Now “The Champ” I’m referring too isn’t the actual WWE World Heavyweight champion, Randy Orton, but the proverbial “Champ” in the catchphrase “The Champ is here!” That would be, of course, John Cena.

Recently on RAW, John Cena admitted that he feared his opponent Bray Wyatt, something I’ve never heard from him before. He said that he was scared of what Bray could do, how he could manipulate the people, and somehow got into some spiel about his (Cena’s) legacy being on the line. So it’s not 100% genuine “Oh my God, he’s a monster who can kill me” fear, but fear nonetheless. This is very rare and unusual for Cena, almost uncharacteristic, as he usually makes fun of his opponent and verbally buries them on the mic with jokes.

Combine that “fear” statement with the fact that Cena has a hard time beating Bray’s second in command Luker Harper, and that Bray Wyatt and the Wyatt Family have been booked very strong as of late (even defeating The Shield in all of the matches the two stables had together), and it seems like Cena may be putting Bray over (as opposed to his usual schtick of ruining and burying young talent he comes across).

What I mean by Cena putting Bray over is, he’s making him out to be a threat, he’s making Bray out to be legit, and more importantly he may actually lose to Bray instead of stopping his momentum dead in his tracks (like Cena usually does). Whether it be Umaga or Great Khali or Wade Barrett or Dolph Ziggler or any new talent being built up, Cena usually prevails. With Bray beating The Shield and even Daniel Bryan clean (even Cena lost to him, as did pretty much every main eventer so far), I think this time Cena might do the job (lose).

So far, the WWE has been doing a good job of writing Bray’s character and the ending of the Luke Harper/Cena match on RAW proved it. That was a moment that (if Bray wins at WM) will go down in history as iconic. The big bad cult leader Bray, triumphant over the big hero Cena, having him prone and down with one of his (Bray’s) lackeys mask on his face. It’s almost symbolic as if Cena is below Bray, wearing his subordinate’s mask and even more symbolic that it is a lamb or a sheep’s mask. For the sheep flock to Cena or as Bray would say a ‘false shepherd.”

Bray’s mic work has helped, with certain epic moments (dissing Cena’s ‘plastic girlfriend’, the ‘look up to me and see a friend, look down on and me and see an enemy, look me in the eye and see a GOD!’) and hopefully WWE does what is right and has Cena lose to keep Bray’s momentum going and possibly push him over the edge.

A win for Cena here, especially on ‘The Grandest Stage of Them All’ Wrestlemania, does nothing for him. He just rose above the hate and came back to triumph over all that is bad and whatnot once again. If Bray wins, it’s HUGE! He has now beaten the (true) face of the WWE, the top good guy (as well as #2 in Bryan), and now looks to be a legitimate threat to anyone.

Despite his recent reactions (strong cheers and chants towards him and his group, but most heels get those when facing Cena), he has the makings of a top heel, and more importantly a great character. His unique, supernatural-but-not-quite-supernatural gimmick brings a breath of fresh air to the WWE Roster and fills a void that has been left by Corporate (and thus no longer supernatural) Kane and the Undertaker.

So WWE, do the right thing. Don’t Rise Above Hate, Follow the Buzzards.

Copyright © WarWithWords 2014