Kane vs. John Cena: It Was Always About Zack Ryder

It isn't easy being the hero; it isn't always a glamorous job.

The hero has to stand tall and fight the good fight. The hero can never falter in his battle against evil. The hero is a symbol of all our hopes and dreams.

Sometimes the hero has to endure personal pain and struggle but they understand that this is part of the job. Sacrifices are made all the time; some come at the ultimate price.

Just ask John Cena.

For quite some time, Cena has had to take a walk on the dark side in his latest feud with Kane.

Kane, always great at playing mind games, has taken tremendous pride in trying to destroy everything that makes Cena the hero.

Cena is a man, prone to the same vulnerabilities that we all are. Fighting the good fight has taken a toll on him both physically and emotionally, whether or not he wants to admit to this.

Cena doesn't enjoy the luxury of a CM Punk or a Randy Orton, men who are respected and welcomed with adulation. Instead week after week, Cena is continually crapped on by the fans for too many reasons to go into here.

Despite the epic battles against some of the biggest stars in the company, we have never seen weakness on Cena's part. Like a machine, he has never let emotion get in the way. He has always gotten the job done.

Enter both Kane and Zack Ryder.

Ryder has become the Robin to Cena's Batman. The little buddy, the sidekick who Cena cares about. The only friend Cena has. The weak link in the chain; an actual weakness for Kane to sink his teeth into.

Kane is by no means stupid. How else do you wage warfare on someone who seems damn near super human? By getting to the heart of the matter and getting personal. Attacking Ryder was personal.

Kane is willing to do whatever it takes to push Cena over the edge.

Embracing the hate is certainly a path to the dark side, but doesn't necessarily mean that Cena will become a heel. It means that good and evil will never be just black and white; there are too many shades of gray which is par for the course.

Normally Cena would walk away from this feud stronger because he survived and move on to the next war or at least pursue another title. However, with this in mind, Kane wants Cena to have something to remember him by, an emotional scar that may never heal. The loss of someone who got caught in the crossfire of this bizarre feud.

It makes sense for Kane to target Ryder. Ryder is a John Cena waiting to happen.

With his colorful attire and vibrant attitude, Ryder has developed a fan following that is huge.

He has become everything that symbolizes the PG Era. Under the right circumstances, Ryder could experience Cena-like success.

Not if Kane can help it. 

Ryder may now be on the path to the dark side himself. It wasn't just what happened with Eve on Raw, it's been other things.

Ryder has had to work his ass off the last couple of years and he still lives in Cena's shadow.

He isn't treated as an equal; he continues to take a back seat to Cena and his accomplishments. He is close to becoming a clown act and he knows it.

Throw in the savage attacks by Kane to the equation and you have someone waiting to snap.

The seeds have been planted for a long time. They were just waiting to grow and be cultivated by the Devil's favorite demon.

Kane can't have Cena, but he will certainly settle for Ryder. That was the plan all along.

Attack Cena through Ryder, leaving both men with memories they will never forget after it's said and done.

Kane already owns Ryder's soul. Ryder just doesn't know it yet. And Cena actually suffers a real loss.