WWE No Mercy 2017: Assessing The Potential Of All 7 Matches
2. John Cena Vs. Roman Reigns
WWE's decision to stack No Mercy should be applauded. Why shouldn't the product be great all the time? This time last year was Eric Escobar-levels of dull in comparison. The mythical status of WrestleMania is spiralling out of control: why sacrifice 364 days of the year to service one bloated night? John Cena Vs. Roman Reigns is doubtlessly worthy of the Grandest Stage. That WWE is presenting it now creates scope for some intra-company competition to better itself, come April. WWE must operate with their backs against the walls on the Road to New Orleans; given that the company is at its worst when it luxuriates in default mode, this can only be a good thing.
As for the match itself: John Cena is an arch audience manipulator. The very presence of Roman Reigns triggers the crowd into an apoplectic fit of rage. They will have the palm of the crowd the second they shoot one another smug looks. The spectacle is assured; match quality, slightly less so. Will iron sharpen iron, or will both men default to the standard WWE 'Big Match' mode, à la this match's 'Mania XXVIII spiritual antecedent?
In Miami, the searing tension between Cena and The Rock didn't spill over in a way that made much sense, psychologically. It was a drawn-out, slow affair because Rock wasn't in the cardiovascular shape to go balls to the wall. Roman Reigns is.
If they dispense with the methodical pacing and tear strips off one another with a sense of brutal urgency, this should be awesome - a genuinely momentous match high on heat and action.
Maximum Star Rating Ceiling: ****3/4