John Cena Regaining United States Championship Allows Title's Prestige to Grow

Now that John Cena is back at the helm, expect the United States Championship to once again sail toward elevated esteem.

It's no knock on Seth Rollins that the title lost momentum in his grasp. That's a result of WWE's booking it to be a secondary prize for him, making it a subplot, not the central story.

And now following Cena's hard-fought win to snatch the gold back from Rollins at Night of Champions, the title will continue the upward path it was on post-WrestleMania.

Cena's star power bolsters the belt. His workhorse mentality as champion improves the title's prestige as well. The powerhouse winning the U.S. Championship will increase how much WWE pays attention to it and how much hungrier other Superstars will be to grab it for themselves.

Rollins simply didn't do anything with the title. Cena summed it up succinctly in a backstage interview after Night of Champions. Speaking about the U.S. title, he told Tom Phillips, "For four weeks, Seth Rollins has been sitting on it."

WWE would have inevitably ignored the U.S. belt had Rollins remained a double champion. It wasn't as if the company was going to book him for double duty at every pay-per-view. And scheduling Rollins for U.S. title bouts on Raw on a regular basis would have left him overexposed as WWE champ.

Cena's outlasting Rollins at Night of Champions may not have been the move Cena's critics and Rollins' fans wanted WWE to make, but it was the best one for the title's future. The leader of the Cenation can get back to the impressive pace he was on before Jon Stewart smacked with him a steel chair and cost him the championship.

During his reign, Cena was by far the most active champ on the roster. From WrestleMania to  SummerSlam, he had the U.S. title front and center again and again:

Championship	Champion(s)	TV Defenses	PPV Defenses	Total Defenses
United States	John Cena	11	4	15
Tag Team	Cesaro and Tyson Kidd, The New Day, The Prime Time Players	2	8	10
WWE World Heavyweight	Seth Rollins	2	6	8
Divas	Nikki Bella	2	4	6
Intercontinental	Daniel Bryan, Ryback	1	3	4

His 15 title defenses in that span are nearly as many as the tag champs and Nikki Bella had combined.

At Night of Champions, Cena and Rollins tore the house down with a match that was arguably better than their SummerSlam contest. In the process, the title was placed prominently on the card, sitting just below the main event.

It showcased two warriors willing to give everything of themselves to claim that prize.

WWE's going with Cena as champ again shows that the title was not a transition to bigger and better things for him. It wasn't just a brief departure from the limelight; the U.S. title scene is where Cena desperately wants to be. 

Having one of the industry's biggest stars express that desire is a big win for the championship. Allowing him to focus on regaining that leather-and-gold strap again rather than try to insert him into the WWE world title picture is another victory.

Former WWE referee Jimmy Korderas is among those who believe Cena flatters the title:

Regardless of his place on the card, Cena will remain a prominent figure. He is on the short list of stars whom even the most casual of fans know and recognize. He's constantly doing charity work and publicity events.

When he does all that in the coming weeks, he will again be wearing that United States title.

That gives the championship airtime it wouldn't get normally. It's added visibility that the majority of other Superstars can't offer the belt.

And with Cena's penchant for delivering big matches, WWE can be certain his latest reign will add to the collection of classics in the title's history. Last time around, he crafted masterpieces opposite Kevin Owens and Cesaro.

The more bouts of that caliber that Cena has during this reign, the more fans will talk about the U.S. title, and the more buzz it will generate.

New challengers are sure to come charging at him. Perhaps pushing Cena to his limit is how Damien Sandow will climb out of his current funk. Maybe the United States open challenge will see Tyler Breeze come up from NXT and make a major statement that he is a force to be reckoned with, flamboyant gimmick and all.

When a rising star or midcarder in need of direction finally dethrones WWE's golden boy, he will be inheriting a championship that has been given wings since Cena took charge. After Night of Champions, Cena will be extending and strengthening those wings.