John Cena WWE Super Show-Down Appearance Must Lead to Full-Time Return

The WWE Universe may be focused on Shawn Michaels and what looks to be his imminent return to competition, but John Cena could be the biggest return at Super Show-Down in Australia.

Cena hasn't been on WWE programming since Greatest Royal Rumble in April, telling fans after his match that he was going away to focus on his acting career. Now, the 16-time world champion is set to return Saturday in a tag team match.

While adding Cena to any card will instantly generate excitement, the WWE likely has something bigger planned for him than just a random tag team match with Bobby Lashley against Kevin Owens and Elias.

Owens and Elias continue to prove they are top heels, and working against the ultimate babyface in Cena is ideal booking for everyone involved. The wild card will be Lashley, who, alongside Lio Rush, has been showing subtle heel tendencies that could explode in Cena's face.

Cena being attacked by Lashley would be the perfect storyline reason for a long-term return to in-ring action. Lashley would need to pull out the overall victory in the feud to cement his status as an elite heel, but WWE should be using Cena's return to draw ratings while also putting over the Superstars who will be there when he leaves again.

Cena needs to do what he accused The Rock of not doing during Once and Twice in a Lifetime.

The answer: Lashley turns on Cena in Melbourne and then the two men square off in Saudi Arabia with a marquee storyline that could build genuine excitement in the Middle East pay-per-view.

Another key reason for a potential Cena return would be to compensate for the holiday season between October and December, which has a history of lackluster ratings. Calling on Cena to make several strategic appearances building to interesting matches and angles could result in manageable declines in television ratings for Raw.

With Raw becoming atrocious on a week-to-week basis, Cena would be the shot in the arm the brand needs. Add in the fact that Roman Reigns will eventually need someone to fight for the Universal Championship after dispersing of Brock Lesnar and Braun Strowman, and Cena will be catapulted back to the main event scene for Survivor Series and beyond.

In addition, Raw is devoid of faces beyond Lashley and The Shield, so Cena will have ample options when finding the right villain to square off against.

Cena's value to WWE is unquestionable. With a notoriously tough time to draw fans to the product approaching and several important shows on the horizon, it's time for Cena to begin making more consistent appearances on Raw.

Like him or not, Cena moves the needle.

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