5 Biggest takeaways from John Cena vs Roman Reigns
The old is always succeeded by the new. It's a time-tested, proven theory, especially in the WWE.
And even if you're John Cena's most ardent fan, splurging on his merchandise and imbibing the values of Hustle, Loyalty and Respect in your own life, you could probably see a Roman Reigns victory at No Mercy coming from a mile away.
That said, there were moments during the match - namely the AA off the second rope or the rolling double AA - when you'd have thought Cena may pull off the improbable...but they were pretty short lived as all it took was one Superman Punch - Spear combination for Reigns to get the three count in the end.
But as predictable as the result was, even during the back-and-forth build to the match, there were a handful of talking points that emerged from the way things went down at the Staples Center in L.A.
Was there something to be made of John Cena's parting bow to the WWE Universe after the contest?
Did he manage to pull that little something extra out of Roman Reigns throughout the duration of the heated feud?
And how does the Undertaker — if at all — fit into the picture here?
Hoping to address these points and more, here are 5 takeaways worth discussing from the John Cena vs Roman Reigns match at No Mercy.
#1 A sign of things to come?
One of the most enjoyable things about the whole John Cena-Roman Reigns storyline has been how hard-hitting and relatable the verbal exchanges have been.
By allowing both men complete freedom to castigate one another on the microphone, the WWE created one of the feuds of the year in the span of just 3 short weeks.
And if you recall right, the storylines that really resonate with us as an audience — Miz's spat with Cena, Daniel Bryan's rise against the machine, CM Punk pipebomb — are the ones that stem from reality.
And even in Cena's drawn-out feud against the Rock, there were elements of it on display that helped sustain interest over two years.
In a nutshell, the WWE seems to have stumbled on a very useful tool in getting the WWE Universe invested in storylines by cleverly drawing back the veil of kayfabe when required.
And judging by how vibrant and must-see Roman Reigns came across these past few weeks, I wouldn't be averse to them using it again.