8) WWE Championship
John Cena vs. The Rock (c)
In 2012, the Rock made his return to in-ring action and defeated John Cena in what many fans consider to be a “dream match”. This loss, in story at least, would set in motion a downward spiral for the 13-time World Champion. After almost 30-minutes of back-and-forth action, trading rest holds, signature maneuvers and taunting one another with their respective finishers, John Cena planted the self-proclaimed Great One with the final (third!) Attitude Adjustment, winning the WWE Championship and getting his redemption.
Results: John Cena def. The Rock via pinfall; Attitude Adjustment
This match was absolutely, undoubtedly much better than their first encounter at WrestleMania XXVIII. Last year was all about the hype and speculation – what would happen when the leaders of two generations collided for the first time? This year, even though the match itself had very little build in the past few months, Rock and Cena were able to tell a much better story. And I’m sure I’ll get some heat for saying this, but it’s because WWE was able to focus on the year and (storyline) life of Cena; Rock really had nothing to offer on a personal level. His entire run since returning has been about him being a giant star; there’s only so much story to be told. At most, he’s a giant obstacle for Cena to overcome. And that’s really what this entire match was about.
The first time I watched Cena/Rock II – live on Sunday night – I had very little good to say about it. But that’s mostly due to having to cover it live for Wrestlezone, play by play, and not getting to notice and appreciate the story unfolding throughout this 23-minute contest. When you’re not paying attention, not absorbing the drama, it’s just a bunch of rest holds and finisher reversals; nothing to write home about. Upon my second viewing, they f[PG]king tore the house down!
The first few minutes were incredibly slow. As much as I hate to saying this, it’s a John Cena match, so you kind of have to expect that’s going to be the case. The fans were sort of into the match, but it took about 10-15 minutes until MetLife was on their feet for the dozen false finishes. It was the middle of the contest that really brought me in, and why it’s now in contention for match of the night. When Rock tries to hit the Five-Knuckle Shuffle, and they swapped the finish from last year, I went crazy; that being said, I’m really glad that’s not how it ended. When Cena tried for the People’s Elbow, only to outsmart the (former) champ and hang on to the ropes, I popped. The story was all about his cocky, confident smile – when Rock countered into a third Rock Bottom I legitimately thought it was over.
The actual finish to the match came off a bit flat I think. They may have overdone it with the amount of finishers (four Rock Bottoms – one by Cena – and three Attitude Adjustments). By the time John came down with the final AA I just don’t think the crowd had it in them anymore. It was almost like, “well if the last fifteen finishers didn’t do the trick, I’ll just sit down and wait”. But in true John Cena fashion, the referee counted the final three, and MetLife Stadium exploded. I don’t understand that man’s voodoo magic powers, but I’ve been to live WWE events, and I’ve popped huge for Cena victories, and immediately questioned my sanity.
Grade: A-
