If last night’s Summer Slam proved anything, it was that WWE is in attempts to at minimal, have John Cena tie one of the greatest wrestling icons in history, in Ric Flair. The title of this piece speaks for itself in regards to statistics. Not one I agree with, and if it caught your attention in a “no way” aspect, I am afraid I’ve got some bad news……
All sports, all from professional to sport entertainment, one’s history and one’s career are defined by numbers. Either it’s the amount of championship rings one has, or to combat sports, titles one.
For those that are not up to date on statistics, Ric Flair is a 16 time champion throughout the duration of his historic career. This is a number that has not been touched or even close to being touched. Several superstars have hit double digits, but none were close to surpassing Flair’s historic number…until last night.
John Cena is a 15 time world champion. Yes, this is one away from the historic 16 of Flair. Last night, John Cen was man-handled by Brock Lesnar. This was done by a total of 16 suplexes, 2 furious spurts of ground and pound fists to Cena’s face, and 2 of his infamous F5 finishers, including one that was 32 seconds into the match. It was pure dominance from the start. One thing that I thought I wanted. John Cena no doubt is a great person. What little free time WWE stars have, he spends either promoting the company or granted Make-A-Wish kids requests. But as a wrestling fan, I am one who loves his demise. Some people love the villain in a movie, and with the hero persona that John continues to carry, some people love to watch the company spokesman burn.
As the match was complete, I absorbed what I watched. The story line was one of the most hyped matches in the past 5 years. The match itself was beyond the physical spectrum a WWE fan normally encounters. The commentary was flawless by expressing how disturbed they were at the physicality being put on John Cena. In conclusion, Lesnar stood victorious, removing Cena from a title reign.
Here’s my beef…
At minimal, John Cena will be around for 3-4 more years. Personally, I see him competing for about another 10, especially if his movie career doesn’t take off. Do people really think that John Cena will go 3 or 4, or 10 years without at least one title reign? Or two? Or Three? I don’t, I see Cena carrying the title a few more times.
Simple math highlights my aggravation. With one more title reign, Cena will tie the legend of Flair. 2 + will surpass his decades old record. Now I know Cena is the front man of the company, but how many front men has the WWE had since Flair? Icons such as Triple H (a worshiper of Flair and future co-owner of the company I may add), Stone Cold Steve Austin, Hulk Hogan, The Rock, all household names to the diehard fan, and even the non-follower. Why is John Cena THE GUY to surpass such legend? Personally, I feel any of the stars I just mentioned are more suitable, and yet never pursued or came close. Yes Cena is good for the company, but he’s not good for wrestling. His hero persona is stale, the fans turn on him daily, the move list is subpar, and his promo skills are 50/50.
I am a huge wrestling fan. Yes, I know its entertainment. I know its pre-determined, but so are 80% of reality shows, and yet the rating are forever growing on those things. People watch for the entertainment of it, and WWE is sports entertainment. My point is this. I understand records are meant to be broken. BUT, with the outcomes predetermined, there are records that can easily be avoided. This is one, one I feel that should never be trumped. Flair paved the way for Cena and the other stars of past and present. 16 titles should never be past, especially by the likes of John Cena. However, the future is imminent in regards to Cena tying or breaking such record. Once it happens I can assure you, I am not the only one who will be upset over their decision.