WWE: Has John Cena Already Conquered the Rock and Rediscovered His Edge?

I never thought I would see it happen.

The Rock is one of the most charismatic superstars to ever pick up a mic, the man, who through all the many feuds, countless promos and entertaining exchanges with other workers, has never been touched.  No matter what side he was on or what role he played, he has never been outdone by anyone.

Until now.

As much as it surprises me and as much as it may pain some fans out there to admit it, the fact is, the Rock got served.

Are they still saying that, by the way?

For anyone who watched the February 27th edition of Monday Night Raw, we saw the Rock, in the middle of the ring, doing what he does best, entertaining the fans.

In the midst of his nearly seventeen minute promo in which he freely cursed and once again ripped on John Cena’s attire, it became very apparent that yes, Rocky was definitely in his element.

But when Cena’s music hit, the mood suddenly changed and by the time it was all said and done, we were no longer witnessing the Rock cutting one of his infamous promos. We were witnessing Dwayne Johnson attempting to recover from the one guy who was actually able to shut him up.

Still can’t believe I saw it.

Before I go any further, I will say that it’s not an easy prospect breaking down a pro wrestling segment, especially in WWE.  I believe we’re all aware of this and it’s a game that we have played so many times before, as we attempt to understand what we saw, separating fact from fiction.

Just when you think you have it figured out, you end up being wrong and feel as tough you have egg on your face because of it.

So, after watching this particular segment back again, I have to say that I believe this was John’s finest moment thus far in his verbal war against the Rock.  I also think that maybe, just maybe, Rocky didn’t know he was coming.

Cena had his time last week, once again calling into question the Rock’s loyalty to WWE and pointing out that once their Wrestlemania 28 showdown is over, he is likely heading back to Hollywood.

He said his peace.  He definitely made an impact.  Now, this week, was the Rock’s rebuttal.

I expected something fairly substantial, after all, Rock warned on Twitter last week that he was indeed going to bring it, that John “had no idea.”  Good.  Let’s get down and dirty.  Let’s make this thing interesting.

But, the more time went by during his Monday night rant, the more I began to see that he did not seem to be bringing much heat at all. Instead resorting to the same tricks he has used on Cena for a year now.

But, when I looked at the expression on his face as John’s music hit, there was one thing I did not see.

Expectation.

I for one, do not believe that Rock expected John to interrupt him. It seemed as though he was caught off guard by Cena’s appearance and the words that followed, including his assertion that Rock had written promo notes on his wrist.

Like President Obama when his teleprompter goes down, Rock went from being Mr. Confidence, the most self assured man in the room, to being a man who was searching for the words to say to keep the crowd hooked.

He looked lost and had to find a way to wrap up the segment that had already gone longer than it probably should have.

Here’s the thing.  It’s very hard for any of us to know if any of my own personal instincts on what we saw are true or if the entire scene unfolded exactly the way it was supposed to have been. Pro wrestling is a work after all, and even the most realistic moments have ended up being nothing more than just a thinly veiled illusion, to make us talk and speculate the next day. Perhaps that is the case here.

But, if that is indeed the truth, then the spot may have had an unexpected outcome. I feel Rock looked very weak at the end of his confrontation with Cena. He no longer looked like the legend he is, he suddenly looked like an unwelcome visitor in John Cena’s ring.

The fact is WWE, for all intents and purposes, is still John Cena’s company. Despite the fact that he is currently not wearing either of the big championships, he is still their man superstar, the guy that they continue to focus on week in and week out.  

And, though he is a professional, who understands how to do business, I can imagine him—and that goofy grin on his face backstage—as Rock is talking in the ring. I can also imagine him giving the nudge to someone near him behind the curtain, as he whispers, “let me go out there, make him earn it.”

I will be the first to admit that when WWE made the announcement last year of Rock vs. Cena at Wrestlemania 28, I thought the same thing that likely many other fans out there thought. It appeared as though this was an effort to knock Cena down a few levels, to make him look second best next to the guy that is the shiny jewel in Vince McMahon’s public media crown.

But the truth is Cena is not only holding his own. At this point, he has taken the lead.

Since the beginning of their heat, Rock has been viewed as the Attitude Era superstar, the foul-mouthed aggressor who was used to dominating in the ring and on the mic. Cena, on the other hand, was the same old boring superstar, whose routine had worn extremely thin with a good portion of the WWE crowd. He could not hang with Rocky and had not been in an edgy environment in which he had to out talk or outwit anyone.

But the John Cena that we’re seeing now is not the laid back John Cena who is accustomed to being at the top of the WWE heap. We’re seeing the superstar on the defensive, the man with nothing left to lose and a lot to prove.

His territory was being invaded by an outside predator and Cena had to reestablish himself as the Alpha male of the land.

Take that, Randy Orton.

I believe that John Cena has turned the corner in his feud with the Rock. Yes, he is still hated. Yes, the Rock is still loved.

But, if John is able to change one fan’s mind, just one, then perhaps more will follow.

Perhaps those who gave up on John’s Rated PG character long ago will see that once again, Cena has a creative fire lit under him and jump back on his bandwagon. This could be John’s defining moment, the one in which he proves why he deserves the top spot in the number one pro wrestling company in the world.

Or, I’m way off base, and this will all lead to a big fat nothing.

Either way, I’m having fun with this.  And, as a fan, isn’t that the point?