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The Only Review of the John Cena Experience Blu-Ray That You'll Ever Need



There's not much to be said about John Cena that hasn't been said before. He's literally been the top guy in the company for 8 years, and honestly, there’s no end in sight. While we're all sick of his act, there's one thing you can't deny; he's one hell of a stand-up guy and a great wrestler. I truly wish he was around when I was a kid so I had a proper hero. There was a good year when I was bullied a lot, and I can honestly say if I was watching John Cena, I wouldn't have let them push me around like they had. So, while we all scream for him to turn heel, I can clearly understand why he hasn't yet. I mean, who wouldn't mind sleeping on top of a pile of money surrounded by many beautiful women?

The documentary isn't your standard, as that was all covered in his previous release, My Life. This time around we follow John around while he gets ready for WM 26. It's actually a pretty interesting documentary, and something I hope they follow up with for other superstars. As you may know, I don't dwell on the documentary portions of these releases, because people simply want to know if it's good or not, and then skip down to the match reviews. So, without further ado:


John Cena vs. Kurt Angle – No Way Out – February 20, 2005
It's ridiculous how much cooler John was back then than he is now. Although that whole Ruck Fules thing was rather stupid. Match starts off with Kurt working the arm and neck. Cena soon grows tired of that and gets aggressive, which works until Kurt suplexes him into the turnbuckle. I always loved moves like that, especially the powerbomb one they had in WrestleMania 2000. The start was a bit slow, but after that the match really started picking up, and by the end they're putting on an f'ning show.
Cena delivers the FU to Angle and grabs the pin at 19:21 | ***3/4

John Cena [C] vs. Kurt Angle vs. Shawn Michaels – Taboo Tuesday – November 1, 2005 – WWE Championship
This match is ridiculously fast and detailed. A lot of Triple Threat matches, especially in WWE, it's one guy is down, 2 guys fight, and so forth. But almost from the get go, all three men are in the ring with an obscene amount of reversals, chain-movements, and almost Hollywood-esque choreography. Once it does get to the usual way of doing things, it's no complaints, as any combo of these 3 wrestlers is great. A shame it didn't headline a more serious PPV or was given more time. Good stuff.
John delivers the FU to Shawn for the pin at 16:42 | ***1/2

John Cena vs. Edge [C] – Royal Rumble – January 29, 2006 – WWE Championship
John gets his own entrance ramp that's equipped with confetti cannons, just like the one's real gangbangers use. There isn't much to say about this match, as it's a pretty average Cena-Edge match that will fit nicely among the thousands of others they’ve had, but nothing that helps it stand out.
Edge taps out to the STFU at 14:02 | ***1/4

John Cena vs. Edge – Tribute To The Troops – December 25, 2006
Speaking of the thousands, it's an average TV match that would make for a fine main event any Monday night, but I wouldn't call it DVD worthy.
Edge eats an FU and pin at 7:32 | ***

John Cena & Shawn Michaels [C] vs. Rated RKO – RAW – February 26, 2007 – WWE Tag Team Championship
For some reason it seemed that during the entire run of Rated RKO they wanted to focus on the two not trusting each other, which was something I never understood. The main reason why is because they're a solid tag-team, and one that you could truly believe stood a chance against guys like Cena & Michaels, or DX. Great match with everyone doing their part, and Rated RKO making sure without a shadow of a doubt that they could take the titles from the WM23 Main Event Tag-Team. They didn't, but at least there was the possibility.
Orton eats a Superkick & FU after about 13 minutes | ***1/2

John Cena [C] vs. The Great Khali – One Night Stand – June 3, 2007 – Falls Count Anywhere for the WWE Championship
This was a small window of time that was pure crap for the WWE. We'd just come off a great WM with number 23 and the Backlash that followed. Now we enter the time when Khali was main eventing, and Vince was the ECW champion. This is hands-down Khali's best match, and it's no surprise that Cena is the one to get it done. They were smart by not keeping it in the ring, and constantly having John be chased while trying to use whatever he could find to take down Khali. The Super-FU was great, and a perfect way to serve up the Punjabi Playboy's first pin-fall loss. 
Khali takes a Super-FU and a pin at 10:31 | ***

John Cena [C] vs. Bobby Lashley – Great American Bash – July 22, 2007 – WWE Championship
Lashley got the upper hand on John from the get-go with his knowledge of amateur wrestling, and then once things picked up, he kept his momentum with a number of power moves. Great moment where Lashley goes for the spear, only to have Cena turn it into the STFU in the middle of the ring, forcing Bobby to literally crawl the entire length with Cena on his back until he hit the ropes. A great outing for a rookie like Lashley, as Cena helped him look like a million bucks, and there was no shame in his loss. Good stuff, really. 
Lashley takes a top rope FU, then gets pinned at 14:52 | ***1/2

John Cena [C] vs. Randy Orton – SummerSlam – August 26, 2007 – WWE Championship
2007 Orton was on a tear. He had great run with Rated RKO, including some matches against Edge, he then had this great one against Cena, followed by winning the title in an awesome LMS in September. He held his own against Shawn at Cyber Sunday, and followed that up with a fantastic match against HBK at Survivor Series of that year. At the beginning you have a feeling that Orton isn't really a threat. He appears too young, he's smaller and over-tanned, but then he just lets loose and dismantles Cena, proving he's not just a threat, he's a guarantee. Orton has won titles before, and even though he lost here, tonight was the night he proved without a doubt that he belonged at the top rung.
Cena catches Orton with an FU and pin at 21:19 | ****

John Cena vs. Triple H [C] – Night of Champions – June 29, 2008 – WWE Championship
Cena loses, then Triple H takes the belt over to Smackdown. Geez, Triple H looks like he's been using deck-stainer as a self-tanner. The match tells a great story with Cena having a lackluster 2008 so far, and wanting to bring the title home to Raw. However, Triple H has his number for most of the match, constantly cutting off his momentum gains, while avoiding any big guns from Cena's arsenal. After a clean defeat, Cena's 2008 continued to falter. 
Triple H hits the Pedigree & pins Cena at 19:37 | ****

John Cena vs. Shawn Michaels – Raw – January 26, 2009
This was during the time that Shawn Michaels was under the employ of JBL. The angle was pretty decent, but could have been a lot better if their blow-off match wasn't *1/2. I remember tuning in specifically for this match because of the last 2 encounters these guys had. Unfortunately, this one doesn't hold a candle towards its predecessors. The focus of the match is more about HBK & JBL than it is HBK & Cena. Where the other 2 matches felt like each guy was fighting for his life, this one felt more like they were just wrestling a main event on Raw. Bit of a let-down.
Cena hits the FU & pins Michaels at 13:09 | ***

John Cena vs. Jack Swagger – Raw – April 13th, 2009
The winner gets the show they represent two picks for the draft. I really expected this to be a major squash, instead, Swagger hangs on for quite a while, and even handles himself really well. With this, and the fantastic match he had with Christian at Backlash 2009, I would have thought it would earn him a lot more than a Ronnie Garvin title run. Watching this reminds me of something I read in The Death of WCW. Eric Bischoff was doing an online chat and someone asked why Nitro always looks the same. Bischoff responded by saying that everything across the board was up, so yeah, they must be doing something wrong. This Raw is almost 4 years ago, and not only does it look exactly the same, it sounds and feels exactly the same as it does now. They need to freshen things up drastically, and soon. As for the match, great stuff that had Swagger looking like a million bucks. Something like this would have made a lot more sense the Raw before Elimination Chamber. 
Swagger taps out to the STFU at 8:18 | ***1/4

John Cena vs. Big Show – Judgment Day – May 17, 2009
There's really nothing to say about this match. Big Show does the whole “I'm super mean, and super mad, and you can't hurt me” deal, as he squashes Cena for most of the match. Then we have flashes of Cena putting the hurt on Show, and the announcers do the “Oh snaps! He can be hurt! But we know John can never do the FU! EVER.” despite Cena not only doing it to him, but doing it while Edge was on his fucking back only 2 months prior. Why include this instead of the insanely more entertaining LMS match with Edge from Backlash is beyond me.
Cena hits the FU and pins Show at 14:57 | *

John Cena vs. The Miz – Raw – June 29, 2009
This is a pretty typical Raw main event, with nothing too spectacular to speak of, except the fact that Miz is dressed like a go-go dancer. Thankfully it's better than their WM match, but that isn't saying much.
Miz taps out to the STFU at 10:40 | **

John Cena [C] vs. Shawn Michaels vs. HHH – Survivor Series – November 22, 2009
Fantastic beginning as Shawn superkicks HHH right out of the ring. After Cena & Shawn do their part for a while, there's a brilliant spot where Triple H saves Shawn from an FU Through a table, so he can put him through it with a spinebuster. Awesome. They all trade off in combos, and each portion is just as good as the last. This really is a hell of a match, and probably the most creative triple threat I've ever seen. Insanely entertaining with a hell of a finish.
Triple H eats a Superkick, and then Cena gives Shawn the FU, landing on Hunter, allowing Cena to pin HHH at 21:13 | ****1/2

Blu Ray Exclusives:

John Cena [C] vs. Chris Jericho – Tribute To The Troops – December 19, 2009 – WWE Championship
Nothing to report, really. I don't know why they included this one instead of their gem from the 2008 Survivor Series. They trade a few moves, Jericho leaps from the top rope, Cena catches, rolls, FU, end of story.
Jericho eats an FU and a pin at 7:53 | **

John Cena vs. Batista [C] – WrestleMania XXVI – March 28, 2010 – WWE Championship
The entrance stage for WM 26 is absolutely ridiculous. Batista is a savage and is out to do nothing but hurt, these intentions are displayed clearly while he does things like a running clothesline to the back of Cena's head, and a DDT that has John in clear pain after trying an FU. Cena responds perfectly by refusing to break the STFU once Batista hits the ropes, or hitting him with a top rope 5 Knuckle Shuffle. These two just work great together. Nothing flashy, nothing detailed. Just two guys trying to break each other’s bones. Cena proves why he's the man as he poses and smiles with the people in the front row who have home-made Cena Sucks t-shirts.
Batista taps to the STFU at 13:31 | ****1/2

Showcase Showdown: One hell of a set. The documentary portion was really interesting, and something completely different from what's come before. I'd like to see more like this, honestly. I tell you what, after my first round of signing 3,000 autographs in one session, I'd change my name to a dot. 
The match selection is great, and gives you a pretty good variety as far as opponents are concerned. Of course, there are some major omissions, (I Quit with JBL, TLC with Edge, WM23 & Raw against Shawn) but the first 2 on that list were on Cena's My Life DVD, and the Raw match can be found on Heartbreak & Triumph. There's still a ton of matches for future releases; his Survivor Series match against Jericho, the triple threat from Backlash 2005, the two four-man matches from Backlash 2007 & Backlash 
2008, and the list goes on and on. Because at the end of the day, we may be sick of his character, but he always delivers in the ring. Definitely a set worth picking up.

As always, props to my editor, Steven Ferrari. I met him while I was battling Toka & Razor. They threw me through a wall and there was Steven, performing on stage. 

I've got more work at...
Str8 Gangster, No Chaser - recently updated with new reviews for Taken 2, The Last Stand, Bullet To The Head, and Good Day To Die Hard, Saved By The Bell Archives article, and Comic Book Films You Didn't Know Were Comic Book Films.
WCW In 2000 - Recently updated with Great American Bash 2000, which is home to the most shocking, and Earth shattering turn in history.
Man Movie Encyclopedia Vol.1 - My book about action films. Endorsed by Scott Keith & Maddox, as well as some fellow BOD'ers. Constant 5 star reviews on amazon.

Any questions, mailbag, or requests, let me know in the comments or hit me up at faucetofslfame@hotmail.com

- Caliber Winfield

Comments

  1. thx_benevenstancianoMarch 2, 2013 at 10:23 AM

    "While we're all sick of his act, there's one thing you can't deny; he's one hell of a stand-up guy and a great wrestler."

    Those are two things.

    ReplyDelete
  2. "Constant 5 star reviews on amazon."



    lulz

    ReplyDelete
  3. Caliber_Winfield_69420BoobiesMarch 2, 2013 at 10:34 AM

    Constant: adj - Occurring continuously over a period of time.

    Over a period of time every review has been 5 stars.

    Shocking I have to explain something to simple to a grown-ass man who still uses "lol".

    ReplyDelete
  4. Caliber_Winfield_69420BoobiesMarch 2, 2013 at 10:37 AM

    Yeah, but I meant it as a whole. It's like if I simply said "while we're all sick of his act, you can't deny he's one hell of a stand-up guy and a great wrestler".

    ReplyDelete
  5. 3 reviews from last year isn't constant. Maybe get more best friend's cousins to write reviews more regularly.

    ReplyDelete
  6. thx_benevenstancianoMarch 2, 2013 at 10:48 AM

    You could have written that, but didn't.


    It's hardly a big deal, but your phrasing is incorrect.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Let the flaming begin.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Watching a show about a guy you don't like - the John Cena Experience.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Whenever anyone mentions Cena not being a capable worker, I mention the Khali match.


    Also, didn't Lashley leave the company right after the Cena match?

    ReplyDelete
  10. Much like when Cena appears on TV and causes me to change the channel, seeing his face at the top of this entry makes me want to change the webpage.

    Nice review, though.

    ReplyDelete
  11. He left not too long after it. He did an injury angle with Kennedy and was released while he was out.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Caliber_Winfield_69420BoobiesMarch 2, 2013 at 1:52 PM

    Honestly Cult, I really want to know;

    If you dislike me so much, why do you read my work & comment? On a psychological level, I honestly don't get people like you. You offer nothing in life, you constantly try and drag the environment down with your piss poor attitude, and you bring nothing to the table while constantly taking. Why do you get off on being like that?

    If you ever had the balls to create something from whole cloth and put it out there for the World to see, to try and make a living from something your passionate about, I wouldn't read it every single time I could and then insult you. If I didn't like it, I wouldn't read it. It's just that simple. But you, you're of a different breed and I just don't understand it.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Caliber_Winfield_69420BoobiesMarch 2, 2013 at 1:54 PM

    When I was a kid, my friends and I called them BeeBop & Rocksteady.

    I mean, why on Earth wouldn't they have just had those two?

    ReplyDelete
  14. I will say Cena-Batista was WM 26 ages very well as does most of the back end of that card.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Who said I disliked you? I generally don't read the shit you post, I'm just calling out your bullshit.

    "On a psychological level, I honestly don't get people like you. You offer nothing in life, you constantly try and drag the environment down with your piss poor attitude, and you bring nothing to the table while constantly taking. Why do you get off on being like that?"

    I would love to know how you got this out of "lulz". I'll just assume you copied and pasted it from a "Top 5 ways to be an amateur psychologist on the internet" article on Cracked.

    "If you ever had the balls to create something from whole cloth and put it out there for the World to see"



    lulz.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Caliber_Winfield_69420BoobiesMarch 2, 2013 at 2:29 PM

    I'm curious, Cult, do you have psychological issues? Is that what this is? Are you bi-polar or something? You're like Cartman from the the episode Fishsticks, where he honestly believes all this great stuff about himself, despite the fact it's false because he just can't take who he is.

    Go check every article I've posted, I can guarantee you've posted in almost all of them, each time taking a shot at me. Matter of fact, the last one you flat out said you didn't like me because I was annoying.

    Call me out on my bullshit? What bullshit, man? I said my book constantly gets 5 star ratings, it does. Every rating it's received, is 5 stars. How is that not constant?

    You act like this is the first time you've acted like this.

    I try to present an honest question, and you answer it like a 5th grader. Why I expected anything less is beyond me. I suppose you had to answer in order to maintain your top spot in the comments section. But hey, I'd be that way too. I wouldn't want to give up all the pussy, honor, and prestige that comes with being a top commenter on a website.

    ReplyDelete
  17. The only time I've posted in your articles were today and the article about Taker. The fact that you think I'm in every thread you post says more about your issues rather than mine.


    And your reviews that you write under different usernames are consistent. If they were constant, you'd be writing fake reviews every week.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Caliber_Winfield_69420BoobiesMarch 2, 2013 at 3:04 PM

    24 has long since been my favorite, but 26 often makes me think twice. If it weren't for JBL vs Finlay on 24's side, and Bret vs Vince working against 26, then I could see it beating 24.

    I also think both WM have the 2 best looks. 24 is gorgeous.

    ReplyDelete
  19. This was a pretty cool documentary. I saw it on Netflix. Didn't see the match list, but overall it includes some high quality matches. I'm not sure if they've been on other sets, but I'd have liked to see maybe the Shawn match from Raw 07 or a bigger Edge match like the Summerslam 06 or TLC match. Or maybe the LMS from 09. I guess they gotta save something for a bigger Cena DVD release.

    ReplyDelete
  20. After reading copious amounts of reviews of WM 26, I find that I enjoy the two title matches a lot more than most people, especially Edge vs. Jericho. Despite it's slow start, Jericho-Edge builds to a fantastic conclusion. I have it at around the **** mark myself.

    ReplyDelete
  21. Dunno. Maybe to keep the films and cartoon as seperate entities?

    Plus, two more toys.

    ReplyDelete
  22. Caliber_Winfield_69420BoobiesMarch 3, 2013 at 5:12 AM

    Well, the Shawn match from Raw was on Shawn's Heartbreak & Triumph. The Edge match from SummerSlam was on Edge's Decade, and the TLC bout was on Cena's My Life. Still, they should have put TLC & the I Quit match against JBL on this set, because the My Life set is literally 3 discs with only about 5 matches. Weak sauce.

    ReplyDelete
  23. Don't insult your readers. It makes you look petty and stupid. If you can't take critisism, you either need to get off the Internet, or post your shit and never read anonymous user comments.

    ReplyDelete
  24. Caliber_Winfield_69420BoobiesMarch 3, 2013 at 8:21 AM

    See, I hate this more than when people just run their mouths.

    I don't insult my readers.

    Can't take criticism? How is what he said criticism? He's just being a prick, plain & simple. He's always like that.

    I've had plenty of constructive criticism and used it. I was told that I should align my text to the left, I looked it over, thought about it, and did it. I was told I should get an editor, and I did.

    I love constructive criticism, it's what makes people better.

    What I can't stand is people running their mouths, and being negative for the simple sake of it. Then when I tell people they're just being pricks, others will say "if you can't handle it, then don't do it!'.

    Why? Why should I have to put up with people being pricks simply because I write? No one should have to deal with that whatsoever.


    I never talk shit to ANYONE who doesn't say something to me first. I try to be polite and respectful to everyone. But you have people like Cultstaus who just want to be pricks for the sake of it.

    ReplyDelete
  25. "I'm curious, Cult, do you have psychological issues? Is that what this is?"

    That is an insult. You are insinuating that he has a mental issue. I would be offended if you said that shit to me and would never ever click on anything you wrote again.

    "Shocking I have to explain something so simple to a grown-ass man who still uses "lol"."

    Again, an insult plain and simple.

    "Why? Why should I have to put up with people being pricks simply because
    I write? No one should have to deal with that whatsoever."

    Be the bigger man. Less is more. You're always going to have assholes that disagree with you (myself for instance). It's like the old saying that the customer is always right. I deal with dickheads everyday. If you make them think they are right you will have a much better experience. If I were to insult one of my customers intelligence, they would probably beat my ass, verbally dress me down, and most importantly never come back to my store. If you insult one person, even if they are being an internet troll, you will have people that will be turned off of your writings.



    Seriously, you're a decent writer. I don't agree with some of your match ratings, but the content is there and will improve even more with time. You just have to ignore the trolls man.

    ReplyDelete
  26. Caliber_Winfield_69420BoobiesMarch 3, 2013 at 10:28 AM

    I don't consider Cult a reader. Sure, he reads my stuff every time, but he's just an asshole.

    But the people who read my stuff, and let me know what they think, be it kind words, or smart, constructive criticism, I'm always as polite and grateful for their feed-back is possible.

    I'm sorry, but I don't agree with the customer is always right. If someone is being an asshole simply for the sake of it, no matter what, or who they are, they are not right. And that's what's wrong with the World these days. People run their mouths, and no one does a damn thing.

    Most of the time I do ignore it, but sometimes I have to ask why they do it. Why read my stuff and insult me? If they hate my work, why read it every time it drops? I can't understand that, and I want to.

    Now see, you came at me from an intelligent point. You offered your advice, and gave your reasons why. That's all I ever ask. You and I can disagree, but still talk in a civil manner. I don't think it's too much to want that from people. Apparently it is though, as people are so stupid it's hard to believe sometimes.

    ReplyDelete
  27. Anyone who tries to say Cena isn't a decent worker is just trolling. He's got more than enough good-great matches under his belt at this point to be called at least capable.

    ReplyDelete
  28. bro I wouldnt get bent out of shape over a guy who prides himself on having the most comments on a pro wrestling blog/forum.

    ReplyDelete

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