X

John Cena Talks Undertaker's WrestleMania 36 Match, Hypes Bout vs. The Fiend

Tim Daniels@TimDanielsBRX.com LogoFeatured ColumnistApril 5, 2020

John Cena, a cast member in the upcoming film
Chris Pizzello/Associated Press

John Cena lauded the Boneyard Match between The Undertaker and AJ Styles, which served as the main event on Day 1 of WrestleMania 36, and hyped his Firefly Fun House match against "The Fiend" Bray Wyatt in a social media post Sunday.

"Night 1 of WrestleMania was incredible! Thrilled I wasn't facing Undertaker until I realized I step into the Firefly Fun House TONIGHT," Cena wrote on Twitter. "I have a feeling it's gonna get .... weird. Tune into the WWE Network TONITE!"

Taker defeated Styles in an entertaining match at an unnamed location after WWE had to shift WrestleMania locations in Florida—out of Raymond James Stadium in Tampa and into the company's Performance Center in Orlando—because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The Boneyard Match took place in an out-of-studio setting with the Deadman resurrecting the biker gimmick he used during the early 2000s.

With Undertaker no longer at his physical peak, a fact on display during the 55-year-old Superstar's appearances at Mania and other marquee events in recent years, the taped nature of the battle allowed for more storytelling and cinematic additions than a standard match.

Bleacher Report's Chris Mueller gave it a grade of "A+ with extra credit."

"This was the best possible outcome for The Undertaker at this point in his career," Mueller wrote. "WWE did a great job putting this together in a way that made him look better than he has in years."

Meanwhile, Cena has transitioned away from a full-time WWE schedule in favor of more acting opportunities in Hollywood. It's made his sporadic appearances more meaningful.

Fighting inside the Firefly Fun House should present many of the same opportunities as the Boneyard Match last night. Wyatt isn't an in-ring technician, so getting away from the squared circle is a better way to highlight the complexities and unique nature of The Fiend character.

It's almost a guarantee Wyatt will pick up the victory, especially given the negative fan reaction to him dropping the Universal Championship to Goldberg at Super ShowDown in February, but WWE has done a terrific job of preventing spoilers since taping the event last week.