10 HUGE Wrestling Moments That Must Happen By 2022

8. John Cena Taps Out

John Cena sad sad man
WWE

John Cena has tapped out in WWE canon before, but it effectively doesn't count.

He never tapped as the tippy-top, super-protected face of the company. This level of protection - which functioned in storylines as a measure of his indomitable spirit - formed his character's very core. "Never give up" was his inspirational child-friendly motto, and after winning the big one, he never did. The few jobs John Cena did were parodic. Even Hulk Hogan would have been self-aware enough to realise that selling for a spooky child with more with more fear than he reserved for Bray Wyatt was a joke.

There are few achievements with any gravity left to unlock in WWE. The World Titles aren't as prestigious as they once were. WWE awarded too many reigns to too many glorified midcard acts in an apathetic reach to get them over. Money In The Bank is even more of a shrugging game of "Why not him, pal". Winning the Royal Rumble doesn't guarantee the headline match at WrestleMania nor the Steve Austin-level push.

Tapping out John Cena - and Roman Reigns should do this at SummerSlam to formalise his role as the most dominant heel in company history - is an achievement. It's a bold star-making shortcut that is devoid of risk, now that Cena is a part-timer.

But to salvage WWE's dire reputation, more hard work needs to be done...

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Contributor
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Michael Sidgwick (Creative Writing BA Hons) is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over a decade of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential UK institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!