10. WrestleMania 21 - JBL (vs. John Cena)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dOuGlGFTSfM I know, this was probably all based on JBL being a great heel. He brought out the edgy aggression in John Cena upon which Cena's original persona was based. They were great foils on the microphone, both alpha males from different worlds. Different philosophies, different generations. But that doesn't change the fact that this was a boring match for which it didn't seem like a championship could have been at stake. The match was just a whole lot of clobbering, because simply put, that's JBL's style. He was never an exciting wrestler, unless you enjoy a slugfest - but even that gets tiresome, and doesn't seem worthy of the secondary main event at 'Mania. John Cena shines when he's in the ring with an inventive wrestler, not to mention this is Cena 9 years ago, when he was even less experienced. Tazz and Michael Cole do their best to play up the story between these two men, and enhance every move in the ring. After beating up Cena for a long time, we are treated to a sleeper hold (and this after the long-winded Sumo Match, for which I'm giving Big Show a "deserving", because "DIAPER".). Then I realize that it's all a ploy to make Cena look super-human in his comeback, a short-lived Hogan-style exercise in suspended disbelief. And all of a sudden, Cena wins. A totally empty victory after an uninspired match.
Heather Hickey
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Follow me @kickyhick :) I hold a degree in English Rhetoric & Professional Writing from the University of Waterloo in Canada. I've done technical writing, executive presentations, and recruiting materials for BlackBerry, and I write for non-profit organizations. My favourite project so far has been combining my passion for writing with being a die-hard wrestling fan. It's a pleasure to write here for WhatCulture, and also for TJRwrestling.com.
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