9 Times John Cena Was The Worst WWE Babyface Ever
3. Breaking Out The Duct Tape
Main event feuds in WWE (particularly those preceding Triple H taking over) followed a pretty predictable pattern: each wrestler wins one match, setting up a rubber match between them, often with a stipulation attached to generate more interest.
The climactic final match can take place in a steel cage, be absent of any rules, force one person to say they quit, or require one wrestler to be unable to answer a referee’s ten count.
In 2010, John Cena and Batista were engaged in a major feud over the WWE Championship, with the Animal winning the title at Elimination Chamber in February and Cena regaining the belt at WrestleMania 26 the following month.
A month later, Batista got his chance to capture the WWE Championship again at Extreme Rules… in a Last Man Standing match. Normally, in a battle like this between evenly matched wrestlers, both men will beat the living hell out of each other to finally knock the other one out long enough to keep them down for a ten count.
Batista and Cena did just that, using everything at ringside to batter the other, but nothing worked. Finally, Cena, the ultimate babyface, crotched Batista on the ringpost and duct-taped his legs around the post, making it literally impossible for him to stand up. Cena then gloated in front of Batista as he wildly – and futilely – tried to break free so he could rise to his feet.
While legal, Cena using duct tape was a coward’s move, an underhanded tactic you’d expect from a villain who can’t win the match honorably, not the hero to children and white meat babyface.