WWE No Way Out 2012 preview

John Cena vs. Big Show

As the saying goes, desperate times call for desperate measures, and it’s hard to argue that Big Show was anything other than desperate when he jumped ship to People Power and allowed John Laurinaitis to save his own job a mere six days after Big Johnny callously terminated the giant on Raw SuperShow.

Big Show’s appearance at WWE Over the Limit was meant to herald the death bell for Laurinaitis’ much-maligned movement, but the giant planted his signature WMD against the face of John Cena instead, helping Mr. Excitement retain his job and keep People Power chugging along. (WATCH: BIG SHOW & SUPERSTARS REACT) And with The World’s Largest Athlete reinstated by a grateful Laurinaitis and Cena looking to settle the score, it’s only right that the two should face off one-on-one at No Way Out.

Cena and Big Show have, it should be noted, a more contentious history than the WWE Universe might remember. The giant famously chokeslammed Cena through a spotlight at Backlash 2009 (WATCH), and The World’s Largest Athlete clashed with The Cenation Leader over the United States Championship at WrestleMania XX (Cena won that contest, relieving the giant of the title). Big Show had worked prior to Over the Limit at keeping the WWE Universe in his good graces, but as the giant announced on Raw SuperShow the night after Over the Limit, he seems to feel his efforts have been unreciprocated.

Show claimed that Cena and the WWE Universe were not qualified to judge him, and his decision was made for love of the business and the security of his new, "ironclad" contract. He did what he had to do, despite the steepness of the price.

The price may yet get steeper, though. With Cena’s nemesis still running the show, and with a 7-foot wrecking ball at his disposal to boot, Cena is looking to make Show answer for his actions. After all, as the other saying goes, what goes around comes around, and The World’s Largest Athlete might well find it’s time to pay the piper when he meets Cena one-on-one.

WWE Over the Limit 2012 preview

John Cena vs. John Laurinaitis

Before John Cena went to war with Brock Lesnar at Extreme Rules, he accused Raw and SmackDown General Manager John Laurinaitis of trying to put him "out of business" by bringing Brock back to WWE.

Now, it looks like the power-hungry GM wants to personally eradicate Cena from WWE.

Still nursing the wounds from his punishing clash with Brock, the Cenation leader was asked to meet Laurinaitis in the ring on Raw SuperShow for a face-to-face talk, in which the GM would reveal who Cena's opponent at WWE Over the Limit would be. At first, it appeared that Lord Tensai was Laurinaitis' hand-picked Superstar, but following an unbelievable 3-on-1 assault, the choice became brutally clear: Laurinaitis will be the man who goes one-on-one with Cena on May 20.

On repeated occasions since WrestleMania XXVIII, Laurinaitis made it known which Superstar he believes represents the future of WWE, and it's definitely not Cena. The Raw and SmackDown General Manager proved he's willing to do whatever it takes to keep Brock happy by agreeing to the outrageous contract demands laid out by the behemoth prior to Extreme Rules.

Against all odds, Cena overcame the seemingly-unstoppable Lesnar in an Extreme Rules Match, but it still wasn't enough to convince Laurinaitis that it's the 10-time WWE Champion, not Brock, who rightfully deserves to be called the "face of WWE." Then, in a shocking confrontation on Raw SuperShow, Laurinaitis made his boldest power play yet, attacking and mocking Cena while his left arm was still healing.

Cena isn't the first Superstar to tangle with arguably the most polarizing figure in WWE. It was just a few months ago when WWE Champion CM Punk had it out with Laurinaitis, even going so far as to knock him out with the Go To Sleep on the Jan. 23 edition of Raw SuperShow. However, Laurinaitis didn't let his scuffles with Punk derail his quest to remain the dominant decision-making force on WWE programming, and he later took control of SmackDown in addition to Raw with a resounding victory over Team Teddy at WrestleMania.

At WWE Over the Limit, just three weeks will have passed since Cena's savage battle against Lesnar at Extreme Rules. Will the Cenation leader be able to recover in time for his collision with the Raw and SmackDown GM? Or can Laurinaitis pull off an upset and break Cena's spirit coming off one of the biggest victories of his career? Find out at Over the Limit on Sunday, May 20, live on pay-per-view.

WWE Extreme Rules 2012 preview

Brock Lesnar vs. John Cena

Raw General Manager John Laurinaitis proclaimed Brock Lesnar is the new "face of WWE." Not if John Cena has something to say about it!
Lesnar will enter the squared circle for his first WWE match in eight years when he goes to war with Cena at Extreme Rules. (HOW TO WATCH)
Lesnar turned the WWE Universe upside down when he returned to WWE on the April 2 edition of Raw SuperShow and immediately targeted Cena with a devastating F-5. The Cenation leader didn't back down the following week on Raw and responded with an emphatic slap that triggered a near-uncontrollable brawl and left Cena with a busted lip. Little did Cena know he'd later be taking another ride in the whirlwind of the F-5, proving that Lesnar is not only intent on establishing himself as the most dominant WWE Superstar; he wants to dish out punishment every chance he gets, too.
Extreme Rules, one of the most ruthless WWE pay-per-views of the year, will provide the ultimate opportunity for these two to settle their differences in the most brutal of circumstances.
It will be the first WWE in-ring action for Brock since WrestleMania XX on March 14, 2004. In just two years with WWE, Brock tore through some of the biggest and baddest competitors like an oversized wrecking ball and racked up an impressive list of accomplishments, including three WWE Championships, a Royal Rumble victory, and being crowned King of the Ring.
Now, after achieving great success in the world of mixed martial arts, Brock has his wild eyes locked on the very man he tangled with nearly a decade ago. It was early in 2003 when Cena was a cocky, trash-talking performer looking to rise up the ranks of WWE by picking a fight with "The Next Big Thing." Armed with insult-laced raps that got under Brock's skin, Cena continued to antagonize Lesnar until a final showdown for his WWE Title at Backlash on April 27, 2003. (FULL STORY)
Even though the two rivals haven't squared off since, it's very clear that Brock still wants to inflict pain on the 10-Time WWE Champion after all these years. Well, there isn't a more suitable domain to unleash that hunger for pain than at Extreme Rules, which takes place live on pay-per-view April 29 from the Allstate Arena in Chicago.
Coming off a very close loss to The Rock at WrestleMania, Cena will surely be looking to make a powerful statement in what could be the most physically demanding battle of his career. And judging by Brock's recent unpredictable attacks, there's no telling what he's capable of doing on the one night of the year when the entire WWE throws out the rulebook.

WWE Elimination Chamber 2012 preview

John Cena vs. Kane (Ambulance match)

One thing is certain at WWE Elimination Chamber on Feb. 19 – someone will be leaving in an ambulance by the end of the night. On the Feb. 6 Raw SuperShow, Interim Raw GM John Laurinaitis announced a rematch between John Cena and Kane. In a move he said the WWE Board of Directors liked, the Interim Raw GM said the rivals will clash in an Ambulance Match.

The rules of an Ambulance Match may be simple, but getting to the final bell will be anything but as there are no pinfalls, submissions, count-outs or disqualifications. To win, a competitor needs to incapacitate his opponent, throw him into the back of a waiting ambulance and shut the door, sending him directly to the nearest medical facility.

Brutal and barbaric, an Ambulance Match at Elimination Chamber may be the only appropriate setting as one of the most intense rivalries the WWE Universe has ever seen reaches its apex.

While some conflicts explode after just one inciting incident, others build slowly and steadily over time. When it comes to Cena and The Big Red Monster Kane, their rivalry has intensified each week for the past few months, with each act of aggression topping its predecessor. In his continued efforts to get Cena to finally embrace the hate, Kane has used those closest to Cena to get his message across.

Kane’s relentless assault on Cena’s friend, Zack Ryder, began on the Jan. 3 episode of Raw SuperShow, when The Devil’s Favorite Demon tried to drag Ryder into the abyss underneath the ring. Luckily, Cena was there to save the day, but that did nothing to quell the monster’s fury.

The next week, Kane chokeslammed Ryder off the loading docks outside the arena, seriously injuring him (WATCH). Then, on the Jan. 23 Raw SuperShow, Kane intensified his attacks, chokeslamming Ryder through the stage and sending the Superstar to a nearby medical facility (WATCH). A visibly furious Cena uncharacteristically snapped, refusing Josh Matthews’ interview request by knocking the microphone out of the announcer’s hand.

The following Sunday at the 25th anniversary of the Royal Rumble, Cena and Kane battled to a double count-out. But it was naïve to think that a ring bell would be enough to stop these two from tearing each other apart. The war raged on outside the ring and all over the arena, with Kane getting the upper hand on Cena, courtesy of a steel chair. (PHOTOS)

Kane’s constant torment has taken Cena to unchartered territory, revealing a vicious and previously unseen side of the Leader of Cenation, as witnessed on the Jan. 30 episode of Raw. After Eve’s loss to Divas Champion Beth Phoenix, Kane appeared at ringside, terrifying the helpless Diva. An incensed Cena again came to the rescue, continually battering Kane with the steel ring stairs and sending The Devil’s Favorite Demon scurrying through the WWE Universe. (WATCH)

Now, the two powerhouse Superstars prepare to meet at Elimination Chamber, in what will be their most vicious bout yet. A rare stipulation throughout history, the WWE Universe hasn’t witnessed an Ambulance Match since Survivor Series 2003 which, perhaps unsurprisingly, featured Kane. Despite a heroic effort on the part of Shane McMahon during that match, The Big Red Monster’s brutal assault proved too great and it was Kane who slammed shut the ambulance doors on his opponent.

Does the same fate await John Cena on Feb. 19 at Elimination Chamber? Find out live on pay-per-view starting at 8 ET / 5 PT.