6 Ups And Downs From Last Night's WWE Raw (Feb 9)

2. Cena As The Old Dog

Whoever is developing John Cena€™s character these days is doing something that is either brilliantly subtle or just unconsciously leading some on. There has been a recurring theme in both Cena€™s promos and those of his opponents in recent months about how he€™s getting older. Cena has been around for nearly 13 years, the last decade-plus as a top guy. That is unprecedented in WWE during the past 30 years. Hulk Hogan, Bret Hart, Shawn Michaels, Steve Austin €“ everyone €“ saw shorter consecutive runs on top. So when Rusev and Lana ran down Cena by saying that his €œbody must be tired€ and that he€™s €œa man at his limits waiting for annihilation,€ it€™s not exactly hyperbole. WWE seems content to really play up this idea that Cena is on the downswing of his career, trying to hold onto his spot at the top of the food chain. Cena himself has alluded to it, noting that NXT is full of hungry young wrestlers Triple H is molding for the future. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FCahC9rJpGU If this is a deliberate move, to transition Cena from being the WWE€™s Superman to being a long-in-the-tooth hero trying to hold on, it could make for more compelling feuds. However, for this to work, Cena will have to lose the occasional feud. Knocking off an undefeated Rusev just reinforces that Cena rises above every obstacle. But if Rusev actually wins, it could signal that Cena really is the old dog in the yard.