WWE TLC 2011: Why PPV Will Be Better Without John Cena

It has been a long time since WWE ran a show without a healthy John Cena as a part of it, but that appears to be changing with TLC this Sunday because he is not booked in a match as of right now. It's a bold step for the company to take, but one that will pay dividends in the long run. 

Before we get too far ahead of ourselves, there is a report on Wrestling Observer that says Cena could be a special referee in the Dolph Ziggler-Zack Ryder match and/or a late addition to the WWE championship match. 

However, we need to look at things as they stand now, and Cena not being on the show is good for him and the company.

Cena needs a break from pay-per-view main events. He has been in 11 of a possible 12 so far this year, and the only other time he wasn't, he fought Alberto Del Rio for the WWE championship at Night of Champions.

A big reason that the fans have turned on Cena, aside from his lame promos, terrible in-ring work and general indifference to actual match results, is because he is in every single main event of every single show every single year. 

Keeping Cena off the show gives it a different flavor. It gives new stars the chance to shine on their own and see if they can get by without SuperCena there to save the day. 

The wrestler this most directly impacts is CM Punk, because he is the champion and the biggest drawing card for people attending the event live or thinking about purchasing it on pay-per-view. 

It would be unfair to judge Punk solely on this one show because WWE promoted it horribly, but we will be able to see if he is able to carry himself like a star that the company can really build around. 

The fans need a Cena break and he needs time to get himself re-energized because the start of the year is going to be huge for him with the Road to WrestleMania kicking off. 

TLC does not need Cena to be a success, and kudos to WWE for not feeling the pressure—at least as of today—to throw him into a match that he doesn't need to be a part of or won't make a difference as far as the buy rate is concerned. 

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