WWE and John Cena: The Heel Turn and the Journey of Dancing with the Devil

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“Ultimately a hero is a man who would argue with the gods, and so awakens devils to contest his vision. The more a man can achieve, the more he may be certain that the devil will inhabit a part of his creation.”

                                                                 ~ Norman Mailer

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Prologue

If you happen to find yourself standing outside on a dark and cloudless night, a night where the stars outshine the moon, and the stars dance around the unknown darkness that lies directly above our heads, you might be able to see an amazing wonder that only few can see.

A star, brightest of them all, will reveal itself to those who believe; believe in its magic, history, and its passion.

A beautiful gateway that holds the key to unlocking a universe so rich and dense with magic, moments, history, and amusement that anyone who traverses the journey to its core will be filled with its warmth and be welcomed with open arms to its kingdom for forever. 

If you believe in such a universe all you have to do is look up...

If you should find yourself so lucky to be standing within the warm embrace of this universe you must cherish and appreciate the gift given to you.

For there are many things lurking within the shadows of its deep recesses.

An unknown evil, that few gaze upon, has been summoned from the depths of its hell to seek out those who neither appreciate, respect, nor understand the beauty and wonder of its vast lands.

But this demon has been given another agenda. He has been summoned to test those who might have lost their faith in the universe, its people, and belief in everything they felt it once contained.

If you should be so unlucky to find yourself staring into the cold, dark abyss of the demons eyes as the darkness and flames surround you, all you need to do is once again believe in all the wonder, fun, and magic in this universe. Remain true to what brought you to this glorious place in the beginning, and remain calm and steadfast as the devil advances...

...and look up to the brightest star in the sky and submit to its wonder.

 The Boy Who Dreamed

...There once was a boy who looked up.

A boy who one day dreamed of achieving greatness through the kingdom's hallowed battlegrounds. Where one day he could sit atop it's mountains highest peak and listen to it's people remember and praise him for his virtues, passion, and skills he would show as one of it's finest warriors of all time.

Where he could hear his name echo along side Hogan, Austin, Michaels, Rock, and the numerous others who sacrificed their bodies, spirits and minds in order to entertain the inhabitants of this universe.

A universe that was ruled by no rules, mortal men, and laws that govern our own universe; where warriors met each and every week as millions of the kingdoms inhabitants watch as these men engaged in battles to determine not only the kingdom's champions, but their place in the annals of history.

This boy, John Cena, was immediately welcomed with open arms to his new found home, and immediately began to carve his own path into its lore and history. He would become a champion within three years of his first gaze upon the brightest star, and would never look back.

His young and sometimes immature attitude towards those around him (known at the time as the Dr. of Thuganomics) during the early days of his journey were often met with scorn from both the universe and his fellow warriors. But the universe and its gods could see his passion and love for the universe ooze from his pores each and every week.

He was to be the chosen one. The one that would lead the kingdom into the future.

The boy who dreamed would quickly become the legend he had always hoped for. He would become the kingdoms pillars, foundation, and walls that those who ruled the lands would use to build the kingdom into what it has become today.

He had become the kingdom's champion numerous times, and had single-handedly ushered in a whole new generation of star-gazers who one day dreamed to be like their hero, their icon, and to follow the same journey of their beloved John Cena.

But something happened along Cena's journey that many predicted would eventually happen.

Those that ruled the kingdom from the safe, comfortable confines of their out of touch castle high above the people and the kingdom had faltered.

They had let the kingdom, its once vast supply of warriors, and legions of fans die and crumble. They had failed to seek a proper path and invest in the future.

The fate of the universe was then placed solely on the shoulders of the kingdom's now brightest star, Cena.

Cena would take this impossible task and continue to show up each and every week to not only entertain the millions still left, but to promote, through charity and respect, the dying product that many had left in the wake of the kingdom losing its "Attitude".

His passion, hustle, loyalty, and respect was unrivaled and he was rewarded, again, with numerous championships. He had become the sole, cracked foundation of an empire that needed to badly reinvent itself.

Cena, even though his hard work was honored, had slowly become part of the problem along the way.

And just like too much of anything can sour ones stomach, Cena had begun to sour the stomach of the people who once loved him. He had become the poster boy for an empire that had lost its way, and seemed to show little faith in its future.

Dissenters rose above the smoke and mirrors parade the kingdom presented to hide its flaws. The once whispers of those who grew tired of Cena and the complacency of the kingdom began to grow.

Cena now finds himself in the middle of a war. A war between the thousands still left in his corner, and the millions that now rage through the streets of the kingdom trying to burn down the last remaining pillar of a lost and despondent time.

But, those that rioted through the streets, upturning everything in their path, have uncovered an evil that many thought had been banished months before. An evil that would once again wreck its unholy monstrosities across the universe.

The devil was welcomed back by the people, who saw it as a prime opportunity to rid the universe of their once beloved, but now stale and loathed Cena.

The devil had come to play.    

As Cena's faith in the universe begins to waver, the devil has returned to test the valor, loyalty, and passion of John Cena. He has come to see whether the little boy, who once gazed upon the brightest star with only a dream, could be brought into the depths of hell along with him and turn his back on everything that got him to where he is today.

Or, would the boy surprise everyone and rise above the hate that now surrounded him.

Into the Flames of Hell...Alone

The sudden arrival of the devil, also known to the universe by the name Kane, was a surprise to the inhabitants of the universe. His new found anger and resentment towards Cena, who had now taken up the motto of "Rise Above Hate," was something that no one saw coming.

Cena, through the loud screams of his dissenters, as well as the advances made by the devil, had chosen to remain loyal to his faithful disciples and not give into the growing darkness around him.

If the devil wanted to dance, then Cena was ready to tango.

Cena, steadfast in his approach, would not allow himself, his hard work, and especially his younger generation of star-gazers to be influenced by those that reek of hate—the embodiment of everything that Cena does not stand for.

He has so far passed the tests the devil has thrown his way. And now, as more than half of the universe clamor for his downfall into the darkness, they grow more weary, uneasy, and impatient with each passing day. 

The devil, in an act of pure desperation, has now attempted to turn his sights on the ones Cena cares for the most. Kane has attempted to pull a close friend of Cena into hell in order to bait John.

While Cena was successful in retrieving his friend before this happened, it is a lesson that Cena most now quickly learn. 

There is no one that can help him, there is no one that he can bring into this battle to help. For they will only become casualties that will rest in the conscious of Cena.

There is only one option that Cena can take....

...He most confront the devil, Kane, head on, alone, but with this confrontation comes the army of an angry universe that wants nothing more than to see Cena turn on his disciples, and join the dark side. Their chants can be heard from the stadium rafters as Cena comes face to face with the demon Kane...

"Cena Sucks"... "Cena Sucks"...

Only the Beginning

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"It is better to conquer yourself than to win a thousand battles. Then the victory is yours. It cannot be taken from you, not by angels or by demons, heaven or hell."

                                     ~Buddha

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So, where does John Cena's journey take him next? The obvious, logical next step is towards a confrontation with Kane, but what if this is all just a test, and nothing more?

Does Kane resent Cena enough to fight him, or he is merely doing the devil's work and tempting Cena with the lore of the dark side?

Perhaps the devil, Kane, has come to test the resolve and virtues of Cena, and nothing more.

Would the universe allow Cena to stay along the path of enlightenment if he passes the devil's exam? Or, will the streets continue to be filled with bloodshed until the day Cena takes that fateful step into the abyss, never looks back, and leaves all of his disciples to follow the devil? 

With his path toward the showcase of immortals, WrestleMania, already beset before him, Cena must tread along this new found obstacle carefully.

With his epic encounter with the "people's champion" The Rock only months away, Cena must choose a side before that day comes upon us. Otherwise, the darkness that follows Cena might trip him before he completes his final step onto the mountains highest peak, where the echoes of the gods can be heard.

The mountain top that he dreamed of climbing as a little boy.

The final step? Perhaps it's defeating the Rock at the grandest stage of them all. Perhaps the final stage in his quest is to stand toe to toe with the devil and renounce his advances and remain loyal to what's left of his Cenation....

...Or, perhaps his final step towards the mountain top is to turn his back on his loyal followers, thus giving the universe what it wants, what it needs, and what it demands.

After all, for a man who takes pride in giving the people of the universe what it wants, would those that love him blame him for an act, that while perceived as selfish, might end up being the most unselfish act of all?          

And as Cena now becomes surrounded by the clouds of darkness and hate, he can only do the one thing he was taught to do as a young boy who once stared into the brightest star of them all.

Look up, and submit yourself to the wonder of the universe.