WWE: Will Brock Lesnar Ultimately Take John Cena's Spot at the Top?

How happy is John Cena right now?

On Sunday night, he worked the Rock in the main event of WrestleMania 28, a match that had been a year in the making.  It was billed as a "once in a lifetime" event, something special for the whole world to see.

And, the next night on Raw, he was standing dead center in the ring when former WWE and UFC Champion Brock Lesnar made his return to the company.

The guy is living the life, isn’t he?

All of the rumors and crazy speculation that had been brewing over the past several days have finally been substantiated, as the Next Big Thing is back, and is hungry for a fight, in WWE.

And, the guy waiting for him is Superman himself. Let’s be honest here, who else would Brock target upon his return to the house that McMahon built?

Santino Marella?  Zack Ryder?  The Great Khali?  All due respect to those guys, but when you have a monster talent like Brock, you put him in the ring with your top guy.  That’s just how it works.

Of course, Brock is the star that he is in the first place, thanks in large part to WWE.

I can remember when Brock left, and eventually began pursuing a career in UFC.  He was laughed at by many hardcore fighting fans.  After all, this guy was a pro wrestler.  A joke.  He wouldn’t be able to hang with the crazy intense fighters that made up the world of UFC.

But, despite his critics, Brock persevered, and rose to the top of Ultimate Fighting.  The guy overachieves; that’s sort of his thing.

However, had it not been for WWE, I believe that Brock would not have been given the opportunities that he had, or perhaps even given a second look, in UFC.

He was popular, he was already well-known, and he was used to performing on a worldwide stage. UFC saw a ready-made star, a guy who could sell tickets and bring the media attention with him.  
Lesnar did just that.

Now, he brings that attention back with him to the company that made him famous.  And, the first guy in his crosshairs is, of course, John Cena.

Again, John is undoubtedly pumped up about working with Brock again.  After all, they entered the company around the same time, and it was Brock that helped John begin to make his name in the first place.

But, the whispers among WWE fans have likely already begun.

Is John Cena being used merely to put the returning stars over?  The fact is, he did the job to Rocky at Mania, and he took the F5 the night after from Brock Lesnar.  Is there a trend developing here?

A big issue in the business is the way a worker’s position is perceived by the fans.  

Often times, it’s a fair assessment, but other times, it’s off the mark.  A great example of this is William Regal.

Regal is considered by and large to be one of the best wrestlers to ever step through the ropes.  He is technically sound, and able to have a good match with anyone at anytime.  

Regal has had many opportunities to shine over the years, and he has taken advantage of every one of them.  He is, without question, a great talent.

But, William has never been a top guy.  Period.  He has never won the WWE or World Titles, and he likely never will.  

Despite how often he was used, or in what capacity, at the end of the day, his presence usually ensured that someone else was going to look good, and ultimately get that shot, the he never got.

That’s how fans perceive the situation.  But, what is reality?

Is William Regal walking around with his head down, upset and bitter about the fact that he was not given a title run?  Does he look around the WWE locker room and see red, because he knows that he could legitimately pin two-thirds of the talent, yet he’s expected to play the fool for them?

That is the perception that many fans have.

Or, is Regal happy with the career that he’s had, and even happier to be working in the No. 1 pro wrestling company in the world?  

He is a professional, after all, very aware of how the business works and has seen many ups and downs in his time.  Are we to believe that he is eternally burdened by the fact that he never main-evented WrestleMania?

What about John Cena?  He has the world by throat, he is the No. 1 performer in WWE, the headliner, the guy that leads the company in every way.

Fans look at him and see success personified, a guy who came from nothing, and rose to the top of the business that he loves.  He is a proven commodity, and more importantly, he is, more often than not, the guy who consistently has his hand raised at the end of the match.

But, after years of being booed out of every building that WWE runs, and having his professionalism questioned by fans who want to see him fail, is John Cena’s reality changing?  

John has now put over a guy who is not even a full-time WWE performer anymore, and took the finisher of another guy who at one time was very public about his displeasure with WWE, the company who made him a star in the first place.

Common sense says that this is John Cena, the Superstar who has been criticized for not putting over other workers enough, that he never gives back to others, the way it was done for him.  Why not do the job to Rocky, and possibly Brock Lesnar?  That is a fair point, and one that is hard to argue.

But, again, it’s all in perception.  Fans see John losing to Rock, and now he becomes a piece of raw meat for the monster known as Brock Lesnar.  Is a message being sent by WWE, that while John is their guy, that he will only be in that position as long as they say so?  

Can it be taken away at any moment, because Vince McMahon demands he share the spotlight with returning Superstars who can help sell tickets and bring ratings?

Seems old Johnboy can’t catch a break.  He either lives the dream, and is criticized for it, or he does the job, and catches grief for that, too.  Such is the price paid for being the best in your chosen profession.  

But, no matter what the perception, John is likely smiling as we speak.