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This past Sunday saw the return of World Wrestling Entertainment’s “prized jewelâ€ÂÂÂ. No, it wasn’t Jimmy Snuka. Although the Hall of Fame member brought back some great memories, along with his old school nemesis Roddy Piper, I’m of course writing of John Cena. Cena miraculously came back from a serious pectoral tear some four to eight months earlier than expected to shock the New York City crowd during his company’s 21st Annual Royal Rumble.
I must admit that I am one of the few males between the ages of 18-35 that actually enjoy Cena. I think he is a better worker than people give him credit for. I think he’s one of the best on the microphone in today’s business, especially if creative allowed him more leeway and input. I also believe he’s mostly booed by fans, simply because it’s the “cool†thing to do at arena’s. So, I was excited to see the early comeback and victory. However, what was lost in all that excitement was what it may mean for WWE in 2008.
Over the past four months Cena’s absence had forced Vince McMahon and the creative team to think differently. It forced their hand to come up with a new champion. It created new opponents, one that fell flat due to bad decisions (Jericho) and one that developed like the true superstar many believed he could one day be (Jeff Hardy). Quite frankly, it required WWE writers to stop the “booking by numbers†approach that had become much of Cena’s Championship reign.
Now with Cena back, will those days return? Watching the Jeff Hardy vs. Randy Orton match and Hardy’s clean loss in the middle of the ring didn’t really cause much concern for me when it happened. Hey, it happened quickly, he could get another chance rather easily. Then, Cena made his return. Then, Cena won the Royal Rumble. Then, Cena began and ended Raw this past Monday night and it left me wondering if this was the beginning of another long Cena title run?
That would of course, for all intents and purposes, squash Jeff Hardy’s immediate and possibly long-term future chances to become WWE Champion. We’d be pushed back into the world of Cena vs. Orton and Cena vs. HHH, while Hardy was left with the scraps. The fresh face at the top of the card would disappear almost as quickly as it appeared. But is that what the WWE should want? Is that what they should do?
The WWE over the next six weeks are facing some huge decisions regarding talent and where they’re going to go with that talent. With Wrestlemania XXIV, McMahon and creative could continue pushing someone different that the fans have gravitated towards in recent months or they could go with the proven “horseâ€ÂÂÂ. Jeff Hardy could win the Elimination Chamber and have the HBK-like childhood dream victory at Wrestlemania versus Randy Orton. Or, Cena could win at No Way Out, HHH could take the Elimination Chamber victory and you’re left with a HHH vs. Cena main event at the “big danceâ€ÂÂÂ. An even worse possibility, Orton and HHH could win at No Way Out, respectively, and we can have the thrilling fifteenth chapter of that novel.
The exciting part of being a fan is that we get to sit back and see this all evolve. Will WWE do what many fans believe (judging by their pop) is the right thing and push Hardy as WWE Champion to see if he can handle the spot and in return strengthen their overall roster? Or, will Vince McMahon and company go with what they know: HHH, Cena, Orton, HBK, and the rest of the usual suspects headlining pay-per-views?
Will it be the disappointing fall back to the mid-card of a wrestler who looked like he was on the edge of truly great things? Or, will it be the triumphant story of a wrestler who was once on the edge of truly great things, left the company for a few years, to only come back and climb the ladder, reaching a popularity and respect that everyone one day in the business wishes for? Either way, it’s going to be interesting to watch over the next six weeks.
You can reach Nick Cattles at Nacfresh@hotmail.com
