"WWE needs him" - Vince Russo calls for former Royal Rumble winner's massive return (Exclusive)
WWE is preparing for a crucial phase as Royal Rumble will kick off the road to WrestleMania 39. Expectedly enough, John Cena is one of the names rumored to return for a big match, and Vince Russo says WWE indeed needs the Cenation Leader back.
Cena's last on-screen match was against Roman Reigns at SummerSlam 2021. He challenged for the latter's Universal Championship but failed to win it. On the September 10, 2021, edition of SmackDown, he teamed up with Dominik and Rey Mysterio for a dark match against The Bloodline (Reigns and The Usos). This also resulted in a loss, and he has been absent from WWE ever since.
On the latest The Wrestling Outlaws episode, the veteran commented on whether the 16-time world champion should return to break Ric Flair's world title record. He felt that the accolade was the least important factor in getting Cena back.
Vince Russo said that the all-time world title record didn't matter as long as the Hollywood star appeared on WWE TV for an exciting storyline. Moreover, he didn't understand the apparent obsession around Cena getting a 17th world championship reign.
"I think John Cena should come back because the WWE needs him. He's still a major superstar. He still looks great," Russo noted. "He still can go for all those reasons, I think he should come back. But I don't know bro. Is that something that's important?" [5:00-5:14]
Vince Russo said that most fans probably don't even care if John Cena surpasses Ric Flair's numbers as they'd instead want the Peacemaker star to feature in previously unseen feuds and angles.
"I just got to ask the question, and I'm just being honest here, like, cause I don't know. Does that really matter to anybody [the record]? I don't know, Chris... Is it that important?" he added. [4:45-4:58]
Check out the full episode of The Wrestling Outlaws below:
Vince Russo on why he doesn't see John Cena returning for another WWE world title run
The 45-year-old superstar has become one of the busiest personalities in Hollywood, leading to his part-time WWE status in recent years.
I wanna know what would happen if John Cena DID become a 17 time champion. Not only would’ve he had taken over WWE again, but he would’ve broken Ric Flair’s record. Maybe one day, John. I believe in you. https://t.co/8UO1ksexhF
Cena has not had time to dip his toes in an extended storyline due to his acting commitments. Hence, Vince Russo said the star would be apprehensive about returning for another world title reign.
"I think if Cena's doing that though, I think he has got to commit to a certain period of time [for storyline]. I don't think, at this point, I don't think he would. If he comes in for a one-and-done, that's one thing. But this would be, at least like three months? I don't see him doing that at this point in his career," Vince explained. [5:44-6:07]
Winning the most prestigious championship in wrestling and developing a narrative around the same would require months of work. Hence, Russo stated that John Cena might look to avoid it at this point in his acting career.
How would you like to see WWE book John Cena if he is available to return during WrestleMania season? Let us know in the comments section below.
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