3 Possible Endings for the WWE US Title Match at Wrestlemania 31

As Paul Heyman kindly took time to re-iterate this last Monday Night Raw, John Cena has indeed been suplexed out of the main event picture at Wrestlemania 31. Instead, he finds himself locking horns with the Hero of the Russian Federation, over the US Championship. WWE has confirmed that an era has passed by relegating Cena from the main event picture, and to the numerous critics of John Cena, this comes as a relief. Practically speaking, Cena is 37, and maybe those few valuable years left for him in active wrestling could be used to put over newer talent, rather than challenge for top brass. Rusev tickes all the boxes of a monster heel. He looks intimidating, speaks less and destroys more with John Cena yet again a victim of a Rusev ramapage on one of the few segments that qualified to be on the “Go Home” show of Monday Night Raw. This sets up the match nicely for Wrestlemania. Both Cena and Rusev have dealt the other a good deal of punishment, perhaps Rusev getting the better of Cena more times than not. Worryingly though, this could point to a dominant John Cena performance during Wrestlemania 31, but the WWE still could have a trick or two up their sleeve, and a Rusev victory cannot be ruled out. Here is the look at 3 possible endings that the showdown between Alexander Rusev and John Cena could have, come Wrestlemania 31.

#1 Super Cena rises again!

Off late, John Cena has not been booked as dominanty in the ring, as he perhaps had been during his stint as the face of the WWE during the PG era. A loss in the triple threat match at Royal Rumble, a demolition at the hands of the Beast Incarnate, and a loss to Rusev at Fastlane have confirmed the notion that the WWE is booking John Cena in a way that is reflective of a decline in his in-ring prowess. However, if history teaches us anything with respect to Cena, it is to never count him out. The talk heading into Wrestlemania 31 is that WWE is looking to add credibility to both the US and the IC Title by putting them on John Cena and Daniel Bryan respectively. This match has also been built up as a USA versus USSR match, and having a USA and John Cena victory seems to be the probable option that the WWE are going to excercise. It is perhaps naive to expect the WWE to do anything else. Rusev will likely come out strongly and dominate Cena, only for Cena to make a come-back with his infamous “five moves of doom”, to beat Rusev and win the US Title.

Though this might play up to the patriotic sentiments in the audience, in the long term, burying Rusev at Wrestlemania might not be prudent. John Cena does not need a Wrestlemania victory as much as Rusev, and while it might be outlandish to expect Cena to lose, the best one can do is hope that Rusev has a strong showing nonetheless.

#2 Rusev pulls off an upset!

While this might not be the most popular decision, having Rusev retain the title at Wrestlemania might be the most prudent course of action for the WWE. Rusev is a physical specimen, combining an intimidating physique with an athleticism that belies it, and if he stays injury free, he can go on to become one of the top heels in the company. After their match at Fastlane, and the consequent build that followed, everything points to Cena and Rusev having a great match at Wrestlemania.

While it would be the easy decision to make to have Cena beat Rusev, I would like to think that the thought of having Rusev retain his US title would have at least crossed the fringes of WWE’s mind. It might be a decision that might be unpopular in the short term, but beneficial when thought about in terms of a long term investment. A victory over John Cena at the grandest stage of them all, would be a highlight in Rusev’s career. It would aid Rusev’s transformation into a top heel.

A curious element that has been added to Rusev’s programming has been the conspicuous absence of his social ambassador, Lana. Perhaps having Lana come out during Wrestlemania and distract John Cena, thus allowing Rusev to pick up the shock victory could be on the cards? Or would it be too much to hope that the WWE could allow Rusev to pick up a clean victory against Cena? Either way, from a fan standpoint, it seems that having Rusev win is a more sound long term investment for the WWE.

#3 Finally the heel turn?

This could be ascribed as the holy grail of professional wrestling : A John Cena heel turn. Nothing has been more elusive in wrestling history. But could Wrestlemania 31 finally be the moment? To analyze this, we have to take a step back and consider how the product has been changing recently. The WWE have firmly phased out John Cena from the main event picture. Guys like Daniel Bryan, Dolph Ziggler, Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins have hogged the limelight and even a flimsy foothold of co-operation between the fans and the WWE has developed. We are delving thick and fast into the Reality Era, and nothing embodies this more than the Undertaker’s streak being broken last Wrestlemania. Added to that, he is coming back in Wrestlemania 31 to wrestle another match against Bray Wyatt which could only point to the fact that the WWE has consigned the significance of the streak to the past, and are well and truly moving on.

Thinking about it that way, a John Cena heel turn at Wrestlemania 31 cannot be ruled out. Having Rusev to go on and defeat Cena could be the final straw that is needed for him to snap. A vengeful Cena could go on to brutalize Rusev, before leaving the ring. This would be sound booking, as it would elevate Rusev with a victory as well as re-fresh John Cena’s character. One cannot deny that the allure that heel Cena would have on the fans, especially after the exhaustive baby-face run he has endured on them for the past few years.