While watching WWE Raw on Monday night I truly thought they had a perfect opportunity. As Brad Maddox was being pummeled by the Shield I envisioned the scenario in my head. John Cenas music would hit and wed all assume he was going to try and take out the Shield on his own. Instead though we would see him enter the ring, start giving Maddox a beat down of his own, and reveal himself to be in league with the Shield. Thus turning John Cena all out heel for the first time in his career and giving his character, as well as the recent predictability in the WWE, a real shot in the arm. Sure it wouldve been a stretch and maybe took some explaining, but at the same time it would have taken the entire WWE fan base by surprise. Instead what we got was Cena and the rest of the WWE rallying together to finally turn the tables on the Shield. And while I wasnt all that upset with the final few moments of Raw I thought it could have been so much better. It seems all but a foregone conclusion that we are going to see last years Once in a Lifetime match between the Rock and Cena again this year. Unless CM Punk shocks everybody and wins his rematch with the Rock at Elimination Chamber, Cena vs the Rock is what were going to get. Though depending on the Undertakers status for Wrestlemania Punk may be thrown into this match thus turning it into a Triple Threat Match for the WWE Championship. And thats where the mystery ends.
To me it all started in the weeks leading up to the Royal Rumble. As a diehard CM Punk fan I was almost irrational in my thoughts that he could retain the title at the Rumble. I thought maybe Vince McMahon and the creative team would throw us a curveball but to no avail. Same thing with the Rumble match itself, it was almost a given that Cena would be the last man standing yet somehow I still wanted to believe differently. Not until Rybacks second foot hit the ground did I give in on my hope that things werent exactly as they seemed. And I know I wasnt alone. The entire WWE fan base saw it coming from a mile away, something I discussed heavily in my Royal Rumble podcast. The blueprints were laid out for a Rock vs Cena rematch weeks ahead of time and it left us feeling slightly cheated. Not only that but the match at Wrestlemania now already seems to have a clear winner, with the Rock not likely to be sticking around after Wrestlemania I would all but guarantee that Cena walks out of the Meadowlands with the title. And now with the return of Brock Lesner to WWE programming its like déjà vu happening again. After his attack on Vince McMahon its now pretty clear that hell be once again be matching up with Triple H in a rematch of their contest at SummerSlam. To me, the WWE has always been at its absolute best when we have no idea whats coming next. Unfortunately since the ringing in of the New Year it has almost done the exact opposite. With the title picture seemingly blue printed until after Wrestlemania it doesnt leave much to the imagination. The fans deserve something out of the ordinary to happen with the title picture over the next few weeks leading up to Wrestlemania to get our excitement levels up. Ill absolutely be spending my money on the WWEs biggest event of the year but at this point it seems like I already know how things will turn out.