Passing down the title. In wrestling it means you’ll give up your spot as Champion, in order to make another wrestler look good in the ring. Many of the Nature Boy’s 16 time World championships that he has dropped to another wrestler were due to his ability to job to the younger guys, while still looking good. John Bradshaw Layfield has had a long time run. He’s been the longest reigning WWE champion in the past decade. He was able to carry the ball, and pick up steam for his character while defeating many of the greats in our business like Eddie Guerrero and Undertaker. He did his job as champion, and he did a fine job of carrying that title. But every good champion has to drop the title at one point or another. From reading my column two weeks ago you know that I proclaimed JBL the greatest WWE champion ever. In history! Well even the self proclaimed ‘wrestling god’ has to give up his title at one point or another. Now WWE has a Pay-Per-View coming up, perhaps you’ve heard of it?
It’s called WrestleMania. The showcase of the immortals. The place were boys become men, wrestlers became legends, and legacies are created or in some occasions ended. John Bradshaw Layfield has built the biggest 10 month legacy I have ever seen in this business. He has literally accomplished more in 10 months, then some wrestlers do in a entire career. While I already laid my case for Bradshaw two weeks ago, I’ll save the small talk. JBL is big in the WWE today! But so is his challenger at WrestleMania. At WrestleMania he will go head to head with one of the fastest growing commodities in wrestling today: John Cena! Cena has every tool needed to make a great champion. He’s got the charisma, the mic skills, the character, and overall the wrestling ability. He’s probably SmackDown’s number one face at this moment in history. So here you have the pompous, egotistic champion JBL. On the other side of the ring you have the new “People’s champ”, and fastest growing SmackDown superstar John Cena. It’s SmackDown’s number one face versus SmackDown’s number one heel. Your classic WrestleMania story!
If you think back to WrestleMania 6, the story back then models the story being built today. While the battle between Hogan and Ultimate Warrior was face versus face, it did match a lot of the same characteristics as the Cena/JBL battle at this year’s ‘Mania. At WrestleMania 6 it was the biggest thing in wrestling today Hulk Hogan toe to toe with the fastest raising star Ultimate Warrior. Matches identically with the battle that is set to take place on April 3rd for the WWE title. While I tell you this notion that the WrestleMania 6 main event is identical to the WM21, I must tell you this. Remember back to WrestleMania 6. Remember who walked out the WWE champion that night. A lot of people in wrestling thought it would be Hogan, the experienced and well known WWE champion. It wasn’t! It was the young guy, the rookie, the challenger. It was Ultimate Warrior. One of the most classic battles in WrestleMania history ended with one of the more classic endings: a NEW fresh face as WWE champion. This year you have the longest reigning WWE champion, Bradshaw taking on the polished young rookie John Cena. The stories are identical, but will the out come be?
Will John Cena become WWE champion? Only time will tell, but from all estimations I have to say I hope so. Don’t get me wrong I love JBL. I was the first columnist to publicly come out, and endorse him. But his time has passed, his championship reign MUST come to a end. And it MUST come to a end at WrestleMania 21. You see, it isn’t because he’s a stale champion now. He’s still the same charismatic and pompous champion as the day we first saw him. But it’s wrestling. Wrestling is like a bed time story. Here you have the bad guy, who always wins taking on the under dog (the good guy). Every story must come to a happy ending, and much like a bed time story you read to your children the good guy prevails victorious. John Cena must become WWE champion for one reason. It’s wrestling. And in wrestling you hand down your title when your time is done, and you pass down your legacy to another superstar. John Cena has waited patiently through thick and thin. From almost beating Kurt Angle in his first bout, to beating Chris Jericho, to taking on Brock Lesnar for the WWE title, battling the Deadman, and even FUing the Big Show to become U.S. champion one thing is for sure: John Cena has always had his eye on the prize. He’s earned his spot, and at WrestleMania he’s earned his title shot. Even more he’s done what many superstars in this industry wish they could, he’s earned his place as the WWE champion. He has earned his spot to carry the richest prize in the business. His time is now, and John Bradshaw Layfield’s time to drop the title is WrestleMania 21. Bradshaw has had his run, and it’s been fun. But this is wrestling. It’s time for a passing down.
Till next time……
Have A Nice Day, The Wright Way!
“We need a strong military and we need to lead strong alliances. And then, with confidence and determination, we will be able to tell the terrorists: You will lose and we will win. The future doesn’t belong to fear; it belongs to freedom.” – John Kerry
———————————————————————————————————–
Feedback!?
E-Mail: jjw14@sbcglobal.net
AIM: PhenomenalJordon
