STEP UP: Brock Lesnar
SIDE-STEP: John Cena
STEP DOWN: The Wyatt Family
Brock Lesnar and Paul Heyman better sold the Night of Champions rematch with one pre-recorded video package (below), than John Cena did with three whole segments, and the help of Shawn Michaels, Ric Flair and Hulk Hogan. Normally I’m a pro-Cena advocate, but I’m also completely capable of pointing out his glaring flaws. He’s never serious, and when he tries to be, it comes off campy and more than a little unbelievable. The legends panel didn’t add anything of value – three guys in a ring for Cena to look at and yell “I’m gonna beat Brock’s ass!” That’s the same thing he said a month ago. No drama, no added flair (pun intended), no reason to think he might actually win, other than WWE’s constant need to put him over; and rightfully so.
Then came the main event match between Cena and Bray Wyatt. I get that most people are upset that Cena so easily disposed of Bray, but heels can ALWAYS come back. If they’re good enough – and I think we all agree the Family is – heels can always bounce back from any loss. My issue isn’t that Cena squashed Wyatt; it’s that he squashed Wyatt, and they did nothing with it.
I wouldn’t be so upset about the whole thing if they just had John go out, squash Bray, and end the show. That’s what SummerSlam was, right? At least then we could talk about a new intensity in the Cena character. But they ruined it with Big Show and Mark Henry, and the rest of the Wyatt Family. Why? To set up a tag team match on Smackdown? The 6-man main event took focus away from what matters. Raw should have ended with Cena hitting the AA on each member of the Family, by himself, looking like a beast. That’s what Brock would have done – that’s what it’s going to take to beat him. That’s the story they need to tell.
