What DID Bother Me: AJ's Involvement (Or Lack Thereof)
Overall, I've enjoyed AJ's new character and the dynamic she has provided to the Punk/Bryan feud. But RESOLVE is a good thing that's better when it's appropriately revealed. Last night certainly didn't add closure and I'm afraid that means they aren't done with all of this yet.
The longer AJ is intertwined with CM Punk, the less Punk gets out of it. He's already miles away from where he was just a year ago, and sensitivity, love, and drama isn't going to do him any favors either.
A year ago, Punk was an outspoken, rebellious, cool guy that left fans wondering what in the world he was going to do or say next. Now, Punk is fighting more over a girl than he is the WWE Championship.
If WWE does have plans to move on from at least Punk and AJ, then last night was a very anti-climactic result to the biggest storyline in the company for the past two months.
On a positive note, the match was very good as usual. Daniel Bryan and CM Punk have natural chemistry with one another and it's easy to get emotionally invested in their matches. However, with Cena winning MITB and SummerSlam right around the corner, I'm afraid we might be coming to an end between these two rather quickly.
CM Punk will be fine, but where does that leave Daniel Bryan?
What Did NOT Bother Me: John Cena Wins MITB
It simply can't bother me anymore. You shouldn't let it bother you either.
John Cena is STILL the number one draw in pro wrestling and he's the public face of the company. Until that changes, he should continue rising and falling from the top, over and over.
And while I agree somewhat with the argument that John Cena makes it hard (damn near impossible) for others to get over, I also understand that you can't have ten John Cena's at a time either.
Realize that John Cena is the type of guy that comes around once a decade, maybe, in pro wrestling. Hulk Hogan, Austin, Rock, Cena…yes, I put him on THAT level of superstardom. If I'm right and Cena is in that particular "league of their own", what would you do if you were Vince?
I'm pretty sure you would ride until the wheels fall off. And even then, you'd repair if possible and ride some more.
Please understand that I agree John Cena is stale, and I don't enjoy being force fed the same ol' stuff all the time either. Creatively, there are a number of things I would have done (and would still do) different with his character, but from a business aspect, I completely understand why he's put in these situations all the time.
All that said, I also consider him talented and still enjoy watching him in general. I give Cena more credit than a lot of you do, so maybe that's another reason I'm not quite as bothered by last night's outcome as I'm anticipating many of you will be.
I did NOT like the fact they had this match in the main event spot though. It just killed any thought that the MITB winner could potentially cash in at the end of the night. Plus, it just seems stupid to put the WWE Championship contract match after the match with the very title it's designed to put over.
