WWE Classic of the Week: John Cena vs. The Big Show from WrestleMania XX

On March 29, John Cena will set foot onto the WrestleMania stage for the 12th consecutive time as the undisputed face of World Wrestling Entertainment, its franchise player.

His opponent on that night will be Rusev, the undefeated Bulgarian Brute who has reigned as WWE United States champion since defeating Sheamus for the title this past October.

While some may question Cena competing for a title widely considered secondary—the prize for midcard stars settled nicely at that position on the card—it signifies a greater emphasis on a championship that the leader of the Cenation helped legitimize just over a decade ago.

WrestleMania XX marked the first time the U.S. title was defended at the Showcase of the Immortals, not to mention the inaugural appearance of Cena in an in-ring role at the event.

Big Show was the champion entering the March 14, 2004 show. A former heavyweight champion, he was by all accounts above the title. With that said, he helped add credibility to the championship. His name alone added legitimacy and importance to the championship, which WWE had brought out of mothballs in the summer of 2003.

For a young Cena to continue his climb up the ranks, the Doctor of Thuganomics would have to overcome the overwhelming strength, size and ferocity of a giant competitor determined to retain his championship.

The historic Madison Square Garden, home to some of the most significant matches of all time, was the setting for Cena's coronation as United States champion—some 11 years before he would battle another unstoppable force for the very same title.

Background

The Big Show's reign as United States champion began at the October 2003 No Mercy pay-per-view when he defeated Eddie Guerrero, ending the wildly popular Superstar's run with the strap.

While one would look at the numbers and assume the giant had a solid reign as champion, lasting nearly six months in length, the fact of the matter is that the World's Largest Athlete rarely defended the title.

In fact, throughout his entire reign, he defended only against Billy Gunn and Hardcore Holly, hardly two stars one would associate with lending credibility to a championship run.

Cena, on the other hand, established himself as a bright young star in the industry, gaining momentum and popularity as 2003 came to an end.

At the same No Mercy pay-per-view when Big Show captured the U.S. title, Cena battled Kurt Angle in a match that erased all suspicions about Cena's ability as a worker.

He hung in with Angle, arguably the best wrestler in the world, and delivered his finest performance to date.

He would go on to be one of the final six competitors in the Royal Rumble match in January, then fall just shy of winning a WWE Championship opportunity in a Triple Threat match against Angle and Show at No Way Out in February.

Clearly a surging star entering WrestleMania, Cena found himself programmed against the giant champion, who spent the first few months of the year being booked as the unconquerable monster he should have been all along—minus that time they battle-rapped.

The Match

The Analysis

Anyone questioning just how over Cena was during his days as the Doctor Thuganomics should look no further than this match, which kicked off WrestleMania XX. The challenger to Big Show's title exploded through the curtain to a raucous ovation and electrified the crowd with a pre-match rap.

The in-ring action itself was fairly nondescript. Big Show and Cena have never had much in the way of in-ring chemistry, regardless of what year or era they did battle in.

The champion controlled with his power-based offense, but Cena battled back—as one would expect—and delivered the FU.

However, Big Show kicked out in a nice spot that differentiated the contest from your typical SmackDown fare.

The spot also maintained the air of invincibility surrounding the giant, as did the fact that Cena needed to deceive the referee before delivering a big shot to the face with brass knuckles before executing another FU to pick up the win and his first championship in WWE.

One of the brilliant aspects of the match, and one that goes underappreciated when reliving it, is the fact that WWE Creative was not quick to label Cena as a generic babyface.

He still dipped into his bag of tricks and cheated to win, much in the same way he did prior to his turn months earlier. It was a nice tip of the hat to the idea that, though he was positioned on the good guy side of the roster, he still exhibited elements of a traditional villain.

Had he maintained that attribute, at least early in his main event run, fan acceptance of him as the top star in the industry may have been stronger than it was.

Big Show was clearly out of shape at this point and in desperate need of some time off. He would get it a few weeks later. With that said, he still managed to turn in an admirable performance given the condition he—and his injured back—was in.

The Aftermath

Cena would become one of the faces of the SmackDown brand and one of its most popular stars.

He was so beloved that Vince McMahon had no problem making the call to elevate him to the top spot on the roster, pushing him toward the WWE Championship and a date with the despised John Bradshaw Layfield at WrestleMania 21.

Cena would defeat Layfield in Los Angeles, beginning a decade-long run at the top of sports entertainment as the most visible star in McMahon's empire.

Big Show would serve as one of the more reliable veterans on the roster, moving freely from the main event to the midcard and filling whatever role management needed him in.

To this day, he is a name performer on a roster lacking big stars, making him valuable in the eyes of WWE Creative—even if he is a shell of his former self.