10 Horrible Decisions That Gave Us Great Wrestling

8. Cena Becomes The US Champion

In 2015, WWE bobblehead John Cena was fit and healthy and a vital part of WWE€™s card - but he needed to be kept far away from the WWE World Heavyweight Championship hunt. Ex-Shield members Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins were the focus of the title race, and having The Face That Runs The Place getting in the way might well have confused matters - new posterboy Reigns wasn€™t properly over yet, and Cena€™s weird babyface dynamic could have significantly hurt his chances. The decision was made to put the United States title on Cena at WrestleMania 31, and give him an upper midcard presence that also kept him far away from the big belt. It was a horrible idea in theory: the US champion at the time was faux-Russian brute Rusev, who had done some fantastic heel work with the title over 146 days, and he could easily have held it for another 150 days. Having Cena kill his title run in one big match would ruin his momentum. It would also set the indestructible Cena up as the gatekeeper to the upper midcard, thereby lowering the company€™s glass ceiling further still. The decision was made, however, and that was that. Despite coming to the ring at WrestleMania in a goddamn tank, Rusev would be the one who€™d be rolled over. People were right to be concerned - it did wreck the character€™s momentum. He€™s still trying to find his feet again now, as the over-enthusiastic lesser member of the League Of Nations. Not surprisingly, John Cena became the gatekeeper to the upper midcard. But€ hang on a second. Something was different. Cena issued an open challenge to anyone on the roster to face him for the US title, every single week on RAW. In long television matches, Cena spent the next few months facing people he€™d have squashed a year before, and having exciting, competitive matches with them instead. On more than one occasion - Cesaro, Neville, Sami Zayn - it looked like he might even lose. It was a wonderful thing to see, and it only took a couple of weeks before it was the most compelling thing happening on RAW. Considering how poor the decision looked initially, it really turned out for the best.