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| photo courtesy: whatculture.com |
Many of those fans are probably going with Cena for the win, but it's not necessarily because they support him. They're picking him because his showdown with Rusev is an "I Quit" match, and there's no way Cena loses in that scenario. That's why Rusev will need to use desperate measures to get the victory, namely his mouthpiece, Lana.
There's been trouble brewing between the Russian Federation's power couple in recent weeks. That trouble stems from Rusev's inability to conquer Cena and Lana's sudden explosion in popularity.
The former comes down to the war being fought in the ring. Rusev has tried to intimidate Cena and assert his dominance over him at every turn, but it's just not worked. Cena's gimmick revolves around his ability to overcome every threat and never back down from any challenge.
While Rusev has certainly tested Cena's will, he ultimately can't even hope to damage it.
But the latter part of this situation is different. Lana has been getting over with the live crowds virtually every time she and Rusev have been on TV. While Cena cannot be controlled by Rusev, the same cannot truly be said for Lana.
A heel such as Rusev would not be happy with his advocate getting chummy with the fans. He has been so emotionless, so cold-blooded and focused on domination that not one ounce of compassion has escaped from him. So when it became obvious Lana was getting over with the same fans she once openly mocked, Rusev was obviously not going to take it lying down.
Now, he has to keep a constant eye on Lana. She can't smile in front of the crowd, can't acknowledge them positively and cannot accept their cheers. Much like Randy Savage before him, Rusev's focus is wavering due to the acclaim his other half is getting, and he just cannot let that happen.
But while it appears his hands are tied, nothing could be further from the truth.
Lana's willingness to embrace the fans could be her downfall and could cost Cena the United States Championship at Payback. Rusev's character is fully aware of how tough and resilient Cena is, and he's also aware of how the "I Quit" match is perfect for him. He knows there's no way Cena will surrender, so instead of trying to crush him physically, Rusev should instead try to best Cena mentally.
Cena should be kept in one place, perhaps with his arms bound between the top and second rope or maybe even handcuffed. That would give Rusev the opportunity to grab Lana and threaten her. He doesn't necessarily need to strike her or even put her in the Accolade—just the mere threat of harm would be enough.
It would put Cena in an impossible situation, one in which he would be forced to quit, thus giving the win to Rusev. The Bulgarian Brute knows that Cena is upstanding; the U.S. champion's morality is rock solid, so there's no chance he could sit back and watch Lana get hurt.
Cena may not like her because of the sins she's committed in the name of the Russian Federation, but he cannot allow her to be menaced or injured without stepping in to defend her. He knows the difference between right and wrong and would certainly rush to her defense.
That allows Rusev a route to victory. If he takes it, there will be a new U.S. champion at Payback.
The fact is Rusev has no other course of action. He can't destroy Cena and put him in such pain that he would be forced to give up. Cena has proved time and again he will never quit regardless of how much he's hurt. This means Rusev really has no prayer of forcing Cena to submit at Payback.
Intimidation will not work, brute strength is not the answer and a merciless beating will not suffice. Cena will not go down in this environment. With that being the case, Rusev has no other choice than to use Lana to his advantage.
The move would automatically set Lana off independently and get her over like never before. Cena would still look good as the American hero who did the right thing by protecting a defenseless woman. Rusev would be more of a monster main event player than ever before.
It's a win-win situation for everyone involved, and if Rusev is indeed meant to go over, this would really be the only way to do so. This match is not about the best man winning but the smartest man winning. Rusev must be smarter and much more vicious than Cena in order to get his arm raised in the end.
source: bleacherreport.com
