WWE Raw: Why Brock Lesnar's F5 to John Cena Was Brilliantly Predictable

As soon as Brock Lesnar’s entrance music blasted through American Airlines Arena on Monday Night Raw yesterday, every WWE fan watching knew the show would end with John Cena on the receiving end of an F5. It was as predictable as New Year’s Day, but more exciting than New Year’s Eve.

As soon as Lesnar began bouncing on the stage, the feeling that the first Raw after WrestleMania XXVIII would end poorly for Cena was palpable.

Riveting excitement and inevitability coursed through the Miami crowd as Lesnar circled the ring, stalking Cena like a bloodthirsty wolf.

Once Lesnar extended his hand, we all knew what was coming next. Surely, Cena would not fall for the old handshake trick. Hasn’t he ever watched wrestling before? Of course, he did fall for it. As a result, he then fell victim to Lesnar’s signature move. Somewhere, Paul Heyman felt validated.

The outcome of the show was not surprising, but it sure was fun.

Raw could have ended with a stand-off between the two icons and it would have been more shocking if Lesnar and Cena shook hands and walked up the ramp together arm-in-arm with smiles plastered on their faces. Instead, the show ended with exciting—albeit predictable—violence. It was perfect.

Lesnar’s assault on the face of the company is so intriguing because it leaves more unanswered questions than an old episode of Batman:

Why did Lesnar attack Cena?

Has he returned to retire him?

Is this the start of a series of attacks on WWE superstars reminiscent of Lesnar’s introduction to sports entertainment?

Did Lesnar take exception to Cena’s proclamation of The Rock as the greatest WWE superstar?

Why, Brock, why?

The WWE was right to give as few answers as possible last night. Although the end of Raw was as obvious as a romantic comedy, Lesnar’s return left enough unanswered questions to ensure all eyes will be on next week’s episode.

That is brilliant predictability.