I guess I'm going to follow LeBron and Manning to Miami. That's just where exceptional talent goes these days.
I'm currently watching SportsCenter and of course, everything is centered around Peyton Manning's departure from the Colts. It's a compelling story to follow and it's something you only get in "real" sports. We get real-life situations that unfold in pro wrestling, but not like this.
Vince is the only true game in town; free agency doesn't exist.
Watching the full-time Manning coverage today, it did stem a few ideas I wanted to write about in this week's "Cashbox" feature. Most are easy comparisons between things going on (or have gone on) in pro wrestling and the Manning situation. Others, I'm sure I'm stretching a bit to make fit the theme, but I wanted to write about them anyway.
1. New Power Group In Miami
Peyton hasn't decided officially where he will quarterback next, but the Dolphins are on a short list. There's even reports of Peyton reuniting with Reggie Wayne in Miami next year. Manning, Wayne, Bush and Marshall wouldn't have the same effect as James, Wade and Bosh, but the media would still spin it that way. And to parlay that into something wrestling-related, all this talk about dynasties and power groups in sports makes me miss them in pro wrestling.
We will likely never have a moment like the one when Hogan joined the nWo, but groups and factions in wrestling can still be effective. I thought the Nexus angle was an extremely original way to jumpstart one and wish it had gone longer, and differently. The rumors of a Miz, Nash, and Truth group even got me excited for a minute.
They help elevate multiple stars, they often add more credibility to lower and mid-card titles, they're exciting, call for surprising, unexpected moments at times, and are typically well-received by fans.
I don't understand why Vince is so against them.
2. Can Peyton Handle The Pressure?
Eyes have been on Peyton Manning for years, but not in this light. Not to this degree.
Manning is an exceptional quarterback — one of the best of all-time. Anyone with that much talent is going to be under a microscope more than normal. However, now he is a polarizing figure. Situational circumstances have added an entirely different dimension to Manning's public position.
He now has an intense amount of pressure and expectations surrounding him that he's never experienced before. Can he deliver under THAT heat the same way people EXPECT him to? LeBron sure gets a ton of crap for choking in the Finals last year.
I think John Cena will be under a similar microscope this April in Miami. Sure, he's been in some big matches in the past, but none like this. WrestleMania 28, with the main event match being set an unprecedented one year in advance, will be remembered for Rock vs Cena. We all know what Rock can do. Can Cena match him and not get eaten alive?
Cena's already going into a snake pit — Rock's hometown of Miami — and it's going to be electric from the opening bell. On that night, Cena has an opportunity to, at the very least, earn respect. Will he capitalize?
