There was much to appreciate about the controversial "Once In A Lifetime" sequel between John Cena and The Rock, though the pair still guiltily indulged in the finisher kick-out formula that was, by then, becoming something of an obsession in 'The Champ's major main events.
Working out the kinks from the bloated original, both men looked a little sharper second time around, but the match itself couldn't recapture the aura from the original. 'The Great One' benefitted from his increased in-ring schedule, and his added involvement as WWE Champion had the desired effect on his all-round presentation as a pro-wrestler rather than guesting Hollywood megastar. It wasn't, however, the stature-enhancing spectacle WWE had perhaps hoped for.
Cena was beyond the point of needing it as much as Rock was from handing it over - both men had proven in spite of the averages matches that their stars shone brighter than anybody else's on the roster. The torch wasn't passed, it was merely glad-handed.
Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation nearly 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett
