Roman Reigns vs John Cena: Who Will Win?
While there's been a build-up for it for quite some time, it was officially announced on this week's Monday Night Raw that there will be a Roman Reigns vs John Cena match on September 24th at the No Mercy PPV. It will be the first time the two Superstars will face off against one another.
Roman Reigns vs John Cena: The Battle
The rumours about a Roman Reigns vs John Cena battle have been raging for some time, but it came to a head the night after SummerSlam 2017 on Raw, when the two teamed up to defeat Samoa Joe and The Miz.
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While it was one of the most exciting matches to watch on Raw, Roman Reigns wasn't exactly thrilled to team up with "The Face That Runs The Place". Fans of wrestling knew that this meant that, eventually, there would be a Roman Reigns vs John Cena face-off.
Roman Reigns vs John Cena: Too Soon?
The Inquisitr reports that this battle between Roman Reigns and John Cena will serve as a "torch passing" ceremony of sorts. The rumours have been rampant, for a long time, that John Cena was looking to move away from the ring and into acting and other Hollywood ventures. This battle between Reigns and Cena will provide Cena with the perfect exodus.
Forbes, however, feels that the Roman Reigns vs John Cena face-off came "too soon," because there was no appropriate build-up between the first Reigns-Cena confrontation and the upcoming No Mercy battle.
The outlet feels that there should have been more of a build-up between the two to keep the fans tuning in, especially now that NFL season is around the corner and thus in competition with and for the fans' time.
But the question begs itself: does Cena have the kind of time that Forbes feels the appropriate "build up" should have?
John Cena's Career: The End? What's Next?
A multi-hyphenate wrestler, rapper, entrepreneur, and entertainer, John Cena got his start in 1999 under the Ultimate Pro Wrestling banner. When, the following year, he won the UPW championship, he signed a development deal with the WWE. He made his debut on the main roster in 2002.
Though not as successful in Hollywood, as his contemporary, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Cena has still managed to make a bit of a name for himself in the entertainment industry. Starring in such films as The Marine and 12 Rounds, he's also the host of the hit television show American Grit.
But what, perhaps, he will forever be known for is his work with the Make-A-Wish Foundation, which grants wishes to children who are terminally ill. As the global ambassador for the charity, he's granted more wishes to sick children than any other ambassador -- or celebrity -- in the charity's history.
During his WWE career, Cena has won 25 championships, in total. Of those 25, 16 of them were world championships (both as the WWE Champion and the WWE World Heavyweight Champion). He's a two-time Royal Rumble champion and ranks behind Bruno Sammartino, Bob Backlund, and Hulk Hogan as having the most number of consecutive days as a WWE champion.
Cena is now a free agent; this Roman Reigns vs John Cena Battle suggests that he plans to return -- however briefly -- to Monday Night Raw, but other rumours suggest that this is the end of the line for John Cena's WWE career, and he would like to leave it to pursue his Hollywood career on a full-time basis.
Roman Reigns: What's In It For Him?
Though not as decorated of a wrestler as John Cena, Roman Reigns still has a bit of a storied career to start from -- and ahead of him. Part of the prestigious Anoa'i wrestling family, and cousin to The Tonga Kid, The Usos, Reigns (born Leati Joseph Anoa'i) got his start as a professional football player before joining the WWE in 2010.
Since 2014, WWE creative has been trying to establish him as the next "face" of the company, despite the fact that he's been met with an overwhelmingly negative reaction in the process.
It, then, seems to be the hope of WWE creative that the Roman Reigns vs John Cena battle will result in the "passing of the torch," with "The Face That Runs The Place" giving a professional "face" blessing to someone whom the WWE hopes will be the "face" of the company.
The Bottom Line
The winner of the Roman Reigns vs. John Cena battle is obvious. However, it remains to be seen if it will have the impact that WWE creative hopes it will.