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| photo courtesy: ringsidenews.com |
With the United States Championship not on the line, Cena can afford to take the loss.
One of the biggest needs for the WWE right now is top heels. Owens has proved during his time on the independent scene and in his short time with NXT that he is one of the most cerebral and merciless wrestlers in the world.
From a storyline perspective, Cena losing makes sense. Not only has he been constantly battling challengers in the open challenge, but he was also in several wars against Rusev. All the wear and tear should be taking its toll on the U.S. champion.
If anyone can exploit that advantage, it would be Owens.
One of the first and most obvious problems with this theory is Vince McMahon. The notoriously fickle booker has shown his dedication toCena, and allowing him to lose to a main-roster rookie would be hard to sell. Owens does have real support from Triple H, and if there was ever the time to give someone the rub, it should be the hand-chosen star.After standing toe-to-toe with Cena on the mic during Raw, Owens looks like he belongs in the same conversation as the United States champion. With one victory, the NXT champion could prove to everyone he is already one of the best.
On the other hand, Cena is coming off three straight PPV wins overRusev. He doesn’t need another victory, and with the amount of credibility it would give to Owens, passing the torch metaphorically to a younger talent would be a huge moment.
The best part would be that with Owens retaining the NXT world title Wednesday and starting a feud with Samoa Joe, his stint on the main roster will likely be a one-match deal. If Cena takes the loss at a meaningless Elimination Chamber PPV, he could gain it back against Owens in a marquee Survivor Series or WrestleMania match down the line.
Owens is just one of several NXT stars recently making their main-roster debuts, but the success of the developmental brand is seen throughout the card, fromRusev to Roman Reigns. The hope now is that the people calling the shots see what this victory could mean for Owens in the long run and pull the trigger.
A win over the United States champion would also continue paving the way for more NXT wrestlers to make the jump. From Charlotte to Tyler Breeze, there are athletes waiting to make their full-time debuts on the main roster, and Owens being properly booked would give fans hope for their favorites.
It’s hard to imagine Cena taking the loss to Owens at Elimination Chamber, but with no title on the line, the decision that would be best for business is letting the “rookie” steal the show and the victory via dirty tactics.
source: bleacherreport.com
