8 Most Insane Things Happening In Wrestling Right Now (Feb 3)

6. John Cena Joins The Jobbed Out Champion Ranks

Cena S Bloody Head
WWE.com

WWE Superstars must bloody dread capturing gold.

It invariably means that they are set to stare at the lights, for the company prefers to build up challengers by having them beat the champions on free television to create intrigue for their pay-per-view series. It's an approach that makes so little sense on so many levels - and is dafter still when you consider WWE has been doing it for years.

That logic is inscrutable, but hey, nobody really gives two sh*ts about the Intercontinental and United States belts, so nothing is spoiling. The real stars - you know, the ones who barely bother to turn up - are usually protected.

Except, on this week's edition of SmackDown Live, new WWE Heavyweight champ and revisionist history maker John Cena was cleanly pinned by Randy Orton in a tag team match also involving Luke Harper and Bray Wyatt. The three count followed just one RKO, even though Cena withstood eight Styles Clashes and eleven Phenomenal Forearms at Sunday's Royal Rumble.

If you squint, or are of a particularly generous disposition, you might credit the booking for acknowledging the rigours of the war Cena endured on Sunday - but the commentary booth didn't, and neither did Cena. He entered the match as if as fresh as a daisy, and simply lost with some degree of ease.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential 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 former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current 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!