John Cena and Roman Reigns Will Shake Off Rough Start to Have All-Time Feud

John Cena and Roman Reigns teased their long-awaited dream match Monday night at Barclays Center, and in front of a raucous crowd, they showed the world what it would have been like if the Mega Powers ever turned heel. 

The staredown between the biggest stars of this generation and last, the type of moment that made time stand still when The Rock and Hulk Hogan locked eyes at WrestleMania X8, was instead received with loud boos and chants of "you both suck!"

And while this wasn't the reaction WWE was going for given it would be such a blockbuster matchup, it fit the ethos of the climate perfectly. 

Cena and Reigns each came into prominence during the information age, an age when the United States' addiction to social media has given way to sustained negativity and cynicism that creates polarizing stars out of just about everyone. Name the one public figure in today's world nobody hates.

Time's up. The answer was Tom Hanks.

These days, fans just know too much. Or at least they think they do. Ubiquitous speculation about "backstage plans" creates perceptions of haves and have-nots that has forged a contingent of vocal wrestling fans keen to voice their opinions at live events. 

Cena and Reigns are not unique cases when it comes to polarizing major stars. It's evident in every sport.

In Major League Baseball, stars like Bryce Harper and Yasiel Puig are electrifying to some in the way they approach baseball with a new-age energy. To others, they are disrespectful and not "playing the game the right way."

In the NBA, LeBron James' greatness stands on its own to some. To others, he's a ring-chasing prima donna who will never be able to atone for The Decision.

In the NFL, Tom Brady and all five of his Super Bowls, is the greatest quarterback of all time to some. To others, he's a dirty, rotten cheater, as evidenced by the loud boos he received prior to Super Bowl 50. 

With endless information about public figures available in the era of surveillance, everybody is a bad guy to somebody. The bigger the star, the bigger the hate. More money, more problems.

So when John Cena and Roman Reigns went face-to-face, it's no wonder their detractors seemed to double in that moment. It's like they instinctively put their differences aside to boo the two millionaires who didn't go through New Japan Pro Wrestling to make it.

This was the perfect start to a feud of this magnitude—one that captures the spirit of two equally salty generations. WWE's two most polarizing stars in history were booed to smithereens. But both men, who have been able to reach the highest of highs in WWE despite these reactions, are talented enough to overcome Night 1 of what should be an all-time feud.

There is so much in play, both in real life and storyline, that each star can use against the other. The standard new guard vs. old guard narrative seems docile compared to the type of mud these two could sling against one another. Sure this feud started out with both men being booed, but this bloodthirsty contingent is just looking to focus all of its energy on one pariah.

It will be up to Cena and Reigns to use verbal gymnastics to prove who the real villain is. Is it the part-time top star who is known to laugh off serious moments, as The Miz pointed out? Or is it the seemingly miscast bona fide star whose heel heat seems to be the product of WWE's undying faith in him?

This is a rare story of who deserves to be booed more. It's not perfect, but nothing is in a world that's more divided than ever. Intentional or not, the stage has been set for one of the most memorable in-ring matches in WWE history.

Alfred Konuwa is a Featured Columnist and on-air host for Bleacher Report and Forbes. Like him on Facebook.