WWE News: The Rock vs. John Cena and 5 Potentially Huge Same-Alignment Feuds

On April 1st, 2012, two of the biggest names in the WWE will clash in a match that has the entire WWE Universe divided almost down the middle.

When The Rock and John Cena go head-to-head at WrestleMania XXVIII in Miami, it won't just be a battle between two mega-stars. It will be a battle between two generations as the Attitude Era meets the PG Era in a war of epic proportions.

And no matter what, Cena and Rocky will go into WrestleMania as faces. People everywhere are clamoring for Cena or The Rock to turn heel, but it's not going to happen because it does not need to happen.

The WWE has no reason to turn one of its biggest draws into a hated heel and besides, even if they wanted to, they would be hard-pressed to do so. Both Cena and The Rock are going to be loved no matter what they do. Aside from hitting an Attitude Adjustment/Rock Bottom on someone like Kelly Kelly or Evan Bourne, there just isn't anything these two can do to make anyone hate them.

Even when he was supposed to be a heel, The Rock was still cheered. During his feud with Goldberg, Rock was supposed to be the one that the WWE Universe couldn't stand, yet just before the match, he made fun of Goldberg in a way only Rocky can and went on to prove that he still has many fans in the Universe.

And how many times has "Super Cena" gone completely wild on his opponent?

Both Batista and Wade Barret can testify to Cena's unparalleled brutality when the situation calls for it. And yet, no matter what Cena does, no one in the WWE Universe questions whether or not he may have gone too far. They just cheer him all the more.

When two men like that meet, men who carry an entire generation of wrestling fans on their shoulders, it will be something more than the classic good vs. evil type of match.

It will be a match that will have people talking for years to come. The Rock and John Cena will pour their heart and soul into this match and (as corny as it sounds) the WWE Universe will be the true winner of that battle. 

John Cena vs. Randy Orton

Now, I know what you are thinking. 

"TJ, we've seen this matchup at least 10,000 times."

To which I would say:

"Yes, we have. But Orton was never a face."

And that's the big difference. Every encounter these two men had was a symbolic battle between the good, wholesome hero John Cena and the vile, sadistic Randy Orton.

But now, Orton is a face. In fact, he's not only a face, but he's the face of Friday Night SmackDown. Cena, on the other hand, is the face of Monday Night Raw. Do you see it now? A match between these two as faces would be huge!

And the beauty of it all is, no championships have to be involved! It would be a simple battle of who's the better man. We know that both of them are highly skilled in the ring. And even if you refuse to believe that Cena can do anything good, you have to admit that Randy (when he's called to do so) is one of the best in-ring competitors in the WWE today.

A lot of times when either of these two is involved in a match, it's often a squash match. Either Cena or Orton will be on the losing side when, all of a sudden, something changes. Orton "shifts into that gear" and Cena makes his comeback. They will hit an exhilarating (but highly predictable) chain of moves before nailing the opponent with a finishing maneuver.

But as they've shown us before, Cena and Orton have great chemistry in the ring and they know each others' move-sets almost perfectly. We all know that Cena won't go down after one RKO and we know Orton won't tap to the STF on the first attempt.

There was a point when all Cena needed was an Attitude Adjustment to put away "The Viper," but those days are gone. No longer is "Super Cena" facing Randy Orton. Now, it's "Super Cena" vs. "Super Orton."

And these two juggernauts could put on a classic match that would be talked about for years.

Christian vs. Cody Rhodes

Yet another match we've seen before. And the difference? This time Christian is a heel.

And not just any heel, but one of the best. He knows every trick, every ploy and every loophole and he will show no shame in exploiting them. He's crafty, sly and knows his way around the squared circle better than perhaps anyone currently in the WWE.

Then comes Cody Rhodes. He's unbalanced and in desperate need of psychiatric help. But there's no denying his talent in the ring.

This matchup is one of those gems that will be played both in the ring and out of it. Whether these two are literally at each others' throats, going after each other on the mic or attacking each other backstage, they will be everywhere.

And the IWC will love it.

It is common knowledge that Christian is one of the most talented individuals on the roster and it is equally obvious that Rhodes is primed to be the next breakout star of the WWE. And if the match is for the World Heavyweight Championship, then that would make it all the sweeter.

Technically, this feud would work perfectly regardless of whether Christian is a face or heel, but for the sake of the slideshow, let's keep him as a heel. Besides, it could be something of a passing-the-torch kind of match. Christian has pretty much done it all, and trading wins with Christian can only raise Cody's stock, regardless of whether he wins or loses.

There isn't much left to say about this matchup. They both can talk and they both can wrestle, and together they could both put on a 5-star match.

Awesome Truth vs. Jack Swagger and Dolph Ziggler

This is the kind of match that could only work if both teams are heels.

After all, all four of the competitors are rather egotistical and both teams work great together. Another plus of this match would be the mic work. 

While Swagger is still green on the mic, he is surrounded by a bunch of people who can easily cover up that weakness. This feud would actually be fairly easy to orchestrate if you think about it. All it would take is for Dolph Ziggler and The Miz to catch each other on a bad day. 

Ziggler and The Miz are two of the most arrogant, obnoxious, self-centered, narcissistic individuals in the entire sport of the professional wrestling. Currently, they're all buddy-buddy, but that could easily change when these two massive egos and fiery personalities clash.

We can't forget Vickie Guerrero and R-Truth. Ziggler and The Miz already have huge egos and they surround themselves with people who love to inflate them even more. It wouldn't take long before these two tag teams clash in a feud that will be both hilarious and spectacular.

You also can't forget about the in-ring skills of both teams. While this match would be infinitely more entertaining on the mic than anywhere else, the wrestling still matters. Both of Vickie's clients are well-established wrestlers, but the members of Awesome Truth also are fairly skilled in the ring.

A feud between these two teams would be first-class entertainment and neither of them should change alignment. After all, can you imagine any of them becoming faces anytime soon?

I didn't think so.

John Cena vs. the Undertaker

How great of a matchup would this be?

Like any other face/face match, this one will be all about respect. Both of these men are looked up to by the WWE Universe and it's easy to see why. Who would win in a battle—no, war—between the face of the WWE and The Undertaker?

It would definitely be one of Taker's better matches and it possibly could even be better than Triple H's last bout with the Deadman. And the best part? I don't think the Cenation would be on Cena's side for this one.

Sure, when John Cena runs out at WrestleMania all of the little Jimmys are going to scream their little hearts out! And then, we'll hear the gong and everything will go quiet. The Undertaker's presence alone would shut up even the most dedicated Cena fan.

A lot of people criticize Cena for only putting on good matches when paired with a good opponent. But if that's the case, then this match should be nothing short of incredible. These two massive faces slugging it out in the middle of the ring at the Show of Shows is an absolute dream match.

And the whole thing will boil down to one question:

Can Cena beat the streak?

I'll leave you guys to comment on that one.

Beth Phoenix vs. Natalya

Beth Phoenix and Natalya are easily the two most talented Divas in the entire division right now. Heck, they might be two of the best women in the WWE ever (or at least they could be with more time).

Beth is the current WWE Divas Champion and was an indie star before coming into the WWE. Natalya, who also participated in the indie wrestling scene, is a graduate of the Hart Family Dungeon and the daughter of Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart. Together, these two could be put on classic match,the likes of which haven't been seen in the WWE since Trish Stratus vs. Lita.

We were given a teaser between these two during a Triple Threat match on SmackDown a few years ago and fans have been clamoring for more ever since. Beth and Natalya personify the Diva mantra of "Smart, Sexy and Powerful" and have the talent to really boost the Divas division.

Even since the start of their whole alliance, it has been painfully obvious that the terrible twosome is going to self-destruct eventually. And odds are, whoever is holding the title is going to be the one that turns face. But really, this is a feud that could work with both ladies portraying heels.

Whether they're Divas of Doom or Sisters of Salvation, these two enjoy making their opponents cry. If one of them turns face, it's going to be more about proving who's better. As heels, it's going to be a match to prove who's more brutal.

Can you say "I Quit Match"?

A match between these two will likely be for the Divas title, and that will make the victory that much sweeter for whoever wins.