The first was a young buck out of Ohio Valley Wrestling. His name was Prototype, but would later be known by his real name: John Cena. He had the look of a bodybuilder, similar to the current day version. His biceps and torso seemed almost Herculean and unreal. He came out (in his colored trunks) after Kurt Angle issued a challenge to "anyone in the back". Cena grabbed the mic, delivered McMahon's new phrase with all the vitriol he could muster, and took Angle to his limits before succumbing to the savvy ring veteran. There was an "L" in the books for Cena, but everyone watching whether fans or fellow wrestlers new one thing: a star was born.
The second star to arrive was Randall Keith Orton, or as he is known today: Randy Orton. His shtick at first was simply being a third-generation wrestler- a rarity in the business, but also thought of as a leg up on the competition. Curtis Axel (a.k.a. Joe Hennig) is currently trying to help disprove the notion. Soon after, Orton would team up with HHH, Ric Flair and another massive young superstar- Dave Bautista, a.k.a Batista. He was young by industry standards but past the age of 30 when he made his debut. Orton would become the "Legend Killer", attacking former wrestlers in an effort to gain respect. He had his immature moments, and at times management would come to question if he could be the future after a horrible initial title reign- but it changed at Backlash 2004. Orton would face the Hardcore Legend, Mick Foley. There he would be taken to hell and back, even being decorated with thousands of thumbtacks and a barbed-wire baseball bat to the head. That was when Orton's star was cemented, one that has evolved (and plateaued since).
This past Sunday at Survivor Series, WWE Champion Orton defeated the Big Show in a snoozer of a contest. John Cena had an even more by-the-numbers World Heavyweight title defense against one Alberto Del Rio. After Orton's match, Cena came out to the ring to raise his belt. An all-too familiar match-up was unofficially set for at least the next month's pay-per view; possibly beyond. Then on RAW this past Monday, Cena and Orton officially sealed the deal and made a dual-title match for Tables, Ladders and Chairs (TLC) in December. The night ended when Orton laid out Cena with his title belt -and picked up Cena's- posing with both, his foot atop the fallen Massachusetts native. Orton's foot might have well been WWE's dependence on their two top stars, while Cena's prone body represented the younger stars looking to become a fixture in the company's top tier.
After a month which saw the previously "unemployed" Big Show contend against Orton, is this match-up supposed to get fans excited for a potential title unification?
I put unemployed in quotes, because any time a wrestler is fired in a storyline, they end up either taking a week or two off...or they are booked on every show thereafter. Sometimes it is by buying a ticket and becoming a member of the crowd, or other times (like this one) it is simply a seven-foot two giant's wish to enter the ring and obliterate anything in his way. Or the time he commandeered a company camera and satellite feed (seemingly in front of a Pizza Hut) to get the attention of HHH and Stephanie McMahon.
Don't get me wrong. Cena and Orton do represent dollar signs for the WWE as they have been their anchors for over a decade now. But the problem is- no one aside from the children decked out in Cena's gear- wish to see the two matched up again. In 2009 alone, the duo had no less than five title matches together. But in 2013, the rivalry is a little played out- especially when they have a roster which features CM Punk, Daniel Bryan, Dolph Ziggler and Cody Rhodes. Any of those young stars could be a title contender.
The notion that WWE wishes to feature these two after such a disastrous pair of title matches at Survivor Series (buy rates pending) is especially odd after Monday's show. During the setup to the eventual title match, the crowd broke out in chants of "YES! YES! YES!" and "Dan-iel Bry-an *clap clap clap clap clap* repeatedly. The YES chant may have caught on like Austin's "WHAT?" back in 2001, but saying a performer's name during a segment he is not even involved in- that as some would say, is rich. This wasn't a crowd bent on attention, yelling random things for the heck of it. No, this was a crowd that was a microcosm of the WWE Universe. No one wanted to see Big Show against Orton at Survivor Series. The RAW the night after Hell in a Cell was essentially a three hour process of the WWE taking a pin to the Daniel Bryan balloon. Now all of a sudden he had forgotten about being wronged multiple times during his quest for the WWE title and just wanted to beat up the Wyatts? While the Wyatts are not pushovers by any means, Bryan's short term memory and sudden shift in his agenda's course seemed jarring.
The WWE is famous for its love of nostalgia. That is why they continue to bring legends back on special legends contracts. That is why they continue to bring back the Rock, Brock Lesnar and the Undertaker for prominent matches on the biggest shows of the year. There is a niche for the market, but not one that would hog the spotlight from present-day stars trying to make a name for themselves.
Yes, Cena and Orton are future WWE Hall of Famers, but that does not mean they need to hold both belts hostage in an effort to sell merchandise or pay-per-views. The last time both titles were held by one man was in 2001, when an up-and-coming Chris Jericho defeated both Austin and the Rock. It was a monumental occasion. Both belts would later become the Undisputed WWE Title, and it had that much more meaning when put on the line. Since then, many a fan has wondered when they would unite both belts again.
For the record, the unification was never officially announced. HHH and Stephanie only made it clear that the winner at TLC would have possession over both belts. The unification was simply implied.
Now fans can assume it will be at TLC- a show with such a rich tradition of history and long lineage of epic title matches. Oh, wait....that's right. The show has only been around since 2009. It's most famous title match was an upset of Cena by Sheamus; one in which Cena literally succumbed to gravity and crashed through a table, losing his WWE title to the young Irishman in the blink of an eye.
Recent rumors have Daniel Bryan not being at fault for the low Summerslam buyrates, as the company believes there is a market for the "smart" wrestling community- or the geeks like me who invest time and emotion in how storylines play out from a booking standpoint. The rumor insinuates Bryan will be in the title picture by year's end, but with the recent turn of events it is not a definite thing.
For now, though, WWE fans are now entrenched in a match-up we have seen many a time before. What is different this time? How will WWE make us care to invest time and emotion into a feud outside of the "Hey, it's our two top guys!" argument? If recent history proves anything, they won't- and they'll let the two names sell the shows. When the numbers don't reach their lofty expectations, WWE will be left wondering how they let themselves slip into 2013's ruthless regression.
Like it? Love it? Hate it? Let me know on Twitter @SeanNeutron.
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