Happy Day After Steve Rogers' Birthday!
I figure y'all US-Ate too much and America-boomed too hard.
Were you out and about watching the sky blow up, or were you home alone in the dark eating crackers and watching SmackDown Live?
You know, so you could see Cena come back, announce that both SmackDown and RAW are his personal punchbowls to pee in, and then spread some good old fashioned janky jingoism that stood sort of awkwardly and perpendicularly next to his awesome #WeAreAmerica message from last year...
Whatever. It was the 4th, Cena's all about the US of A, and Rusev's shtick has always been based on his Bulgarian-ocity. Including his debut year when he was billed from Russia because he'd moved there due to being a giant Putin stan. It was certainly funny watching Cena and Rusev yell at each other this week after watching GLOW on Netflix and seeing how easy it is to put together a hacky, stereotypical USA vs. Elsewhere rivalry that will draw out a crowd's most toxic instincts. Though, to be honest, Rusev does have a lot to learn from Zoya the Destroyer!
Overall though, I feel like - well - Rusev wasn't really feeling it, you guys. Maybe he was down in the dumps about his first match back being a freakin' loss to Cena at Battleground in a Flag Match. Rusev's return could have made for a huge splash in the SmackDown world title scene but now he's just Thuganomics chum again.
Cena could use Rusev as a stepping stone to Jinder (though Rusev challenging Jinder, given their past, would make for a much better angle) or he could - hell - flip over to RAW and just work a disposable match there. Because he now has an all-access pass. It's funny, this type of free reign doesn't really hurt that time honored heel argument about Cena getting special treatment, but it is what it is. He is untethered in this particular universe. Beholden to none, bound by nothing.
I just wish we could get past the whole aspect of "I don't like you talking badly about America so I'm going to... punch you in the face." We never will, but I'll always cling to hope. This country's a whistling kettle right now so encouraging violence over discourse isn't ideal. And I know I shouldn't always look to wrestling to change in meaningful ways, but it's usually the only thing I watch on TV that actively make me wince and think "Ooh, this is distasteful."
Again though, look not to pro-grappling for subtle strokes or peaceful platitudes. It's a place, after all, where people end up on lists. And then those lists become more popular than everyone on the roster.
Can you tell that I really want Game of Thrones to come back?
Anyhow, how long do we think Cena's got left?
On SmackDown, he actively brought up the whole "having fewer days ahead than behind" scenario and that if he was "going out" then it was going to be bang adjacent. Which means he'll most likely win another world title. Perhaps even to square off against Roman at WrestleMania in a champ v. champ situation. Because Roman, for all we can tell right now, is facing Brock at SummerSlam. That trigger's being pulled quick. I think WWE realized that Brock as an "away" champ worked once, back when Suplex City had more of a mystique, but it just doesn't play well in 2017 with a brand split. Especially for a new belt that not everyone's sold on.
So Roman could actually topple Brock this August and hold the belt until Mania. Which makes you wonder about Cena: How is his body? How is his mind? He's been spending a lot of time away from WWE to do his various projects and such, and - well - that's gotta be hard for him. Or, maybe it's easier than he thought. He's been go-go-go for fifteen years now so maybe he took some time off and, for once, liked it. Not "time off" time off, but away from the ring. There was a point when Cena hated being home. Man, in an interview I did with him back when he was in one of those Fred movies for Nickelodeon, he mentioned how much he disliked stopping dat grind. He loved the road and didn't know what to do when he had time to himself.
Now he's older. He's getting married (I think at the time of the interview he'd just gotten divorced from "phantom wife") and his soon to be sister and brother-in-law just had a baby. He's doing other creative things in the world of TV and movies. Also, I'm pretty sure all those deals he made with crossroads demons years ago are about to come collect. Dude's not going to be able to walk upright when he's old. His body is mostly IOUs at this point.
Granted, he'll never be away from WWE. Not in the way Rock is. Firstly, I don't think Cena will ever be able to have an entirely separate career like Rocky. Not on that level. And Cena loves WWE with an unyielding boner. I don't know if he ever had corporate aspirations, but he may need to find out if there's a jorts department.
Look, I'm only bringing this all up because he brought it up - his vague-yet-limited time left in the ring. Just don't let Roman retire Cena at Mania like he did Taker. Which reminds me, wouldn't Cena, just by sheer dominion, be the big dog? He has ALL THE YARDS! He can go from one yard to the other whenever he wants. Roman's on a leash.
Continue on for more from RAW and SmackDown...
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