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John Cena Vs Brock Lesnar: John Cena is the best-recognized name in the world of professional wrestling and a 15-time world champion. A victory, though, is not acceptable when he confronts Brock Lesnar on Sunday night at the Staples Center in Los Angeles for the main event of SummerSlam.
It’s true that Cena has his critics, but he’s also much adored. That is why he will always be known as Mr. Dependable. He is constantly in demand when facing a strong opponent, and WWE can always turn to him when deciding who should hold the title of world champion.
This is exactly what WWE did when Daniel Bryan was forced to relinquish the WWE World Heavyweight Championship due to a neck injury. Cena has been an effective bridge, but The Beast Incarnate awaits on the other side.
At the moment, Lesnar is the most popular figure in wrestling, and a bout between him and Cena would be the most lucrative offering from WWE. A major factor in this is the widespread belief that Cena will finally face his equal in The Conqueror, who will then handily defeat him. WWE must fulfill expectations in this way.
According to WWE Universe on Twitter, Lesnar’s supporter Paul Heyman has even said that Cena’s last bout might take place at SummerSlam.
That won’t happen, but the intention is appreciated. Cena is a fighter who routinely defies expectations and is seldom dominated, but Lesnar is the kind of vicious opponent who would change that.
In addition to being recognized all across the globe as a genuine wrecking machine, Lesnar also has more narrative momentum than ever before. Heyman has made sure that no one forgets that The Beast halted The Undertaker’s 21-0 winning run at WrestleMania XXX.
He has been certain to send Cena some not-so-subtle reminders:
Sports celebrities from other fields, like UFC’s Daniel Cormier, have taken note of Brock Lesnar’s current run in WWE:
Only one guy can claim the unenviable feat of defeating The Undertaker. This would be one of the worst choices ever made by WWE if they wasted their potential. Losing is inevitable for Lesnar, but losing in his first bout after ending the run and losing to a guy who doesn’t need the rub would achieve nothing.
In Lesnar’s return encounter for WWE in 2012, he was defeated by Cena at Extreme Rules. That booking choice made little sense, but losing against Cena at SummerSlam would be outrageous.
Since Cena has held the championship so many times over the previous decade, Lesnar’s reign as champion would be far more thrilling and new. However, the fact that Lesnar only competes in the WWE on a part-time basis is one factor that might cause concern among his devoted followers.
Even if Lesnar retains the championship, he may not defend it at every PPV and may make rare appearances on Raw. Fans were not happy in 2013 when The Rock held the title from the Royal Rumble to WrestleMania XXIX in the same reign.
Despite this, Heyman reportedly thinks it would be a smart business move for WWE to use Lesnar in a similar fashion as the WWE World Heavyweight Champion, as reported by Scott Fishman of the Miami Herald:
Though Fishman makes a good argument, that’s not the only reason why having Lesnar as WWE World Heavyweight champion is a good thing. Recently, in an interview with Ring Rust Radio (via WrestlingInc.com), Heyman named a number of possible contenders against whom Lesnar may face off in the future:
Cena, at this stage in his career, can’t do anything to compete with those matches. Cena has been at the top for such a long time that he has probably done a program with every major figure in the industry.
Due to his lengthy absence, every bout in which Lesnar participates will be treated as fresh and novel. Whether or whether it is Cena’s fault, the atmosphere around him feels stagnant.
In all honesty, Lesnar’s triumph would be rational even if he were to lose the title on the Raw following SummerSlam. Even though Lesnar has stated that he wants to be WWE World Heavyweight Champion, he has never stated that he wants to retain the title for an extended period of time.
After breaking The Undertaker’s streak and defeating John Cena for the title, Brock Lesnar may decide he has accomplished everything he can in WWE and relinquish the championship to The Authority. That way, Lesnar could hide out until he’s required for WrestleMania, and a thrilling tournament could be held at Night of Champions to choose who would replace him as champion.
Some have speculated that Lesnar would damage Cena to the point of disqualification, enabling Seth Rollins to make good on his Money in the Bank contract against Cena. That would make both Lesnar and Heyman seem bad: the former would appear like they couldn’t manage their client if they didn’t achieve their aim, and the latter would look like they were unable to. Everyone knows Lesnar is ruthless, and a meaningless DQ won’t change that.
With a championship victory by Lesnar, WWE has many potential avenues to pursue and exciting consequences for SummerSlam. To keep Cena in the role would be business as usual, and for Rollins to cash in would be inconsistent with the story being portrayed.
As the WWE’s audience is always demanding fresh content, the company cannot refuse the opportunity to provide them that by crowning Lesnar WWE World Heavyweight Champion.
