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| Was Monday night a sign of things to come, or just a mirage for those hopeful of a Cena heel turn? |
These words were spoken by on-air WWE COO Triple H when he "reassured" Randy Orton about his confidence in him on Friday Night Smackdown. This came three nights after Monday Night RAW that saw the head honcho being flanked by his wife, on-air WWE Director of personnel Kane, and World Heavyweight Champion John Cena. That collection of personalities followed a scrum which saw Stephanie collide with Orton "by accident". (I put that in quotations since it was scripted to happen for storyline purposes.)
The question is not does the WWE have faith in either Orton or company man John Cena- but do they have faith in themselves to execute what they implied Monday night: a full-fledged John Cena heel turn.
There is precedent for this, even if it involves three different situations. Back in 1998, Vince McMahon presented then-new WWF Champion Stone Cold Steve Austin. Austin came out in a suit and tie, seemingly conforming to the ways of the dubious McMahon. It was all for naught, as Austin hit his finisher, the Stunner on the unsuspecting chairman. Later that year in November, McMahon formed The Corporation- a stable designed to take out any sort of rebellious wrestlers. It's most notable feud was with -who else- Steve Austin.
Then in 2001, following an assist from McMahon, Stone Cold Steve Austin made a full-fledged heel turn against the Rock at Wrestlemania X7 (17). Some may have questioned it's effectiveness and success, but that's not the focal point. The biggest takeaway from Austin's turn to the dark side is it was simply a way for him to test the waters. As much as physicality plays a huge part in wrestling, what creates characters and drives ticket/merchandise sales is the theater aspect of it all. Like an actor, it was a new method to becoming more dynamic for Austin.
Those three elements for the biggest babyface of the 90's have seemed to align in the current landscape of the WWE. You have a heel stable with plenty of power, a mega-superstar who would be the perfect instrument for enforcing and representing their agenda, and plenty of reason to finally turn him towards the other end of the "good guy/bad guy" spectrum.
John Cena at this point in his career has had a longer tenure (11 years) than Austin at the time he turned heel (5 years). In 2002 as part of his white rapper gimmick, he seemed edgy, cool and the next big thing (with all due respect to Brock Lesnar). Then once he obtained the WWE title in 2005, his character took a military-like theme, even though Cena has never served. Camouflage shirts, hats and dog tags became his trademarks. A salute to begin his entrance now joined his hand-waving antics
and "You can't see me!" battle cry. The "want some, come get some!" creed became allies with
"hustle, loyalty and respect." While it was a way to change his character, it all felt so forced and in later years it felt strained.
So you may be asking yourself- how has Cena's character changed since 2005-2006? Well outside of his colorful shirts that come out every few months- not at all. Even his entrance music is exactly the
same one he debuted in 2005. In 2013, it's a lot harder not only for the superstars but for the WWE as a whole to try new things. Essentially everything has been done- but that's why they have a "creative"
team. It is their task to push boundaries, create new stars and keep the machine that is the WWE
chugging along. As I have always said, Cena as a bad guy is the final frontier for his character and
the the biggest storyline the WWE could run with and gain mainstream steam, bringing back casual
and lost fans along the way.
When Cena was out due to a grotesquely enormous left elbow, Randy Orton stepped in and played Daniel Bryan's foil as the new corporate champion. He had the backing of management, the proven track record full of titles and accolades, and the ability to make the Bryan supporters despise him.
The only problem? Only one man in the WWE can be vilified even more- their biggest good guy,
Cena. Cena has made note of turning heel in the past few years, usually every few months when fans have seemed to grow tired of the same "goody two shoes" shtick. He referred to it in tongue-in-cheek fashion after Wrestlemania, accompanying the phrase with an actual turn of his heel during a promo. He prides himself on being able to take the hate and keep coming at us like some sort of saint- doing everything for the good of the cause. He might think it is what fans want, but it's not what they deserve. From a performer capable of so much more, Cena is truly limiting his abilities.
That's where faith comes in. WWE needs to have faith that making Cena a bad guy will be what's best for business. They must forgo their dependence on Cena as their go-to in every situation, and begin to rely on their younger talent. Common reasons also include not only Cena's merchandise sales and marketability, but also things like Make-A-Wish, for which he has done over three-hundred of. As smart as wrestling fans get these days (especially at younger ages), separating Cena's on-screen and off-screen persona shouldn't prove too difficult.
The other factor that makes TLC the perfect time for this long-awaited change? Daniel Bryan. Bryan is not only the one most capable of being the number one good guy- he's the only one the crowd will let be the number one good guy. It was not more evident than Monday Night, when in a ring full of 20-plus former World Heavyweight and WWE champions along with Orton and Cena (with Bryan off to the side), all the people cared to do was chant "Dan-iel Bry-an!" over and over. It wasn't a chant for the sake of getting attention, such as the "YES!" they chant throughout the night. It was the WWE Universe speaking their mind. Cena even had to bring attention to it, as it essentially halted the main event proceedings. Everyone in that ring could not ignore it- the fans want Bryan as champion, and they want it NOW. But the scrum would soon follow, and the symbolic alignment of the WWE's golden boy alongside the company's on-air authority figures took place as Orton lay in a state of confusion and shock in the corner.
There is no telling what will happen Sunday night at Tables, Ladders and Chairs. If they want to begin to build a feud well worthy of main eventing Wrestlemania and going against their recent short-sided booking, then they have it right under their nose. It would be fitting that WWE would set up their next big feud and go the more organic route of the "world's toughest vegan", Daniel Bryan versus what could be their biggest mega-heel to date....John Cena.
Like it? Love it? Hate it? Let me know @SeanNeutron
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