/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/53004609/20170129_WM33_TEMPmatch_cena__1544cc5177b51d25210f42dd91e34f75.0.jpg)
We publish a whole lot of content here at Cageside Seats. We’re also [looks around and whispers so the bosses can’t hear] not the only place producing wrestling content on the internet. So, as a service to you on the weekdays, we’ll be producing a wrestling newsletter, "Rude Awakening." Well, it will be a newsletter eventually: for now, it’ll just be part of your experience here at Cageside, collecting the news, recaps, and social moments from the greater wrestling universe daily so you won’t fall behind, with a newsletter format to come.
* * *
No one knows who John Cena is going to face at WrestleMania 33. Well, the people actually putting together Mania know, sure, but as for us normals, we’re in the dark. The rumor kicking around before this week’s RAW was that Cena could end up facing Samoa Joe at the showcase of the immortals, but Joe showed up to choke Seth Rollins out on RAW in the service of Triple H, so that seems to be off the table. Dave Meltzer shared a rumor that was vague as it was subjective about Cena’s Mania opponent, saying that the match "wouldn’t be celebrated" and that it’s "not necessarily good news." If your first thought turns to another entry in the Cena vs. Randy Orton saga, it’s hard to blame you, considering no one is going to celebrate that and also Orton just won the Rumble.
Let’s not go to Defcon 2 just yet, though. This is going to be heavily rumor-based, so if you hate that stuff, scroll until you hit those links. Remember, Meltzer reported less than a week ago that Cena vs. Joe was a possibility at Mania. At that same time, he also said there were particular plans for who Orton could be facing at Mania that haven’t played out on television yet — and they didn’t involve Cena. So, if it’s not Orton, who could it be? Who out there would be disappointing to people as a WrestleMania opponent for John Cena?
The Miz might disappoint some. Those people are wrong, for what it’s worth. But there are those out there who still don’t see that he’s a legitimate main event talent, and might feel like it’s a waste to rekindle that feud. Again, those people are entitled to their wrong opinion, which, I must stress, is wrong. Miz probably is not who Meltzer is referring to, though, since after his SmackDown run it feels odd that even Dave would be throwing shade Miz’s way. Are people also wrong about Baron Corbin? An extended Corbin vs. Cena feud could be dope, even if it feels like Cena would win. Is it... is it Dolph Ziggler? Is that why Dolph turned heel? So he could face John Cena?
SmackDown, please. Shed some light on this soon, because living in the dark is frightening now.
- There are other rumors to chew on in the Tuesday edition of Rumor Roundup.
- RAW had an entertaining follow-up to the Royal Rumble that finished in a big, Samoa Joe way.
- Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn both showed their support for the victims of the Quebec City shooting.
- Kenny Omega says he could "easily have Cena and AJ’s best match in WWE," which sounds like a pretty easy thing for a guy who isn’t in WWE to prove as much to say. Not saying you can’t, Kenny: just saying that we’d love to see you try.
- The true Iron Man of the 2017 Royal Rumble was Sami Zayn, since he didn’t hide for like, an hour.
- In a related story, Chris Jericho won Geno Mrosko’s Dumbest Ass Award for his part in the Rumble.
- John Cena was the only choice to tie Ric Flair’s record. Wrestlers rarely have his combination of popularity, ability, and staying power.
- Tye Dillinger believes his Rumble appearance is one of the greatest nights of his life.
- Brock Lesnar challenged Goldberg to a final showdown at WrestleMania 33. We’ll find out if Goldberg accepts next week on RAW. It sure would be disappointing if he said no, huh?
- Braun Strowman failed to win the Universal Championship, because Roman Reigns owed Braun for the same thing happening to him on Sunday night.
- Yahoo! Sports ran an interview with AJ Styles before the Rumble, and there’s a fascinating section in there on Styles’ thoughts about John Cena on the indies.
- Fan reactions to Roman Reigns entering the Rumble are pretty, pretty good.