WrestleMania 28: 5 Reasons We're Excited for the Rock vs. John Cena

The year-long wait is over. Tonight, John Cena will finally clash with The Rock in the main event of WrestleMania 28. 

After numerous promos, plenty of trash talk and an out-of-place tag team match at Survivor Series, it's time to put up or shut up.  

The recent build up to this feud has been interesting to say the least. Cena has an edge to him that many thought was long gone, and Rocky has cut a classic promo or two.

All eyes now turn towards Miami, and in preparation for tonight's main event, Bleacher Report has rounded up the top five reasons we're excited to see this match. Feel free to sound off in the comment section and share your thoughts on the match as well!

John Cena Faces the Challenge of a Lifetime

John Cena hasn't faced an opponent as imposing as The Rock in what feels like ages.  

Rocky is a legitimate WWE legend, a mainstream star and all-around bad dude. He's an iconic superstar from one of the greatest eras in professional wrestling.

The Rock is a tall order for any wrestler to face; John Cena is no exception.  

I expect Cena will rise to the occasion and put on an excellent match in the face of adversity in Miami, Rocky's hometown.

The Rock Looks to Expand His WWE Legacy

The Rock can already claim that he has defeated Steve Austin and Hulk Hogan at WrestleMania. That already puts Rock in a class of his own, but a victory over John Cena would be an incredible addition to his legacy.

Rocky has nothing left to prove, and he's certainly not hurting for money. This is about making history.

The self-promotion doesn't hurt either.

A win over John Cena would put The Rock's WrestleMania legacy right next to The Undertaker's Streak, something that all WWE superstars should aspire to achieve. 

12 Months of Hype Goes a Long Way

It's rare for the WWE to dedicate six months towards hyping a match, and a full year is unheard of.  

The awareness of the main event across the general population should be at the highest it has been for a WrestleMania in a very long time.  

Rocky's status as a movie star increases his reach beyond that of the typical WrestleMania main event participant. Whether or not this will have a significant impact remains to be seen; ratings haven't been too hot on Raw where not only The Rock appeared, but Undertaker, Shawn Michaels and Triple H as well. 

Ratings be damned, I'm ready to see this match happen after all this time, and I think "the millions" will agree.

Talk of Genuine Animosity Between Cena and Rock

Although the possibility of getting worked in anything and everything pro wrestling is the reality of the business, it seems that there is legitimate animosity between The Rock and John Cena.

While it may not be quite as venomous as classic wrestling feuds, such as the story of Shawn Michaels and Bret Hart, it's still an intriguing aspect of this WrestleMania main event. 

John Cena discussed the legit heat on Sports Illustrated's Hot Clicks Podcast. Wrestling Inc. has an excellent transcription of the key statements Cena made on the topic.

From the sound of it, Cena is disappointed in how Rock threw wrestling under the bus when he went Hollywood, and claims he would have done it differently.  

Cena is a professional, though, and kept all of his statements above the belt. If there's more to the heat than meets the eye, we may not know for quite some time.  

The Rock Returns to the Ring

Remember how incredible the Rock looked at Survivor Series when he teamed up with John Cena to take out The Miz and R-Truth? Now imagine that, but without the pointless match where he teams up with the guy he's supposed to hate.

It's a nice thought, right? Well, tonight, we get to see it happen. The Rock's first singles match in years.

For all the time he had off, he looked absolutely amazing at Survivor Series; he didn't miss a beat. I expect more of the same tonight at WrestleMania.  

Rock having the home-field advantage will make for an electric presentation, and I think The People's Champion will have a fittingly epic return to action.