The Imminent War Between John Cena and Roman Reigns
John Cena is coming back. The man that many fans absolutely love to hate is making his return to WWE, and that moment will happen on the May 30 edition of Monday Night Raw. On that night, the company’s top guy will reclaim his spot, and no one will be able to stop him.
That includes Roman Reigns, who just happens to be keeping Cena’s place warm right now. Reigns may be the WWE world heavyweight champion, but that will make no difference when John reenters the fold. Fighting the odds and proving the doubters wrong is what Roman has done best, though that will not stop what’s coming.
This is a fight that Roman must face. This is his ultimate test, the one that will determine just how much he really wants it. Anyone who thought Reigns was over the hard part will be sorely disappointed; things are going to get a lot tougher from this point on. But the funny part is Roman’s impending judgment day is with a man that just can’t stop smiling.
John Cena is not a heel, and that is likely not changing any time soon. So the threat he poses to Roman is not of a devious nature, there is no malice behind his actions. Cena is not the villain of this piece, and he has no desire to destroy the would-be hero.
Cena’s domination of WWE is out of necessity, and the same will be true of his inevitable feud with Roman. The company needs the top draw at his best, and there is no room for error when it comes to John. If Roman is to be considered among the WWE elite, then he must be tested by Cena because Cena must be back in that top spot.
There’s just not room enough for both of them, not without a war being waged. That may be a bit too much for many fans to handle, mostly due to how unpopular both Cena and Reigns are. John is in the driver’s seat when it comes to drawing power, but there is no doubting he’s as hated as Roman is.
It’s perhaps the most ironic tragedy that WWE fans have ever seen. John Cena could arguably be the most popular babyface since Stone Cold Steve Austin, but his character has been horribly mishandled. Instead of allowing him to grow and improve, WWE has kept him stagnant for over 10 years.
But a heel turn would have changed everything. Arguably the best time for WWE to pull the trigger was in 2011, during CM Punk’s climb up the main event ladder. Had it happened and Cena been given the chance to explore his character, then he would have eventually reached the point where he could have turned face again.
He would have come out on the other side much stronger than ever before, and he would not be getting the mixed reactions fans are so accustomed to hearing. However that heel turn did not happen, and after several missed opportunities since then, it’s become painfully apparent that the company has no intention of ever making the change with Cena. There’s just no point in it now.
Roman Reigns could arguably be the most hated heel since Triple H, but his character has been horribly mishandled as well. Much like Cena, Roman has stayed in the same place and has shown no signs of changing at all. But if WWE made the change with him, then he would eventually get the chance to turn face again himself. All that he needs is a new path to get him back on the current path that WWE wants him on.
Each man would be facing a mirror image of himself in this rivalry. The frustration among fans watching that know this could be so much more, would be immense indeed. But it’s something that must happen, and the fact that WWE has not fully prepared either man for it is irrelevant. The timing is what it is, and now the leader of WWE’s fading roster must face the leader of WWE’s new roster. That is how this will be marketed, whether anyone likes it or not.
But the fact is, maybe it’s a fitting way to handle it. Much has been made of WWE’s new era, as the influx of fresh talent and new storylines has indeed revitalized Raw. Cena is not part of this new era; he’s more of the aging veteran that’s watching his company change around him. However Roman does fit the role of the new era captain, as tomorrow genuinely feels as though it belongs to him. WWE has done a good job of putting the pieces into place here, and a collision between these two is unavoidable.
But Roman’s supporters are hoping for the best. The truth is that Cena doesn’t have a habit of losing big money matches. He rarely ever comes up short, and when he needs to win, he usually does. He’s passed every test put before him, and with the exception of Brock Lesnar, no one can really lay claim to bragging rights against him.
The same fate could befall Reigns. If he does lose against John, then it would be a major statement by WWE, one that many fans perhaps do not want to hear. A Cena win would be proof positive that the company is not moving forward, and that the new era has been nothing but a marketing campaign to get fans interested in the younger Superstars.
But if Roman actually goes over on John, then a new day will surely dawn for the company. Despite what happens, there is no escaping that it will happen. John Cena and Roman Reigns will battle, and only time will tell how WWE will continue to move the pieces in each man’s career.
Tom Clark can regularly be found on Sportskeeda. His podcast, Tom Clark’s Main Event, is available on iTunes, Google Play, Amazon Android, Windows Phone and online here