Psyko’s quick Saturday Night’s Main Event recap and other WWE news

I’ve got to say, Saturday Night’s Main Event really felt like the end of an era, and it was the perfect send-off for one of the greatest of all time. Like I mentioned in my previous column, it would have been a mistake to put Cena’s match on first, since it was the match the entire show was built around. By having it go on last, WWE was able to pay tribute to Cena throughout the entire show and make that final moment feel even bigger.

As far as the undercard is concerned, I think it did exactly what it needed to do, and that was elevate the NXT wrestlers. While a lot of fans didn’t like the ending of Oba Femi vs. Cody Rhodes, I didn’t mind it because I understood the reasoning behind it. They didn’t want to beat either guy, so they used Cody’s current feud with Drew McIntyre as a way to protect both men. If Oba hadn’t had such a strong showing during the match, I would have been more upset by the finish. However, the fact that he dominated most of the match made him look like a monster and showed that he’s more than ready to be called up to the main roster.

Sol Ruca beating Bayley was the right call. You needed one of the NXT wrestlers to get a win on that show, and it wasn’t going to be Je’Von or Leon, so it had to be Sol. Quite frankly, she deserved that big win against a future Hall of Famer like Bayley.

I kind of knew that Je’Von and Leon wouldn’t win the tag match, especially since Je’Von Evans had picked up a big win the night before on SmackDown. While the match itself was really good, it did feel rushed at times. You could tell they were going 100 miles per hour on everything, to the point that AJ even slipped off the top rope at one point because he had to rush his spot. Still, it was a strong match overall.

The Miz segment was a lot of fun, and I completely understand why he’s always WWE’s go-to guy. He cut a really strong promo about his history with Cena, even though that WrestleMania main event is often considered one of the worst in WWE history. R-Truth was the perfect comedic foil to Miz’s more serious tone. The highlight, though, was Joe Hendry, who once again came out of nowhere and attacked Miz. It was especially funny when both Truth and Hendry started imitating Cena. While I do think Hendry’s current gimmick could get old at some point, it’s still working right now and the fans are clearly behind him. I just hope he doesn’t stay in NXT too long, because there’s a potential megastar there, and it would be a waste to keep him down for an extended period.

Then we get to the Cena vs. Gunther match. Throughout the show, we saw multiple WWE stars and several of Cena’s celebrity friends thanking him for everything he’s done for wrestling. The Undertaker’s tribute stood out to me the most. While many people associate Kurt Angle as the one who put Cena on the map, I’ve always felt that Taker’s backstage segment with Cena after their match was the moment that truly solidified him. His tribute to John was perfect.

As for the match itself, I thought it was almost perfect, and the right guy won. My only issue was the ending, as it didn’t feel completely natural. Don’t get me wrong, this was the correct way to end the match because it made Gunther look like a monster heel and, as Michael Cole said, a career killer. However, the fact that Cena had a smirk on his face before tapping out made it look like he was doing Gunther a favor, rather than being forced to submit because of the pain.

I also loved the pre- and post-match video packages. The first one was a fun way to show how much Cena meant to the entire WWE locker room. The final package, while older, was a way to include Vince McMahon in Cena’s retirement show. That clearly meant a lot to John, as you could tell he was a little choked up when Vince appeared on the screen.

In the end, this was a great send-off for one of the greatest of all time. It also made me realize that we really don’t have many guys left who are on John Cena’s level. That’s concerning, because without massive draws like Cena, wrestling won’t be as profitable as it is right now. Hopefully, the new generation of wrestlers looks at how Cena became that top draw and gets inspired to reach that level someday. We need performers like that if we want the industry to avoid slipping back into being a niche product.

Other WWE News Recap

I also wanted to touch on two other WWE news items that came out this weekend before ending this column.

1. LFG adds Kevin Owens and Natalya as coaches:
If I’m being honest, while I like Owens and Natalya joining the show, it won’t be the same without The Undertaker. He really understood the point of the show and made it entertaining, especially during his interactions with Booker T. Now we have two legends and two current stars as coaches, which changes the dynamic. It should still make for interesting television, but it may hurt the show overall, particularly in the ratings.

2. SmackDown going back to three hours:
I had a bad feeling when SmackDown reverted to two hours last year that it wouldn’t be permanent. USA Network clearly views wrestling as a major asset, and as soon as they needed to fill an extra hour on Friday nights, they brought back the three-hour format. Personally, I’m not a fan of this. Weekly three-hour shows don’t really help anyone, especially when the PLEs are also around three hours long. I understand why it happened, though. It was likely written into the contract that USA could expand SmackDown back to three hours if they wanted, without consulting WWE. Still, it’s made me reconsider attending the SmackDown taping on January 23rd, especially since I already have tickets for Saturday Night’s Main Event the following night.

Conclusion

On that note, last night truly felt like the end of an era. Let’s hope the future produces another major draw on the level of John Cena. When top stars like Punk, Lesnar, and Reigns eventually retire—and that day will come sooner than we think—we’re going to need new names to step up. If wrestling is going to continue growing and remain mainstream, the next generation has to rise to that challenge.