Owens vs. Cena II: The Battle Of Ideals

The WWE rarely offers us feuds with meaning that goes deeper than the surface. The clash between John Cena and Kevin Owens is that one beautiful exceptions, which makes the WWE product worth watching. Their rivalry goes far beyond interpersonal issues, petty arguments or even championships. It came as a shock to the fans because it oversteps many boundaries that we’re used to respecting. Last week I looked at how Cena vs. Owens could affect the future of NXT.  Now, the feud has evolved and is reaching for deeper, more fundamental character issues. John Cena is sitting in the dock and the jury doesn’t seem to be in his favour.

There rarely are any effective challenges to John Cena. There’s always been someone who’d try to stand up to Cena for one reason or another. However, it wasn’t until last year when the core of John Cena was put under scrutiny in his feud with Bray Wyatt.  It was bound to happen sooner or later. The fans had turned on Cena, although, or maybe exactly because he hadn’t changed the slightest.

There is nothing bad about John Cena’s ideals. Hustle, Loyalty, Respect. Never Give Up. In Cena’s interpretation these words aim at painting an image similar to that of Captain America – a selfless, patriotic hero, who’ll fight to the last breath for what’s right. However, even in Cap’s case, I’d imagine everyone’s heard the joke that he’s “no one’s favourite superhero”.  At first, it doesn’t make any sense. Why would a man, who stands for the good in this world, struggle to appeal to the audience? Why would an arrogant superhero like Iron Man or even a straight-out villain like Loki have more admirers than America’s Hero? The answer is – for the same reason that Kevin Owens and not John Cena is favoured by the fans – nuances. In the real world, things are not simply black or white. In the real world, people have to re-evaluate their ideals in the face of adversity. In the real world, people have to get their hands dirty in the name of said ideals. Characters that can fight over and over again without putting even a single stain on their white cloak not only don’t capture the affection of the fans, but they become more hated than the villains themselves. It’s maddening to watch someone sit on his high horse and wave ideals at you when he has never been denied the privilege of being flawless.

When the Eater of Worlds targeted John Cena, he tried to expose the false nature of Cena’s unrealistic, superhero gimmick. However, Wyatt failed. It wasn’t because he was wrong about Cena’s character being a force-fed illusion. It was because Bray called Cena a liar and Cena isn’t one. John Cena truly believes every word he says in the ring. It is scary in a way, because in Cena’s case it seems like there is no man behind the gimmick. He is the gimmick, even in his everyday life. We sit here and claim that Cena’s selling us an impossible image, while he’s living it. Kevin Owens’ response to that was to call Cena delusional. In other words, despite Cena’s passionate beliefs, the model he presents to the people isn’t applicable in the real world. This is why mostly children like Cena. They are innocent. They still believe that good and bad are simple, opposing concepts. Adults have been pushed down by life enough times to side with Kevin Owens, despite him being the “bad guy”.

Owens is the other side of the coin. He’s too real. He delivers. I’ve always said that a real man is a man whose word has value. Owens takes the same stance. He never lies. He knows exactly how good he is and he simply demonstrates it every time he walks in the ring.  He’s a man, who’s struggled to get where he is now. He’s seen the ugly side of his dream before he achieved it, thus when he finally arrived to the top, he was already too cynical to enjoy the reality that once was a dream. It’s easy to see why a personage like that appeals to people. Not many are blessed with an easy life and those who have struggled despise Cena’s ever so righteous character. Kevin Owens is a middle finger to the good vs. bad paradigm. He’s everything that a heel could be and more but it’s incredibly hard to argue against what he says or does. Well, at least when it comes to the Cena feud.

Kevin Owens’ one weakness is Sami Zayn. All the talk about being a man of his word becomes entirely void of value the moment that honesty loses its purpose. Unlike Cena, Owens seems to lack morals. Against Cena, that’s not an issue. It never comes in the spotlight because Cena is the one who’s being judged. However, the fact that Kevin Owens would betray his best friends without as much as an explanation makes him unworthy of being a role model. I can see Owens’ logic. He says he does everything for his family. To provide for them, he has to be at the top. To get there, he needs to be the strongest man out there. Friendships, morals, principles- they are all weaknesses that can be used against a man. How many times has Cena been defeated because his loyalty towards someone else has been used against him? The most recent example of that is the Rollins/Edge fiasco that got the Authority back in power. That will never happen to Kevin Owens because he cares for no one. Ironically, his greatest strength happens to also be his one downfall. Lately, Kevin Owens has been talking about becoming the role-model his son needs; a realistic alternative to John Cena.  That will never happen. Children look up to ideals. Brutal actions that lack constructive ideological foundations can only build a villain to hate.

This opens up the issue of who should be crowned the winner of Owens vs. Cena II. Rumour has it that the creative’s leaning towards a second win for Kevin Owens. Hardly anyone would disagree with that decision. The fans have had enough of Cena’s perfect idealism. However, giving it to Owens would ultimately validate his claims. It should mean that the WWE is finally ready to say goodbye to the pillar that John Cena is. History is written by the winners and Kevin Owens being the winner would make sure to erase the influence of Cena’s legacy. Then again, let’s not forget this is wrestling. Here continuity is a whimsical concept. A victory for Cena would crush Kevin Owens. A win over Cena will give Owens a boost into space while Cena won’t lose anything. The best possible scenario for Cena would be to get a bit of a character development out of this. A harsh loss to Kevin Owens could potentially drown Cena in a sea of self-doubt. Cena could become a lost, much darker character until he finds himself again. Even a simple personality crisis of this sort would make the fans happy. However, Cena will probably just conveniently forget the loss and move on. He can afford that. Kevin Owens can’t. This is why Kevin Owens needs to win the battle of ideals. He might not become a hero but he can be the villain, who will call for the birth of a new hero.

What do you think? Comment below with your thoughts, opinions, feedback and anything else that was raised.