Recently on the newsboard, some news was broke regarding WWE’s latest rumored matches for the WrestleMania XXX event in April of 2014. Many of these potential matches have garnered a mixed reaction online. Today, we will start with the rumored plans for the main event. Make sure to check out eWrestlingNews throughout the weekend as we will look at additional matches rumored for the biggest annual event in WWE.
Bray Wyatt vs. John Cena
Apparently if Hulk Hogan is unable to pass the required medical tests needed in order to physically compete in a match, WWE is planning on running with a WrestleMania XXX main event featuring John Cena vs. Bray Wyatt. The quote going around in the news reports claims Vince McMahon said, “Cena is the main event until his time is clearly up. That man feeds us!”
I can’t really argue that. John Cena should be the main event. The real question is: will Bray Wyatt be at a level deserving of a main event at WrestleMania by the time April rolls around? Anyone who reads my editorials here at eWrestlingNews.com knows I’m not shy in admitting that I enjoy the Bray Wyatt character thoroughly. I’m not sure, however, if he’s at a level that warrants the headline match at the biggest show of the year. There is four months from now until WrestleMania, so maybe that will change by then.
If Hogan is able to compete, apparently the plan is for a Cena and Hogan tag-team match of some sort. Some rumors claim that even in this situation, WWE will have Cena and Hogan against two members of The Wyatt Family as the main event. To me, that sounds insane. First off, the idea of headlining the biggest event of the year, let alone the milestone 30th edition of the historic event, with a tag-team match is crazy. WrestleMania in particular has almost always been a singles match-driven event, specifically as it pertains to the main event. There have been some exceptions, the most glaring of which would be the actual first WrestleMania where a tag-team match headlined the show, but honestly, that was a different time and a different era altogether.
Of the two options, however, I will say that the idea of a Cena and Hogan tag-team has a big feel to it. It certainly will to the casual viewer. While you and I may be tired of seeing Cena headline event after event, let alone WrestleMania after WrestleMania, the bottom line is he’s the highest drawing performer the company has right now. Obviously if he continues to be showcased and no one else receives those main event opportunities, that will remain the same until he retires or is physically unable to continue competing.
The idea of a Cena vs. Wyatt match is intriguing to me. On one hand it’s a huge opportunity for Wyatt. On the other hand, for the fans, it’s a fresh face on top. In that regard, I think the idea is tremendous. I worry that the build-up will feel too “gimmicky” for a WrestleMania main event considering the character that Wyatt portrays, but in the PG-era of WWE, and the child-targeted demo of modern WWE, maybe that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Regardless, those are the plans.
As far as match quality, well, none of these sound like they have four or five-star potential. I may differ from popular opinion around here, but in my opinion, as long as the main event feels like a main event, then, well, it’s a main event. Sure, it must deliver excitement and entertainment by the time it’s over, as to not give the feeling to the fans that they were just short-changed, especially on the biggest show of the year. I’ll give you an example of what I’m talking about.
At WrestleMania X8 in 2002, there were to main event caliber matches. The third-to-last match of the evening was the legendary showdown between The Rock and Hulk Hogan. The final match, and true main event of the evening was Triple H vs. Chris Jericho. In hindsight, which do you consider the legitimate main event of the show? Obviously Hogan and Rock was a more important and more memorable match. Was it better in terms of match quality than Hunter and Jericho? Absolutely not. Did it feel like a bigger match when all was said and done? Absolutely.
Whether or not a Hogan and Cena tag-team match will feel bigger than some of the other high-profile matches rumored for the card is a tough one to predict. It will certainly depend a lot upon how they book the match from start-to-finish, as well as how well Hogan and Cena execute. The same goes for the Cena-Wyatt singles match, although under any circumstances I can’t see that match feeling like a bigger deal than several of the other rumored matches on the card.
Speaking of those additional rumored matches, join me here at eWrestlingNews.com later this weekend as I break some of them down. Next up will be the rumored bout between Triple H and CM Punk. I will look at that under the Matt Boone-microscope on Saturday. On Sunday, we’ll take a closer look at the rumored showdown between The Undertaker and Brock Lesnar. Make sure to check back by for that and more opinionated content here in the editorials section of eWrestlingNews.com. Until then, leave your feedback in the “Comments” section directly below. You can also hit me up on my Facebook page at Facebook.com/MattBooneWZR.