The Road To Wrestlemania 29: John Cena

Last year's Wrestlemania may have been Cena's darkest hour.

I know there's a certain portion of you who've been clamoring for more Wrestlemania preview goodness similar to last year, but I've got what I believe to be a better formula for deciding just who we want to root for at the biggest show of the year.  What follows is the first article in my new Road To Wrestlemania series.  Each day over the next week you will see new additions to the series that will spotlight each major competitor's journey to the big stage and we will take a look at just what they will be looking to accomplish at the show of shows. 

Who better to start with then the man with perhaps the most prominent journey of the past year, John Cena:

Note: All stats are recorded from the Wrestlemania events prior to 2013.

The Rundown

 

Wrestlemania Record: 6-3

Main Events: 8

World Title Matches: 7

Biggest Match: Wrestlemania XXVIII Vs. The Rock

Best Match: Wrestlemania XXIII Vs. Shawn Michaels

 

 

If we're talking Wrestlemania resumes, it's easy to rank John Cena amongst the all time greats, but his loss to The Rock in the biggest match of his career has come to overshadow everything he's ever accomplished.  In Cena's mind, no amount of title wins and standout matches would ever equate to defeating his greatest mania rival once and for all.  And after being humbled in their first encounter, his resolve is stronger than ever.  He's gone on record as pointing the finger directly at The Rock for sending both his career and personal life down the drain.  It's debatable if this was indeed his worst year yet, but when you run down his track record in between the April 1, 2012 to April 7, 2013, it's definitely not one he'll want to remember:

April 2012 - After Wrestlemania, Cena encountered the returning Brock Lesnar in what was arguably, the hardest fought battle of his entire career.  A beaten, bloodied and exhausted Cena managed to defeat the monstrous MMA brawler, but he would feel the effects of this war for weeks.

May 2012 - With his brutal battle with Lesnar taking it's toll, Cena hinted at the idea of an extended vacation from the WWE.  It wouldn't come to fruition however as John Laurinaitis would declare himself Cena's next opponent at Over The Limit.  After interference from Big Show, Laurinaitis would successfully defeat Cena.  On a more personal note, various news sources such as TMZ would announce that his wife had filed for divorce.

June 2012 - Cena defeats Big Show in a Steel Cage match at No Way Out.  Serves ya' right, big guy.

July 2012 - Cena wins his first Money In The Bank briefcase and would subsequently become the first competitor to unsuccessfully cash in the contract after his WWE Championship match with CM Punk was interrupted by Big Show (call me crazy, but I'm thinking the guy REAALLLY doesn't like John Cena) giving John the win by DQ at Raw's 1000th episode.  And as we all know, the title can't change hands via. disqualification.

Nevertheless, he was still the central figure of many a smark nightmare over the course of the month...

August 2012 - Cena was again unsuccessful in a WWE title match with both champion CM Punk and Big Show at Summerslam.

September 2012 - Cena battled CM Punk in his hometown of Boston in a near five star classic at Night Of Champions.  It would appear as if he had the battle won after a top rope German Suplex, but the result was ruled a draw after it was discovered that both men's shoulders had been pinned to the mat.

October 2012 - Cena was placed out of action for six to eight weeks due to an arm injury.  He was then replaced by Ryback in the main event of Hell In A Cell.

November 2012 - Cena was AGAIN bested by CM Punk after losing via pinfall in a triple threat match with Ryback at Survivor Series.  He also began a mini feud with Dolph Ziggler and AJ Lee.  Oh, and he was rumored to be dating Nikki Bella.  So yeah, it wasn't all bad.

December 2012 - John Cena main evented the last PPV of the year in a TLC match with Dolph Ziggler.  Ziggler's MITB briefcase was on the line and more importantly, his status as a rising main event star.  Ziggler would earn the biggest win of his career to date that night after AJ Lee ran interference and cost Cena what was thought to be his last chance at redemption.

Oddly enough, he was still the recipient of the Slammy Award for Superstar Of The Year

January 2013 - John Cena entered the royal rumble match at number 19 and would emerge victorious after last eliminating Ryback.  He is now only the fourth man to ever win multiple rumbles.  Children cried, woman rejoiced and men around the world threw their replica belts through their television sets.

February 2013 - Cena would unsuccessfully lead the team of Sheamus & Ryback to victory against The Shield at the Elimination Chamber PPV.  The month would end on a high note however after he was able to finally earn a clean win over his greatest rival of the decade, CM Punk and cement his status as the #1 contender for The Rock's WWE Championship.

John Cena had a 4-6-1 PPV win-loss record since last year's Wrestlemania.  Not the worst of the year, but definitely not where he wanted it to be.  Still, one can understand how his loss to The Rock could have affected his morale and now that he's bounced back, the two are again set to collide in the main event of Wrestlemania.  And this time, the WWE Championship will be the centerpiece.  That being said, there's only one thing left to determine...

John Cena's Wrestlemania XXIX Outlook

So where's John Cena's head at right now?  I'd say he's at the biggest crossroads of his career.  Gone is the confident and borderline arrogant Cena who came in last year having beaten everyone on the roster & he essentially set up his first match with Rocky by going on national TV and exclaiming "Hey Dwayne, GO FUCK YOURSELF".  To which The Rock retorted with "Just Bring It because it doesn't matter what your name is, IF YOU SA-MELLLLLLLL what The Rock, is cookin'.  Oh and by the way, You're a woman.....so there!"  (Seriously, you could sum the build of the last match up in those two sentences alone). 

Fast forward a year and Cena appears to be finally considering a turn to the dark side (because yeah, he might as well since everyone in the NY/NJ stadium is going to throw flaming bags of shit his way the minute he makes an appearance) and it may very well be necessary if he wants to stop a juggernaut like The Rock.

No matter whose side your on, there's no chance in hell that Cena is going to let The Rock walk out of that arena still the WWE Champion.  That may piss a lot of you off, but it's the truth.  He hasn't held the title in nearly two years.  And call me crazy, but I don't think that's an issue he takes lightly.

Odds of a victory: Very High