This was for the WWE Title. Most people didn't think Umaga was going to leave the match with the WWE Title, but they sure did an awesome job of making him look like a credible challenger. Cena wasn't known as much of a bleeder pre 2008 when WWE still used blood to tell stories in their matches. He bled in this one, though. Not only that, but he had taped ribs too. Cena's haters will complain about how he doesn't sell moves well yet in this match that's all he was doing. He was on the defensive for much of it. It really made Umaga look like a monster heel, which is what he needed to be. They really did a good job of winning over the crowd too. Cena was getting booed by some fans, but Umaga was such a monstrous heel that people thought Cena might actually lose. There was a huge reaction when Umaga did a dive that saw him go crashing through the announce table after Cena left. There was a creative finish as Cena grabbed the broken ring rope and he choked Umaga with the rope as if he was some animal. It was a very memorable ending to a hectic battle. It was one of those matches where people were starting to realize that Cena was capable of having great PPV matches with any type of opponent. It wasn't just a case of him being carried by good workers. He could have entertaining battles with just about anyone by this point. It's a shame they didn't have more Cena vs. Umaga matches because this was a lot of fun to watch.
John wrote at WhatCulture from December 2013 to December 2015. It was fun, but it's over for now. Follow him on Twitter @johnreport. You can also send an email to mrjohncanton@gmail.com with any questions or comments as well.
