"I'm Gonna Bury You": WWE May Have Just Made a Massive Mistake With John Cena and Cody Rhodes

There is no mistaking that John Cena and Cody Rhodes' microphone battle in London during the last installment of the WWE European Tour was one that will be discussed for a long time as the peak of their feud leading to WrestleMania 41. Once again, Cena came out first during Monday Night Raw and vented his anger on the crowd, adding a new piece to the puzzle of his heel turn. When Rhodes came out, he got the hero reception that was to be expected from the loud London crowd, but after the two stars had their say about each other on the microphone, it's possible that Cena did just what he promised in his promo, and "buried" Rhodes.

It's hard to have someone as popular as Cena play the part of the bad guy, but this is the narrative going into 'Mania: a bitter, disillusioned former GOAT who wants to take everything away from fans, and the hero who will stop him from doing that. Still, the issue with Cena, as he mentioned in his promo, is that he's just too good with a live microphone, and anyone standing opposite to him risks getting cooked and buried, which is not something you want to happen to the company's top babyface. But when Cena got personal with Rhodes, this is exactly what happened.

WWE Risks Turning the Crowds on Cody Rhodes by Giving John Cena Free Reign

The London Audience Was Cheering for Cena After His Virulent Promo

What happened in London must be a warning for WWE creatives to be more careful about protecting the established roles in this story. When Cena took his shots at Cody, he went a bit too hard, mentioning things that have been a common source of criticism for the current WWE Undisputed Champion. "You have to be authentic," Cena said, "you're too perfect, too polished, too rehearsed". These jabs all hit home for anyone who has been following Cody's rise in the WWE as an observer and not a diehard American Nightmare fan.

"You don't look like you," Cena went on. "After all these years, you're still afraid to show who you are." And it got worse, when Cena said that Cody is giving us a generic mix of every superstar he's ever loved and every TV show he likes. By the time Cena ended his promo, calling Cody "an errand boy that got lucky", fans were chanting John's name in the arena. It wasn't overwhelming, but it was loud and audible.

Cody's retort started good, when he addressed the elephant in the room, a certain controversial billionaire and former owner of WWE who, essentially, created Cena and built his stardom. Mentioning the fact that a lot of stars like Cody had to leave WWE to find better opportunities when Cena was at the top was also a great touch. However, he then ended on a mediocre tone, referencing the "You can't wrestle" chants that Cena has not heard in a decade. It was a needed segue for the physicality that followed, but merely a sting compared to what Cena delivered earlier.

Is Cena Speaking Too Many Truths About Cody?

Who Is the Real American Nightmare?

It's really hard to argue against Cena's arguments. Is the Cody we're seeing now the "real" Cody? The same one who was fooling around in Being the Elite and smashing Triple H's throne in AEW? The answer is, obviously, no. WWE Cody is, in many senses, a new version of John Cena, updated for modern sensibilities. A little edgier and cooler, more polished, but a corporate champion to the bone. The biggest criticism he's received is that he's too perfect to let fans relate to him, which shaped him into a cookie-cutter, white meat babyface. Which is exactly what the company needed, and there is nothing wrong with that.

However, a babyface can be such only as long as they have the unwavering support of audiences and fans. A big pitfall to avoid in pro wrestling storytelling is to make your heels too cool. When the bad guys are funnier, edgier, and speak more truths than the good guys, audiences will inevitably support them, which creates a roadblock in even the best stories. It was always a risk with Cena turning heel, and perhaps this is a reason why, according to reports, he won't appear in front of a live crowd until his match at WrestleMania 41. But is this the best course of action?

Will Audiences Turn on Cody at WrestleMania?

A Big Pitfall WWE Must Avoid

Cena's first two heel promos were focused on himself and the audience, respectively. He came out as a whiny, disillusioned, and ungrateful man who, despite all his success, still blamed the WWE fans for making his life miserable. That stuff was easy to boo. Cena's third outing, however, was entirely focused on Rhodes, and he dismantled the image of the American Nightmare quite effectively. Will audiences follow suit and get behind the "cool heel", who also happens to be an absolute legend on his last-ever outing at WrestleMania?

It's a big risk, and the next two weeks will be decisive. Even if Cena doesn't come out on TV, how American audiences react to Cody will be an important gauge. A good crowd can make or break a match, and this is the most important match in WrestleMania history. If the crowd boos the good guy, part of the magic will be lost due to the disconnect with the story told in the ring. A double turn in the style of Steve Austin and Bret Hart would be spectacular, but it feels way too soon to turn Cena face again, and WWE is staying pretty consistent with its storylines lately.

Ultimately, this confrontation with Cena could be a sign that Cody Rhodes will soon explore a new side of his character. Like in every great story, the hero has to come out of the confrontation with a villain with some important lesson. For the American Nightmare, it could be that it's time to stop being so perfect and finally show the WWE fans "the real Cody Rhodes."