John Cena Proving to Be Pivotal Cornerstone of WWE's Midcard with Open Challenge

He's arguably the most divisive character in WWE history, but when John Cena and the company get it right from time to time, credit has to be given out where it's due.

It was a big call in the buildup to WrestleMania 31 to have two of WWE's biggest stars, Cena and Daniel Bryan, take a step down and move into the midcard.

And although pinning the Intercontinental Championship on Bryan hasn't quite worked, largely as a result of Bryan's injury problems, the same cannot be said about Cena.

In fact, Cena's weekly challenges where he puts the United States Championship on the line are quickly becoming a cornerstone of the WWE's weekly programming.

Some real substance in the midcard has been craved for a good while now. Sure, storylines involving the likes of Seth Rollins, Randy Orton and The Authority have been interesting, but sometimes it feels like the lower end of the card gets neglected.

But with Cena's open challenge every week, Raw looks a lot healthier every time it goes to air. The strengthening of the WWE's midcard, with the likes of Sheamus returning and Cena dropping down, has been a major success story since WrestleMania 31.

There's an argument that Cena's open challenges do very little for the bigger picture here for Cena, which involves his long-standing rivalry with Rusev over the last two or three major shows.

Little interaction between two men in a rivalry can often lead to a somewhat stale outcome on pay-per-view, but when the whole scenario is booked right, just as it was this past week, these challenges and the main rivalry can work together in perfect harmony.

For example, having these lengthy and thoroughly entertaining matches on Raw adds some much-needed wrestling substance to the WWE's flagship show.

As exciting as Raw can be from time to time, you still get the feeling that there's a distinct lack of in-ring action on occasions. Storylines are always being crafted via mic work and promos, but the caliber of wrestling has been reduced in recent years.

That's why it's hugely refreshing to see these solid, enjoyable and lengthy wrestling matches between Cena and the men who accept his challenges each week. Twenty-minute bouts that give fans enough time to get invested and interested in them are a welcome addition to any show, let alone Raw.

That's what the middle of the card is for, in essence: The opening and closing segments create hype and intrigue around storylines, while the middle of the show should always be stacked out with exciting wrestling.

And it's been easy to slate Cena for the wrestling matches he's actually competed in during his career, but these open challenges are a credit to the U.S. champ.

Cena has more than played his part in some matches that have had a real back-and-forth element to them, and they've frequently had crowds on their feet chanting. His most recent bouts against Sami Zayn and Neville, and a previous match with Dean Ambrose, are proof of that. 

It's often been suggested by some wrestling fans that Cena doesn't put young talent over. However, anyone who's watched the last two open challenges can not agree with that sentiment. 

Zayn and Neville both came desperately close to beating Cena, and they looked incredibly strong coming out their matches with a man who arguably remains the WWE's biggest asset. In fact, the way WWE booked Neville this past week was absolutely sensational.

Not only did it set up Cena's match against Rusev, but it also gave Neville a win (albeit via disqualification) and a platform to keep growing. Both men kicking out of Cena's Attitude Adjustment also shows that they're being put over in a serious manner.

When these challenges began, the end result was always clear—Cena would always come out on top, but the bouts would be used as a train for exciting young talent to move forward and allow them to attain validity on WWE's roster.

And as it happens, the WWE appears to have hit the nail directly on the head.