Fantasy Booking: John Cena vs. Dean Ambrose

According to PWInsider Elite, John Cena and Dean Ambrose could soon turn on each other en route to their goal of decimating Seth Rollins. Reports suggest that with Brock Lesnar unlikely to defend his WWE World Heavyweight Championship at Hell in a Cell, the spot in the Devil’s Playground will be granted to Rollins and one of his two rivals, with the other getting a match with Randy Orton as compensation. To determine who gets what match, Cena and Ambrose would face each other on a RAW leading up to the PPV, with the winner challenging Rollins in the Cell.

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Although many wrestling fans will cringe at the thought of Ambrose and Rollins’ stellar feud being interrupted by a brightly-colored megastar, this could be the beginning of a historical rivalry between the maniacal anti-hero and the polarizing superhero. Jim Ross in his latest blog drew attention to this, displaying an interest in where the growing tension between Cena and Ambrose may lead. Ross continued by stating that the animosity towards Cena in the audience would give Ambrose a huge rub as a fan favorite, which is something the WWE requires at the moment following the unfortunate injury to Roman Reigns.

Cena has been the biggest draw in WWE since 2005, and has been a permanent fixture in the main event. He has a beloved audience that delight in his heroic comebacks and never-say-die attitude. But, he also draws revulsion from a vocal section of the crowd that loath his corny jokes and cartoonish persona. Ambrose, on the other hand, is a typical anti-hero, who will take out anybody in his path to get what he wants in the end. He is crazy and takes risks whenever they arise, and though he has often ended up on the losing end more often than not, it has made him a sympathetic character of the masses. Cena has the look and history; Ambrose has the youth and emotion.

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The possibility to a feud between these two harks back to 2000/2001 and the issues between The Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin. Both superstars were babyfaces and the most talked-about guys on the roster. They showed respect to each other, but had no qualms about beating the hell out of each other when necessary. During these years they weren’t exactly feuding, but when they fought the crowds were more excited than at any other point in the night. Also, when they battled, The Rock always took the brunt of abuse from the crowd, whilst Austin was always cheered. This could be the greatest opportunity to bring back that same exhilaration that WWE has lacked in a while.

So how would one book a convincing rivalry between John Cena and Dean Ambrose? Well, let’s assume for once that the rumors are correct, and these two will fight for the right to face Seth Rollins inside Hell in a Cell on an upcoming episode of RAW. Have Cena win controversially when Rollins costs his former Shield brother the victory, building more sympathy for the Lunatic Fringe and making more people want to get even with his rival. This will initially be unpopular, but this would be far from over.

At Hell in a Cell, after Ambrose picks up the consolation victory against Randy Orton, have Cena getting the upper-hand against Rollins in the main event. Just as he locks in the STF, have the Authority charge the Cell with some bolt cutters, and unleash a beating on Cena. Ambrose comes to the rescue, a weapon in hand hopefully, and does something crazy to deal with Orton and Kane. But, when he swings for Rollins, he misses and hits Cena inadvertently, costing him the match against Mr. Money in the Bank.

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The following RAW, Ambrose comes out looking to get his hands on Rollins finally, but Cena comes out to accuse his maniacal colleague of costing him the match. Ambrose doesn’t back down, telling Cena that he was merely in the way of his plans. The two get into a brawl that needs to be separated by security, and they are booked in a match for later that evening. At the climax of their main event bout, they are both rushed by the Authority, building towards an elimination tag at Survivor Series.

Cena and Ambrose put their budding tension to one side briefly to lead a team of faces with little direction at the moment, like Sheamus or Dolph Ziggler. They band together to take on the Authority and other heels in a 5-on-5 battle, which leaves the unlikely allies of Cena and Ambrose as the sole survivors. This shows their mutual respect, but the tension is clearly visible.

The conclusion of this feud should be at TLC, where the pair compete in a gimmick match involving either ladders or tables, with the winner getting the right to face Brock Lesnar at Royal Rumble for the WWE Championship. After a heated battle with a number of close calls, and possibly some interference, Ambrose picks up a surprise victory to show he is the real deal, and make him and Cena look like long-term equals.

Ambrose battles Lesnar at Royal Rumble and falls agonizingly short, likely due to interference by Rollins to reignite their feud. Cena enters the Rumble itself, but falls in the wake of Roman Reigns’ ascent to the top of the card. The pair avoid each other for the most part leading into WrestleMania and have completely separate feuds, but at Elimination Chamber they have a staredown and brawl to keep the fans aware of their past battles.

This would be the beginning of what could soon become the rebirth of the Rock/Austin feud of 2000/2001. Cena and Ambrose remain faces that show mutual respect and team with each other, but blow the roof off arenas whenever they take the fight to one another. This will allow Ambrose to grow in merchandise sales as he rises up the roster hierarchy, and make the most use out of Cena while he remains the man in WWE.

Eventually, the feud will reach its hottest point when John Cena completes a long-awaited heel turn, consequently handing the mantle of Face of the WWE to Ambrose as a resident anti-hero. Cena should not turn unless Ambrose is the cause, and this would allow for as smooth a transition as possible once the Cenation finally has to hang up its neon wristbands.

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So, are you excited about a potential feud between John Cena and Dean Ambrose? Do you agree with how this scenario is booked, or would you do things differently? Feel free to leave a comment and let your opinion be known.