John Cena & Kane: Anatomy of How the WWE Creative Team Got It Right

It's no secret that the WWE Universe tend to be overly critical of the WWE creative team. We constantly scrutinize the mundane storylines and boring script. But the angle between John Cena and Kane is one thing that the WWE team got right.

The anti-Cena crowd covers a wide spectrum of fans. Most of them either hate Cena or believe his character needs to change. When Kane was rumored to be returning soon, the same thought that he needed a change.

Kane came back and immediately made his presence felt after going after the poster boy of the WWE. After weeks of mind games and indirect attacks, the two will finally meet each other in the ring.

The match itself likely won't be anything spectacular, but it's not the end result we should be encouraged about; it's the journey.

Kane's Promos Were Done Perfectly

When the videos began to surface on WWE programming for Kane's return, they were short but sweet. The few images we saw of Kane suggested we were finally getting the "old Kane" that we wanted to see.

There's been an argument for a long time that Kane's character became weaker after losing the mask, but it was necessary at that point in time. Just as he needed to lose the mask then, Kane needed to return with the mask now.

The videos were simple enough that we understood what was going to happen but yet still vague enough to leave room for us to wonder who the "Big Red Machine" would be coming after in his return.

It was a nice contrast to the quite confusing "It Ends" videos that were going on during the same time.

John Cena: The Perfect Target

It doesn't take a brain surgeon to figure out this could Kane's "last hurrah" in the WWE. Instead of doing the simple angle of him coming for revenge on Mark Henry, the WWE had him take on the ultimate good guy in John Cena.

Sure, a feud with Henry would've made more sense, but why promote Kane in such a way for a feud that would last one, maybe two months tops? If this is the last time around we see Kane in a ring, I'm glad it's against a top superstar in the company.

Going against Cena not only puts Kane over in the easiest way, it also sets up the ultimate hero vs. the ultimate villain. Sure, it's a time-tested formula, but it has never failed.

Kane's Promo Was Simple, Yet Sophisticated

When Kane explained his actions, fans were expecting the typical "I'm a monster. You're my victim" type of speech from him.

Instead, what we got was a pretty well-written (or excellent if that was all off the top of his head) promo from Kane. In essence, Kane basically said he was going to make John Cena embrace hate instead of rising above it.

But instead of making this a simple statement, Kane was able to turn it into a near 10-minute monologue on national television. Not an easy task to do without boring the audience (which he didn't).

Listen to how many times the word "hate" is mentioned during Kane's speech. What may be misconstrued as a poor choice of words is likely a subliminal message of sorts for Cena and the fans.

By hearing hate so many times in a matter of minutes, the word becomes etched into our brains. It's one of the many ways advertisers sell their products (just listen to an ad on the radio and see how repetitive they are with key words) and is a great tool for setting up what this whole angle is about: hate.

John Cena Finds the Edge

For quite a long time, fans have been wanting John Cena to get an edge. His character was a throwback to the 1980s- and early 1990s-style of the bland, "drink your milk and eat your vegetables" kind of good guy.

By Kane attempting to get Cena to embrace his hate, we've seen Cena finally show that edge. It started with his attack on Jack Swagger after Swagger defeated his buddy, Zack Ryder. Next, it was his "mean face" on Raw.

No matter how fake or faced Cena's facial expression was, it's clear that he's reaching his boiling point. He's finally finding an edge and still at the same time, maintaining his hero/face persona.

Zack Ryder and Eve: The Essence of Innocence

One of the things I've been critical of with the WWE in the past is the redundancy of matches between people in a feud. I'm glad they've chosen to avoid a direct John Cena-Kane confrontation thus far.

By not seeing the two men engage each other, it actually creates more interest in the match than by giving us small previews each week (like tag-team matches).

With Kane attacking Zack Ryder and looking like was going after Eve, it allowed Kane to attack Cena indirectly. Together, Ryder and Eve are the walking personifications of innocence. Ryder is always full of jokes and has that smile on his face like a 12-year-old kid.

Taking out Ryder showed that Kane's hate is greater than power of innocence. He gave Cena a visual representation of what Cena could be if he used his physical strength along with his emotional (hatred) strength.

WWE's Hollywood Writers Have Been Taking Notes

The WWE employs some writers from a Hollywood background and this is one angle where they've seem to have taken notes.

In the film The Dark Knight Rises, Harvey Dent is the ultimate good guy. He's wheelin' and dealin' in the courtroom, putting away dozens of criminals. To the city of Gotham, he's the shining ray of light in a city of darkness.

After a horrific accident, Dent becomes twisted and evil. At the end of the film (spoilers?) Batman and Lt. Gordon decide to hide Dent's evil side. They maintain the appearance that the incorruptible resisted The Joker's temptation.

This same scenario is playing out in the WWE as John Cena is perceived as incorruptible. Kane's attempts to make Cena embrace the hate will test Cena's limits.

It's a similar story with different characters, but if it works on the big screen, why wouldn't it work on the small one?

The Feud Solved the 'Zack Ryder Problem'

Although Zack Ryder is a fan favorite, it's clear that he simply wasn't ready for the big stage. It's not his fault—like many superstars in the WWE, he was simply rushed too soon.

The WWE couldn't just "write out" Ryder or remove him from television. They've done a great job of building him up the past few months, but it's obvious Ryder needed more time to develop his character and wrestling.

By having his "back injury," it gives Ryder the time he needs to get a little more seasoned. I believe he can get the whole "Woo Woo Woo" gimmick to work and it's a nice change from the normal gimmicks we see (like "The Funkasaurus").

When he returns, he can go after Kane or even John Cena. Both feuds would help Ryder get over with the fans and give him a storyline against respectable adversaries.

It Keeps John Cena Involved Without the Title

Remember the TLC PPV? Notice anything different about the lineup? John Cena wasn't scheduled to wrestle. It was nice to see a main event on a PPV that didn't involve Cena and he probably liked the break from the limelight.

Eventually the WWE will need to shift Cena's focus to The Rock and WrestleMania, but the angle with Kane will keep Cena busy for the time being. The WWE can ill afford their top draw to simply be inactive until The Rock returns and Cena really doesn't need to be involved in the world title picture.

The "Embrace the Hate" angle will keep Cena on the PPVs, which means revenue to the WWE and also keeps their top draw in the public eye.

Patience Is a Virtue

Remember when CM Punk ran out with the WWE title only to return in a matter of weeks? Or the company-wide lockout/walkout on Triple H that lasted all of a week?

Those are just two of the storylines that could've been great had the WWE let them play out over time.

The John Cena-Kane feud has had minor developments each week which have led us to what the WWE really wants: The fans to buy the PPV.

This feud has been paced fairly well thus far. Let's hope the WWE creative team has learned their lessons from 2011 where some feuds felt rushed and undeveloped. The rivalries don't need to last months and multiple PPVs, but surely a major angle should last longer than a week.

Will the Incorruptable Become Corrupted?

The big question with this feud is where does John Cena go from this? Will Kane be successful in his attempt to make Cena embrace the hate?

Or will Cena rise above the hate and overcome all the odds like he tends to do?

The odds are that Cena will retain some of this "edgyness" that he's shown in the past weeks and remain a face. I fail to see how turning Cena heel helps the company. They're successful enough with Cena as a face and his appeal with kids (WWE's main demographic these days) will keep him as the top good guy.

By using his hatred of Kane, Cena will be able to add some new characteristics to his gimmick and still be the "SuperCena" that fans love/love to hate.