WWE SmackDown, January 10: Early Expectations for the Show

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1. An Edgier John Cena Playing with the Fans Hoping for a Heel Turn

John Cena is not the same person he was before. The face that used to run the place has a different aura surrounding him ever since his return last week. Cena would show flashes of his Doctor of Thuganomics gimmick during his promos. His promos were rich with passion and intensity and dark tone that we have not seen from Cena in a long time.

Expect Cena to carry the same intensity and gray shade to next week as he faces Baron Corbin. One would also expect AJ Styles to be in on commentary and try and cost Cena the match. The results and outcome of the match are still in the air. One can only hope that Corbin does not lose all the momentum he has created for himself. However, it is Cena that I, for one, am most curious about. Is 2017 finally the year that Cena snaps? Dolph snapped in an emphatic passion. Why can’t Cena join the party?

His response to AJ Styles unlimited supply of insults was rather intimidating. For the first time in well over a decade, Cena addressed the fans that chanted ‘Cena Sucks’.

Next: WWE SmackDown Live Review for January 3

That is the kind of intensity and emotional investment we haven’t seen from Cena. Super Cena always showcased respect and patience that was out of this world. But the WWE Universe no longer needs Super Cena. What we need is a very human Cena who can accidentally let his emotions get the better of him. Expect Cena to carry his edge going forward. Expect him to address the ‘Cena sucks’ chants more in the future. If we are lucky, expect Cena to finally snap and evolve once more.