WWE Survivor Series: Showing Appreciation for John Cena

He called it down the middle, if anything, he seemed to favor Orton. 

There was John Cena, with his chance to get out of Nexus and not lose his career, but he couldn't do it. 

Thankfully, this means that Randy Orton is still WWE Champion, something that hopefully continues at least until Royal Rumble.

Unfortunately, to some, this means that Wade Barrett will not be WWE Champion—well, not yet at least.

And I'm still wondering where The Miz was. The longer he holds on to that brief case, the less serious I tend to take him.

But this night belonged not to Orton, Barrett, The Miz (who delivered one of the best promos I've heard him give, even if it turns him face in Boston, Los Angeles, Cleveland and the rest of the country) or anyone else.

It was John Cena's night. What direction was he going to go?

He gave us the answer: John Cena is a man of integrity, even if it cost him his career.

I know a lot of people probably don't like this direction; however, it makes total sense.

Cena is not only supposed to be Superman, but also as perfect a person you could have, one who always does the right thing, even if it hurts him in the end. The ending to Survivor Series only amplifies that. 

In case you're wondering, this means Cena won't be turning heel anytime soon, unless they decide to make him a self-righteous, holier-than-thou heel, which I don't think they could successfully pull off with Cena because he comes off more as an everyman type who just happens to always do the right thing but at times is conflicted about it.

Besides, they already have CM Punk for the self-righteous holier-than-thou heel, and they're not even using him on Raw.

But what I appreciate is how Cena sold it. You know he's not really fired, I know he's not really fired, betting that Cena will be back at the very least in time for the Royal Rumble is the safest bet to make in all of sports. 

But as he was going around the American Airlines Arena at the end of the night saying "goodbye" to the fans, well, I wouldn't blame you if you marked out and really believed he was gone for a second. He sold it that well, probably the best he's sold anything in a while.

This entire storyline has brought out the best in Cena, he became a conflicted man, torn down into being a shadow of what he once was, and now has to work his way back up. 

He put Wade Barrett and Nexus over without actually putting them over in the ring, something that Hulk Hogan could never really figure out. He also did it without showing any true weakness in the ring while actually wrestling. He still hasn't lost cleanly in what feels like an eternity, and when he steps back into the ring, you still know how the matches will play out: Cena gets dominated, opponent slips, Cena hits the Attitude Adjustment, followed by the five-knuckle shuffle and an STF, Cena wins, lather, rinse, repeat.

Yet Barrett now looks stronger, Orton was put over more as a face, especially with the embrace the two shared in the ring after the match. The Nexus is still a force to be reckoned with.

But what happens now? 

Orton and Barrett will get another championship match at TLC. However, no John Cena to get involved. Maybe then instead of his incessant talking the talk without walking the walk, Miz actually cashes in that Money In The Bank.

Cena will probably come out tonight and say his goodbyes to the fans, followed by a Nexus interruption and a few WWE Superstars defending Cena, including Orton and possibly Triple H if he does come back tonight. (When the hell is Trips coming back?) Then he'll be gone for a few weeks while we get to see Randy Orton as the primary babyface on Raw.

Let's see if Orton, who has already shown that he could carry the show as a heel, can carry the show as a face as well. If he pulls this off successfully, then Orton might move into the rarified air of HBK, Stone Cold and The Rock. (No not greater than them, but we'd have to begin the discussion.)

But as for Cena, while I'm not a fan of his work, I've gained a lot of respect for him over the course of this Nexus storyline. His character has grown in ways that I never thought it would, and showed to be a class act at the end.

But maybe the reason he looked so good as a man of integrity and a class act is because, that's what he really is all along.

He knows his own strengths and his own weaknesses, and has done a great job in accentuating the former while hiding the latter. I was never a fan of his mainly because of said weaknesses.

But now, I can safely say that I am a fan. Consider me a member of the CENAtion. Not John Cena the WWE Superstar, but instead John Felix Anthony Cena Jr., the man from West Newbury, Massachusetts. 

Thomas Galicia is a Miami Dolphins Featured Columnist on Bleacher Report who also writes about the Miami Heat, Chicago Cubs, College Football and WWE. Like his article, dislike his article? Leave a comment. For more, follow him on twitter, @thomasgalicia