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WWE: Why Cena/Reigns Feud Must End At No Mercy

By Josh Raibick

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With the two most polarizing figures in the past ten years in WWE set to clash at No Mercy, the real question becomes should this be the end of the John Cena and Roman Reigns feud?

The past few weeks have been filled with Twitter insults, buzz, and face to face promos since John Cena called Roman Reigns out on Raw.  Cena has been outstanding as usual in these confrontations, but Reigns has shined while also instituting an edgier attitude as well.  The major issue would be if WWE attempted to dilute this rivalry by trying to get every dime they can instead of using this moment as a platform for both men.

How many times have wrestling fans seen it before?  A feud is built up to culminate at a non-major four pay-per-view only to slowly be stretched out a few months longer.  There was a time where each pay-per-view was expected to be the culmination of a series of feuds, and only the feuds that had deep hatred would spill over into the next month or two.

In the case of Reigns and Cena, the storyline is pretty simple.  There are two men battling to be the lone face of WWE.  In the case of Cena, he has been Vince McMahon’s number one guy since the start of The Ruthless Aggression Era.  Whereas Reigns was handpicked to be Cena’s successor at some point during the end of The Shield.

Simply put, Cena is trying to prove that he can still survive at the top of the mountain, while Reigns wants to prove that the future is now.  So in a match that is meant to dictate whether there will be a passing of the guard, why would we want to see multiple rematches?

In the case of Hulk Hogan vs. The Ultimate Warrior, the match both men had at WrestleMania VI was so memorable because it symbolized a passing of the guard.  There was no excuses or rematches, it was just the two best finding out who the very best was.

Reigns and Cena at No Mercy actually tells the same exact story.  One man has carried a company on his back, while another has risen up the ranks to take that number one spot.

RAW. Photo by WWE.com

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By saying the feud must end at No Mercy, I am not saying the feud must permanently end.  In the case of Stone Cold Steve Austin and The Rock, both men benefited from quick single pay-per-view storylines with each other, so when they would come back together the rivalry still felt fresh.  Cena may never be a full-time wrestler again, but do fans believe that he is going away for good any time soon?

There will be other chances for these men to battle it out, which is why a powerful statement by Cena at No Mercy is not out of the question.  Imagine a big win by Cena, and how much more that would play into a storyline if him and Reigns had a rematch two years down the road.

The point is that this is not a rivalry similar to Shawn Michaels and Triple H or Matt Hardy and Jeff Hardy.  There is no ultimate betrayal involved that reinforces both men beating each other up in steel cages or parking lots.  This is two superstars who want to prove who the better man is in a 20 x 20 foot ring.

I know some people wish this match took place at WrestleMania or SummerSlam.  Well to be honest, I am tired of WWE taking pay-per-views off and only having anticipation for 2-4 events a year.  Pay-per-view events should not be used consistently to further feuds, they should be used to end them.  Raw and Smackdown Live should be the platforms used to enhance storylines more regularly.

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Instead of WrestleMania, imagine how much more special No Mercy will be with Reigns and Cena headlining.  WrestleMania will be special no matter what, let No Mercy be known as the event where Reigns and Cena settled the score, and we found out who was the best.

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