John Cena will work lighter schedule after the Royal Rumble

WWE's biggest star, John Cena, has been taking time off since the end of October, spending most of his time working on a competition reality show for Fox. His presence has been missed by plenty of fans, but it looks like he'll still be working a lighter schedule to start 2016.

Cena is expected to return at the Dec. 28 RAW in Brooklyn at the Barclays Center. However, following the Royal Rumble pay-per-view in January, he is not currently advertised for any WWE Live Events from Jan. 29 until the company's tour of Germany that begins on Feb. 10.

Before Randy Orton suffered a shoulder injury, he too was moving toward working a lighter schedule. Cena has certainly earned the right to work fewer dates. As long as he is regularly on RAW each week, his presence will continue to drive storylines (and hopefully ratings).

It remains to be seen whether the move to a lighter schedule will continue into the year, but it certainly seems unlikely during WrestleMania season.