9 Times Wrestling Made You Believe
4. Rusev Makes Us Believe He Can Beat Cena
Cena once again, but this time we’re focusing on the man he faced at WrestleMania 31. Rusev was challenging Cena for the United States Championship, but prior to the event no one could fathom how John Cena, a man as American as cheese in a can, could possibly fail to win the star-spangled title from a grizzly foreign heel. Of course Cena would win. This was WrestleMania, and he was Cena.
And then came the entrances. It started with a volley of salutary gunfire from artillery pieces on the stage as the Russian anthem kicked in and soldiers bore the flag of Rusev's adopted country down the aisle. Lana, in full Rocky IV mode, paraded the title like an ermine-clad Tzarina. And then, Rusev entered.
In a tank.
The WWE must feel a note of regret when they look back on this masterpiece, because they can't do it again, at least not for the first time. Everything was choreographed, not just to make viewers hate the unapologetic Ivan Drago analogue, but to make the audience believe he was a big deal. For the length of the entrances and much of the match, the East was comfortingly evil again. Everyone believed that Rusev was a supervillain, and that he could beat John Cena.
And then Cena won. But for a moment, they believed.