The New Dream Matches — The Rock vs. Nakamura, Reigns vs. Cena, More

“All men dream, but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds, wake in the day to find that it was vanity: but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act on their dreams with open eyes, to make them possible.”
-T. E. Lawrence

One of the great joys of professional wrestling is considering the potential matchups and scenarios that may awake the subconscious, sleeping fan in all of us. We can spend countless hours determining the ultimate combinations of talent that could blow us away with spectacle, storytelling and strategic grappling. We all ponder matchups in other avenues…what if Ali fought Tyson? What if Michael Jordan in his prime went one on one against Lebron James? It is too easy to sit giddy like schoolchildren with bubbleclouds popping from our minds, bursting of unlimited possibilities.

There are current musings and mumblings about how there are no more dream matches left in professional wrestling. I considered if this was a true statement and believed it for a time myself. Over the course of the past year, though, I feel that there is no doubt that there are potential matchups that are wholly capable of blowing the roof of any stadium or arena and if these rivalries were able to reach a creative apex, push the boundaries of the artform into new and exciting horizons. We fans truly sit at the nucleus of a new era…not one attached to a catchphrase or buzzwords, but over the course of the past 365 days I feel that amount of talent has grown and evolved to the point that some intersections are truly dream matches and programs in the making. Over the course of my work, I will analyze some potential dream matches I believe are possible. I expect and encourage discussion among us about what you think. You may not agree with all of them (and some of these may never happen in my lifetime), but this is the new dream I am having…

THE EMPIRE FACES THE NATION

Let’s get this one out of the way right now. We all know that at some point this collision is going to happen, it is just a matter of when. With Reigns handling duties in the midcard and Cena on the Smackdown roster, there is no way for the current “face that runs the place” and the intended heir apparent of WWE to interact for now. This is a matchup that is actually helped by the separation of the two superstars. I am certain that WWE plans to have Cena and Reigns face off at WrestleMania (where else would this take place), and it is my personal hope that WWE intends on keeping these two behemoths apart for as long as possible to build the anticipation to a frenzy. The story for this match will be atmosphere.

Roman Reigns is in a place among the fanbase where he is seen as the number one heel in all of professional wrestling, despite the fan-friendly presentation; a familiar position the leader of the Cenation knows too well…better, even. A clash between the two ensures a boisterous and visceral reaction from fans who will be split between booing against Cena and booing against Reigns. Or perhaps something unprecedented may occur during the lead up or during the match itself where the fans solidly get behind one of the two most revered…and reviled performers today.

What is exciting to me is how WWE will handle the traditional face/heel alignment. Something is going to have to come to blows that serves as the catalyst to Reigns and Cena agreeing to battle in the ring. Will it be a simple challenge from a John Cena who may need to prove that he really can hang with the “New Era” after failing to tie Ric Flair for most World Title victories? Perhaps Roman feels he has accomplished all he can in his career and needs to mark his stamp as the new face of WWE and in his mind, the only logical solution is to knock Cena out with a Superman Punch and a Spear.

A straight up, face to face challenge by either would plant the seeds for a “pure” fan-favorite battle reminiscent of Hogan/Warrior, but in bizzaro-land. That type of honorable, respect-based storytelling may be rejected by the fans. A clash of this magnitude needs real conflict: but who would initiate it? This constitutes either Cena or Reigns needing to go to the darkside and that would be a sight to see either way. Ultimately, our reaction to the match itself will be the selling point; will the atmosphere surrounding Cena vs. Reigns mirror Cena/RVD, Rock/Hogan…or Lesnar/Goldberg?

ELECTRIC SPECTACLE

The moment the King of Strong style started becoming a household name among the hardcore base with his extravagant entrances and performances at several WrestleKingdom events in a row, faint whispers rose of who could be paired with Shinsuke Nakamura’s undeniable ring charisma. There has never been a performer quite like Nakamura and there are not many on the planet that is able to hold their own with his infectious nature.

Except The People’s Champion.

The Rock is one of the top box office attractions in the world. Every time he enters a WWE ring, it is treated like an event. Electricity is not a simple buzz word for the Brahma Bull; that is how he conducts all matters in his life. The Rock’s major one on one battles in his career are absolutely iconic: Austin. Hogan. Cena. There is always a heightened sense of spectacle when The Rock performs that successfully infects the fans with a frenzy tantamount to the virus of 28 Days Later, something that The King of Strong Style understands through his battles with Kota Ibushi, AJ Styles, Kazuchika Okada and Hiroshi Tanahashi. Whether you agree with the NXT crowd’s swooning over Nakamura and humming his entrance theme in unison or not, the fact is the Full Sail faithful is using their voice uniquely and boisterously to support the New Japan veteran.

We used to be extremely vocal when it became apparent that Rocky Maivia was not someone we wanted as a hero, but The Rock was. There is a desire (and potential Box Office) to see the most successful talent to transition into the mainstream lock horns against the current standard-bearer for charisma and leaving it all in the ring when the big match calls.

The potential verbal jousts between the two leading up to this match hold all the promise in the world. How would Nakamura react…to anything The Rock throws at him? Yes, Nakamura’s first language is not English, which may seem to place him at a disadvantage, but his in-ring charisma and physical storytelling may be the peak of the industry right now and could throw some physical gesture at The Great One to throw him off his game. Just whatever insane awesomeness Nakamura would conjure up for his entrance alone could force The Rock to step up his game.

Finally (…FINALLY!) there is the match itself, where we would get to witness how The Most Electrifying man combats against Strong Style. Could The Rock survive the stiff strikes and kicks of Swagsuke? How would Nakamura counter a Rock Bottom or The People’s Elbow? Would The Rock’s management team even allow him to get into the ring and risk some form of real-life injury because of those forearms or feet? Would that be a matter that Nakamura drums up during the build? Would Rocky find himself in a place for the first time in a while where he truly needs to find out if he can hang with the future direction in regards to style within the industry; perhaps needing to dig into his darker antics? Nakamura during his stint in New Japan was not only entertaining, but absolutely terrifying and monstrous as a heel as well and that viciousness may surface. Would The Rock (or his handlers) be legitimately terrified of a Kinshasa?

The questions are too numerous and the potential answers are too exciting not to explore. This could be the ultimate clash between East vs. West WWE has always clamored for since Inoki battled Ali.

THE ASCENT OF EQUALITY

I have said this repeatedly and will continue to champion this belief: Sasha Banks will be one of the first women to successfully main event WrestleMania. In her evolution and embrace of The Boss persona, Banks arrived at a level of performance inside the ring that was unprecedented…not because of gender, but because of age. Sasha Banks is currently 24 years old and has already amassed a list of great matches – a few in consideration as all-time classics to be remembered for decades. The Boss has not even scratched the surface of her greatness, yet she already exists to as close of a well-rounded performer one can get. On top of all this is Banks’ legit marketability and credibility as a top-notch in-ring performer with classics against Charlotte, Becky Lynch and Bayley under her belt, giving no reason to believe she would not be engaged in one of (if not the main) selling point of a future WrestleMania.

Those with a particular old-school viewpoint on how pro wrestling must always present itself may laugh and ridicule this notion, but history has proven that progress will always prevail. Old ideas die hard, but they do die eventually and it will be Banks’ image that fans will fall on their own sword to ultimately prove if their love of the artform of professional wrestling is truly unconditional or if there are limits and biases that will leave certain ideas in Dusty (if you weeeeel…) history books. The only factor left is deciding Sasha Banks’ opponent. It is a common idea that the spot be reserved for her polar opposite and equal, Bayley. If Banks/Bayley was the first all-female encounter to main event WrestleMania for the WWE Women’s Championship, there would be no argument from me; but there is an idea bubbling inside my being that is too good to pass up, and could develop into a story that may be bigger than the Women’s Title itself and translate as the ultimate bedrock and tantamount arrival of the “Women’s Revolution”. Enter Trish Stratus.

My fellow Torontonian entered the wrestling world as a fitness model that many believed would never adapt into one of the female grappling greats such as Manami Toyota, The Fabulous Moolah, and Madusa/Alundra Blayze, only to arguably surpass them all upon her exit of industry. Stratus’ run, when you think of her evolution from eye-candy valet of Test and Albert (T and A) to her retirement as WWE Women’s Champion crowning her as the greatest female performer of the modern era is the stuff of legend. Within a year of her arrival the WWF, The Queen of Stratusfaction found herself in the middle of the McMahon family drama that lead up to WrestleMania X-7 and the definitive end if the Attitude Era.

Stratus endured one of the most misogynist and distasteful moments in WWE’s history as she was forced to bark and crawl around like a helpless dog and complete property of Vince McMahon and did not let that moment define her career, as she emerged as the benchmark and dominated in popularity and in-ring acumen over the likes of Lita, Mickie James, Christie Hemme, Victoria, Jacqueline, Molly Holly, Gail Kim, Jazz, and Ivory. Stratus’ absolve and clear-cut determination to outclass any expectations of what she could achieve in the ring and hone her craft was the catalyst of her leading a women’s revolution before it became a catchphrase; Trish became so synonymous with the endless success women could achieve as a professional wrestler that she was destined to retire from WWE as the undisputed greatest of all time in her home city of Toronto by besting longtime rival Lita and leaving with the WWE Women’s Championship – taking with her arguably the last great era of female performers before the Kelly Kellys, Brooke Adams and Bella Twins of the Divas Era. Stratus would compete in a couple of attraction matches at post-retirement and still showed the ability to wow fans as much as her male counterparts. Stratus had already main evented RAW, but now with a very real discussion about the first female competitors to draw the WrestleMania main event spot has emerged, one can argue that Stratus has earned her place to be among the chief favorites to fill the void.

Imagine the surprise of the wrestling world when Stratus would emerge on RAW, claiming herself as the undefeated champion who has lifted her retirement solely for the purpose of placing her claim as the greatest Women’s Champion of all time up on the line to see if Sasha Banks truly is worth the hype she has heard about. Goosebumps just writing the thought down. Would Stratus re-enter the title scene as the popular competitor and greatest champion ever, or would she antagonize The Boss as the smarmy and ultra-cocky heel that displayed the apex of Stratus’ capabilities as an in-ring performer? Perhaps Sasha Banks finds herself in a scenario where she has defeated all that has stood in the ring against her and Stratus arrives to pull a now unbearable and arrogant champion off of her perch. Maybe this is the transcendent duel wrestling needs to finally legitimize to the world the journey of female competitors akin to Hogan/Warrior, Rock/Austin and Hogan/Rock and let the fans cheer their favorite freely. This would not only place a final stamp on the arrival of serious-minded female wrestling, but could serve as the vindication of the new crop of female competitors by the last great guard of female competitors that helped paved the way for women to end WrestleMania solely on their merits as a pure in-ring performer and master storyteller to their fans. Even if this is not the match that brings WWE to ultimate gender equality, the moment is due to arrive sooner rather than later.

And to the professional wrestling fanbase, that is the stuff dreams are made of.

Next Week…

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