BARON CORBIN VS. JOHN CENA

  Shinsuke Nakamura won a match against John Cena 1^st August edition of Smackdown and was attacked by Baron Corbin after the show. Cena came to Nakamura's aid and it was determined the next week that Baron Corbin and John Cena would also face off at the show. The week before this show (15^th August) John Cena faced WWE Champion Jinder Mahal in a non-title match which Corbin interfered in, causing a disqualification. Baron Corbin chose that time to cash in his Money in the Bank contract but attacked Cena as the bell rang instead of you know.... Focusing on his WWE title match and was rolled up for an easy defense by Mahal.

  John Cena enters first to LOUD “John Cena Sucks” in time with his entrance theme. John “Bradshaw” Layfield says he's never seen anyone come out to a reaction like John Cena. That's one way to put it. JBL is on commentary for this match with Byron Saxton and Tom Phillips. Baron Corbin enters and I really like the flames and wolf motif they have going on before he gets to the top of the ramp and ruins it. The German and Spanish announce teams are introduced before we see Corbin's failed cash-in last Tuesday.

BARON CORBIN VS. JOHN CENA

WWE Summerslam 2017 (20^th August 2017)

  John Cena stalls a bit, ducks a right hand and avoids about before sliding to the floor to try on JBL's hat and say Corbin is too focused on last Tuesday. This guy used a Super Attitude Adjustment against Mahal for Christ's sake, so he really is taking the night off here. Corbin follows to the floor but Cena's back in the ring for the obligatory “let's go Cena/Cena sucks” chants, he tells Corbin the fans aren't even mentioning him before they finally touch, Cena goes behind and gets a headlock, Corbin can't send him off the ropes so backs into the corner to make Cena break. Baron Corbin gets a couple of shots in, sending Cena down. Corbin drives his knee into Cena's midsection then stomps him on the mat. John Cena gets to his feet in the corner and gets squashed with an avalanche, he looks gassed already. Maybe he should rethink the sprint to the ring and run around for a few minutes tactic if it's catching up to him. Corbin gets more strikes in, talking trash to Cena, but that kicks in his fight back instinct. Cena gets sent into the corner, but avoids a charge. Baron Corbin slides under the rope at the last second and gets back in the ring, knocking Cena down with a clothesline and covering for a nearfall.

Baron Corbin stands on Cena's hand as JBL marks out over the clothesline and a couple more right hands set up a suplex. Baron Corbin panders to the crowd giving Cena time to get to his feet and gets 3 rights in, but the running crossbody is caught and Corbin slams him to the mat for another 2 count. Corbin works the neck crank, trapping Cena's arm. He releases to have a conversation with the referee and is caught with a dropkick, backing him against the ropes. Corbin knocks Cena down with a right hand. The fans ask where Corbin's briefcase is, getting in his head and allowing Cena to swing the momentum. He hits the shoulder blocks and Protobomb, with the fans reacting with boos. I'm starting to see why people say wrestling fans are never happy. Baron Corbin avoids the Five Knuckle Shuffle, Cena goes to the corner and avoids another charge, but Corbin is again out of the ring near the corner post and back in. This time he hits a chokeslam into a backbreaker on Cena! 1, 2, no! John Cena barely kicks out.

We see a replay of that awesome move (kudos for giving us a deserved replay) as Cena is brought to his feet on the apron and sat on the top rope by Corbin. John Cena blocks whatever move Corbin was going for and headbutts him down to the mat. JOHN CENA HITS A TORNADO DDT! LUCHA CENA! Even John Cena looked shocked after that move. John Cena hits the standing Five Knuckle Shuffle but Corbin slides out the back of the Attitude Adjustment to his feet, pushing Cena into the ropes. He rebounds into a Deep Six for a close nearfall. That gets a replay too as Corbin stands over Cena with right hands and forearms. Baron Corbin takes his elbow pad off for more forearm strikes and stomps a mudhole in Cena in the corner, he gets some right hands but shouts at the referee for having the audacity to do his damn job. Baron Corbin avoids going into the corner again, but Cena knows the drill, he knocks Corbin's jaw up to his forehead with a clothesline and the Attitude Adjustment finishes it.

WINNER: JOHN CENA

I enjoyed this match more than I thought I would. Baron Corbin actually looked strong and there were moments I thought he could win even though I knew the result going in. The “fun-time mess around” Cena at the start bugged me, but it added to the match as it went on, it seemed like Corbin really wanted to prove himself. The corner spot was cool the first time but became diminishing returns and I thought it was done well that John Cena needed big moves to turn the momentum to his side. [**] 4.5/10.

After the match we get replays of the corner spot at the beginning and end, in case you forgot it happened. He celebrates with Jeff Ross at ringside along with the widow of someone who's name I didn't catch.kmarking this link to Amazon.