WWE WrestleMania 34: Could Samoa Joe Battle John Cena?

The Big Easy will once again host the Showcase of the Immortals.  A match that may appear on the WWE WrestleMania 34 card, especially after Survivor Series, is John Cena versus Samoa Joe.  The two have a long history and now are finally in the same company at the same time.

WWE WrestleMania 34 is in the near future but for now, we need to jump into our Delorean’s and head back in time.  The year is 2000 and a couple of fresh-faced wrestlers are cutting their teeth in California’s Ultimate Pro Wrestling.  Those wrestlers you may ask? None other than John Cena and Samoa Joe.  Their paths crossed early in their careers and now they very well may be on a collision course once again.

After their feud in UPW, Joe and Cena went on two very different paths.  One the route of the road warrior, making town after town.  The other went to the big company in New York and would hustle to earn the loyalty of the company and respect of the fans.  Both are incredibly successful and there is no argument.  Some will always try and say if it didn’t happen in WWE, it didn’t matter.  The thing with that logic is it’s illogical.

The most successful will be stars everywhere they go due to their work ethic.  If the roles were reversed I feel comfortable saying we would still be at this very spot.  Joe may not have been the face of the company for 10+ years, but he would be a top guy and John would succeed any and everywhere due to his work ethic.  John Cena has worked every single day to get better, do more and carry more of the workload than the day prior.

Samoa Joe has been the backbone of Ring of Honor as well as TNA.  He would have legendary feuds with CM Punk, Daniel Bryan, Kurt Angle, and AJ Styles.  He has worked with some of the absolute best this business has ever seen.  That is why he is so darn good, iron sharpens iron.  Through years of hard work, dedication, and sacrifice, Joe now sees himself as a force on Monday Night RAW.

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John would get the call up from OVW in 2002 and instantly be thrown into the deep end of the pool.  I would usher in the Ruthless Aggression Era with a feud with Kurt Angle.  Fast forward a couple years and he would win his first championship at WrestleMania 20, defeating the Big Show for the US Championship.  A year later and we would capture his first WWE Championship from JBL at WrestleMania 21.  The rest, as they say, is history.

The Destroyer and The Champ at the Showcase of the Immortals

April 8, 2018, WrestleMania 34, New Orleans, Louisiana.  The Big Easy could be poised to house a colossal clash between Cena and Joe.  During the 5-on-5 match at Survivor Series, Samoa Joe and John Cena would but heads and it felt electric.  17 years after they had their first feud, they laid some foundation to reignite that fire.  The exchange wasn’t long but the bricks were definitely laid for a future feud.

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The first step to creating this rivalry under the WWE umbrella was Survivor Series, the next will be at the Royal Rumble.  It won’t take much to advance the story, especially with the importance of the Rumble.  A simple elimination or even just an attempt could be all the kindling this fire needs.  Now it may seem like this is far-fetched and more of a pipe dream, but it really isn’t.  All the creative team would have to do is lay down their history, get the rights to some footage, and that’s all folks.

WrestleMania is the biggest show of the year.  WrestleMania has the auroa of creating legends and building careers.  A victory for Joe over John Cena at WrestleMania 34 would cement his claims at being the Destroyer.  This would also give Cena the opportunity to add to his legacy of being a traditionalist that wants to make the most for the new talent. WrestleMania 34 could be like a big fight between two legendary fighters.

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Samoa Joe has left a wake of destruction in his path since he joined the WWE.  John Cena has been the face of the WWE for over a decade.  These two with their past could tell amazing stories that would capture the imagination.  A simple jealousy from Joe or even a smugness from Cena and we’re off to the races.  A big-time Mania match would add to Cena’s resume and give Joe an enormous shot in the arm.