The Cena/Rusev Problem

[Maluco]

A while ago, I heard on a Jericho/Edge interview, how they tried to convince Cena that Wade Barrett should go over in the the Nexus match. This would help maintain Nexus as a threat and Barrett as a potential main event player in his own right.

As it was, Cena recovered from a DDT on the concrete and won the match. He was said to have told them afterwards that they were right and he made the wrong choice.

Fast forward to last night at Extreme Rules and Bad News Barrett is on the pre-show in a losing effort to a guy who was called up a month ago. Cena is fighting yet another upstart, and records his second straight win over him.

Payback is next month and surely a third lose in a row is the wrong choice for all concerned. Has Cena learnt from the past, do WWE care enough about Rusev, long term, to invest in him?

Is there any way out of the situation that protects Rusev other than a win? Lana throwing in the towel is an idea but it is still a 3rd straight loss, as well as being extremely predictable.

I would prefer if Rusev sacrificed Lana, which distracted Cena enough for him to get the win. Cena accidently hits Lana after Rusev moves, speculation about if rusev meant it, and in the confusion Rusev snaps on the accolade and Cena passes out.

Cena gets cheated because he was being the nice guy, Lana gets sympathy and Rusev gets the win he needs.

Cena is the main guy, the top star, but sooner or later, he needs to use his stardom to help elevate other guys. If he doesn't, and keeps scraping "hard fought wins", then we just have to hope that Undertaker, Brock and Triple H are around forever for Mania.

Any thoughts on how they should proceed at payback?

[Ruien]

Rusev should win clean. That is the only way for Rusev to gain and momentum back. This also won't happen and his submission move looks like crap now with Cena getting out of it in 5 seconds last night.

[Maluco]

That was awful, like really bad. Really was so annoying to see too. It was needless too in the type of match they were doing, but it was so fast. Shades of Hogan/Earthquake

[Rammsteinmad]

I love how you're trying to theorize any way that Rusev can come out of this looking strong. He's just another in a long line of guys built up, beaten by Cena, and will eventually become a foreigner comedy gimmick.

See: Umaga, Great Khali, Kozlov etc...

[CSL]

Umaga was proof that they can do a monster gimmick well and keep it going. Umaga would be a great choice for that other "gimmicks that should have been terrible but weren't" thread, he was great in that role. Never went comedy either.

[CSL]

also, Khali and Kozlov were never going to be anything long term anyway via being completely rotten

[Sixx]

We can't have a russki cleanly beating a decorated war hero, that's crazy.

[CSL]

they should have Xavier Woods dress up in the whole Consequences Creed schtick that he used to do and have Rusev actually murder him live on PPV ala Rocky IV

[Sixx]

they should have Xavier Woods dress up in the whole Consequences Creed schtick that he used to do and have Rusev actually murder him live on PPV ala Rocky IV

One of those manly looking divas (like Beth Phoenix) should play Rusev's wife. Beth Phoenix' got Polish roots, which is close enough for the WWE.

[NormanSmiley]

I love how you're trying to theorize any way that Sid can come out of this looking strong. He's just another in a long line of guys built up, beaten by Hogan, and will eventually become a comedy gimmick.

See: Iron Shiek, Bundy, Akeem, Earthquake etc...

[Emperor Smeat]

Payback is next month and surely a third lose in a row is the wrong choice for all concerned. Has Cena learnt from the past, do WWE care enough about Rusev, long term, to invest in him?

Is there any way out of the situation that protects Rusev other than a win? Lana throwing in the towel is an idea but it is still a 3rd straight loss, as well as being extremely predictable.

Any thoughts on how they should proceed at payback?

No and I'd say yes but not until after the Cena feud is done. Right now it just feels like a typical Cena feud where Cena gets all the important wins although without Cena promos ridiculing Rusev's gimmick.

Anything that protects Rusev is going to just prolong the feud and likely lead to Cena still getting more feud wins. Lana throwing in the towel is probably the best situation for Rusev.

[Corkscrewed]

Cena needs to lose. But he continually doesn't. Doesn't that mean he buries talent? lol

[#1-norm-fan]

The only realistic way Cena could lose is something like Rusev cuffing him to the ropes and grabbing Lana, threatening to put her in the accolade if Cena doesn't quit. Officially ends the Lana-Rusev relationship, makes Cena look like the best guy ever and makes Rusev keep looking good and gives him bragging rights and tons of heat over making puny American hero quit. I guess that could work.

[Ruien]

That does not make him look good. Makes him look like a bitch and kills off half of the reason he is awesome. He needs to keep Lana with him and needs to go over clean. He is suppose to be the best of the best from Russia and you want him to hold a girl hostage? Hell no.

[#1-norm-fan]

Cena losing an I Quit match clean will not and should not happen. Would be ridiculous.

Also, they've already teased the split from Lana too much for it not to happen. The crowd isn't gonna go anti-Lana again. He can twist winning that way in his own heel way by still proving Cena was weak emotionally just like the rest of the US, blah blah blah.

[The Rogerer]

Bray Wyatt sets the template here, I'm afraid. Rusev will lose every match and plod on.

[Mr. Nerfect]

Cena is either winning this clean or Rusev is going to risk hurting Lana in order to force Cena to quit. I'm fine with either. Cena is a great choice for the US Champion, but Rusev doing something devilish actually gets him heat. Right now he's just a foreign guy that doesn't like America. Cool. But if he grabs Lana and threatens to toss her off the stage, then he's the dickhead who was willing to toss his manager off the stage to achieve his goals.

Even better would be if the whole thing is Lana's idea: She works so great in Rusev's corner, and her smart manager character has got a lot of legs. The fans are cheering her at the moment, but they could easily "Rock '98" it with her. You can have Cena go after Rusev one more time -- putting his actual career on the line at Money in the Bank -- and he can win back the US Title that Lana and Rusev stole. Or he could move off onto someone else and a new face can enter Rusev's peripherals.

[drave]

I like where you go with it being "planned by Lana". I feel like that is really the only way they would get any longevity out of that angle.

[Big Vic]

You can have Cena go after Rusev one more time -- putting his actual career on the line at Money in the Bank -- and he can win back the US Title that Lana and Rusev stole. NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

[Ruien]

Cena is either winning this clean or Rusev is going to risk hurting Lana in order to force Cena to quit. I'm fine with either. Cena is a great choice for the US Champion, but Rusev doing something devilish actually gets him heat. Right now he's just a foreign guy that doesn't like America. Cool. But if he grabs Lana and threatens to toss her off the stage, then he's the dickhead who was willing to toss his manager off the stage to achieve his goals.

Even better would be if the whole thing is Lana's idea: She works so great in Rusev's corner, and her smart manager character has got a lot of legs. The fans are cheering her at the moment, but they could easily "Rock '98" it with her. You can have Cena go after Rusev one more time -- putting his actual career on the line at Money in the Bank -- and he can win back the US Title that Lana and Rusev stole. Or he could move off onto someone else and a new face can enter Rusev's peripherals.

The problem with that is Lana will be cheered MORE because she screwed Cena. So pissed Rusev's character is going to become shit. Don't even care as much as he will lose (or win dirty which he looks like a loser) for a third time in a row but they are taking Lana away from him.

[Maluco]

For all the people saying that the Lana getting threatened idea, do you think they would do that with so much focus on the woman in wrestling right now and how the division is treated?

A woman getting threatened with violence by a 300 pound man doesn't sound very PG. People will point to recent examples like Rollins/Edge for things outside the norm for PG programming, but on the other hand, they have just banned the curb stomp for what can only ne construed as it having too heavy a connection to real violence.

Its an idea, but would they do it in 2015?

[drave]

They slip in the occasional "bitch" or shoving things up peoples asses on RAW, why not on a PPV?

[Big Vic]

I remember I complained that Cena won at mania and everyone was like "no it was a good decision"

Fuck off, Should have given it to someone who needed it. Imagine how elevated ANY OTHER FACE would be if they were put in Cena's position.

[Vastardikai]

Ryback and Bray Wyatt could be feuding over the US title right now.

[drave]

I remember I complained that Cena won at mania and everyone was like "no it was a good decision"

Fuck off, Should have given it to someone who needed it. Imagine how elevated ANY OTHER FACE would be if they were put in Cena's position.

Especially with the badass tank entrance he had.

Seriously starting to lose interest in the feud because I feel like their next match will have the same end result.

[Rammsteinmad]

Cena has won two PPV's in a row, but the feud is still continuing? What's going on?

[Ruien]

This feud has the Ryback feel to it. Just straight killing Rusev.

[drave]

Cena has won two PPV's in a row, but the feud is still continuing? What's going on?

lolcreative

[Heisenberg]

I'm glad Rusev is over with people, he's just a simple man trying to udrea and machka through life like anyone else would in his vessel

[Ruien]

I mean hell, the first month that the people from the "free" month AND the people who bought the Network just for Mania are both running up soon (One on the 29th and one of the 1st of May) and this is what you are giving the people? Who wants to pay any amount of money to see Cena crush Rusev again and then a three way match that is ehhhhhhhh. Come the hell on.

[drave]

I mean hell, the first month that the people from the "free" month AND the people who bought the Network just for Mania are both running up soon (One on the 29th and one of the 1st of May) and this is what you are giving the people? Who wants to pay any amount of money to see Cena crush Rusev again and then a three way match that is ehhhhhhhh. Come the hell on.

More people than those who want to see Rusev machka Cena, apparently. Then again, of course he is going to win to "keep the shareholders happy". If Cena isn't happy, no one can be happy.

He is getting "up there" in age for wrestling is he not? I know it is beating a dead horse, but they really need to let some others take the reigns. The argument of "no one is on Cena's level" isn't applicable either, because no one has been given the push to the Andromeda system like he has. Cena is a brand and will most likely be around "for too long".

[Heisenberg]

Rusev v.s. Cena is this generation's Rocky v.s. Drago, but with more udrea and machka

[drave]

If you mean that Rocky (Cena) is going to beat Drago (Rusev) and never be heard from again, then you are accurate.

Think the only real way to save Rusev is for him to regain the title and move on to something else. They have gone from putting his brute force over on commentary to Cena escaping the DEVASTATING CLUTCHES OF THE ACCOLADE in less/about 5 seconds and two clean victories :|

It's like Drago keeps coming back for more and Rocky is all "Why, you just gon get beat again son."

[Heisenberg]

Not that deep my man, just the spectacle of the feud, beefing with Russia then hugging them afterwards

[drave]

So Rusev and Cena should hug it out on the advice of Dr. Shelby-berg?

I can get behind that, but only if Rusev starts wearing a fanny pack and camera to the ring, excitedly shaking hands and asking for a photo op from a ring crew member prior and post every match.

[Big Vic]

Seriously starting to lose interest in the feud because I feel like their next match will have the same end result.
The only thing that makes me think that it will not end that way is that Cena said he wont ask for a rematch.

[Ruien]

How amazing would that be. Give Cena the title, destroy the old champion who crushed everyone before like he is nothing, and then have Rusev threaten to hurt Lana for Cena to quit for Rusev to win the title back and take Cena away from the US Title Picture. That only hurts the title because Cena basically said no one in that division can take him on but he gives the title up to being the "better" man.

[Ruien]

Really wish this "feud" (One sided feud) did not piss me off so much.

[KIRA]

I love how you're trying to theorize any way that Rusev can come out of this looking strong. He's just another in a long line of guys built up, beaten by Cena, and will eventually become a foreigner comedy gimmick.

See: Umaga, Great Khali, Kozlov etc...
I don't recall Umaga being comedic he was played dead fucking straight the whole time.

Armando was the ONLY thing that could be considered remotely comedic about him.

[Emperor Smeat]

Cena has won two PPV's in a row, but the feud is still continuing? What's going on?

Probably to give Cena a submission win for the feud. Only thing left he hasn't done to Rusev match-wise and gets rid of the earlier submission win Rusev has against him.

One of the few times Cena being the champion really hurts the feud since
a loss means the WWE has to redo their US title prestige building and any shenanigans just prolongs the feud instead.

[Mr. Nerfect]

Cena could turn heel by threatening to hurt Lana, forcing Rusev to quit. Just kidding.

[Mr. Nerfect]

"I did it...for America. I did it...for the people."

[Mr. Nerfect]

Rusev is basically a face anyway. He came from humble beginnings to be plucked by a nation as its adopted champion, based only on his abilities. His hard-earned talent allowed him to excel against all opponents, winning the US Title from a bully, only to be stopped by a loud-mouthed American who capitalized on the injuries sustained to Rusev's corner woman at WrestleMania.

Rusev carries the pressure of a nation and the desire to prove himself everytime he gets into the ring. He'll make an amazing babyface once Cena turns and aligns himself with the woman he has been sleeping with behind Nikki's back, Lana.

Just kidding.

[#1-norm-fan]

Cena vs Umaga was actually pretty perfect for Umaga. It was a great match, it took everything Cena had to put Umaga down and they moved on with Umaga still being a fucking beast. If they had moved on from Cena-Rusev at WrestleMania with Rusev having the Lana excuse, Rusev could have continued to look strong with his only loss coming against John fucking Cena with some unintentional help. That's a much better option to get the loss out of the way than trying to use Rusev to put a guy below him over.

Unfortunately they decided to keep having matches where Rusev could eliminate any doubt about the fact that he's not as good as Cena which is gonna fuck things up.

[Mr. Nerfect]

I still maintain that Rusev should have sold the loss a bit harder. It was the first time he was pinned, with the weight of an entire nation on his back -- that's a reason for a guy to be a little lost mentally.

Cena was doing the open challenge thing, which could have segued into a large number of things. We didn't need the third chapter of Cena vs. Rusev right away, if at all. Allow Cena to settle in as the new United States Champion, and then consider bringing Rusev back to settle the score.

[Ruien]

Maybe Rusev will dump Lana for Heyman.

[Ruien]

We need a damn new Heyman Guy. Not really Rusev but someone. This sucks.

[DAMN iNATOR]

Cena has won two PPV's in a row, but the feud is still continuing? What's going on?

Most of the major undercard feuds (guess it depends on your definition of “major”) go for about 3 PPV's. Or at least they used to...