.  At this point, he looks like a man who has conquered the world and is now searching for something else to do.

From a storyline perspective, this would only motivate Cena to keep pushing ahead and keep fighting.  From a real-world point of view, it appears WWE is back to the drawing board with him.  Indeed, how do you keep a guy relevant when his character has been driven by excellence years yet he has far surpassed it long ago?

Another probable reason why Cena is facing Rusev and not a fellow top name is because WWE is pressing forward.  Much of the focus these days has been on the future of the company, and that future is now.

Rollins, Dean Ambrose, Dolph Ziggler, Roman Reigns—each man brings something different to the game and represents the future of Vince McMahon's company. Many feel Rusev should be included in that conversation, and in order for that to happen, he must be given a major stage on which to perform.

What better stage than WrestleMania?

So Cena's presence on the midcard will serve a purpose, and his match will surely come late in the night. Rusev will benefit from the exposure and will likely do all he can to rise to the occasion. All of that sounds good and seems like a perfect explanation to clearly define Cena's diminished role at WrestleMania.

But this must be leading somewhere.

Cena taking a backseat to everyone else is certainly not normal; it must mean something. This may be the time that Cena begins scaling back, slightly easing up on his schedule and allowing other guys to step up and entertain.

It's a risky prospect for WWE, especially considering the amount of tickets and merchandise Cena can sell.  For over 10 years, Cena has been on top of the company as the main attraction.  And that is not a bandage you can just rip off.

However, WrestleMania 31 may be the night when WWE begins to slowly peel it back.

Cena has carried the ball for a long time, and the company has supported him every step of the way. He's made money for himself, and the WWE has made more money off him.  He has represented WWE well with his appearances on mainstream media, via social media and to anyone else who has ever had their eyes on him.  He has been the top guy in every sense of the word and has taken his role very seriously.

But time is the enemy.  Eventually, Cena is going to start slowing down, and when he does, WWE must be ready.

The only way to do that is to build stars for the future, for a time when Cena is not the centerpiece of WWE programming.  Others have to take the ball and run with it, representing the company and entertaining fans every time they step into the ring.  Cena's time will begin to wind down, and WrestleMania 31 may be the best indication it could be happening now.

Cena is not being used at the top of the card and is being paired with Rusev because it's time to start the rebuilding process.  The leader of Cenation can bring his swagger and reputation to this match, all in an effort to help Rusev along and assist him in getting the up-can-coming Superstar where he needs to be.

This is not about Cena being the top attraction, because he can do that any day of the week.  His time in the main event spotlight is not over, but his time to begin assisting WWE as it evolves has come.  Rusev will profit from facing Cena on the grandest stage of them all, and Cena will take a step in allowing the future to happen right in front of him.