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Y'know, watching that smooth transition from Jericho (you'll be missed, Chris) to Angle, with Bisch playing the evil mastermind role perfectly, I'm beginning to (reluctantly) like this Cena-Bischoff feud. The constant attempts to make it Austin-McMahon are ipecac-level vomit-inducers, but the two characters involved are both charismatic and fun to watch. (Bisch is more consistent in both those qualities, of course.) If you tweak the formula a little, it could really click.
And just how would I tweak it? Well, Austin was cheered for constantly gettting the upper hand on his boss. He absolutely destroyed everything in his path, and we believed it, 'cause his character was just enough of a roughneck to sell said ass-kickery. Cena is not so believable as an anti-establishment "tough guy" (he's from the freakin' suburbs of Boston!), but he's got that Austin-like "regular guy" quality, which is why, I think, fans have taken to him. So, rather than have Cena emulate the Austin-esque qualities that he doesn't have, why not play up the one he does - the average joe factor?
Hell, I was marking out for Cena by the end of tonight's match, and I didn't even like him much as a heel. And the thought process that led me to such marking out was simple - Cena is the plucky underdog, wouldn't it be great to see him win. What they need to do with Angle is maintain that feeling. WWE, we're not stupid - we know Angle can outwrestle Cena. And, quite frankly, the combined brainpower of Kurt and Eric should be enough to outsmart Cena. But if you turn Cena into that likeable underdog who manages to come through when it counts (shades of Mick Foley) - then you might have something.
There's potential gold in this feud, but it sure ain't in the messy rehash of Austin/McMahon they've been giving us.
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