The WWE Night of Champions 2014 main event is looking to be a total Brock Lesnar fest unless John Cena is allowed to break out of his current mold. In the world of professional wrestling, the one thing you have to do to build a great main event is to make people care what happens. When John Cena took the beating of a lifetime in his SummerSlam match against Brock Lesnar, Cena looked human for the first time in years. The WWE has spent the last decade making Cena look like Superman and it has killed his once raw character. What made Cena popular in the first place was his character and the WWE has rode that to millions. Unfortunately they are suffering from the same problem they had years ago with Hulk Hogan…they never knew when a change was needed.
Perhaps the WWE knows more than they are letting on. The Night of Champions 2014 could be surprising since John Cena is coming into the match with Brock Lesnar as the decided underdog but with a new feel to him. He is coming in physically dominated and in need of a miracle. In the past, John Cena would “hulk up” to overcome impossible odds and beat Brock Lesnar. If that happens in this rematch, they might as well write off the John Cena character altogether. The typical John Cena overcoming the odds story is not going to fly with the WWE Universe any longer.
Just like years ago when Hulk Hogan jumped ship and got repackaged into “Hollywood”, John Cena has got to make a change. It is time for him to evolve. If he listens to the wrestling Gods he will be revived and hot as he ever was. I fear for the alternative.
If the WWE wants this match to fly really well, they need to continue to let him get beat down. Another epic beatdown will further cement that John Cena is dead and that a new star must rise in his place. What was it about John Cena before that made everyone stand and take notice. Ruthless aggression packaged in a thug style.
This character could come about as they old school version or simply a brand new version. Either way, it would need to be someone that is the polar opposite of the current version of Cena.
Is it finally time for the “Doctor of Thuganomics” to make his return? Will John Cena go rouge and turn bad guy? Either one of these ideas would trump the typical.
The real question is, will John Cena and the WWE be brave and smart enough to finally pull the trigger?
For the WWE Universe’s sake, I certainly hope so.
