John Cena Isn't Needed With the Current State of the WWE Raw Roster

Between Brock Lesnar, Braun Strowman and The Shield, WWE Raw is stacked with star power, meaning there's no rush for John Cena to return to the flagship show anytime soon.

The last we saw of Cena, he was putting over Roman Reigns at September's No Mercy pay-per-view after an epic encounter. A series of matches between the two would have been welcomed by fans, but because Cena lost so decisively, there isn't a need for a rematch.

Cena's recent Raw run was short-lived, but it was apparent from the moment he arrived on the Monday night program that he was determined to establish Reigns as his heir apparent and give him a career-defining win. Once he served his purpose, he walked away from the squared circle to explore endeavors outside of wrestling.

It's unknown when Cena will resurface on Raw, but he is no longer being advertised for November's Survivor Series event, according to Raj Giri of Wrestling Inc. That could prove to be a blessing in disguise considering the crop of talent on Raw is entirely capable of holding its own and creating compelling programming from week to week.

Cena's presence never hurts, but it is crucial for the company to focus on up-and-coming talent instead of constantly relying on the 16-time world champion to boost ratings. Raw's quality hasn't drastically decreased since Cena took his latest leave of absence, hence it would wise to hold off on bringing him back into the fold at least until the new year.

Credit: WWE.com

If anything, Raw has a surplus of Superstars whom management doesn't have the slightest clue what to do with. Samoa Joe, for example, has been sitting on the sidelines with an injury since the end of August, but he likely wouldn't have been involved in anything of note if he were around.

Following his loss to Lesnar at No Mercy, Strowman was put in a similar situation, with WWE unsure where to go next with him. In the meantime, he has been thrust into the TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs main event against The Shield alongside The Miz, The Bar and Kane.

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Although there is a healthy amount of credible heels on the Raw roster, Cena has faced (and conquered) virtually all of them. There aren't many fresh feuds left for him as he enters the twilight of his career, and high-profile programs with the likes of Joe and Strowman should be saved for WrestleMania season.

Thus, there isn't anywhere to slot Cena on the show. He would be better off staying away from WWE TV until he is given clear direction. Bouncing around from foe to foe would be a waste of his worth, and inserting him back into the Universal Championship picture would be premature.

Cena can be a main event player on whatever brand he wishes to represent, but the babyfaces on Raw have proved they can fill the void his departure has left behind just fine.

In one of the most anticipated moments in modern WWE history, The Shield recently reunited on Raw and has been the focal point of the program for the past month. Although Reigns, Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins are bound to be a unit for the foreseeable future, they are still three notable names who can carry Raw and maintain fan interest.

They are far from the only ones with major babyface potential, however, as Finn Balor has been waiting in the wings to break out as well. He briefly received a run with the Universal Championship in 2016, and once his rivalry with Bray Wyatt wraps up, he should be considered a threat to universal champion Lesnar.

Meanwhile, Jason Jordan has been building momentum in the midcard and might be in line for an Intercontinental Championship reign. Matt Hardy is also on his own these days with Jeff Hardy out injured, so there are more than enough fan favorites to make up for Cena's absence.

It can be argued Cena would be better suited on SmackDown Live upon his return. Sami Zayn turned heel at Hell in a Cell, and Randy Orton went on the record on E&C's Pod Of Awesomeness with his wishes to go rogue as well (h/t Doric Sam of Wrestling Inc). Cena would be a fantastic foil for them both.

There is little doubt Cena has much more to offer to WWE in an in-ring role before he calls it a career, but with Raw's top talent thriving, he isn't as important to the show's success as he once was.

Graham Mirmina, aka Graham "GSM" Matthews, is an Endicott College alumnus and aspiring journalist. Visit his website, Next Era Wrestling, and "like" his official Facebook page to continue the conversation on all things wrestling.