WWE 1000th Raw: The Celebration, the Rebellion & the Money in the Bank Collision

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“Don't wait for extraordinary opportunities. Seize common occasions and make them great. Weak men wait for opportunities; strong men make them.”

                                                     ~ Orison Swett Marden

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These two men. These warriors. These men who have always seized the moments and opportunities given to them as well as created their own. Leaders of their own individual agendas, loyal followers and holder of tools that each have the ability to drastically alter the landscape they both now share. One spotlight. One moment. One chance for one to seize the opportunity he's crafted for himself while the other one stands ready to defend everything that threatens his reign atop the WWE kingdom.

John Cena and CM Punk. These two catalysts of emotion, passion, heart, and dedication are now on the verge of colliding with one another again a year after the rebel leader, CM Punk, declared war on Cena and those that hide within the walls of the throne room.

Two men. Two polar opposites of what the other encompasses. While one stands as the poster child of the current WWE agenda; a beacon of strength, hustle, loyalty and respect. John Cena stands for everything positive that the younger generation of kingdom dwellers can rely on, relate and look up too. He is the pillar of hope, forever overcoming the relentless odds of struggle, sacrifice and the hatred that brews beneath the surface of the universe.

What better man to have capture the kingdoms richest prize during its most anticipated celebration.

The other man? The other one, who once sat on the highest mountain peak and screamed malicious malcontent towards those he claimed had poisoned the kingdom he had grown to love. His words igniting a revolution against the kingdom, Cena and everything Cena stood for. He is a cult hero, a myth, the tangible form of all those feelings we all feel when we as a group are oppressed, forgotten and dismissed. CM Punk, the voice of a long lost generation of fans who have been betrayed by and now have no voice amongst the kings who oversee the universe.

What better man to have retain the kingdom's richest prize during its most anticipated celebration.

And on the kingdom's one night only, most prestigious celebration those who inhabit the kingdom will ever see. These two men. This rebel Punk and John Cena will collide once again...

While there is no declaration of war, animosity or resentment this time around; there is an understanding that only one can prevail. Only one can survive this collision of stars. Only one can raise their hand holding the kingdom's most prized possession...

Forever changing the landscape, trails and paths we will all travel as we follow our heroes into the abyss of the unknown.  

CM Punk or: How We Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Pipebomb 

On the day CM Punk dropped the bomb that exploded the millions of heartfelt epithets of an underground society, CM Punk started a revolution. A revolution that would change the way we viewed the product, Cena and the entire WWE establishment. 

Before that night in Sin City, the WWE has a hollow, mundane, and boring universe that revolved around the star power of a man who was quickly becoming a polarizing icon amongst those who grew up in an unpredictable kingdom of chaos, ministries, corporations, clashing beers, raised eyebrows and crotch chops. Those who were always loyal. Those passionate, loud loyalists. Those word-of-mouth leaders who spread the cannon of the WWE universe throughout their individual social circles were slowly being betrayed by the kingdom's agenda that no longer included them. 

Gone were the days of overlapping plots, feuds, chaos and the gritty, grimy nature of the landscape that attracted the masses to the product. Replaced with the high definition shine of a "super" hero who peddled the "everyone wins"  positive message of our current society. A company, now publicly open to those with deep wallets, stopped placating to those that helped build the myth of the WWE and began to instead look at marketing, films and searching for positive press at every opportunity. 

They had become just like everything else in today's society: a company based on ratings, agendas and submitting to the almighty dollar. Selling their souls and the product's soul for the bottom line of the almighty dollar and the hopeful campaign. Standing at the fore front of this madness was John Cena. A lovable, goofy, often over the top "super" hero, that while extending an olive branch to an important family demographic, was sticking the pointy tip of a spear into the hearts of those who no longer recognized a product they fell in love with.

The worry amongst the anxious faction of forgotten fans, which had started as a whisper, had now boiled out over the pot, crashed into the inferno at the depths of the universe and erupted from the mouth of CM Punk that fateful night in Las Vegas.

The pipebomb. The beginning of a new era throughout the land had begun. The pipebomb that caused a seismic shift beneath the freshly mowed grass of the pristine and clean-cut landscape where children laughed and played freely had unearthed something that many thought would never be found...

The kryptonite to the "super" hero that plagued the minds and soul of the betrayed. CM Punk became the anti-hero who would save not only those that joined his rebellion,  but would save the kingdom from its monotonous, boring, uncreative orbit around its brightest and most distinguished star. 

And while those that sit within the throne room of the kingdom have done everything in their ability to extinguish the fire caused by the bomb; CM Punk remains its champion, but not its face. Those who still yell allegiance to Punk and his now defunct rebellion remember the words of their leader and go marching with him towards the bright colorful lights of Raw 1000.  

And as the kingdom prepares for its greatest accomplishment and celebration as it nears its landmark 1000th episode of its wildly popular Monday night event; the whispers, screams and cry from a year ago can be once again heard as CM Punk readies himself for another clash with Cena and a kingdom that betrayed his loyal followers.

John Cena and How The Dark Knight Rises

For those that sat idly by and watched as fellow friends and family members flocked towards the bright, hypnotic inferno of Punk's rebellion. Those that elected to stay with the comfortable confines of Cenation have their own thoughts and illusions of a perfect WWE kingdom.

They see the positive message, positive vibes, fun, hard-working, steadfast and loyal approach that John Cena brings to the WWE. They roll their eyes and laugh along with their hero at the disillusioned thoughts and prayers of those that joined a rebellion out of manipulation, a human need to follow popular trends and as a way to unleash their anger towards a company that lost its focus and direction by pointing the finger at a man who has done nothing but help and save the kingdom in its depression era.

This larger-than-life super hero. This dedicated, loyal believer that has given his life, body and soul to a kingdom he believes can be saved not by rebellion and bombs, but by giving into the fun, passion and joy of a light-hearted approach has become public enemy number one to those that carry the whispers of rebellion.

Is it John Cena's fault, or the thoughts an ideas of the kings that control the universe for the path and image John Cena has been placed in? Perhaps not even Punk himself places blame at the feet of John Cena, but his followers, who joined the rebellion, have sought out the destruction of Cena since day one.

And as Cenation rejoices in the images of their folk hero winning "The Money in the Bank" challenge. A challenge that sees the winner climb the ladder of opportunity and retrieve the key to the door that unlocks the chance at immortality. They rejoice in the images of Cena, in the only way John knows how to, challenging Punk to a fair contest for his championship instead of taking the road many before him did and "stealing" the gold away from an unaware champion.

And while the children dance in the streets waiving banners of their hero, while the women prepare the glorious celebration feast, and while the men (those that proudly remained loyal throughout the sudden shift in the landscape) dawn their green colors and build a new throne for their legends return home...

They all hear the familiar sounds of footsteps and whispers in the distance. The same sounds they heard almost exactly a year ago. Just like their leader and hero they remain patient, loyal and respectful of the impending war coming their way.  They will be ready and so will Cena...

John Cena. This white knight of the WWE. A man who has given everything to the universe only to be labeled a disease, a cancer and the epitome of everything wrong within the WWE. A man who once held the pillars of the WWE alone without allowing his ego to become what many before him (in the same spot) had become. A man who has taken the fall for the kingdom's crimes now once again has the opportunity to once again take what many believe is rightfully his...The WWE championship. 

And as the echos of rebellion flow over the horizon, John Cena stands ready to right all the wrongs Cenation felt a year ago, and rise above the impending explosion of noise and hate that will be heard when this mis-labeled criminal collides with the universe's newly equipped kryptonite.

And with the impending explosion might come a re-birth for the universe. Out of the ashes of war might come a new day for the struggling product, a new fascination that might once again all of those that left the kingdom when they felt betrayed.

At the company's greatest celebration the universe has ever seen, the WWE has set the platform for the rebellion and Cenation collision. While the outcome on this night might be a prelude to a bigger battle; It's clear that the fuse has been lit for an explosive war between these two loyal camps of followers. 

And just like with any good story built on the words: war, rebellion, loyalty and madness; comes another word that either side might not see coming... betrayal. Perhaps in order to win this war amongst gods and legends one man might have to turn his back on everything and everyone in order to not only become WWE champion, but win this epic war against the others mortal enemy. 

And now the kingdom turns its attention to July 23. The night the universe celebrates itself and its hard-working run as the best in the industry. It turns its attention to the night where everything will change.. 

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"You either die a hero, or live long enough to see yourself become the villain"

                                                               ~ Harvey Dent

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