John Cena vs. Brock Lesnar Is a Dead End After Previous Feud

John Cena is heading for a showdown with Randy Orton at Hell in a Cell on Sunday, October 26. The bout is just the latest in a rivalry that dates back to 2007, but this time the stakes are very high, as the winner will face Brock Lesnar.

While Lesnar's WWE World Heavyweight Championship looms large over this match, many fans are likely not very happy with the possibility of Cena emerging as the winner.

The fact is that Lesnar vs. Cena is a dead end after their previous feud.

In many ways, Cena and Lesnar's recent program was a much-needed, full-circle experience for fans. The reason for that dates back to 2012, when The Beast Incarnate surprised fans and returned after an eight-year absence.

It was on Raw that Lesnar shook Cena's hand and then delivered the F-5 to WWE's top guy. The moment was one that blew the roof off the building and put fans on notice that the man formerly known as The Next Big Thing was back and with a vengeance.

That confrontation ultimately led to Extreme Rules, where the two men faced off in the main event.

Despite the fact that Lesnar had all the momentum in the world going in, he was nevertheless defeated by Cena thanks to a last-second comeback.

Credit: WWE.com

The company's No. 1 talent managed to overcome the odds and survive once again. While the win did a lot for Cena, the truth is that many were left very perplexed and very disappointed. Why had WWE gone this route? Why build Lesnar up so high only to have him lose his first match back?

More importantly, why would he be allowed to dominate the entire match up to the very end only to then lose?

The easiest answer was the most obvious: Cena was supposed to look good in that rivalry. It was almost certainly done to once again reinforce the point that he could do anything and beat anyone. He was hot off the heels of losing against The Rock at WrestleMania that year, and defeating Lesnar was just the win to get him back on track.

However, many of the WWE faithful were left with a bad taste in their mouths because of it.

So when The Beast stood in the ring with Cena at SummerSlam of this year, the crowd waited to see what would happen next. And what would happen is still being talked about even now.

Credit: WWE.com

Lesnar destroyed Cena at SummerSlam. He wiped the mat with Cena and rolled over him like a car rolling over a speed bump. Basically, it was as if Cena was not even there. Lesnar appeared to be having fun and Cena appeared to be outgunned.

Night of Champions delivered somewhat of a different vibe, as Cena appeared to have been ready for Lesnar's attack. Cena did not carry the majority of the match, but that did not matter in the end because he seemed more than ready to slay The Beast once again and rebound from his SummerSlam loss.

Seth Rollins ruined the possibility of that happening when he interfered in the match, costing Cena the win and championship.

Some fans may look at all of that history and say that Cena should have one more match with Lesnar so that he may ultimately save face and come out as the clear winner. But the reality is that will just not be the match that fans are looking for.

And if that match were to take place, would any good from it? Are fans to believe that Cena suffered one of the biggest losses of his WWE career only to then come back and pin Lesnar, thus resetting history?

The truth is that while the company could likely make that scenario work and hype it as it does with every main event match it features, the fact is it's a dead issue. At this point, fans perhaps do not want to see Lesnar and Cena mix it up again because, honestly, there's no real reason for it to happen.

Lesnar completely mauled Cena at SummerSlam. When the closing bell rang, fans knew they had been witnesses to a very specific moment in WWE history.

August 17, 2014 will forever be the night that Cena was totally dominated in the ring. WWE's Superman looked all too human on that night, and fans are surely never going to forget it.

Assuming that Lesnar is healthy and focused upon entering a possible third match with Cena now, how could anyone believe him capable of losing at all?

Considering his performance at SummerSlam and Cena's inability to put him away at Night of Champions, there is every reason to believe that Lesnar would walk away with the win and the WWE World Heavyweight Championship.

Facing Cena is a dead end. Fans have seen this rivalry and know what's in store for them if it happens again.

If Lesnar faces Orton, however, then that is another story altogether. It would be a new rivalry with fresh angles and different possibilities. Fans could sink their teeth into that feud because it would be something they have never seen before.

That can certainly not be said of Cena versus Lesnar. That rivalry is old news and should stay that way.