WWE: Alberto Del Rio Should Win over John Cena at Night of Champions

The night after SummerSlam, John Cena warned WWE Champion Alberto Del Rio that he is not a champion—he is a target.

Since, Del Rio has been conspiring against Cena, convincing other WWE superstars that Cena is the root of their troubles so they exact revenge on him before he faces Del Rio next Sunday at Night of Champions.

Whether or not Alberto Del Rio’s conspiracy to soften up Cena is successful remains to be seen. One thing, however, is certain: Alberto Del Rio will beat John Cena at Night of Champions because his victory is good for the WWE.

An Alberto Del Rio Win over John Cena at NOC Is Good for Smackdown

If the WWE SuperShows continue, ADR’s presence as WWE Champion will boost Smackdown’s lackluster ratings as he acts as the lead heel. He has already united villains from Raw and Smackdown in his war against John Cena, and he generates more heat than anyone in the WWE this side of The Miz.

Smackdown needs Alberto Del Rio. Too many members of the WWE Universe still like Christian, and while everyone agrees Mark Henry is the most destructive force Smackdown has seen in ages, he just does not fit the mold of a champion.

Del Rio can walk onto Smackdown as the best heel on the show. Sure, Cena would be the best face on Friday nights, but Smackdown has Randy Orton; it does not need another primetime fan favorite.

An Alberto Del Rio Win over John Cena at NOC Is Good for Raw

When CM Punk and John Cena played tug-o-war with the WWE Championship, it was almost the only storyline Raw had going. There was so much concentration on that one angle that everything else on Raw felt boring, as if it was just on television to kill time until we could all get back to John Cena and CM Punk.

Since Punk began feuding with Triple H and the specter of Kevin Nash looms over both of them, Raw has been more exciting.

Sprinkle in R-Truth and The Miz’s confounding and hilarious promos, Vicki Guerrero building a formidable stable and Air Boom flying around the ring, and you have intriguing television.

The Cena/Del Rio rivalry could continue if Cena wins tonight, but the pattern for the WWE has been to bury Cena’s rivals after he regains the belt. It would be better for Raw for Del Rio to win and continue with the current angle than to build a new rival for Cena from scratch.

An Alberto Del Rio Win over John Cena at NOC Is Good for Alberto Del Rio

This seems obvious. Of course it is in the best interest of Alberto Del Rio to remain champion, but there is more to it than that. A Del Rio win over Cena solidifies his status as the best heel going in the WWE.

Think about what he has done since his arrival in the WWE.

Del Rio broke Rey Misterio’s arm. He won the 2011 Royal Rumble. He retired Matt Hardy. He put Christian on the shelf. He won the Raw Money in the Bank and he cashed in that Money in the Bank contract at SummerSlam in the most talked about match of the year.

A victory over John Cena at Night of Champions would cement 2011 as the year of Alberto Del Rio.

An Alberto Del Rio Win over John Cena at NOC Is Good for John Cena

This seems counterintuitive, but it is true. John Cena will be better off in the long run if he loses to Alberto Del Rio tonight.

In the episodes of Raw between SummerSlam and Night of Champions, a strange thing has been happening—the chants of “Cena sucks!” are subsiding. The WWE Universe is embracing Cena all over again. Perhaps fans cheer (or simply don’t boo) him because the addition of the Punk/Triple H/Nash storyline means Cena is not shoved down their throats, but I think something larger is at work here.

People enjoy watching John Cena hunt; he is a much more interesting contender than champion. His promos are more intense and unpredictable, and he is more aggressive in his matches.

He is once again the John Cena WWE fans fell in love with years ago. Losing to Alberto Del Rio means the WWE gets Cena at his sharpest and most popular.

An Alberto Del Rio Win over John Cena at NOC Is Good for the WWE Universe

Alberto Del Rio is as selfish and pompous a WWE superstar as we have ever seen. He has his own ring announcer. He drives expensive cars into arenas. He convinces other wrestlers to do his dirty work for him. He wears a scarf.

However, retaining the WWE Championship against John Cena at Night of Champions would be the most selfless act of Del Rio’s short but impressive career.

An Alberto Del Rio win is a win for the WWE.