WWE SmackDown: 10 Things You Might Have Missed (Dec 27)

1. The Heel Vibe To John Cena's Appearance

john cena aj styles
WWE.com

For the first part of his show-opening promo, John Cena was enthusiastic and keen to pander to the live crowd. This had to be done on purpose, because Cena then morphed into a colder character. The fact he opened with such giddy dialogue only served to further outline the change.

Saying he can do what he wants because "he's John Cena", the man also claimed that the new era in WWE post-brand split is "B.S". This was as far from smiling babyface John Cena as people are likely to see nowadays. Cena almost came across as a heel here.

There was fire in his voice as Cena arrogantly closed his promo, tossed the microphone away and left the ring. Later, he was condescending towards AJ Styles, offering up a handshake and then (when AJ accepted) telling the reigning WWE Champion that he was going to take the title from him.

Fans chanted for The Undertaker throughout that opening promo. Cena couldn't hide a wry smile. Is he about to turn rogue for the first time in over a decade?

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What other nuances do you think may have been missed on SmackDown? Let us know your thoughts down in the comments section below!

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Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood. Jamie started writing for WhatCulture in 2013, and has contributed thousands of articles and YouTube videos since then. He cut his teeth penning published pieces for top UK and European wrestling read Fighting Spirit Magazine (FSM), and also has extensive experience working within the wrestling biz as a manager and commentator for promotions like ICW on WWE Network and WCPW/Defiant since 2010. Further, Jamie also hosted the old Ministry Of Slam podcast, and has interviewed everyone from Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels to Bret Hart and Trish Stratus.