Let's begin by stating the obvious: the ending of the main event of WrestleMania 41 Night 2 felt bad. Travis Scott's interference slowed down the match and resulted in one of the most historic moments in the history of pro wrestling being determined by a celebrity. However, what WWE fans who are flooding the internet with their rage are not considering is that it was always supposed to be that way.
When John Cena said he was going to ruin wrestling, he meant it. And he had no intention of starting after he won his historic 17th championship. For the entire night, Cena played the part of the purest heel ever seen. His entrance was monochrome, with no pomp or circumstance. His gear was black. He worked the match like a 1980s heel, keeping it grounded, slow. And the finish was the worst that fans could come to expect. Because Cena is a bad guy, why would he ever want to give us what we want?
John Cena Is Committed to His Heel Persona to the Extreme
WrestleMania's Finish Was Determined by a Larger Story
It would do good to that John Cena reached the unparalleled heights of success by being ultra-committed to his craft to a level never seen before. Cena has been honest in interviews about how much his dedication to work and personal achievements took over his life, to the point of almost ruining any other relationship he had. This is a man who kept playing Superman with a straight face when entire arenas were booing him out of the building, so thinking he would not be just as committed to playing the bad guy means not knowing who John Cena is. Fans who wanted this to be a great wrestling match, ending with the two competitors hugging it and Cena getting his flowers, had the wrong expectations.
The main point of this story (as we've been saying for a long time here at Screen Rant) is that Cena was not going to retire at WrestleMania 41. No matter how odd it seems, his last WrestleMania match was only a step in this big retirement story. Comparing it to a classic storytelling progression, such as that of "The Hero's Journey" created by Joseph Campbell and popularized by Dan Harmon of Rick & Morty fame, Cena has just ed the "Ordeal" step and has now claimed his "Reward". The next step is about realizing how that coveted prize was not the final hurdle, and claiming it may have made things worse. To make it simpler: Cena's next step is the path to redemption, but to make it good, he first had to stoop really low. Like letting a rapper determine the outcome of his 17th championship win.
The Rock Not Showing Up at WrestleMania Was Actually Good
He Would Have Taken the Spotlight Away From Cena
With a crowd that was solidly on Cena's side, having any other finish would have pushed him once again on the babyface path, but it would have been way too soon. WWE still has a great story to tell with John Cena, and to get to the highs, you first have to endure the lows. However, this was still Cena's final WrestleMania match and his final championship win. It was still his moment, no matter what character he was playing, and he deserved to enjoy it without the cumbersome presence of another big star who tends to hog the spotlight. Many fans are complaining that The Rock did not show up once during this feud, after setting it in motion at Elimination Chamber, but we should perhaps consider that this is what the parties involved wanted.
If we take for good the rumors that Rock actually wanted Rhodes to turn heel, and the latter refused, then we can infer that he has no will or reason to get involved in the Cena retirement story, and that's better. This is Cena's story, and it's not like he and Rock have had the best relationship over the years. If Johnson sticks to playing the Devil in the shadows, then his presence will become necessary again when Cena starts doubting this new path. Also, Allegiance Stadium would have likely popped for the Rock, putting in jeopardy the babyface-heel dynamic that Cena and Rhodes were sticking to. Don't forget that, once Cena is gone, Cody will be left to hold the fort, so WWE is showing wisdom in trying to protect him from hostile crowds.
Triple H Doesn't Care About Internet Fans
The Crowd Is What Matters
The negative reactions to WrestleMania 41's finish are coming from fans online, of course. Those in attendance at the stadium have expressed mixed opinions, but the consensus seems to be that the main event was still entertaining and kept them engaged. It's easy to imagine that most of them paid to see Cena win his 17th championship, and they got that. In the final moments of the event, Cena was trying really hard not to smile and keep his bad guy facade as the crowd chanted "Thank you Cena!" and applauded him on his way out.
Talking on the Pat McAfee show earlier in the day, WWE Chief Content Officer Paul "Triple H" Levesque was very clear about how little he cares about the opinion of fans online, which he described as "hypercritical," adding that he "doesn't put a lot of stock" in what they think. He called the live crowds "WWE's focus group," and that's the one they listen to, using the example of the negative reactions online to Jey Uso's Rumble victory. These are hard facts, but it's hard to argue with them. WWE makes a large share of its income from ticket sales (which grow more expensive by the day), so why would they care about internet fans more than paying customers in the arenas?
Overall, this was a controversial WrestleMania in of reactions from fans. Once again, rather than look at the moment, we should perhaps give WWE some credit and wait to see the bigger picture. If they decided to willingly make John Cena's final WrestleMania match "feel bad" in order to tell a better story for the rest of the year, then that's something we should respect, not berate.
