WWE WrestleMania 33: Assessing The Potential Of All 14 Matches

7. John Cena & Nikki Bella Vs. The Miz & Maryse

Cena Miz Maryse Nikki Bella
WWE.com

The exchanges between Nikki Bella and Maryse are hardly going to dent Dave Meltzer's new six star rating system, but if John Cena and specifically The Miz can tease them sufficiently, there's an inexplicable chance that they may bring down the house.

John Cena has improved significantly from his 2009 and 2011 runs with The Miz, in which he buried him to a depressing extent, but the events of Elimination Chamber act as an unsettling omen. It took Cena just one Attitude Adjustment to remove Miz from the fray - a move he usually has to deploy about four times just to generate a credible near-fall. The feeling that Cena perceives Miz as several notches below his level pervades - so, too, does the notion that this match will slant heavily towards the broadly comedic.

Cena has become less selfish since 2011, too. As his 2015-17 run attests, he is much happier to allow the midcard likes of Sami Zayn to look competitive and for new headliners, like AJ Styles and Bray Wyatt, to pin him cleanly.

Cena is set to embark on a hiatus following 'Mania - whether he gives The Miz the rub on the way out depends on whether it is felt Miz has been sufficiently rehabilitated to enter WWE Title contention in the spring and summer.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!