Let’s be honest, John Cena knows a few things about working in the WWE, so his thoughts can be taken to the bank. Though, there may be some hesitation when they benefit the maligned WWE World Heavyweight Champion, Brock Lesnar. Especially when John Cena defends Lesnar’s dominate Royal Rumble performance.
Okay, we all know the WWE loves controversy they can turn into a story and get some hype and money out of, so this isn’t a surprise. John Cena recently made headlines with an interview with Sports Illustrated . His comments were, to the horror and indignation of many WWE fans, glowing when it came to Brock Lesnar.
John Cena makes some valid points
John Cena: “It was great to be able to watch it as a fan and not endure any fear of missing out and just enjoy the event. And I can say with the utmost sincerity that I believe Brock Lesnar is best in-ring performer that I’ve seen and I know it’s an opinion, and if you want a cool quote, here it is: I think he’s the best in-ring performer of all time.
“I thought his performance at the Rumble was a clinic on how to establish yourself, how to establish those around you, establish the championship, establish the importance of one event. He did so in less than 30 minutes, and I certainly don’t have the skill set to do that, and it was awesome to be able to see a masterclass man put on a clinic on what to do and how to do it and I was really impressed with the Rumble.”
To be fair, he’s not wrong. Brock Lesnar is an attraction in the style of Andre the Giant and “The Fiend” Bray Wyatt. He’s been built up as an unstoppable monster and to have him perform regularly would damage the mystique. This isn’t something fans want to hear, but it’s the truth. There was a time when the Undertaker was full of mystique for years, but he had appeared so much he had to reinvent himself as an “American badass” biker. It was the only way for fans to accept him being beaten or in danger week after week.
Cena continued when asked if he thinks Lesnar is the greatest of all time.
“You could see how uneasy the crowd was with Brock’s dominance and then over the course of time, how it became exciting and how it became riveting and then how it became like must-see and that’s who Brock Lesnar is.
“He believes so much in his presence, and he has such a definable presence you can’t ignore him and he never wastes anyone’s time and everything he does is special and everything he does meaningful and it’s not all selfish. He’s one of the most giving performers in the WWE and that is the mark of a true craftsman and a true professional. It was awesome to watch. My jaw dropped when I watched the Rumble.”
John Cena’s not the only one, as Booker T also praised Lesnar’s performance.
Honestly, Brock Lesner is one of top two or three in-ring performers in the WWE. I personally think Randy Orton is the best, but we each have our favorites. It takes a lot of skill to bring out the best on others, and that’s something many have said about Lesnar. And now that he’s shown he can wrestle for more than a few minutes, maybe Vince McMahon will allow him to do more with his matches instead of video gaming them in.
The biggest positive from Lesnar’s performance is the hype it built when he was eliminated by Drew McIntyre. The fans wanted it and loved it. The air was electric with excitement, and it set the stage for what’s sure to be an awesome WrestleMania match (Should be the main event. Just saying).
Counterpoint
With all the praise being heaped on Brock Lesnar, there’s got to be another side, right?
Of course, but it’s not what many are probably expecting.
The entire counterpoint can be summed up in two words: Michael Cole.
Seriously, he couldn’t have been more annoying calling out all the fans on social media with his thousand and one “I don’t want to hear he’s not a fighting champion anymore!”
There are few announcers that can be as annoying as him at times. It’s understandable why he said it, and that he was told to. But in many ways, it was overselling Lesnar and made people hate him more, and probably not for the right reason.
But that’s what the WWE wanted, so it is what it is.
It just seems to weaken Lesnar’s accomplishment more than help it. What do you think?
Is John Cena right?
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