Vince McMahon is OBSESSED with John Cena vs Edge

[Ambiguous Turd]

I came down pretty hard on Vince for changing the Main Events of Wrestlemania 25 last year. According to the reports we were to have John Cena vs Randy Orton (which was done before, but not done to death) and Triple H vs Edge (done before but haven't been done in ages, so it was a very fresh feud).

But no. Instead because the IWC found out about his plans because they got leaked to the Internet (why is Vince so concerned about the Internet if we are such a small portion of the fanbase, anyway) ... and instead we got two overly stale feuds with John Cena taking on Edge once again (with Big Show mixed in) and THE OTHER most stale feud in WWE history-- Triple H vs Randy Orton.

This is the latest report that came out on Edge's progress:

WWE is running ads in the Lubbock, Texas area for an event in May which will be headlined by John Cena vs Edge for The WWE Title. This doesn't mean, however, that John Cena will necessarily be champion at that time, considering WWE changes plans fairly regularly. It does seem to be an indication, though, that when Edge returns from his injury rehab he will be moved to the Raw brand.

I want to know what Vince McMahon's obsession is with having John Cena vs Edge. If Cena and Edge are on different brands, and there is a tri-branded show, he tries to schedule another Cena vs Edge match at every opportunity.

Here is a record of the number of times these two have fought each other. Someone was nice enough to compile this list when it was discovered Vince changed the Mania main event last year around to include John Cena vs Edge.

-- John Cena and Edge have had a long and storied history. So much so that Cena's scheduled encounter with Edge and Big Show at WrestleMania XXV will be his 34th televised bout with the "Rated-R Superstar" — at the very least.

Cena has already had five singles matches with Edge on pay-per-view — all title matches.


Backlash 2009 - World Champion John Cena beat Edge in a Last Man Standing Match to retain the World Championship

New Year's Revolution 2006 - Edge beat John Cena to become the new WWE Champion

Royal Rumble 2006 - John Cena beat Edge to become the new WWE Champion

SummerSlam 2006 - Edge beat John Cena to become the new WWE Champion

Unforgiven 2006 - John Cena beat Edge to become the new WWE Champion



Cena and Edge have also had four other multiple person matches on pay-per-view (and another one on television) with the title at stake.


Wrestlemania 25- World Championship- John Cena defeated Edge and Big Show to become the new World Champion

Backlash 2006 - WWE Champion John Cena beat Edge and Triple H

07/03/06 Raw - Edge defeated WWE Champion Rob Van Dam and John Cena in a Triple Threat Match to become the new WWE Champion

Backlash 2007 - WWE Champion John Cena beat Edge, Shawn Michaels and Randy Orton

No Way Out 2009 - Edge defeated WWE Champion John Cena, Rey Mysterio, Chris Jericho, Mike Knox and Kane to become the new WWE Champion



They've had ten one-on-one encounters on free television — at the very least.

01/30/06 Raw - Edge defeated WWE Champion John Cena by disqualification

02/16/06 Raw - WWE Champion John Cena defeated Edge

06/12/06 Raw - WWE Champion John Cena defeated Edge by disqualification

07/15/06 Saturday Night's Main Event - John Cena defeated WWE Champion Edge by disqualification

10/02/06 Raw - WWE Champion John Cena defeated Edge in Steel Cage match

12/18/06 Raw - WWE Champion John Cena defeated Edge

12/25/06 Raw - WWE Champion John Cena defeated Edge

06/11/07 Raw - World Heavyweight Champion Edge defeated WWE Champion John Cena

06/23/08 Raw - John Cena defeated World Heavyweight Champion Edge

03/16/09 Raw - World Heavyweight Champion Edge defeated John Cena



At the very least, they've had fifteen more encounters through tag team matches on television.

09/19/05 Raw - WWE Champion John Cena, Shawn Michaels, Big Show and Matt Hardy defeated Edge, Kurt Angle, Gene Snitsky and Chris Masters

10/10/05 Raw - Edge, Kurt Angle and Carlito defeated WWE Champion John Cena, Big Show and Shawn Michaels.

01/23/06 Raw - John Cena and Ric Flair defeated WWE Champion Edge and Chris Masters

02/06/06 Raw - WWE Champion John Cena and Maria defeated Edge and Lita in a Mixed Tag Team Match

04/03/06 Raw - Triple H and Edge defeated WWE Champion John Cena in a Handicap match

04/10/06 Raw - WWE Champion John Cena and Triple H defeated Edge in a Handicap match

07/24/06 Raw - John Cena and Ric Flair defeated WWE Champion Edge and Johnny Nitro

09/04/06 Raw - WWE Champion Edge, Lita, and Randy Orton defeated John Cena, Trish Stratus and Carlito

09/11/06 Raw - John Cena, Jeff Hardy and Carlito defeated WWE Champion Edge, Randy Orton and Johnny Nitro

09/18/06 Raw - Edge, Trevor Murdoch and Lance Cade defeated WWE Champion John Cena, Shawn Michaels and Triple H by disqualification

11/20/06 Raw - WWE Champion John Cena, Shawn Michaels, Triple H and Ric Flair defeated Edge, Randy Orton, Big Show and Kenny

01/29/07 Raw - WWE Champion John Cena and Shawn Michaels defeated Edge and Randy Orton to win the World Tag Team Championships

02/15/07 Raw - WWE Champion John Cena, Undertaker, Batista and Shawn Michaels defeated Edge, Randy Orton, Montel Vortimus Porter and Mr. Kennedy

02/26/07 Raw - World Tag Team Champions John Cena and Shawn Michaels defeated Edge and Randy Orton

04/16/07 Raw - WWE Champion John Cena defeated Edge and Randy Orton in a Handicap match



This list obviously doesn't include post-Raw dark matches or bouts at house shows (which has been extensively done).

Does Vince get a hard-on seeing these two guys wrestle? Does he not think that people get tired of seeing these two wrestle each other?

What I would like to know is what his obsession is with constantly putting this match on and whether it bothers you or not, especially given the number of times it has happened, already.

 

[Midnite Express 2009]

wow, I knew they wrestled a lot, but that's a LOT. I can't think of any other feud other than HHH/Rock and Big John Stud/Andre The Giant from the early-mid 80s that just lingered on and on. I promise you this much though, had Edge not went down with an injury, we would have been subjected to more Edge/Cena through the course of last year. I guess to Vince's defense, he doesn't really have any other real marketable figures outside of those two, Taker, Shawn Michaels and Jericho to a certain degree. This isn't 1998-2001 anymore. Guess you get what you get until the next Austin, Rock, HHH, Taker, Cena or Edge comes along.

 

[Supernova]

Maybe he's trying to make a new Rock/HHH ongoing career long rivalry kind of thing, but instead of letting it happen organically he's obviously ramming in down our throats? This is probably because, like with Cena obviously being pushed as the Austin/Hogan of this era, he wants Edge to fill a role similar to HHH (yes, more so than Randy Orton), by being THE top heel that is always in and around the championship. Like The Rock/HHH, Cena and Edge can always produce a good match, and if rumours of Edge going face are true then it could add a new dimension to the feud, and might allow for Edge to go over Cena in the grand scheme of things this time around.

 

[Mitch Henessey]

Yeah, the Cena/Edge feud has been pretty dead since 2006. It's sort of the same thing with the Triple H/Orton feud. When it started out, it was interesting because you had greedy title hog HHH kicking the future in Orton out of Evolution because he wanted to be World Heavyweight Champion. The feud started out with so much promise, and it should've ended way back when The Game was still WHC, but it didn't. WWE dragged this feud out over the next five fucking years! WWE tried to throw a twist in there with the McMahon family in 2009, but it all went to shit when Orton admitted the whole IED thing was a fake.

When Edge beat Cena at NYR for the WWE championship via MITB, it was an awesome moment. I remember going nuts when Edge beat Cena (I ordered the ppv). This is back when Edge was peaking. He was a fresh face in the championship picture, and The Rated-R Superstar gimmick had taken off. Ever since then, it's like WWE uses this feud as a resort when there's nothing else left. I seriously think the triple threat at Wrestlemania was just to throw us off, and make it seem like it was something new. What I mean by that is, the addition of the Big Show. It's like WWE said, "hey let's throw the Big Show in there, so everyone won't think were just doing Edge VS Cena again". This feud, just like the HHH/Orton feud, peaked out a long time ago. Does anyone remember Unforgiven 2006? This is where Cena gave Edge the attitude adjuster through the tables. Now that moment had a "it's over" feel to it.. but WWE kept pushing this feud far after that.

If I had to guess what Vince's obsession was with Cena/Edge, I would say maybe because they're two of his top guys. Cena is with out a doubt the top face, and Edge is the #2 heel. Maybe Vince is trying to milk this feud for all it's worth?

 

[gtajoker01]

I agree how many times do we have to see edge vs john cena. they went at it all summer one year. I think its a way for vince mcmahon to make more money because he knows how great edge is in the ring and how great he is with merchandise and same with cena and also because they bring in the ratings.

 

[Golden badger]

I dont think Vince specifically is obsessed with Edge or Cena, or even obsessed with the prospect of pushing them. But i think a combination of the unimaginative writers at the WWE, and a lack of truly huge talent to have in the main events each month is the real problem.

It is extremely boring, the way theres permanently a structure to how these feuds go. It seems they have a throw away match, or a match that sets the feud off, thats your first month. Then you have a hugely over hyped singles match, that will almost always end via DQ or count out, or just another way to keep the ball rolling, and then finally, a huge finish to the feud a month later, which will either be a hell in a cell, or a ladder match, or a last man standing match or whatever. This has been roughly the way its always gone down, but it used to be so much more interesting, instead of the first two months being a bit of a throw away. But lately, it either expands further than that, or the same rivalries get picked up time and time again.

I know this thread was concentrating on the Edge & Cena feud, but in my opinion, out of some of the really drawn out feuds of the last 4 or 5 years, thats been the most consistently entertaining. John Cena & Orton eventually ended up being ok too, as there last matches were all stipulation orientated, which made for great viewing. As for HHH & Orton, ive never encountered anything as boring as that. What a huge cop out at wrestlemania too. The main event was not only mediocre, but it was a match we'd seen a million times before over the past 5 years.
All this being said, WWE must be aware of the problem, as all of a sudden, Sheamus is the WWE champion, and unless Goldust or Jamie Noble find themselves in the main event then were guaranteed a fresh rivalry. I still believe we can look forward to HHH vs Sheamus at this years wrestlemania, which would probably be a haldf decent match, but definitely nothing special, and which will also be giving HHH his 9th world title main event at wrestlemania. Now THAT is hogging the limelight

 

[DaBeeZy]

i think vince mcmahon is obbsessed with anything that he think well draw and make money reguardless of who fights.....i think the fact that john cena and edge keep fighting eachother has to do with the lack of a main event scene and the fact that there only maybe 4 top guys getting a shot at the title and as for how it used to be.....wwe champion always cena...world champion usually edge...so the fact the he can put 2 main eventers togeather that usually always have their brands respected titles seems to be a money maker...but whne over done like the wwe always tends to do it just becomes stale and lifeless.....but otherwise excellent insite on all the matches and where they took place..well studied good sir....love always big poppa dabeezy...first post by the way..

 

[Punjabi Nightmare]

I think they main reason why he keeps going back to Edge vs Cena is due to a lack of main-eventers. So he keeps going back to what has worked previously. If there were more top guys, then I believe there would new feuds. Also, this main event may be a old headline and they may not have updated it yet.

 

[Suneeboy]

The feud wouldn’t be so stale if the WWE added some depth to the storylines. The only story is “I want the belt”. Which is all we get these days, as the WWE has essentially gone away from personal feuds. The spirit of competition is not fun to watch when it comes to pro wrestling. Edge and Cena has become just that, just like almost every other feud in the WWE….(if you want to call them feuds).

Unless they can incorporate something into the feud to make it personal again then it will be a waste of precious time. Maybe if Cena was heel and Edge was face, that would freshen it up. But if its back to the same old “Ultimate Opportunist” vs. “Hustle, Loyalty, and Respect” I’ll pass.

Sidious, I don’t know why Vince gets a hard on for this feud. I’m sure it draws well, but all wells run dry eventually. We’ll see where it goes…but I don’t have any high hopes for anything the WWE does anymore.

 

[maar130]

I think they run that one because in his eyes, Edge is the perfect antagonist to Cena, also because it is almost guarantees the role of each man. Lets face it, Edge is the guy you love to hate and Cena has always been favored from that. With Orton it was almost guaranteed that at Wrestlemania 25 people would turn on Cena because of Orton's momentum and it was not the case with HHH VS Edge, which almost guaranteed people would go for HHH since he was a fan favorite and Edge is the complete heel.

If you heard the crowd even if it was against HHH, a lot of people favored Orton and lot of people booed Cena. With Orton's momentum and how he was cheered at the Rumble, pretty much would have took Cena's thunder off. I think it would have work wonders with Edge Vs HHH but Orton-Cena was a coin toss.

I think they also sees than even as stale as it was I t could give a good set of matches, like their last man standing match, none seemed to believe they would be entertained but since they have faced so many times and it happened to be a very nice encounter that keep people interested.

I think these guys won't meet again anymore but who knows, if Edge (who seems not very fond into working with HHH, and vice versa) goes heel again he at some point might be required to go with Cena one more time.

 

[Chill]

Flip me, I knew these guys had faced off many times over the short space of a few years but that list is unbelievable...that's a helluva lot of times indeed. All I will say is that when Cena and Edge square off, the results are usually always very entertaining as I think they both bring the best out in each other, I'd certainly rather watch Edge and Cena over Orton and Cena any day as they just seem to have a that certain chemistry needed to have an exciting match.

In saying that though, this has quite obviously been done to death, it's not new and while the matches Cena and Edge could have in the future will probably be good, it doesn't change the fact that it's been done before. I say keep Edge on Smackdown and allow him to face Jericho, let him turn face and freshen up his character.

That's another thing, if Edge goes to Raw you would have to assume that he'd be the heel and that's the same capacity he filled every other time he faced Cena and so once more that's nothing knew. Edge on Smackdown presents many more fresh options in my mind. Nevertheless, this move may not happen given how quickly plans are chopped and changed so let's wait and see if it actually happens before completely pissing over the notion.

 

[Trill Co$by]

Personally, I like the Edge & Cena matches way more than I like Cena & Orton matches. Every single time these two men go at it, they put on a clinic in the ring. Forget the fact that they've faced each other, just sit back and realize that these two have had so many great matches that "one more match" will NEVER hurt anybody.

Also, that match at Backlash 2007 was a Five way match as Mick Foley was also in it. Just thought I'd throw that in there... you know to give Foley some props.

 

[oldschoolfan]

Another Cena/Edge match isn't necessarily a bad thing, as long as it's done right.

First off, DO NOT make it a PPV match. We have paid enough times to see them go at it, no need to charge us again.

Most importantly, make the match believable. This match cannot be over in the average 5 to 7 minutes of most TV matches. It would have to be at least 20 minutes. A good match between C&E would be full of counters and new innovative moves, as each wrestler would have counters for their opponent's usual moves.

The match finish would have to be totally innovative. There is no way Edge should tap to the STF, or Cena pinned after a spear.

In short, WWE has to make us believe these guys know each other so well, we have to wonder what it will take for either to get the victory.

 

[finoj05]

I like when they milk feuds for all they are worth, but interest wise, that's it. John Cena vs Edge, and not Orton vs Cena, has been done and redone several times over. I have no desire to see those guys wrestler each other ever again.

They have had, and still have, chances to elevate new guys for Cena or anyone else to face, such as Christian, Matt Hardy, R-Truth or others. Sheamus is a breathe of fresh air, but he completely overstepped so many guys that deserve it more. They just decided to push him because he was buddies with HHH. If not, than they could have gave a similar push to ANY one else that really deserved it.

Cena really needs to turn heel. People have been saying it for 4 years now. They need to replace him and move on or elevate somebody else to face him, but even that gets boring.

 

[Shazam!]

Although they do put on some very good matches together, and have great chemistry, this feud has been done to death. The fact is, Cena vs Edge is still a draw and that's pretty much why he seems so obsessed with the feud. Although I wouldn't worry about a feud with Cena soon, since Edge seems to be returning as a face.

 

[mooseman]

From what I understand this is a house show. Is it possible this is Vince's way of easing Edge back into the game after the injury? Give him familiarity to wash the rust off.

 

[Kenny Powers]

Hopefully that show was booked months in advance, I don't think we will see that match again. House show cards are always subject to change. I wouldn't make sense if Edge is coming in as a face to feud with Jericho. There is no way WWE would ever turn Cena heel either. Who would want to see a face Cena go against a face Edge?

They did have a good feud at first, but eventually it got stale. In the past Edge has been feuding with about the same 4 people over the past few years. Jeff Hardy, Undertaker, Batista, and Cena. I wouldn't mind seeing Edge on Raw again, but WWE needs to stop these feuds once and for all.

Orton and Cena or DX shouldn't be the only stars Cena feuds with.

 

[Razor]

I don't remember a shitty Edge/Cena match. Then again, if it was shitty, I probably wouldn't remember it. But that's beside the point.

Maybe Vince matched those two up all the time because Vince was giving his top face (Cena) and top heel (Edge) battles. You know, Edge came into his own in that Cena/Edge feud from however far back. RVD cashed in his MITB after one of their matches, so whenever RVD was champion.

Maybe Vince knows they'll put on a good match, so he uses them to support the card whenever he can. You have to admit, he could do a lot worse than Edge/Cena. And I'm not going to bring up Triple H/Orton, though that feud was a bundle of shit after the first three months or so.

Maybe Vince is throwing us. It's just a suggestion. When Edge comes back, everyone assumes it'll be with Edge as a face. Maybe Vince advertising Edge/Cena it's his way of saying "Edge is coming back as a heel. Seriously. For reals." and then surprising us when Edge comes running in to spear a bitchy Batista.

Ewwww...never mind. Batista/Edge never needs to happen. Replace Batista with CM Punk. At least then I'll get to see Punk try to convert Edge. That ought to be fun.

At any rate, those may be why Vince is constantly shoving a Edge/Cena match to the forefront. I mean, those are the two biggest wrestlers he has going, barring the legends.

As far as what I think about it, house show wise I don't care. Hell, free TV I don't really care about. People can whine about the 50th Triple H/Orton fight on free TV, but that's just it. It's on free TV. The minute I get tired of repetitive fights is on PPV. I don't want to pay my money to watch Edge/Cena wrestle for the 10th time at Summerslam. I'm sorry, I just don't.

Now, the criticism about tag matches and multi-man matches I don't quite understand. Cena/Edge/Big Show/Triple H/HBK is quite a different beast than a generic Cena/Edge confrontation.

 

[JJohns]

I think one of the reasons we constantly see Edge vs Cena (also see Cena vs Orton and HHH vs Orton) is that they work very well together. They both hide the other's weaknesses and help to bring out their strengths. Outside of Orton and to a lesser extent Michaels and Jericho, there is no one that can do that with Cena on a consistant basis. Or at least that's how I see it.

 

[Ambiguous Turd]

The question that I have for those that keep seeing that "Cena and Edge work well-together" is that do you have a line to draw when it comes to seeing the number of matches two guys have "who may work well together"?

My question to you is "regardless of how well two guys may work together, when is enough actually enough for you guys?"

Or do you even have a line to draw? Do you feel that as long as these two produce good matches together, that they could wrestle each other on 75% of the PPV's each year and you still wouldn't care?

I just draw the line with this way of thinking because I get tired of seeing two guys wrestle each other time and time again. I don't care if they add Specialty Matches or anything else to the match to try and vary it. I want to see guys wrestling new opponents on a consistent basis.

And where as I realize that the number of PPV's that WWE does on an annual basis (one a month) makes this more difficult for them to keep coming up with new feuds ... that frankly, is their problem, not mine. You want my money, then satisfy my requests as a customer. I am not one to buy whatever WWE gives me, out of blind loyalty.

But the number of PPV's and this being a constant go-back-to feud to WWE, in the name of "Cena and Edge" working well-together is not an acceptable reason in my book, as it contributes to the stale product. Again, if the number of PPV's each year is a problem to come up with new feuds and opponents, that again is WWE's problem, not the problem of the fans. It's up to WWE to find a way to solve that problem.

Right now, they appear to be "solving" that problem by just ignoring it as an issue.

 

[Little Jerry Lawler]

The question that I have for those that keep seeing that "Cena and Edge work well-together" is that do you have a line to draw when it comes to seeing the number of matches two guys have "who may work well together"?

My question to you is "regardless of how well two guys may work together, when is enough actually enough for you guys?"

Or do you even have a line to draw? Do you feel that as long as these two produce good matches together, that they could wrestle each other on 75% of the PPV's each year and you still wouldn't care?

I just draw the line with this way of thinking because I get tired of seeing two guys wrestle each other time and time again. I don't care if they add Specialty Matches or anything else to the match to try and vary it. I want to see guys wrestling new opponents on a consistent basis.

And where as I realize that the number of PPV's that WWE does on an annual basis (one a month) makes this more difficult for them to keep coming up with new feuds ... that frankly, is their problem, not mine. You want my money, then satisfy my requests as a customer. I am not one to buy whatever WWE gives me, out of blind loyalty.

But the number of PPV's and this being a constant go-back-to feud to WWE, in the name of "Cena and Edge" working well-together is not an acceptable reason in my book, as it contributes to the stale product. Again, if the number of PPV's each year is a problem to come up with new feuds and opponents, that again is WWE's problem, not the problem of the fans. It's up to WWE to find a way to solve that problem.

Right now, they appear to be "solving" that problem by just ignoring it as an issue.

I believe even if they did have good matches every time, the fans would start getting tired of it if they fought ten times a year because they would clamor to see something else. The opposite of this would be Rock/Austin. They didn't fight very much but when they did the crowd was hot for it even though their matches weren't great in my opinion. If the feud would have ended in 2006 and then was revisited five or six years down the line, then I think it would be better received. I do agree that the free TV aspect has kind of ruined the mystique a little bit but Vince wants to give away those matches and expects us to buy the PPV for that same match, then it is not going to happen.

 

[Mr. TM]

I like Edge, I like Cena, and I like to watch them wrestle eachother in one on one matches, I just don't like seeing others added in to the mix. Really, they haven't had many one on one matches, the first being a two minute match at NYR. As long as Triple H, Randy Orton, Big Show, and others stay away from Cena it is alright.

Then are two of Vinces biggest draws especially as champions, and will both always be in the title feuds. That is why they see so much of each other, and until WWE is able to create more champions, this is how WWE will remain.

 

[wrestling fan 666]

Okay, first, DAMN!!! I knew they fought a lot, but that's too much.

This being said, from a business standpoint, if it makes money, puts butts in the seats, McMahon would sell out his own mother. So naturally, going right to a money maker isn't always a bad thing until the people complain too much (like when everyone bitched they were sick of Cena with the belt, now Sheamus has it).

If he were smart, he wouldn't put Edge in title contention right away. Edge was on the verge of turning face when he got hurt. Let him come back, have a feud with Orton for a while to become the number one contender. This way also, it gets the ring rust off of him as well as making one hell of a feud...these two could put on a show.

Once he comes off and wins the opportunity to face Cena in a face vs. face title match; have Cena show his true colors and cheat to win. This could set off quite a good feud with Cena heel and Edge face. It's different, it's current (half of the audience hates Cena already...me included), and it would help build character(s) in both guys. It could work...just don't rush it like all the other so-called feuds; they burn out before they even start.