NXT is the best product the WWE offers, and more than enough reason to become a Network Subscriber.
And I am by no means a WWE shill. I'm hesitant to even write the phrase "WWE Network" because it's become associated with such negativity in our collective fan-mind (something that needs to be corrected in the future as it is actually quite a positive). I write that NXT makes it worth it because I am a subscriber, and every Thursday (soon to be Wednesday) when I see what is essentially a one-hour, genuine professional wrestling pay-per-view produced by the WWE, I feel as though my investment is worthwhile and as though there is hope for the future of the company.
Read MoreIf you are reading these words, you most likely have a strong opinion about John Cena.
Whatever that opinion may be, I encourage you to read this from the perspective of what makes good character work, not from the perspective of a passionate "lover" or "hater". Love Cena, hate Cena, or ignore Cena, this article is about one thing and one thing only: how small, seemingly insignificant creative choices can have powerful thematic implications.
Read MoreJohn Cena has been the "top guy" in the WWE for over a decade.
This is an unprecedented run that has inspired legions of fans as much as it has inspired legions of detractors. The character, and the performer, will consistently elicit a strong reaction one way or the other, but his existence also leaves room for more complex reactions.
For example, my feelings about the character have evolved from 2005 (when I first became aware of Cena) to the time of this writing.
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“I’m laying in a pool of blood. This is the greatest feeling in the world."
You might read that quote and be unsettled, maybe even concerned for the individual who spoke it.
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