JC’s Top Rope Report: What Does Rock-Cena 2 Do For You?

Columns, Top Story

While nothing is confirmed at all, and plans can always change due to a number of circumstances, the rumored working plan for the WWE is to have The Rock face John Cena at Wrestlemania 29. This time the match is suppose to be for the WWE Title. But as I usually like to say when it comes to most things WWE, I ask why this needs to happen. Mainly, I like to ask what exactly it does to spark more interest in the product and what it accomplishes for me as a fan.

Lets start with the main reason I hate having this match again: This is Wrestlemania. Very rarely do you have rematches at Wrestlemania. HBK-Taker is one exception where it happened and worked. But the rematch obviously had more at stake in it. And before you even think about, neither the Rock or John Cena are putting their careers on the line in this match. So you can cross that off. And besides, we all know when John Cena is forced to leave the WWE he just appears more often on TV then he did before. (see: John Cena-Nexus) But it’s the same reason I have a problem with the rumored Brock Lesnar-HHH rematch at Mania. I want to see new, big time match-ups at Wrestlemania. I don’t want to see the second or third match between two guys that have already fought in the Wrestlemania calendar year.

Another factor to look at is what exactly could be added to make this rematch feel more special than last year’s match. So the WWE Title is going to be added to the match? Big deal. At least to me, it doesn’t add anything to it. The feud/storyline between these two won’t change just because the WWE Title is involved. They will still throw the same jabs and insults at each other during the month long build. The build last year was nothing to write home about, so the WWE would really have to kick it up a notch to make this year feel bigger. And short of turning Rock or John Cena all out heel, I don’t think they can do anything to help.

The WWE has this idea in their head that having a rematch between these two will do the same amount of business that last year’s match did. When I think about that, I just don’t see it happening. You will almost definitely have an identical program compared to last year’s match, with the same build and insults. Except the WWE Title is involved this time. People that normally buy Wrestlemania or going to buy it no matter what. But if somebody who is on the fence sees the same main event that last year’s show had, with almost the same build, what would intrigue them to buy it this year? If you ask me, having two rematches as you top draws of Wrestlemania is risky business more than anything else. Yeah those matches may have popped a buy for their respective PPVs once, but you’re taking a risk if you think it will happen again. If the rumored card happens as is, I would be willing to bet that buyrates won’t be higher compared to last year’s Mania.

So we’ve gotten this far in the article, and I still don’t know what Rock-Cena 2 does for me. So the WWE Title is going to go back on John Cena? Great. I may be one of the biggest anti-Cena guys around, and even I don’t have a problem with it. Cena hasn’t held the WWE Title since October 2011. That’s more than a full year. If the WWE wants to put the Title back on Cena, there are better ways to do it. I’d much rather see Cena-Punk again than the Rock. Why? Because I know that Punk and Cena can add more layers to their feud than Cena could with Rock. Cena and Punk always put on a good match. And Cena has never beaten Punk in a WWE Title Match.

Cena-Rock 2 also now has to live in the shadow of the Rock-C.M. Punk Royal Rumble program. If their promo from this past Monday is any indication, these two are going to have one hell of a program. And why is that? Because Punk didn’t have and stupid and corny jokes like Cena did last year. Punk was a straight shooter and came back to every one of Rock’s jabs not with a 6th grade joke, but with confidence saying he knows he’s better than Rock and can beat him in the ring. Punk didn’t rip on Rock for his bad movies and part timer schedule like Cena did in EVERY promo. Punk-Rock was a match I wanted to happen at Wrestlemania. I knew the build could be worlds better than Rock-Cena, and they proved that after only one week. It is also a big time dream match that should happen at a show like Wrestlemania.

The more I sit here and write about this match and wonder why I’m so against it, the more I think it is because the WWE Title is involved. Not only is the match a rematch, but it takes away from what could be another big match with the WWE Title involved. I don’t think I would be as upset with Rock-Cena 2 if the WWE Title wasn’t involved. If The Rock and John Cena were fighting again with nothing but “pride” on the line and a chance for Cena to get his win back, then I would have no problem with it. The more I think about it, I would have no problem with Rock-Cena 2 this year not being for the Title, and then having Rock-Cena 3 next year FOR the WWE Title. A three match series concluding at Wrestlemania 30. There’s just something about the WWE Title being in the match this year that annoys me.

Maybe it’s because having this match just puts C.M. Punk on the back burner yet again. Punk has held the WWE Title for over 400 days now. Yes, he is having a big time match with The Rock at the Royal Rumble. But at Wrestlemania, he won’t have the Title. Sure he is rumored to have a match with The Undertaker. But with the year Punk has had, he deserves to be in the main event of Wrestlemania. But instead, he will probably be in the at best third match on the card behind the rematches of Cena-Rock and HHH-Lesnar. Punk has been WWE Champ for all of 2012 but only main evented three PPVs. There will be people who tell you that wins and losses don’t matter and just being in a match with Undertaker at Wrestlemania is a big enough deal in and of itself. But watch and I guarantee you that the match won’t get as much hype as HHH-Taker has the last two years.

So I’ve gotten this far and have done nothing but complain about the prospect of Rock-Cena 2. I really hope I can look back two months from now and realize this column was a waste because this match never happened. But I don’t think I will. Rock-Cena 2 does nothing for me.

What does it do for you?

Until Next Time,
Justin C
Follow Me On Twitter @JCWonka