John Cena hosts Wrestlemania

"How can we miss you if you won't go away?" -Jim Cornette

The Louisville slugger has often used that phrase to describe either the anticipation for a return, or on the other end of the spectrum, the notion that a performer overstayed their welcome with a particular run or gimmick. It's a very simple, but also a very accurate equation that applies on at least a semi-regular basis to the pro wrestling industry. At any given time, the business is either evolving toward something new or using its current cache, which by definition has a limited run. If anything stays for too long, in the vast majority of cases, it will become overexposed or stale. The ability to adapt keeps you ahead of the curve, and in the process, some very memorable moments can be created.

For example, Hulk Hogan was the golden goose of the 1980s, but even the top drawing card in the history of the business up until that point had a shelf life. By 1995, the audience had seen the ear-cupping routine and the leg drops. The switch to the New World Order was one of the biggest moments in the history of the sport and it gave The Hulkster another big run on top in WCW. Hulk as a heel would've been unthinkable less than a year before that when he was shilling Pastamania and the Thunder Mixer, as tacky as each of those ventures were. But, what did the heel turn ultimately set the stage for? Eventually, when enough time passed, the fans wanted to see the Hogan that they fondly remembered with the red and yellow from the glory days. How could the audience miss the all-American Hulkster if he didn't go away for a while? That's why when he returned to the WWF after almost a decade in 2002, it didn't take long for the fans to want to see him as a heroic baby face again. It had been eight years since he was waving the flag and posing while "Real American" blared in the background. What's old is new again is more or less a staple of entertainment. Without the eight years as a villain, the audience wouldn't have demanded a final run with the championship in the main event scene, which is why Hulk worked the main event scene with what was left of the Attitude era throughout 2002.

The reason there is a payoff for returns in wrestling is because the time away is what creates the anticipation.

In a different way, Cody Rhodes was away from the WWE for six years, and aside from reinventing himself as The American Nightmare, being instrumental in the launch of AEW, and proving the WWE office wrong when they typecast him as a secondary comedy character, his time outside of the company ultimately built anticipation for his return. Would Stardust have gotten the thunderous reaction at Wrestlemania 38?

As an example of how time away can lead to overall longevity, Chris Jericho kept himself ahead of the curve because for most of his career, he didn't overstay his welcome. When his WWE career plateaued in 2005, he left for two and a half years to tour with Fozzy. When he came back, it rejuvenated his career and ultimately led to some of his best work as a main event guy. Without that hiatus, the narrative of Jericho's career could've been very different. In fact, the current Jericho situation is proof of how time away can build up demand and thus put a fresh coat of paint on a performer. Jericho's work in AEW was originally very solid and key to getting the company off the ground, but the initial formula for the Inner Circle that got over as a way to spotlight younger talent became more about Jericho using a stable to try to stay relevant in the years that followed. It led to diminishing returns and his run fell flat. The Inner Circle was more successful than the Jericho Appreciation Society, and the society was more over than The Learning Tree faction. That's not a knock on Jericho, it's just to point out that his time in All Elite Wrestling ran its course. He hasn't been on AEW programming in a year and rumors still persist that a WWE return is on the table when his All Elite deal expires. Jericho did more or less everything he can do in All Elite and had garnered some resentment from the audience when it was perceived that his later efforts in the company were more self-serving than contributing toward the efforts to establish younger talent for the future. That's not to say that was Jericho's intention, but perception is often reality, at least from the fans' perspective. If Jericho resurfaces in AEW, it will be looked at as an eye-rolling retread, but if he shows up at Wrestlemania this year, it will be a historic moment after eight years outside of the organization. Again, how can we miss you if you won't go away?

There's no doubt that returns can translate to box office, but is the latest WWE comeback going to move tickets?

It was announced this week that John Cena will return to the company for the first time in all of four months to be the host of Wrestlemania. As I wrote in an article last week about the 25% off sale the WWE ran on tickets a mere two weeks after the larger 31.6% discount, the corporation realized that they overpriced tickets too late and there are way too many other factors that become more expensive overall than the discount on tickets since it's much closet to the event. The increase in flight costs and hotel reservations are significantly more expensive now than they were before either the 31% or 25% off sales. The discount doesn't cover the difference so if cost was the deterrent before, it's going to remain the biggest hurl to moving tickets.

As much as a bonafide legend as John Cena is, he hasn't been gone anywhere near long enough that putting him back on screen is going to make a difference in the numbers. The WWE just had a year with Cena as the focus of the retirement tour, with the emotional farewell. You can still order the farewell merchandise on WWE Shop, it's not as though fans have had enough time to fondly reflect on their favorite Cena moments, it's still a current topic. Furthermore, if he was going to retire at Wrestlemania or was gone from the ring for several years and was going to wrestle again, it might be a different story. But, is John Cena cutting a promo for the first time in four months really something that fans will be motivated to pay hundreds of dollars to see in the building?

This isn't Steve Austin coming back after 19 years with no official retirement at Wreslemania 38 to have a match against Kevin Owens when the company had to do something to sell tickets in Dallas. As flat as it was, this isn't The Ultimate Warrior's comeback in 1996 when there was at least some intrigue to what the guy was doing since he abruptly left the WWF a few years earlier. This is just a promo, and it's a sign that management is desperate to get fans in the building, as there's still a 30% decline in tickets sold last year in the same venue less than three weeks before the pay-per-view.