John Cena is one of the most loved and hated wrestlers in the history of the business. There is a very large group of adults and “smart fans” who just do not like Cena, no matter what he does. There is also a very large group of kids and even adults who love Cena for their own reasons. Whether it is for his “Never Give Up” gimmick or just out of respect for how hard he works both in and out of the ring. The thing is, while you were too busy bashing Cena for his “five moves of doom” or celebrating him for granting his 500th Make A Wish, you may have overlooked the fact that his character is finally changing right before our eyes. This is the (R)Evolution of John Cena.
The Revolution of John Cena
John Cena has won an incredible 15 World Championships in the WWE. It has always been a contentious subject for fans as many view Ric Flair’s 16 World Championships as a record that should not be beaten. The fact that Cena has won 15 championships has not ever really been addressed by Cena directly… until just recently. Cena clearly stated that he wanted to win his 16th Championship on his return to Smackdown Live! last week. Could it have just been a way to reintroduce Cena back in to title picture? Sure. But let’s take a look at the bigger picture.
At Summerslam, John Cena lost clean to A.J. Styles. After Summerslam, Cena took a few weeks off only to return and make the proclamation that he wanted to win his 16th World Championship. Only a week after he returned, what happened? Cena lost clean to Dean Ambrose. Are you seeing a trend yet? John Cena, the man who many people despised for always “overcoming the odds” and never losing, has lost two straight singles matches to internet darlings Syles and Ambrose. Keep in mind that Cena has not been pinned in a singles match on RAW or Smackdown in almost seven years. This is not just coincidence.
Cena’s upcoming schedule is in question as he has a lot of work outside of WWE lined up. According to advertisements, Cena is currently only booked for three dates between now and the end of the year. Clearly Cena will not be winning his 16th World Championship at No Mercy in two weeks, so where does he go from here?
His Motivation for Beating Flair’s Record
Is this going to be the long awaited John Cena heel turn? In reality, what makes a heel or baby face any more? Both shows champions are heels and continue to be cheered as positively as any other person on their respective shows. Roman Reigns, who has been booked as one of the biggest baby faces on the Monday night show is routinely booed by most crowds. So there really is not that much of a difference between the top heels or baby faces. What this looks like is an evolution of the John Cena character that we have not seen before. After Cena fails to win the WWE World Championship at No Mercy, he will have fuel to do whatever he can to win that elusive 16th Championship.
Let’s imagine Cena does take the pin at No Mercy and only makes sparse appearances throughout the end of 2016 and all of those appearances result in losses. After his outside commitments are completed and he returns in 2017 at the Royal Rumble. Does Cena cheat to win the Royal Rumble, thus guaranteeing himself a shot at one of the champions at Wrestlemania 33 to try and win the 16th title? Or does he also lose the Royal Rumble and turn his attention to the other beloved record in wrestling, the Undertaker’s 23 and one record at Wrestlemania?
Either way, the John Cena character is evolving right before our eyes and it is going somewhat unnoticed. This change very well could be John Cena’s revolution, cementing himself as one of the greatest of all time.
