Extreme Rules 2013: WWE rushing into Cena-Ryback feud

The 2013 instalment of WWE Extreme Rules is just around the corner, and the main event has been signed. In his first title defence, new WWE Champion John Cena will defend against the man who challenged him a couple weeks ago by attacking him after a beatdown by The Shield, that being Ryback.

Regardless of opinions on John Cena, this match is actually pretty fresh. These two have only faced each other once before, and that was in a triple threat match also involving then-champion CM Punk late last year. Aside from that, this is the first one-on-one match the two men have had (at least on television), and is one that a lot of fans are probably looking forward to.

However, once again, WWE is rushing into things.

If you remember last year, I wrote a piece about Cena facing Brock Lesnar, how it was a veritable dream match for many fans, and that because of that, WWE was rushing into it, only giving it a few weeks of build time instead of a few months. That match took place at last year’s Extreme Rules pay-per-view, and resulted in a fluke win for John Cena. After that, the feud was dropped, with both men moving onto other things. That was it.

While I’m positive the Cena/Ryback feud will last at least a couple of pay-per-views, WWE are once again rushing into this match. The build-up began the night after Wrestlemania, and a week later, the match was made official. That’s it. Meanwhile, Ryback’s heel turn in the process has gone pretty much just as fast. While there is nothing wrong with Ryback going heel, it should have had a slower build to it, much like the match itself. One week, Ryback is high-fiving fans and wanting them to get behind him. The next, he’s insulting them and saying he doesn’t care what they think. Where exactly is the transition there?

And there’s the match itself. Much like Cena/Lesnar, Cena/Ryback is a potential dream match for some fans. Ryback was built up slowly in the beginning, not facing any main event talent for the better part of a year before he got into the mix with guys like Cena and Punk. That was the right way to go at the time. This time, while it’s fine for him to face Cena, this match should be built up over a couple of months instead of just a few weeks. Instead, WWE does what it always does and rushes in, hoping for a quick payday with the latest angle.