WWE: Big Show to settle feud with Cena

MANILA, Philippines - The stage is set for recent Manila visitor Big Show to settle his long-standing dispute with 12-time World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) champion John Cena in a duel that came as a late addition to a nine-match card at the Mall of Asia Arena on Sept. 9.

The initial bill didn’t feature the Big Show-Cena clash but after the 7-foot, 438-pound giant made a huge impact with Filipino fans during his meet-and-greet tour here last week, there was no way he wouldn’t be in the cast. Matching Big Show with Cena was inevitable as they’ve been involved in a bitter feud since 2004.

The WWE returns to Manila for a one-night only treat after seven years. “WWE is excited to return to the Philippines, giving WWE’s passionate fans the chance to see their favorite superstars in an energetic, larger-than-life event,” said WWE president of the international division Gerrit Meier.

Aside from the Big Show-Cena bout, the other matches in the Manila bill are Roman Reigns against Seth Rollins, Finn Balor against Chris Jericho, Cesaro against Sheamus, New Day against Gallows and Anderson for the WWE tag team championship, Sasha Banks against Charlotte for the WWE women’s championship, Sami Zayn against Kevin Owens, Golden Truth against The Shining Stars and Neville against Bo Dallas with Curtis Axel.

Tickets went on sale last June 3 at a price range of P1,580 to P15,840. Tickets are available from www.smtickets.com <http://www.smtickets.com/> or in SM ticket outlets at Tel. No. 470-2222.

Cena, 39, was named “Face of WWE” last year as his popularity assumed global proportions. Since becoming a WWE mainstream wrestler in 2002, Cena has metamorphosed into a show business icon with recordings, TV appearances and movies to his credit. His first movie “The Marine” was released in 2006 and grossed $7 Million in its first week in US theaters and $18.7 Million after 10 weeks. The film took in $30 Million in DVD rentals in 12 weeks. Cena isn’t just a movie star, he’s also a rapper.

In the ring, Cena is a relentless, all-energy action dynamo. At the Royal Rumble in 2004, Cena reached the final six but was eliminated by Big Show. That led to a seething rivalry. In Wrestlemania XX, Cena caused a major upset in defeating Big Show for the US title. The 6-1, 250-pound Cena looked miniscule compared to the mammoth Big Show but overcame the size difference to pull off the win. Last October, Cena and Big Show appeared to have patched up as they joined three others in a five-on-five Survivor Series on WWE Raw. But in the course of the match, Big Show turned on Cena to eliminate the mat star, rekindling their feud. In Manila, they’ll settle things once and for all.

Like Big Show, Cena did odd jobs before trying his luck in wrestling. He earned a degree in exercise physiology on a football scholarship at Springfield College, a Division III school, then did odd jobs, including driving for a limousine service. He once considered a career in bodybuilding.    

Big Show went through odd jobs, too. He was a bouncer, call center operator, bounty hunter, bartender and a karaoke performer while battling to find himself after giving up on a basketball career when his father and grandfather died of cancer in the same year. It was wrestling that rescued Big Show from oblivion.  

Although Big Show’s the only wrestler ever to win seven titles across the ECW, WCW and WWE, he said performing in a tag team is a major part of his success. He singled out the Undertaker, Billy Gunn, Kane and Jericho as his most memorable partners. “In a tag team, you’ve got to have respect for each other,” he said. “Billy and I were partners for a while and we were really good friends anyway. Our team got some momentum because we were such close friends, we trained together, we rode together but we didn’t get to work long. Kane and I spent a lot of time together in the ring, as partners and opponents. Kane and I speak our own language without saying a word, there’s nothing that’ll rattle Kane.”

Big Show said in tag teams, there’s a lot of politicking, positioning and energy spent backstage on manipulation. “I never have the energy for all that,” he said.  “Jericho is all about that. Jericho would make me out to be a monster, he was the good cop but you didn’t really realize Jericho was the bad cop.”