WWE: 3 reasons why John Cena should not face Elias at WrestleMania 36

Give Cena a bigger opponent

Although Elias is a fan favorite and a talented performer who gets the audience’s attention – we’re talking about the live audience here – every time he comes out, he’s not a marquee opponent for Cena at WrestleMania.

If Cena has a match at the Show of Shows, it needs to be an “attraction” match or a match that properly puts over an up-and-coming star. Since Elias is still getting momentum and hasn’t been pushed as the “next big star” a la Drew McIntyre, he’s not winning. So if he’s losing, then Cena needs to face an already established opponent that will garner widespread attention. In that case, a shorter match can have appeal.

Last year, fans were buzzing about the possibility of Cena having a match with Kurt Angle, whom he memorably debuted against. It didn’t happen, because the card didn’t need Cena as a wrestler. Instead, he had a memorable “Dr. of Thuganomics” segment with Elias, which helped put over “The Drifter” more than a loss ever would have.

So if Cena is called up for a match this year, it needs to serve a purpose. Either put an up-and-comer over – unlikely, honestly – or give us an attraction fit for the Show of Shows. I’m not sure who that opponent would be, but surely WWE can come up with something akin to Triple H vs. Batista in 2019.