Last year, WWE built WrestleMania 28 around one match. This match being The Rock vs. John Cena, a
match fans had been clamouring for ever since Rock and Cena started a little
war of words way back in 2008. The
tagline for this match and for WrestleMania 28 was “Once in a Lifetime”. Those four words easily sold that match to
millions of fans both hardcore and casual alike. It emphasized the importance and the
significance of The Rock vs. John Cena.
That tagline made the match that much more special as it engraved in fans’
minds that Rock vs. John Cena will only happen once. No return match, no second chances. It made the stakes of the match that much
bigger as there was only one chance for either icon to leave Miami with a
victory over the other.
Here we are a year later and guess what is the main event of
WrestleMania 29? It is Rock vs. John
Cena II, but now with the WWE Championship on the line. I wonder who in WWE Creative thought of this gem. Did anybody at WWE remember how they built
the first Rock vs. John Cena match? Does
“Once in Lifetime” ring a bell? It must
have been one fast lifetime or WWE did not think that far ahead when they thought
of that tagline. I personally believe in
the latter, but that does not excuse WWE from their laziness. If there were plans to have John Cena and The
Rock fight again (and considering they signed Rock to work WrestleMania 29
about a year ago, there most likely were), it would have been easier to rethink
the tagline to “Match of the Decade” or “Two Eras Collide”. Having this rematch diminishes the importance
and significance of their first match in Miami and also their main event match
this year at WrestleMania. Everybody was
satisfied with the match we got last year.
Yes, it did not live up to the enormous unrealistic expectations that I
and many other wrestling fans put on it, but it was still one amazing
match. At no point in the last year did anybody
think to themselves that Rock vs. John Cena II at WrestleMania 29 was a great
idea. We were all basking in the glory
of CM Punk’s remarkable WWE Title reign and honestly I would love to see Punk
in the main event of WrestleMania 29 still holding the WWE Championship over
Rock vs. Cena yet again. WWE could have
put their three biggest stars in The Rock, John Cena and CM Punk in a Triple
Threat Match for the WWE Championship and it would be better than another
singles match between The Rock and John Cena.
It would be an excellent launching point for Punk’s heel persona over
feeding him to Undertaker and the Streak, but sadly that match would not make
as much money as Rock vs. Cena II definitely will. Money is what WrestleMania has come down to
now and drawing the most money has seriously trumped out providing quality
wrestling these last few years. Think
back ten years to WrestleMania XIX. That
WrestleMania is forever remembered as one of the best top-to-bottom wrestling
cards to ever take place on The Grandest Stage of Them All. Now think about WrestleMania 29. Will you be remembering it for the wrestling
or the onslaught of rematches that nobody wanted? The Rock vs. John Cena II will rake in the
money in hoards, but in five, ten, even twenty years WWE, will we remember it?
With the WWE Championship on the line and the lights on
bright, WWE you need to bring your A game come WrestleMania 29. If The Rock vs. John Cena II does not live up
to or even come close to the first match, there will be a lot of disappointed
and disgruntled wrestling fans that will not let you hear the end of it. You better put on the match we should have
gotten last year at WrestleMania because Rock vs. Cena II is your last
shot. You think people are upset with
Twice in a Lifetime, just watch how people get upset when you try and pull Three
Times in a Lifetime. I dare you.
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