WWE Rumors: John Cena Back for Survivor Series to Prop Up Ratings?
John Cena joining team SmackDown for the Survivor Series should even things up a bit, as Shane McMahon announced the news Wednesday, Nov. 8. As for the reason, fans are thinking it could be the executive's response to the dismal ratings the brand has been getting lately.
It was a hot rumor last week until Shane McMahon put the issue to rest last Wednesday. In his Twitter post, he confirmed that Cena will be representing team blue in the pay-per-view event starting Sunday, Nov. 19.
"Further proving #SDLive is the superior brand, I'm happy to announce @JohnCena will be the 5th member of Team Smackdown at #SurvivorSeries," McMahon wrote, to the delight of SmackDown fans.
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Almost everyone agreed that this is a great way to take advantage of Cena's floater status, especially when Rusev couldn't make it to the Survivor Series team. It's also a significant upgrade from his previous role as a special referee, according to Sports Keeda.
Given the timing of the announcement though, fans are wondering if all these were done as a response to WWE's dropping ratings on Tuesdays, when "SmackDown" comes on. The Halloween episode following "Monday Night Raw" was a particularly low point for the brand, too, and slotting the eminently marketable Cena in their roster could just be the boost they need.
Along the way, AJ Styles winning the WWE title last week against Jinder Mahal seems to be a call from the higher-ups, all the way from Vince McMahon himself, if rumors are to be believed. Fans are thinking this could be a way to give SmackDown an added advantage, according to Cageside Seats.
With Jinder Mahal out of the top spot, the door now opens to a John Cena vs. Kurt Angle match, should they choose to go that direction.
