While his return to the ring might be a bit premature the idea of John Cena facing Alberto Del Rio at Hell in a Cell really is what is best for business.
Because the company steered clear of a turf war between Triple H and Vince McMahon and changed its approach with the corporate angle we are all struggling to watch right now, Cena is the logical choice to make the WWE whole again.
The news about Rob Van Dam possibly leaving the company and the fact the WWE may not be thrilled with the idea of Dolph Ziggler becoming a top contender again for the title leaves the company no real options. Cody Rhodes would have been an obvious choice with the battles involving him and Damien Sandow – but the company has given Rhodes and his brother Dustin (Goldust) prime real estate with the red network. Actually, it appears anyone with any kind of real connection to the corporate storyline has been on Monday night and the Friday night program has become more of an extension of what happens at the first of the week. That does not bode well for Friday nights, mid card wrestlers and the tag team division of the company.
Not everything has to be tied to what goes on Monday night. WCW learned that the hard way when every match, promo, announcement and everything in general was tied to the nWo. It made what was a great storyline overkill.
John Cena kind of takes the dysfunction out of all of that.
I wrote a while ago that there was a true division in the WWE of shows we see each week. While Raw is the true leader of entertainment and marketing, Main Event is the show catering to the mid-card, and Raw is where the real wrestling happens. The abrupt change in plans for Smackdown – because there is no way to think Del Rio is retaining his title at HIAC, makes me wonder what happens with the future, the idea of brand recognition and, dare I say it, the possibility of one title all together where the World Heavyweight Title is retired forever and one belt exists the way it was in wrestling’s heyday and when other promotions and territories mattered.
Should (when) Cena reclaims another WWE title, what effect does that have on Sandow and his MITB contract? Is he “Cena material?” and worthy of a program with the champ? This is not a situation like Daniel Bryan where the WWE had not gotten around to it yet. Sandow is an amazing mic worker and a very good wrestler (a combination of Lanny Poffo and Nick Bockwinkel) but the idea of him getting over with Cena in the fold does not sit well with me. Neither does the idea of Ziggler and Cena on the same program.
Changes will have to be made. All the while, Cena and ADR wrestle at HIAC and then Survivor Series. Who knows what happens at TLC. Maybe belt versus belt, either Daniel Bryan or Randy Orton on the other end leering at Captain Jeans Shorts?
And yes, there is a big difference in the two.
Follow David on Twitter @davidlevin71
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