Now, back to the Countdown:
World Wrestling Entertainment Championship
Champion Batista vs. Challenger John Cena
How: Batista won the title from John Cena right after Cena won it in the Elimination Chamber, thanks to a deal he made with Mr. McMahon. Cena won number one contendership the next night by taking a kick to the nutsac from Batista.
Heat Check: On January 4th, Vince was approached by Randy Orton for security just in case things got out of hand with Bret Hart. Orton, nodding to his former Legend Killer character, wanted to get his hands on the Hitman, but Vince had his own security in place. He didn't need it on that date, but when the Hitman was about to put Vince in the sharpshooter February 1, that security made sure it didn't happen. Yep, Batista not only took out the Hitman, but when Cena made the save and was checking on the legendary former Champion, he was repaid with a Batista Bomb on the steel steps.
To make matters worse, Cena fought his way into the RAW Elimination Chamber, won the title and thought he was heading into WrestleMania as WWE Champion. Wrong. In exchange for being his personal manservant, Vince granted Batista a sort of Money in the Bank pass at any title he wanted a shot at, which explained why Batista forfeited his EC qualifier for the Smackdown Chamber against CM Punk.
Of course, Cena was steamed, but he was given an opportunity to get his way into WrestleMania by beating Batista in a non-title match. Which he did. By disqualification. After Batista intentionally got himself disqualified by kicking Cena in the low-hangers. Batista would continually assault Cena at every opportunity, including after Cena had fought through three of McMahon's hand-picked cronies and Mark Henry (implied to be in there against his will). Drawing back on their personal history, all the way back to SummerSlam '08 when Batista broke Cena's neck, it was sold that whenever they were in the ring together, bad things would happen to Cena.
But why was Batista so eager to help Vince and decimate Cena? Resentment. In the excellent promo when Batista came out dressed like a cross between Rob Halford and Kanye West, Batista claimed that there were no two bigger stars post-Attitude era than he and Cena, but he always hated that it was Cena who got the torch passed to him from Steve Austin, that it was Cena who got the movie roles and that it was Cena who got the preferential billing. So he takes it out on Cena physically for his mental anguish.
Whatever happens though, bad things will happen to one of these men at WrestleMania in the match that will most likely close the show.
Analysis: This was rumored to be the big match for last year's event, but Batista got hurt, so it got pushed back. I'm glad it did, because it wouldn't have gotten the proper build. Batista needed to turn heel before Survivor Series to get his momentum going, and I have to say, him as a heel, as I've raved on here before, has been an absolute revelation.
This is a total 180-degree shift from last year's WWE Championship build, when Triple H was breaking into Randy Orton's house and Orton was feigning mental illness to try and get WrestleMania cancelled. This feud is built on pure, good old-fashioned hatred and the drive to be THE MAN in the company. It's the simplest of wrestling feuds, but it's been executed so well.
It's not surprising though; Cena is the ultimate babyface and Batista is the ultimate heel. In a way, this mirrors the sort of impactful matchup we got at WrestleMania VI between Hulk Hogan and the Ultimate Warrior. Yeah, both guys in that match were face, and it was more an attempted torch-passing that ultimately didn't work out, but it was the same idea. The two biggest stars in the company, the egos that could not be contained in the same room, facing off with the balance, the soul of the company if you will hanging precariously.
With all that emotion and all that aura going into the match, I expect the heat for this match to be off the charts. I also expect this to be a very good match. You all know the regard I hold Cena, and if you don't, well, I think he's one of the most proficient WWE main-event style workers ever. He gets it more than anyone, and he's a treat to watch any time he's in the ring and not squashing someone. Batista is the other part of the equation, and his evolution as a worker in the last five months has been pretty epic. The guy is far, far better as a cocky monster heel. His babyface style was so paint-by-numbers; you can tell he has a much better feel and desire to get in the ring and just play the villain. I think this match will be the capstone for what is shaping up to be the best WrestleMania ever.
Who Should Win: Cena. I'd love for this angle to continue, or moreover, I would have loved for this angle to have started more than just two months ago. However, in the short amount of time, they've built up the Cena-as-underdog angle better than they have when they'd make Michael Cole scream about Cena having to overcome the odds when the odds clearly were never against him.
Who Will Win: Cena. Honestly, you send the crowd home happy at the end of WM moreso than any other PPV. Notice that a face has gotten his WM moment every year after the two years in a row they've ended with a heel winning (2000 and X-7, which was the bullshit of Trips winning the four-way and Austin's awesome but rejected-by-the-fans heel alignment with Vince respectively). They know you close with a face getting the big win, so unless they end with Edge over Jericho or the Streak/Career match, your final image of WrestleMania XXVI will be John Cena holding the spinner belt over his head, finally vanquishing the Animal.
Photo Credit: WWE.com
I agree totally! this is Cena's last big hurrah as a face. by next mania i'm sure he'll have a new heel gimmick.
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