I am now firmly of the view that the best way to inject excitement into the looming Undertaker-John Cena match at WrestleMania is for WWE to run with the return of the American Badass gimmick. It seems to me the most appropriate course of action given that Deadman Undertaker appeared to shed his character after the main event of last year’s WrestleMania, and doing the same thing every year does eventually run a little dry.
Undertaker is a legend in WWE but he should not become some sort of sacred cow figure, immune from criticism and the need to change. Returning to Mark Callaway-like Big Evil would feel fresh and exciting, especially for younger fans who were not watching the product in the early 2000s. Like when Kane returned with the mask in 2011, something old would be something new.
But a change of character is not the only tonic for a feud which so far lacks any real bite. There is now a real need for John Cena to improve upon his promos, which have been far too corny and far too smug for what feels like a very long time. Cena has spent a good chunk of his most recent feuds not taking opponents seriously, weaving unfunny jokes into segments and utilising facial expressions and body language in such a way that undermines the credibility of those he is facing.
It is hard to put a finger on where this started, but it has become pertinent certainly over the last three or four years. And as his back and forth segments with Baron Corbin and AJ Styles showed last year, the trouble is that it even happens when he interacts with more credible main event stars. The end result is that storylines are left emasculated. Take last week’s in-ring promo involving Kane as a useful contemporary example.
In character, John Cena is not supposed to respond as he does when Kane’s music hits. He is supposed to be guarded and concerned. Instead what we see is juvenile facial reactions and silly jaw-dropping. I don’t care if Kayfabe is on its last legs or if Kane is 50 years of age, this sort of reaction is one that a rookie would be slammed for backstage by more senior employees. Cena has no excuse for his childish delivery.
When Kane gets to the ring, things do not get better. Cena holds the mic to Kane’s chin and gawks at him in a manner so lacking in seriousness that it may as well have been put together for when the show went off air. This is not the way to build momentum for a match with Undertaker at WrestleMania. Cena needs to get serious if this run with Undertaker is going to mean anything, and throwing around baseless, confusing accusations of cowardice will not suffice.
The annoying part about all this is that we know Cena is capable of better. Go back and watch his jousting with The Rock and you will see how good he is when he is passionate. My favourite John Cena promo of all time came just before WrestleMania 28, and can be watched at the bottom of this post. We know he cares, we just aren’t seeing it. Cena has grown lazy and has stopped trying to sell, and in this his opponents have suffered.
What surprises me is why WWE doesn’t appear to have a problem with his antics being aimed at the Brothers of Destruction. Cena’s condescending demeanour, now at insufferable levels, is all well and good if it is saved for comedic skits. It has no place in serious, main event programs. And one would think, given his experience as a top level star, that Cena would know this. Because you can bet that Undertaker certainly does.
So if this is indeed Undertaker’s last hoorah, we ought to be watching something that feels special, not cobbled together at the last minute for the sake of giving two guys something to do. I think both men need to change their act if this storyline is going to produce an appropriate swansong for arguably the greatest of all time. They can do better and they should do better.
@OliverNorgrove