WWE: What Does John Morrison's Absence Mean for the Rest of the Raw Roster?

You have to feel for poor John Morrison. Just as he's getting a push and starting to look like a genuine main event contender, he gets a legit neck injury and has to undergo surgery. Though it's not yet been revealed when exactly this was incurred, the Triple Threat steel cage match seems likely.

So while JoMo's recuperating, what does that mean for the rest of the Raw roster? Here are some thoughts and speculations - and I'd welcome your comments.

R-Truth: Back to the Mic?

Finally, R-Truth starts to become interesting and watchable as he's turned heel thanks to JoMo taking his spot in the WWE Championship match. 

And now, without JoMo to feud with, where does this leave him? Are there any other storylines he can slot in to? Truth's heel turn is entirely predicated on JoMo's presence and actions - without JoMo to resent, he's just as bland as he's always been. Let us hope that it does not mean a return to skipping around the ring and rapping.

John Cena: Requiem for a Challenger

We've already debated how long John Cena will retain the WWE Championship for, and who'll be challenging him along with the Miz in the run-up to next year's Wrestlemania.

The Triple Threat match at Extreme Rules suggested that JoMo was getting a push up to being a regular main event contender.

Who can take his place? The strongest competitors on Raw who may fancy their chances are all heels - Dolph Ziggler, CM Punk, Alberton del Rio.

Can anyone take his babyface place?

Alberto Del Rio: A New Direction for a Budding Showman

The obvious thing to do would be to put in a new angle to push Alberto Del Rio as he settles in to life on Raw, particularly with Over the Limit coming up very soon. Extreme Rules proved - if proof were needed - what a great show he can put on, and he'll be able to make even Cena look good.

Miz: Fueding with Ring Posts

Poor Miz. They're trying to separate him from his vice-president of communications Alex Riley; they take his championship off him; and now what looked like it could be a promising feud with JoMo has to be delayed, at least for a while. The good news for him, though, is he's such an epic heel he can feud with pretty much anyone or anything, including inanimate objects, convincingly. And as he's well in with the WWE hierarchy - deservedly so - we shouldn't worry ourselves too much about him. Because he's awesome.

In John Morrison's Absence, Where Are the Good Guys?

What this little episode, as well as the recent traumas of Smackdown, highlights is that the entire WWE company lacks faces who carry sufficient appeal with fans.

Some midcarders are developing into contenders who may be able to move up a touch soon given the opportunity—Daniel Bryan, Sin Cara, et al—,but on the whole there are worrying absences.

Ezekiel Jackson is clearly being lined up for a face turn, which is interesting (particularly as I'd thought Justin Gabriel was the member of the Corre who looked mostly likely to turn face), but there needs to be serious attention given to the balance between faces and heels. 

Conclusion: What Does John Morrison's Absence Mean for the Raw Roster?

It'll be interesting to see how the storylines pan out over the next few months, particularly if JoMo is out for a size-able length of time, which seems likely after neck surgery.

What seems clear is that the Raw roster needs a shake-up, with a push for younger talent, and some faces coming through. As much as I love the great heels we have on both shows, someone needs to sell the t-shirts to kids and get the pops from the crowd.

Having said that, this has been clear for some time. It would be very sad if it took a serious injury to John Morrison to make the WWE realise it.