Examining Short-Term, Long-Term Impact of John Cena's Decreased WWE Role in 2016

John Cena's lesser role with WWE in 2016 led to the ecosystem around him shifting in response. 

New stars moved up to the company's highest rungs. WWE found new ways to entice viewers. And SmackDown often kept its focus on the future.

That's what happens when you remove an apex predator from the food chain. Replacements look to slide into the top spot.

Cena, once WWE's franchise centerpiece, wasn't around nearly as often in 2016. A shoulder injury took him out of action for much of the beginning of the year. He later left to film the reality series American Grit.

It meant WWE's timeline had far less of the powerhouse than usual.

Cena was not around for Backlash—SmackDown's first brand-exclusive event of the year. He didn't appear at Survivor Series and didn't have an official match for WrestleMania. Per CageMatch.net, Cena wrestled 12 TV and PPV matches all year and 45 bouts overall.

That's a fraction of his normal workload. 

He was not a champion at any point during the year and was in just one championship match.

This is a situation WWE will have to get used to. Yes, Cena is heading back to SmackDown on Dec. 27, but it won't be for good. He's becoming too big of a crossover star to stick solely to the squared circle.

And the 39-year-old's body will eventually force him to slow down.

2016 was a peek at what WWE would look like without him. It was a year of fresh faces and departures from the routine as the company tried to compensate for his absence.

Extra Space on the Stage

Cena's recovery from shoulder surgery and outside commitments acted as an open door to others.

Roman Reigns, AJ Styles and Dean Ambrose were among those to step into the spotlight with him gone.

Had Cena been around, Reigns may not have again headlined WrestleMania. WWE may have not booked Styles vs. Reigns for Payback's and Extreme Rules' premier matches. Ambrose may not have been as key a figure leading up to WrestleMania.

WWE had to lean more on youth in the cases of Reigns and Ambrose and on a new name in Styles. 

And after the July brand split, it looked as if Cena would be the face of SmackDown. But that role instead went to The Phenomenal One and The Lunatic Fringe.

The fact that Cena is not the blue brand's top star led to other wrestlers' names ending up on the marquee for PPVs.

PPV	Main Event	Championship
Backlash	AJ Styles vs. Dean Ambrose	WWE Championship
No Mercy	Bray Wyatt vs. Randy Orton	None
TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs	AJ Styles vs. Dean Ambrose	WWE Championship

As a result, Styles pulled off a year for the ages. He made all his doubters look silly as he successfully transitioned to WWE. And in his first year with the company, he forced officials to recognize him as a megastar.

Would that have happened if WWE could have plugged Cena into the main event each Tuesday? 

Forced into Creativity

The James Ellsworth Cinderella story may never have come to pass with Cena around.

Elevating a jobber to the main event, as SmackDown did in the fall, is unprecedented. The blue brand got bold, weird and inventive when Cena left to film his TV show. Ellsworth, a man first introduced as a Braun Strowman victim, became a pawn in the Ambrose-Styles feud, and the chinless also-ran became the surprise hit of the year.

Ellsworth and Styles battled several times on SmackDown in amusing but absurd bouts.

Heath Slater's fight to secure a SmackDown contract became a huge part of the show. The Miz sometimes headlined, defending his Intercontinental Championship in a spot not often given to midcard titles.

It's hard to say how much of this was SmackDown's writers stepping outside of the box to help the brand gain momentum and how much was out of necessity. The show was without its biggest name for much of the year. There was a major hole to fill, and the creative team chose to do so in unexpected ways.

SmackDown couldn't rely on the same old stuff. Unless someone steps up as the next megastar on Cena's level, the blue brand will have to continue this pattern in the future.

Transitioning into the New Era

WWE—SmackDown in particular—is more prepped to enter the much-trumpeted New Era.

Styles and Ambrose have led the way as the brand's captains for months. And more recently, rookie Baron Corbin has stepped into the WWE Championship scene.

Audiences are growing increasingly used to seeing these fresh faces atop the card. Ambrose has gained a world of momentum. Corbin is closing in on being a major player. This will help WWE transition to a time when Cena is barely around at all. 

And if Cena's 2017 ends up looking like his 2016, SmackDown has a marquee wrestler to lead the way in Styles. WWE helped itself by booking The Phenomenal One as the man who has Cena's number.

On Styles knocking off Cena at SummerSlam, former WWE Creative member Alex Greenfield noted it felt like a passing-of-the-torch moment:

WWE can only hope that translates when it comes to dollars and cents at house shows.

As Brandon Howard Thurston detailed for Seeking Alpha, Cena has a significant impact on live-event revenue. He wrote, "Cena made a 22 percent average positive difference in attendance on North American non-televised live events from 2011 to June 2016."

Howard also noted that, if Cena stopped touring with the company altogether, the annual cost could be around $3.5 million. While it's a relatively small drop, it's one WWE would look to counteract.

Increased Value

Cena's hiatuses change the way crowds look at him. No longer is he the ubiquitous presence on TV he once was. The powerhouse is becoming more and more of a special attraction.

When The Rock shows up, it's a big deal. A Raw featuring Brock Lesnar is more noteworthy than normal. When Undertaker sulks down the entrance ramp for SmackDown, he makes waves.

The 15-time world champion will eventually get to that point. When his schedule slows further, fans are bound to appreciate him more and savor each of his showdowns. 

Even his upcoming return feels quite significant. Never mind that he's only been away since October, WWE has hyped his arrival with gusto.

Meanwhile, Cena has been showing up on many a TV and movie screen, elevating his status. The more movie roles he takes, the more famous he will be outside of wrestling circles.

Hosting Saturday Night Live or Good Morning America has the same effect.

That makes him a more valuable commodity to WWE. He brings more eyes to the product, helping the company move into the mainstream.

WWE has to console itself with that thought the next time Cena steps away from the squared circle to lend his charisma to another medium.