Dean Ambrose Does Not Need a Victory over John Cena at Hell in a Cell

It’s happening again. John Cena is set to go one-on-one with the Internet’s No. 1 babyface. Always the pessimistic bunch, the Internet Wrestling Community is biting its collective nails:

"@WWE @JohnCena @TheDeanAmbrose well hopefully cena dosent bury Ambrose
— cult of personality (@drewbe10) October 8, 2014"

"@WWE @JohnCena has found another person people like more than him - @TheDeanAmbrose, thus time to Bury him like others prior. #usual
— P H (@projecthalo) October 8, 2014"

"Hell In A Cell is going to be an awful PPV, John Cena's going to bury both Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose in the... http://t.co/uw1N1AF0lA
— Cena Sucks (@CenaSuxx) October 7, 2014"

"Okay I'm gettin to the point where I wanna see Dean Ambrose just slap the taste outta John Cena's and I pray to God that he doesnt bury Dean
— Tyler Sanders (@DeanAmbroseLF) October 6, 2014"

To assume that Cena is primed to bury Ambrose is to actively ignore his history in these scenarios. WWE's next Cena DVD could be dedicated to him putting over underdog fan favorites in big matches, yet he still faces criticism from their vocal supporters.

He's trolled if he does and trolled if he doesn't. If the IWC were the Tea Party, Cena would be President Obama.

Cena’s generosity toward cult heroes dates back to 2006, when he lay down for counter-culture flag-bearer Rob Van Dam during ECW’s One Night Stand pay-per-view. This, mind you, happened inside the 2,200-seat Hammerstein Ballroom. After that job in hostile territory, Cena didn't have to prove his unselfishness for the rest of his career. Nevertheless, he made a career out of proving his unselfishness.

Money in the Bank in 2011 saw the unlikely coronation of CM Punk, who at the time was the apple of the Internet’s eye. Punk defeated Cena in the main event despite reports that the pay-per-view would be his final date with the promotion. The events that led to Punk’s win created WWE’s best angle in years, happy ending and all.

The following year, Dolph Ziggler had unofficially assumed the mantle as the fan favorite. Ziggler was in the midst of a run as a Money in the Bank (MITB) winner. Given the success rate of MITB cash-ins, Ziggler represented the most tangible form of avant garde hope WWE had to offer. Ziggler’s peak year was capped off with a win over Cena in a Ladder match at TLC inside the Barclay’s Center, which has pretty much supplanted Madison Square Garden as WWE’s new “it” venue.

At SummerSlam 2013, it was Daniel Bryan’s turn. Cena lost clean to the former ROH standout and underdog world traveler in the main event. Following a string of bad luck with WWE Championship reigns for Bryan, Cena made it a point to acknowledge Bryan’s right to a rematch while he reigned as champion.

There's almost an algorithmic pattern to Cena putting over wrestlers who become the flavor of the month. If ever there were an IWC wing in the WWE Hall of Fame, not only would Cena be its first inductee, but it would be named in his honor.

All he does is lose.

Now, Cena’s upcoming showdown against Ambrose is being made out to be some make-or-break opportunity for the rising star. But if Cena beats Ambrose, not only is it long overdue, but it wouldn’t be nearly as damaging to the upstart lunatic as many fans are making it out to be.

Ambrose vs. Seth Rollins has been WWE’s best feud for months, with no signs of slowing down. If Cena beats Ambrose, it would result in an extension of that feud. Ambrose would once again find himself yearning to get his hands on Rollins, which has been the basic premise of this rivalry. That could lead to an entertaining attempt to break into the cell during the main event.

Unfortunately, few would take note of the positive storyline implications in the event of an Ambrose loss. Twitter would once again serve its purpose of funneling angry, misdirected outrage.

It doesn't help that the aforementioned cult favorites who beat Cena eventually flamed out in one way or another, rendering Cena’s otherwise noble acts dismissible.

Rob Van Dam was arrested and charged with drug-related offenses (per Pat McNeill of the Pro Wrestling Torch) shortly after defeating Cena for the WWE Championship.

CM Punk quit just three years after his biggest career victory, which was over Cena. One year after Bryan's major win over Cena, he suffered a neck injury that has put him out of action to this day. And Dolph Ziggler suffered a concussion just months after beating Cena at WWE TLC, causing his eventual run as world heavyweight champion to be cut short.

Of course, none of these unfortunate events were Cena’s fault. This has more to do with an apparent curse of Internet darlings than it does Cena. Just don’t tell that to Twitter.

But given that track record, it appears as if Ambrose beating Cena—not the other way around—would result in his burial.


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