There is no doubt about it, the focus of WWE right now is on embracing change. Not a joke. Not a hoax. I am sure many might disagree, but it revolves around one man, and not who you think.
John Cena.
Yes, the “leader” of the Cenation. Notice what is different about his character these days? Doubt? Uncertainty? Those are certainly not traits of the Cena we know. The Cena we know and either love or wish everlasting agony to is being reduced to a man uncertain about where he stands. Sure, he starts off with his typical promos of being loyal to the WWE Universe, but after recent events, those same comments are followed up with his doubts, questioning why the WWE fans want to see him massacred by a guy like Bray Wyatt. Two weeks ago, the WWE App Universe supposedly voted to pit Cena in a 3-on-1 against the whole Wyatt Family. Regardless if this was another WWE rig to push storyline, or a legit vote, this embraces the concept of fans voicing their opinion to see something different. The promo on RAW, with the children in goat masks singing, and Bray, sitting there simply rocking away laughing with a child on his lap, might have been the creepiest promo I have ever seen. Every time I think about it, I get chills.
So what happens next? Does Cena have to turn heel? Not at all, WWE does not have to turn anyone anywhere. All they need to do is let their stories play out, and allow the fans to do what they do best. I will say, this might be the best feud in years for John Cena.
Kane is back to being a beast of a man again, and it is about time. I had hopes Corporate Kane would have worked, but however scripted, he came across as a useless and unintimidating lackey. Now, they unleashed the monster again. They could have pulled a split-personality gimmick, which would have likely offended people or would be accused of ripping off TNA’s Joseph Park/Abyss gimmick (keeping in mind Abyss is ripped off from Kane/Mankind). While Kane is a credible threat to Daniel Bryan, I do not see him as a credible threat to take the WWE Championship at Extreme Rules. If he does, this would be a huge shock and surprise, but I would expect Bryan to reclaim the championship soon after because the fans would revolt at the sight of Bryan without the title, again.
Big men, big match. The Shield vs. Evolution. I am sorry, but was I the only one who thought Ric Flair might have been drunk on RAW? The poor guy was slurring his words. But, he still pulled through and gave the nod to The Shield. My question is, why does the IWC think Dean Ambrose is going to turn on Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins? Now is not the time to do that. Ambrose does not seem to be Evolution material, and this is more about past versus future. Batista and Randy Orton are exactly where they belong, next to Triple H who can do the talking for them. Correct me if I am wrong, but Batista seems to be afraid of getting on the mic, while Orton can’t get enough and needs it taken away from him. A victory for The Shield will have a huge impact. A loss, while unpleasant to see, will not hurt The Shield anyway. I feel as if Ambrose holding onto the United States Championship is one of the driving forces keeping them on top. Losing the title would be a bigger loss than we realize.
Speaking of titles, my brother, Wade “Bad News” Barrett looks to be set to deliver the Raging Bull Hammer on Big E. Langston to win yet another Intercontinental Championship. I am not the sort of guy to say “I told you so, but… I told you so.” It was just a matter of time until the fans embraced the live-action internet troll gimmick, and #BOOM is what the crowd roars with when he hits the Hammer. Wonder what happened to Big E. though, he was getting a lot of push and attention, then suddenly all dried up. Things change.
Tonight is Extreme Rules. What else is on the menu?
Paige defends the Diva’s Title against Tamina Snuka. This will be a major test to see how Paige can handle a PPV spot, as well as handle a real-full-blooded wrestler. Paige looked a little shaky on RAW, and her gimmick does not seem to be clear. Face? Heel? Crazy or sane? PICK ALREADY!
Alexander Rusev vs. R-Truth & Xavier Woods. Oh come on, you are all thinking it. Just like Jazz in the first Transformers live-action movie, the black guy dies first. Well, Extreme Rules, Truth and Woods are going to be fed to Rusev, and there is no nicer way of saying it.
Rob Van Dam vs. Antonio Cesaro vs. Jack Swagger. When was the last time we saw a good ol’ fashioned Triple Threat Match with three incredibly talented wrestlers. Hint: It was not WrestleMania 30. This could be a potential show stealer right here. ‘Nuff said.
El Torito vs. Hornswoggle in a WeeLC match. WHAT THE (expletive deleted)?!
Tune in on Sunday. I will.
