John Cena has been the centerpiece of the company for about a decade. Roman Reigns is the new centerpiece. That is, unless the suspension ends up being the last straw and they do end his run at the top. For the sake of discussion, let's sat he is still the guy. Can Cena and Reigns work on the same brand? Would it be smart to split them?
It is possible to have a former centerpiece on a brand with a current centerpiece. Shawn Michaels came out of retirement and spent the rest of his career on the Raw roster. He was there during Triple H's run as centerpiece and the first few years of Cena's run at the top. He has some title runs and big pushes here and there, but he was never really in the way of the other guy the WWE would rather be the top star.
It just might be time for Cena to enter that stage of his career. He isn't over 40 yet, but he is banged up, stale, seems to be slowly finding more stuff to do outside the WWE, and there are lot of younger guys that can be pushed better in his spot. There is one major difference between Shawn Michaels back then and John Cena now. Cena is close to tying and breaking Ric Flair's record for most major World Championships. Shawn Michaels never came that close to it and was fine not dominating the title scene. Cena might be different. How can you come that close to it and not break it? While Roman Reigns dominates the title matters on one brand, John Cena can continue to get title reigns on the other brand.
If Roman Reigns and John Cena do stay on the same brand, likely Raw, might they get in each other's way? If Cena isn't really willing to take the kind of role Shawn Michaels did just yet, then you might have a Raw that is going to be dominated by two guys smarks aren't that fond of. Raw might become painful for those fans.
There is a plus to having Cena and Reigns on one brand. That means the other brand can be free of them. Someone like Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins, or AJ Styles can be the centerpiece of Smackdown. Throw in a few more bodies and you have a Smackdown Six. Someone like Cesaro might stand a better chance of winning a World Championship on this show, and actually get a decent run with the title. People can have a legitimate alternative to a show dominated by Cena and Reigns, beyond just NXT.
Of course, the WWE will eventually want to do Roman Reigns vs. John Cena. They will treat it like a dream match, even if some fans don't care about either man involved. You might even have a "passing of the torch" moment. It won't help Reigns, but it is something to expect. Reigns and Cena being on separate brands does not need to stop that. The WWE will likely have inter-brand feuds, especially during Wrestlemania. This feud might even feel bigger if it is the face of Smackdown vs. the face of Raw.
Is the WWE likely to do it? Will the suspension change things? The WWE does not give up on people they want to be top stars easily. They need to really flop or screw themselves to actually lose their spot. Roman Reigns has done enough to lose his spot, but let's wait to see if he actually loses his spot. I think he will stay on Raw to be the top star there. And I will say Cena stays there, as well. The WWE will probably have Shane build Smackdown around younger talent and talent that will get a positive reaction from vocal wrestling fans. With football season coming up, the WWE might feel they need guys they have really invested in to be on Raw to try to limit the damage NFL action will do. With Smackdown being live and being its own brand again, it just doesn't need much to see a rise in ratings from previous years. Raw needs the help.
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