John Cena is a very busy man this year as he had several projects outside of the WWE. However, WWE chairman Vince McMahon is worried that Cena might miss more time next year due to his movie commitments.
As reported by Variety.com, the 39-year-old WWE superstar is set to star in the comedy film "The Pact" along with Leslie Mann and Ike Barinholtz. Cena is currently filming the second season of his television show while also being rumored to appear as himself in the movie "Thor: Ragnarok."
The 15-time WWE world champion has missed a lot of time this year. He was recovering from shoulder surgery to start the year while missing the final quarter due to outside projects. He is also scheduled to host "Saturday Night Live" on December 10.
According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter (h/t Daily DDT), there is a growing concern on WWE's part regarding John Cena. The company's top officials reportedly do not know how much time he will miss next year which could mess up their future plans.
It is expected that Cena will appear at the Royal Rumble and WrestleMania 33 but he is going to be a part-timer moving forward. His growing popularity outside of wrestling will get him more projects from Hollywood.
The Cenation leader is scheduled to return at the December 26 Live Event at Madison Square Garden. However, his return to WWE programming is still up in the air due to his new film. He is currently not advertised for the Elimination Chamber pay-per-view in February 2017.
Nevertheless, SmackDown Live has survived without John Cena with the help of A.J. Styles. The reigning WWE world champion has carried the brand in Cena's absence. Dean Ambrose and James Ellsworth have also gotten some of the spotlight while The Miz and Dolph Ziggler battle it out in the upper midcard.
However, the WWE will have a bigger problem once Cena decides to pursue Hollywood full time. They have not successfully created the next face of the company since Roman Reigns still gets booed most of the time and Seth Rollins is not as over as you want him to be.
