Hello readers! I’m delighted to have you once again checking out The People’s Column. Last week, I broke a personal record in readership and am happy to hopefully have more regular readers because of it. If you don’t already regularly check out my blog (itswilltime.wordpress.com) you are missing out on some mid-week and whenever a thought strikes me wrestling gems (which today includes some thoughts on John Morrison as a breakout star).
This week, the talk of the wrestling world is the actions of the NXT rookies at the end of Raw on Monday night. Perhaps that is because Monday’s Raw was a particularly awful edition of the show right up until that point. I think the more likely option is that this was an attack like something we had never seen before on Raw or anywhere in WWE.
One of the most unique aspects of this attack was the utter silence it took place in. How striking was it to not have to rely on the voices of commentators? This is not usually the way that WWE likes to tell their stories. Think of another storyline that has been so nicely accented by the lack of voice over.
The fact that the attack was on the face of WWE was also very interesting. John Cena is rarely beaten down on live television and even when he is, he never usually receives a sustained beating. Sure, Batista got the better of him occasionally, but he did not cause Cena to be stretchered out of arenas.
What does Cena do next though? Sure, the attack had to be on a big star to make an impact. Logically, Cena was the man that should be attacked, especially since he is the face of the company. But how does Cena get his revenge. John Cena is not a wrestler known for putting over his opponents in matches. Wrestlers up against him look good, but they do not shine. He also has not done a lot to make stars thus far in his career (by no fault of his own). Why do should anyone think that he will be willing to do so up against these rookies?
If Cena is not willing to put over any of the rookies (unless there are eight of them attacking), what can he do? Fans will not accept John Cena just standing idly by after he has been attacked. This assault was too memorable for him to do nothing about it next week. This angle is dependent on the performances of the eight rookies, but it may be more dependent on the performance of John Cena.
He is responsible for putting over the fact that these young superstars got the better of him. On top of that, he has to make them seem like legitimate threats. This is something that WWE failed at for most of the season on NXT and often fails at while debuting new talent. There must be some solution where John Cena can still look like the World Champion and a hero to the masses, while allowing these rookies to build strength.
After seeing the follow-up on NXT on Tuesday night, many believe that the rookies will be the enemies to the entire roster, not just Cena. Perhaps he will lead an anti-NXT movement on the main roster. Could I be possible that the rookies will build credibility by having to work their way up to Cena?
In this angle, it is just as important to allow John Cena to have some follow-up awesomeness as it is for the rookies. If they are to look credible, why were they losing in three minute matches two weeks ago to talent that is far below the level of John Cena?
This angle is all in the follow-up. The blockbuster beginning was a huge moment. WWE took a chance and made a huge noise (in silence), now they must hook viewers into staying to see what happens. I have not been this excited about a single angle on a show in a long time. Storylines can capture my imagination, but this angle has me more excited than just about anything I’ve seen in the last five years.
Could this be the moment that pulls WWE out of a Cena-driven autopilot? It may not go that far, but it could definitely go a long way towards bringing unpredictability back to Monday nights. Let me know what you think! Love for the angle has been universal, but let me know where you think it’s going and make sure to check out itswilltime.wordpress.com.
