Although he has been away from the company for over a year, John Cena is still a valuable draw for WWE.
WWE has pushed the brand first instead of an individual for years so they don’t have to rely on one person. John Cena was the last big star the company built around as the idea is that a fan will buy a ticket to see a WWE show no matter who is on the card instead of who is wrestling that night.
However, Cena still moves tickets, and that was on display when he was first announced for the December 30 edition of WWE SmackDown. While speaking on today’s Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer noted that after Cena was advertised, WWE sold 4,000 tickets. This was before WWE announced he would be wrestling when he teams up with Kevin Owens against Roman Reigns and Sami Zayn for a tag match.
“We always say, and it’s true, ‘It’s the brand and not the guy’, but John Cena is the exception. They’ve sold 4,000 tickets in Tampa since he was announced on that show, which is amazing. You know, he is the exception to the rule. If you’re wondering, ‘Is anyone a draw?’ It’s like, well, he is.”
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