There is a saying in the field of professional wrestling which notes that if someone is a draw, they will always be a draw. While many stars that continued working well past their prime have proven that this might not always be the case, one industry megastar sells tickets on tickets with just the mention of his name. That man is John Cena.
Take this quote from industry guru Dave Meltzer of The Wrestling Observer commenting on what happened after it was announced that Cena would be returning for his first in-ring action in 2022 on the December 30 edition of Friday Night SmackDown in Tampa, Florida.
“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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John Cena Returns
Big match John will return to partner Kevin Owens in tag team action against the combination of Roman Reigns and Sami Zayn of The Bloodline. This is part of the ongoing feud between Owens and the members of the Anoa’i clan, with Owens having appeared out of friends before Cena appeared on the Titantron to have his back.
The number of tickets that Cena has moved is important for several reasons. Firstly, it just shows the power of the man as a draw, something that WWE will no doubt note as they try to find a way to get Cena into their Wrestlemania product around his busy schedule. Secondly, it allows the long-term storytelling of Zayn eventually siding back with Owens against The Bloodline – the obvious next step in this story – to play out over a longer time instead of being rushed.
Cena defies the strand of the industry. WrestleMania 39 has already broken ticket sales records for its two-night event on Saturday, April 1, and Sunday, April 2, with both nights being held at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood (San Francisco). That is, despite there being ZERO confirmed matches on the card, and if The Rock can’t be bought in to face Reigns, then no obvious matchup for the biggest belt in the industry.
WWE events don’t historically need big names to draw. The product matters, and people will see the WWE, AEW, or NJPW name on an event and buy tickets hoping – but never expecting – certain stars to be at the show. The power of Cena is that he adds value over and above the already powerful draw of the WWE, something that the company would do well not to forget in terms of advertising special appearances of Big Match John in the future.
Always remember folks. Pro Wrestling is Real.
