Seeing as it was covered on GTLive today, I watched the Dual Process Theory video that’s been gaining popularity and I think I might have some more supporting evidence for the theory of Mike being the vengeful spirit.
It is a widely accepted idea that the vengeful spirit is the person who created UCN, and who did so to trap and torture William Afton to make him pay for his actions. Seeing as the spirit created this environment, logically then, every character featured in the game must be one that the vengeful spirit encountered or knew of somehow. In other words, if the vengeful spirit did not know a character existed, how would they have been brought into UCN in the first place? Given this idea, I think it is extremely important to highlight the Nightmare Animatronics and their prevalence in the game. Who exactly knows of the existence of the Nightmares?
Despite the ongoing debate over who exactly experienced the Nightmare Animatronics (Michael or CC) and under what circumstances (dreams or nightmare gas), there is a general consensus right now that the Nightmare Animatronics never existed physically and were figments of someone’s imagination. Because they were only present in someone’s mind, this would then imply that ONLY Michael and/or CC knew about their existence. No other characters, not even William, would have known what the Nightmares looked like because no one else could have possibly seen them. So, if the vengeful spirit brought all these characters to UCN, they had to have been someone who knows about the nightmares, and therefore have to be either Michael or CC.
To back this up a little further, we also see that some Phantom Animatronics are in the UCN roster as well. Again, these are animatronics that are widely accepted to be hallucinations that Michael experienced as the FNAF 3 guard. No other characters/spirits were present at the FNAF 3 location (aside from William), so Michael is the only one who could have seen these hallucinations and therefore the only one that could bring them into UCN as the vengeful spirit.
Aside from their pure existence in the game, I also want to touch on the prevalence of the Nightmares in UCN. With the roster being limited to 50 characters, the inclusion/exclusion of characters is likely an important note to make as the motivations for those choices could be based in lore significance. When it comes to the Nightmares, we see a whopping EIGHT included, with the only missing animatronic being Nightmare Foxy. To present some contrast, the next largest group of animatronics in this roster is limited to five members each (ex: Mediocre Melodies). While you could argue that the Nightmare’s larger inclusion comes from the fact that there are more characters overall, there are multiple groups that have much less than eight animatronics, and yet are still not fully represented. For example, only four Funtimes are represented (not counting Funtime Chica), leaving Funtime Freddy, a well-liked character, nowhere to be found. More so, only two out of the four Withered Animatronics are present, failing to include Withered Foxy and Withered Freddy. To me, it seems odd (dare I say strategic) to cap most animatronic groups out at 4-5 characters or less, but allow a single group to reach 8. Potentially, the Nightmares’ prevalence is less of an odd decision, and more of a deliberate red flag to grab the player’s attention and direct them towards the correct identity of the vengeful spirit.
The final point I will make is that, lore wise, the connections between the Nighmares and Michael are there, but we can also supplement this theory with a satisfying addition to the narrative arc. (I will note, this more heavily depends on the theory of William using the nightmare gas on Michael, so if you are not a fan of that idea, this paragraph will not matter to you as much) If, in fact, Michael was the vengeful spirit, he would have more than enough reasons to want to torture his father, but the most compelling of them all is the Nightmare Animatronics. To Michael, yes his father was a killer, but most personally, Michael experienced traumatizing psychological torment at the hands of his father through the Nightmares. It is no wonder that he would want to give William a taste of his own medicine and focus UCN on the Nightmares as his purest form of revenge. In the past, the Nightmares were a personal form of punishment for Michael, and now he is making sure they are a personal form of punishment for William in return. Therefore, as a character, it makes complete sense that Michael would focus on the Nightmares over any other type of animatronic.
It is for these reasons I think Michael being the vengeful spirit is, at least, a notable interpretation. There are obviously many other parts that go into determining the vengeful spirit’s identity which I’m not trying to ignore, but I thought this was a significant point and wanted to bring it up. Please let me know what you think of this idea! This is the first time I have had a theory/evidence of my own to contribute so please go easy on me but I would love to hear why you do/don’t like it or anything I might be missing.
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Scott will face Anne Maria in the finale in a 7-3 vote, eliminating Topher.
The episode begins where we just left off, with Topher and Scott tied for second place. In the confessional, Scott says that while Topher’s made it this far, he’s going to be crushed now. Topher is in the confessional next, saying that while he didn’t expect this turn of events, he should be able to defeat Scott before doing the same to Anne Maria.
The peanut gallery is split up in groups based on who they’re rooting for, and Anne Maria is slightly shocked at the number of people who are rooting for her, including Zoey. Chris then gestures to the peanut gallery, saying that they’ll have a major role in choosing the winner, which makes Scott and Topher groan, while Anne Maria cheers. Scott asks if Chris is being serious, and Chris asks him when hasn’t he?
Chris then asks Anne Maria if she’d like to choose the tiebreaker or leave it to Topher and Scott. Anne Maria thinks about it, and lets Scott choose the tiebreaker. Chris ushers Scott into a glass booth, where there are balls that have challenges written on them.
Chris then flips a switch, and golf balls start pelting Scott, much to most of everyone’s enjoyment. Several hit Scott in the head, and one of them breaks out of the booth, hitting Topher in the nuts, making him keel over. Scott then chokes on a golf ball, inadvertently lobbing it onto Chris, making him scream at the saliva-covered ball. Geoff admits that those were supposed to be ping-pong balls, but he and Katie agree that this is way better. While Chris is freaking out, Chef picks up the ball, saying that the challenge listed is a traditional Hawaiian fire dance of death.
The point of the challenge is to defeat your opponent with jousting sticks and save Anne Maria to get to the finale. While Scott and Topher are fighting, they must don grass skirts and coconut bras, which makes everyone besides them laugh again. The fight begins, and it’s a dead-even battle. Scott and Topher are taking equal dodges, swipes, and hits, and while Scott disarms Topher, he loses his stick in the process as well. Looking at Anne Maria, Scott fires the winning shot mere milliseconds before Topher does, freeing Anne Maria, and clinching his spot in the finale.
Topher is angry at himself for this, kicking Scott in the shins. As Topher gets into the peanut gallery, he takes a seat next to Zoey. Zoey says that she wants to show him something, and when Topher leans in, Zoey gives him a black-eye and sends him falling down the peanut gallery, onto the ground. Everyone is in stitches once again, and when Topher sees his reflection in the ocean, he screams “MY FAAAACE!”, and Zoey tells him that’s what he gets for eliminating herself, Staci, Cameron, and Max. Scott and Sugar are laughing at this until Zoey tells them that they’re next.
Chris then announces the final challenge, which is to create a dummy out of driftwood and pineapples that resembles the opposing contestant, and then throw it into the volcano. Scott is relieved at this, and Chris asks if Scott really thought he’d make it that easy for Anne Maria to win. Chris then admits that it was originally going to be real people being thrown in, but Chris says that his lawyers advised against it. Finally, Chris tells the two that they must get two people from the peanut gallery to build the dummy, with Anne Maria choosing Jasmine and Dawn, while Sugar and Sierra join Scott. While the dummy is being built, Chris has the contestants sing “Versus”, where Scott and Anne Maria are barking out orders on how to build the dummies.
Scott’s team builds their dummy first, earning a 20 second head start. Scott is laughing the whole way up with his wheelbarrow, while Anne Maria is lagging behind with her stroller Chris is amazed that the stroller even worked, as he expected it to collapse under its weight. Scott must abandon his wheelbarrow when he reaches the lava river, and Anne Maria catches up with him soon after. Chris then explains that they must cross the river of lava, while their teammates choose which ropes to cut, which can stop someone in their tracks, like the dangling grand piano.
Scott is in the lead and tells his team to cut the ropes. Anne Maria tells her team to block them, making an evenly matched brawl. Sierra forces past Dawn, cutting a rope that nearly drops a 75-pound weight onto Scott, breaking half of the stump he’s on. He quickly jumps to another stump, yelling at Sierra for her blunder.
With Jasmine and Sugar, they’re in a brawl that Jasmine is winning. Jasmine overpowers Sugar, and then proceeds to cut a rope that drops an oversized bird cage onto Anne Maria. Scott uses this opportunity to get to the other side of the lava river, and Scott laughs at Anne Maria’s team. Jasmine profusely apologizes, and Anne Maria simply asks for some help with the cage. Sugar tries to stop Jasmine, but she is able to lift the cage, telling Anne Maria to go.
Scott is at the top, where everyone besides Anne Maria is waiting. He starts laughing before Anne Maria grabs a can of hairspray out of her hair, rolling it towards Scott. He runs closer to the volcano, but the can trips him up, making him inadvertently throw his dummy. Anne Maria is right behind him, trying to do the same thing. Ultimately, one of the dummies makes it in the volcano first, deciding the winner for Total Drama World Tour.
Vote for Scott or Anne Maria to win, and feel free to guess the cast for Revenge of the Island!

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Part Twenty Four Here!
We left off in the closing days of 2022, with John Cena capturing his 21st career world championship - the Ring of Honor title that eluded him in the late 2000s - from Claudio Castagnoli at Final Battle, only to be attacked by career rival Samoa Joe. Cena may be on top of the world, but there’s someone plenty eager to dethrone him, and Joe’s eyes aren’t just on the Cenation leader despite his vendetta against him; they’re also on Darby Allin and his TNT Title. In the first days of the new year, Joe violently dethrones the half-dead champion to become the true King of Television, calling out the absent Cena and declaring that he’ll be wrenching that championship from his hands whenever he dares to show his face again.
Road to Revolution 2023
It’s not long until Cena returns, not one to back down from a challenge. With the Ring of Honor World Championship over his shoulder, he says that he knew it was just a matter of time until Samoa Joe came calling again. He’s frank in recounting their history - it’s been pretty lopsided. In TNA, Joe hunted him down and always had his number. Exactly a decade ago, Joe’s WWE debut saw him become Cena’s number one contender, and then he took John’s most prized possession on the biggest stage possible. Joe beat him in a cage, Joe beat him in an Iron Man, Joe pursued him in WarGames, Joe cost him shot after shot at the titles Cena was pursuing at the time. He kicked him out of TNA, he assaulted him in Cena’s last moments in WWE, and now he’s here, bridging the gap between AEW and ROH to try and finish the job. It’s been over a decade and a half of this, and Cena’s pretty done with it too, so let’s just get it over with.
AND HERE COMES THE SAMOAN SUBMISSION MACHINE! Joe marches down to the ring to a chorus of “JOE!” chants, raising his TNT Title to the hard cam as he turns his back to Cena, knowing the ROH Champion won’t strike. He eventually pivots to face his foe, grabbing a microphone and saying Cena just won’t stay down, and now he’s got something Joe wants. He’s disliked Cena since 2002 - it always felt like John felt he was owed success because he started off facing Kurt Angle in WWE, and Joe’s made it his personal mission to humble him whenever possible. This hasn’t been a rivalry - Joe’s always kicked his ass.
Live Cena Reaction
However, Cena just refuses to be humbled. He keeps talking about Hustle, Loyalty and Respect, but what respect has he shown to his fellow roster members as he takes opportunity after opportunity on name brand alone? What loyalty has he shown as Joe continuously cleanses a locker room of his presence, only for him to show up somewhere new? What hustle has he shown as he’s taken on a part-time schedule while the Samoan Submission Machine has shown up week in, week out? He says he’ll never give up, but maybe he should, because it’s never gonna work out for him against Samoa Joe. Joe says that he wants the ROH World Title, a title he was synonymous with when Cena first pursued it, and he’ll do whatever it takes to get it back. John accepts the challenge, but says if Joe’s so confident, he should put his money where his mouth is and wager the TNT Title as well. Joe instantly goes for it, completely sure of his abilities.
The next week, Samoa Joe puts his ROH TV Title on the line in another No Holds Barred Match, having enjoyed the stipulation against Darby Allin for the TNT Title. His opponent is Mark Briscoe, and it’s a brutal affair, Joe beating him within an inch of his life before grabbing a microphone and saying this has been a cakewalk. He wants to meet Cena next week in their double title bout, so he can become a triple champion, but RIGHT AS HE SAYS IT, CENA LEVELS HIM WITH A FRANCHISE LARIAT! HE PICKS JOE UP… FU! BRISCOE CLAMBERS UP THE ROPES… FROGGY BOW! ONE! TWO! THREE! MARK BRISCOE IS THE ROH TV CHAMPION! FTR and Cena celebrate with him, but later in the night, Samoa Joe gets his revenge by laying Cena out with a Uranage onto an equipment box, followed by a MUSCLE BUSTER OFF OF IT, STRAIGHT THROUGH A CATERING TABLE! It’s declared Cena won’t be fit to compete next week, so Joe requests Tony Khan hand him the ROH World Title via forfeit, but TK declares that the match will still take place - at Revolution, where Cena will return to action against the TNT Champion.
Revolution 2023
ROH World and AEW TNT Titles: John Cena (c, ROH) vs. Samoa Joe (c, TNT)
It’s the first time these two are meeting in the ring since 2020, where Joe handily eliminated Cena from the Royal Rumble with virtually no effort required. This time around won’t be nearly as easy, though, as Cena takes the fight to Joe before the bell, refusing to let this one fall through his fingers. Both men scrap around ringside, Cena connecting with a mammoth spinebuster through the timekeeper’s area once the bell rings to start the match, but Joe rises from the dead in the background to CINCH IN THE COQUINA CLUTCH, BOTH MEN TUMBLING INTO THE WRECKAGE OF THE TIMEKEEPER’S AREA! Cena picks Joe up on his back, Joe panicking and squeezing tighter, but John DRIVES THEM BOTH THROUGH THE BARRICADE! The referee’s count reaches eight, both men stirring, Cena freed from Joe’s clutches, but at nine, John dives for the ring, only for Joe to DRAG HIM BACKWARDS! TEN! IT’S A DOUBLE COUNTOUT!
John Cena and Samoa Joe fought to a double countout (2:46), so both men retain their titles
Immediately, the brawl is back on, but Justin Roberts is quick to take to the microphone, declaring that word’s been sent from the boss that the match will restart with no countouts or disqualifications - we’re seeing a winner. The crowd erupts as the fracas swiftly starts to involve weapons, neither Cena nor Joe missing a beat as they start smashing each other with chairs and driving each other through tables, fighting with everything they’ve got to finish the match off. Cena eventually gets the upper hand with a leg drop off the top with a chair under his legs, smacking it into the back of Joe’s head before capitalizing with an FU ONTO THE SAME CHAIR! ONE! TWO! THRE-NOOOO! WHAT’S HE NEED TO DO? Cena measures Joe up for another FU, but JOE SLIPS ONTO HIS BACK, WRAPPING HIM IN A COQUINA CLUTCH! CENA’S IN TROUBLE! He scratches and claws, grabbing the chair off the mat and SWINGING IT UP INTO JOE’S HEAD, BUT JOE’S STAYING UPRIGHT, A MANIC LOOK IN HIS EYES! He drains the life from Cena before going for a Muscle Buster, popping John on the top turnbuckle before hoisting him over his shoulders, but CENA WRENCHES HIS HEAD FREE, REVERSING INTO A CANADIAN DESTROYER! WHAT? WHAT?! Cena and Joe both end up on their feet, dazed and confused, and CENA NAILS A FRANCHISE LARIAT, BUT JOE DOESN’T GO DOWN! HE GOES FOR ANOTHER, BUT JOE SWINGS AROUND HIM FOR ANOTHER COQUINA CLUTCH, ONLY FOR JOHN TO ROLL OVER HIM INTO A HIGH STACK, STICKING HIS FEET UNDER THE ROPES SO JOE CAN’T GET THE LEVERAGE TO KICK OUT! ONE! TWO! THREE! CENA GOT HIM, USING THE RULESET TO HIS ADVANTAGE TO BECOME A DOUBLE CHAMPION FOR THE FIRST TIME IN A DECADE!
John Cena def. Samoa Joe (13:57) to retain the ROH World Title and win the AEW TNT Title
FTR hit the ring to ensure there’s not another post-match attack, Cena in much worse shape than the absolutely furious Samoan Submission Machine despite being the victor. He needs help getting out of the ring, but Joe is simply in shock, refusing to believe that Cena got the best of him, even if it wasn’t exactly clean.
Road to Supercard of Honor 2023
With two titles on his shoulders and plenty of eyes on his crown, Cena is on Dynamite just a few days later, ready for a fight. FTR are raring to go as well, but it’s not the fight from Samoa Joe that they end up getting - it’s the fight from Claudio Castagnoli, who wants his shot at the gold. The next week, a HUGE matchup is made that serves as a walk down memory lane for Cena against three of his greatest rivals, as John teams up with FTR against the BCC’s Claudio, Moxley and Danielson.
John Cena and FTR vs. Blackpool Combat Club (Bryan Danielson, Claudio Castagnoli and Jon Moxley)
This shit is nuts. They get time to go crazy, and while the BCC definitely want Claudio to get his shot at Cena, he’s also got the TNT Title - so all three members of the BCC are seeking a pinfall victory over the double champion to set themselves up in the title picture. As a result, they isolate Cena immediately, refusing to let FTR get a move in edgewise as they mercilessly rough up the Franchise, reminiscent of Moxley’s debut in the Shield opposite Cena. They just put the boots to him, Cena occasionally breaking through and landing a big move or two, but unable to weather the storm until he finally tags in Dax, who runs wild with Cash to even the odds. Soon enough, it devolves into an insane brawl, everyone throwing the biggest bombs they can think of to come away with the win in a blockbuster trios encounter - FTR nail a Shatter Machine on Claudio, only for it to be broken up by Danielson, but the BCC fire back with a TRIPLE POWERBOMB THROUGH THE ANNOUNCE DESK ON DAX! Finally, Moxley takes out Cash with a Death Rider, leaving Cena all alone to fend off his three opponents before eventually succumbing to a Busaiku Knee from Danielson, followed by a Ricola Bomb from Claudio for the three.
Blackpool Combat Club def. John Cena and FTR (30:14)
Naturally, coming out of such a hellacious battle, Claudio feels he’s more than earned his title match, and it’s scheduled for Supercard of Honor, just a few short days later. However, the TNT Title scene also begins to heat up, with Bryan Danielson staking his claim - but he’s confronted by the increasingly popular Swerve Strickland, who says he’s been eyeing singles gold for a while, and feels it’s his time to take it. Then, it’s Samoa Joe, who wants his rematch for the championship, and… man, it’s looking like it’s gonna be a messy run for Cena.
Supercard of Honor 2023
ROH World Title: John Cena (c) vs. Claudio Castagnoli
This is treated like the last match in their decade-long on-and-off rivalry, because, well, it is. They shake hands, respecting the Code of Honor, and we’re off to the races, a battered and bruised Cena trying to keep up with the more athletic and capable Castagnoli. Claudio has an easier time than ever before throwing Cena around, but he has a harder time than ever keeping him down for three, Cena’s unyielding tenacity seeming to have only increased with age. Eventually, Claudio feels confident enough to go for a Neutralizer, but Cena connects with a BACK BODY DROP INTO A BRIDGING JACKKNIFE PIN! ONE! TWO! CLAUDIO BRIDGES OUT OF IT, ROTATING AROUND TO GO FOR ANOTHER NEUTRALIZER ATTEMPT, BUT CENA PICKS HIM UP INTO A DEADEYE! Knowing Page was able to keep Claudio’s teammate down last month, he has no shame in poaching his move, and follows it up with a TIGER SUPLEX FOR A NEARFALL! He keeps the pressure on by attempting a Franchise Lariat, Claudio ducking under it and rebounding with a springboard corkscrew uppercut, laying Cena out before PUTTING HIM DOWN FOR GOOD WITH A NEUTRALIZER! ONE! TWO! THRE-NOOO! Claudio doesn’t even pause to react, simply muscling John up for a SWISS DEATH UPPERCUT! ONE! KICKOUT AT ONE BY CENA! That’s enough for Claudio to stop for a moment, but as Cena rises to his feet on adrenaline alone, the switch flips, Castagnoli charging at him and UPPERCUTTING HIM RIGHT OFF THE GROUND! He grabs John’s legs for the Giant Swing, and knowing how it ended last time, he doesn’t want to keep Cena close at the end of it. He hits twenty rotations, and then FLINGS CENA HEAD-FIRST INTO THE BOTTOM TURNBUCKLE, FOLLOWING IT UP IMMEDIATELY WITH A RICOLA BOMB! ONE! TWO! THREE!
Claudio Castagnoli def. John Cena (20:28) to win the ROH World Title
Road to Double or Nothing 2023
Coming off a loss of the ROH World Title, Cena’s back to having one piece of gold, but he’s not in any shape to defend it. Over the next few weeks, there’s a growing number of viable contenders, so there’s a battle royal to determine Cena’s challenger for Double or Nothing - Samoa Joe, Bryan Danielson, Swerve Strickland, Keith Lee, Ricky Starks, Powerhouse Hobbs, Sammy Guevara, Darby Allin, Jungle Boy, Christian Cage and even the newly debuted Jay White all enter, and in the end, it’s Swerve who manages to pull out the win, declaring that Cena may talk about the how the champ is here, but he’s been living in Swerve’s House… and rent is due at Double or Nothing.
Double or Nothing 2023
TNT Title: John Cena (c) vs. Swerve Strickland
Cena’s still in a bad way after facing off with Claudio, and Swerve is simply younger and hungrier, now with a mean streak to boot. He viciously lays into Cena, Prince Nana talking shit to the Franchise from the sidelines, but Cena’s veteran instincts and pure grit are still a hell of a lot for Strickland to overcome. Swerve targets the head, which is an easy weak spot after Cena hit the turnbuckle at Supercard of Honor, but once he gets Cena grounded for a House Call, John manages to pick the leg and REVERSE IT INTO AN STFU! Swerve desperately flails around, even going as far as raking the eyes to try and get a reprieve, but Cena keeps it in deep, only for NANA TO PUSH THE ROPES TO SWERVE FOR THE BREAK! The referee shouts at Nana as Swerve is set free, going for a low blow while the referee isn’t looking, but CENA CATCHES THE FOOT, SPRINGING HIM UP INTO AN FU - ONLY FOR SWERVE TO LAND ON HIS FEET AND NAIL A HOUSE CALL, FOLLOWED BY A SECOND IN A ROW! ONE! TWO! THRE-KICKOUT! He tries to position Cena for a JML Driver, but Cena elbows his way free and connects with a one-armed bulldog, followed by a FRANCHISE LARIAT ATTEMPT, SWERVE SNEAKING UNDER THE ARM AND STACKING CENA UP, GRABBING THE BELT ON HIS JORTS! ONE! TWO! THREE!
Swerve Strickland def. John Cena (17:15) to win the TNT Title
Road to All In 2023
With Wembley Stadium on the horizon and no title in hand, John Cena is pretty aimless coming out of Double or Nothing. However, there’s a new brand in town that seems right up his alley, and there’s a returning face for it - CM Punk, a man who probably won’t be all too happy to see Cena still around. With Punk’s return scheduled for the first episode of Collision, it’s announced that John Cena, the man who sent him packing at All Out almost a year ago, will be forming an uneasy alliance with him, FTR bridging the gap between the two for a huge eight man tag against Bullet Club Gold’s Jay White and Juice Robinson, as well as new TNT Champ Swerve Strickland and heated rival Samoa Joe.
John Cena, CM Punk and FTR vs. Bullet Club Gold (Jay White and Juice Robinson), Samoa Joe and Swerve Strickland
In a phenomenal main event to kick off what was a truly wonderful, yet short-lived, era of television, FTR manage to force Punk and Cena to cooperate for a while. However, Punk’s even pettier than he was in real life - despite having actually lost the AEW Title before taking his injury hiatus (and suspension time), he still comes out with the “Real” World Title, saying that Cena’s title win shouldn’t have counted as his foot was injured at the time. The tensions escalate over the course of the match, but they manage to work towards the greater good, Punk picking up the pin on Juice Robinson in his return.
John Cena, CM Punk and FTR def. Bullet Club Gold, Samoa Joe and Swerve Strickland (26:32)
Cena kicks off the second episode of Collision in Toronto by saying that CM Punk may be carrying a title around, and he may be great competitor, but he’s no champion. He lost, and a real champion accepts defeat honestly, and strives to come back better than ever. Out comes Punk, both men staring each other down before Punk takes out the gold, spray painting an “X” on it. Cena jokes that at least he’s being legit enough to show that it’s not the real belt, but Punk fires back that he’s marking it - the World Title will always be his, so it might as well bear his symbol. They’ve fought countless times over countless titles, and the fact is that the record shows John Cena just isn’t as good as CM Punk. If Cena wants to prove otherwise, Punk’s 100% now - so he can try. Punk’s already booked at Forbidden Door, and in the Owen Hart Classic, so he says if Cena wants to shoot his shot, he can do so at Wembley Stadium. If he wins, the title is invalid, and if he loses, Punk proves Cena’s victory at All Out was a fluke, and he never should have been called champion.
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All In 2023
Real World Title: John Cena vs. CM Punk (c)
Opening the show following Brawl In is the final iteration of Punk vs. Cena, a legendary, promotion-spanning feud between two all time greats. Punk gains control early, quite actively heel at this point, and maintains it through the opening stretch, wearing Cena down and even dropping him face-first onto the unprotected section of the turnbuckle, giving John a bit of colour and firmly placing him on the back foot. He continues the assault on the outside, letting Cena’s blood drip onto the sky-blue barricade covers, but John finds his opening with a back body drop on the floor, followed by a RUNNING POWERBOMB THAT PUTS PUNK STRAIGHT THROUGH THE ANNOUNCE TABLE! THAT’LL TURN THE TIDES FOR SURE! Cena sends Punk back between the ropes, heading up to the top rope for a diving leg drop to the back of the head, but Punk evades it and REVERSES INTO A JACKNIFE PIN! ONE! TWO! TH-NOO! John bolts up to his feet, but Punk beats him to the proverbial punch with a head kick, tossing Cena into the corner and unloading a flurry of punches. He follows those up by nailing the high knee in the corner, taunting Cena with a GTS pose before going for the sequential bulldog, but JOHN REVERSES, TAKING ADVANTAGE OF HIS POSITIONING TO HOOK PUNK’S ARMS FOR A TIGER SUPLEX! ONE! TWO! THR-KICKOUT!
Trying to seal the deal, Cena goes straight for an FU, Punk frantically elbowing his way free before dropping down, but Cena refuses to give him an inch and swings wildly with a FRANCHISE LARIAT, ONLY FOR PUNK TO REVERSE IT AND SNAG THE ARM INTO AN ANACONDA VISE! He hooks it in deep, Cena struggling not to pass out as he claws both he and Punk towards the ropes, finally making the break before Punk starts brutally stomping away on him in the corner. He untapes one of his hands, digging into the cut on Cena’s head with bare-knuckle punches to the head before hoisting him up for a GTS! ONE! TWO! THRE-CENA BARELY GETS THE SHOULDER UP! Going for it once more, Cena manages to slide off his back and pick Punk up for an FU, but Punk flails enough to knock the referee down before USING HIS UNDONE WRIST TAPE TO ASSIST IN CINCHING IN A CHOKE, AND NOW BACK INTO THE ANACONDA VISE! He uses the tape for more leverage, cutting off Cena’s bloodflow before tossing the tape out of the ring and getting Cena up on his shoulders… GTS REVERSED, CENA CATCHING THE KNEE AND LOCKING IN THE STF! THE REF ISN’T THERE TO SEE PUNK TAP… HE RAKES THE EYES TO BREAK FREE!
It’s a wild scrap as the referee starts stirring, Cena throwing some dangerous haymakers as he struggles to come to his senses, Punk landing precise kicks to slowly wear Cena down enough for a second, decisive GTS. Eventually, John manages to get his hands on the Straight Edge Saviour, backing him into the corner and unloading with as many bombs as he can throw. He considers going for the avalanche German, but thinks better of it, not wanting to give Punk the opening to land a Pepsi Plunge, and instead LANDS A BRUTAL CLOTHESLINE IN THE CORNER! He picks Punk up… FU! ONE! TWO! THRE-NOOOO! Shrugging, Cena runs the ropes, building up speed as his foe comes to - FRANCHISE LARIAT TURNS HIM INSIDE OUT! He leans over, waving his hand in front of his face before delivering a FIVE KNUCKLE SHUFFLE! Punk gets up to his feet, throwing his hands down to prepare to sprawl as a counter to the FU, but Cena changes tactics with a HURRICANRANA, AND NOW AN FU, ROLLING STRAIGHT OVER… A THIRD FU! ONE! TWO! THREE! CENA WINS THE WAR!
John Cena def. CM Punk (19:48) to win, and then retire, the “Real” World Championship
Later in the evening, CM Punk gets fired, and MJF beats Adam Cole to retain the AEW World Title, the power of friendship prevailing for a short while longer.
It’s announced that next week at All Out, in order to avoid the short turnaround between title matches, John Cena and FTR will team up to take on AEW World Champion MJF, his brochacho Adam Cole, and their neckstrong third wheel Roderick Strong in a huge trios match with world title implications.
All Out 2023
Elsewhere on the show, Samoa Joe becomes Number One Contender to the AEW World Title, making Cena all the more motivated to take this one home by pinning MJF, the man who took the gold from him almost a year prior.
John Cena and FTR vs. Adam Cole, MJF and Roderick Strong
Cena and FTR are a well-oiled machine, as are MJF and Cole, but Strong throws a wrench in the works thanks to his inability to coexist with the World Champ. There are also some understandable tensions between Max and Cole, with Cole trying to suppress his frustrations with losing at All In, and FTR are more than happy to capitalize on that by immediately isolating Cole and putting the boots to him, forcing Strong and MJF to represent their team as the only two healthy competitors. They lay Cole out with a Shatter Machine for two, Strong making the save, and then MJF makes a hot tag, running wild against FTR before standing toe-to-toe with Cena. John goes for the Five Moves of Doom, MJF reversing through flagrant cheating like God intended, but as he goes for a Heatseeker, Cena trips him up and rolls through the ropes before getting him up for an FU! MJF drops down behind him as Strong comes in for the save, throwing a forearm that Cena ducks, CLOCKING MJF! Dax tags Cena as Strong insists it was an accident, MJF getting into a shouting match with his own partner before getting blasted with a DOUBLE CLOTHESLINE TO THE BACK OF THE HEAD BY FTR! Cena throws Strong out as FTR go for the Shatter Machine, but Cole catches his partner, sparing him before nailing a superkick to Dax, MJF taking out Cash and BOTH MEN HITTING A DOUBLE CLOTHESLINE ON CENA! Cole looks down to see Strong on the outside, clutching his neck and screaming at MJF, and turns to see Max insisting Cena did it. Cole accepts the excuse, MJF lining up for a HEATSEEKER ON DAX… AND NOW COLE HITS MJF WITH A LAST SHOT! WHAT THE HELL? He starts laying into Max with a ground and pound, grabbing the AEW Title and CLOCKING HIM WITH IT! The referee doesn’t know who to DQ, as someone just hit their own partner with a foreign object, and reluctantly counts as Dax instinctively drapes an arm over… ONE! TWO! THREE!
John Cena and FTR def. Adam Cole, MJF and Roderick Strong (14:21)
Cole and Strong continue the attack, laying out FTR and Cena for good measure before leaving the scraps to Samoa Joe, who brutalizes MJF further as Cole and Strong walk off.
Grand Slam 2023
Cena doesn’t appear in any meaningful capacity at Grand Slam, promising he’ll be watching the main event closely, just as Adam Cole surely is. In the main event, Cole appears to help Joe win the AEW World Title, blowing out his ankle in the process. You know it’s all about the injury time.
Road to WrestleDream 2023
With Samoa Joe holding the AEW World Title, and Cena holding a victory over him at Revolution (and a technical win over MJF in trios action at All Out), he skyrockets up the rankings. However, he’s definitely not the only man who wants a shot at the gold - with MJF out of the picture taking time to heal up, and Cole out of the mix, Roderick Strong and Jay White also make themselves into frontrunners for a shot at Joe. Joe agrees to defend the gold against Strong on Dynamite, successfully doing so to notch his first defense, and the next week, Cena opens the show to say that his time is now. It’s been over a year since he held the gold, and he never got a rematch - but he has beaten Samoa Joe. Out comes the champion, who questions whether Cena really believes he’s earned a crack. His win over Joe was cheap, and Joe’s wiped the floor with him every other time they’ve faced off. Putting on his instigator hat, he says that if there’s any worthy contender, it’s the undefeated Jay White. Jay comes out to the ring, thanking Joe for his assessment before promising to take the gold from him very, very soon. He tells Cena that his time isn’t now - it was a decade ago, and now it’s the Switchblade Era. It’s announced that at WrestleDream, the ultimate heel counter wrestler will take on the consummate babyface five moves of doom performer as Jay White takes on John Cena for the right to challenge Samoa Joe.
WrestleDream 2023
In the evening’s opener, Samoa Joe defeats Kenny Omega to cement himself as a non-transitional AEW World Champion, ensuring that whoever wins between Cena and Jay will be facing him.
AEW World Title Number One Contendership: John Cena vs. Jay White
After years of being able to coast on having more veteran instincts and experience than everyone he stepped in the ring with, John Cena’s mind for the sport is finally outclassed. Everything he tries to do, Jay White’s got an answer. It doesn’t matter how big and strong he is - Jay is smarter. King Switch tears Cena’s legs apart with dragon screws, chop blocks and an extended Indian Deathlock, leaving the Franchise unable to use much of his power at all. However, Cena definitely can’t be ruled out, uncorking a Franchise Lariat to earn a reprieve before getting the ball rolling with a few absurd suplexes, going for a shaky-legged FU… but JAY SLIPS BEHIND FOR A SLEEPER SUPLEX! Calling for the Blade Runner, Jay is taken aback when Cena manages to reverse it, swivelling around his opponent and hooking the arms for a BRIDGING TIGER SUPLEX! ONE! TWO! TH-THE BRIDGE GIVES WAY THANKS TO THE LEG WORK, JAY GETTING THE SHOULDERS UP!
While he’s been able to outwork Cena for most of the match, Jay can’t take a beating to save his life, and he looks on the verge of crying as he struggles to get to his feet on the ropes, Cena fighting through the pain to rush at Jay for another FRANCHISE LARIAT, BUT JAY GETS A LOW BRIDGE! Cena tumbles to the apron, White connecting with a dropkick to the knees before heading out to the apron with the Cenation leader, looking for a SUPLEX OFF THE APRON, BUT CENA MUSCLES HIM UP ONTO HIS SHOULDERS… JAY REVERSES INTO A TORNADO DDT, OFF THE APRON AND STRAIGHT TO THE FLOOR! John crashes and burns into the barricade as White sputters and wheezes, dragging himself to a vertical base as Cena begins to stir, a vacant look on his eyes. The referee checks on him to see if he’s all there, but he quite clearly isn’t, the replay showing a sickening thud as Cena connected headlong with the ground. Jay lets loose an exhausted cackle before lifting John up all the same, and now NAILS A BLADE RUNNER INTO THE STEEL GUARDRAIL! The doctors leap in, the referee pulling Jay back and beginning his countout proceedings as White waits in the ring, taunting up a storm with Bullet Club Gold. Once he reaches nine, Cena manages to get back into the ring, an outright miracle performed, but JAY SWIFTLY HITS ANOTHER BLADE RUNNER! ONE! TWO! THREE!
Jay White def. John Cena (20:13) to become Number One Contender to the AEW World Title
Road to Full Gear 2023
Jay White opens the show, saying that John Cena’s a shell of the man he once was. The legendary 21-time World Champion, the Franchise, the biggest signing in whatever company’s history. Defined an era, well, screw that era. Samoa Joe was part of that era too, but it’s HIS time. It’s Bullet Club Gold’s time. Cena should start coming up with retirement plans, and so should Samoa Joe, because there’s not a hope in hell that they’ll touch him at this point. He’s not a Young Lion, he’s a main eventer. He sold out the Tokyo Dome, the United Center, Madison Square Garden, and he’ll soon be doing so as AEW World Champion. Out comes Samoa Joe, telling him if he keeps yapping, they might as well not wait, because he doesn’t really feel like letting Jay embarrass himself with all this hype not paying off - but before Jay can respond, both are stunned as John Cena comes out to the ring.
Cena’s clearly in a bad way, and the Franchise says he’s got a concussion. He says every bump he takes hurts more than it used to, and it was all the way back in 2017 when he first thought about hanging them up - but seeing the AEW World Title on Samoa Joe’s shoulder, he can’t let this be it. Jay’s good, but he hasn’t been around long enough to give career advice. White stances up, ready to beat John down if he doesn’t get out of the ring, but John turns to Joe and makes an offer. He says he’ll leave it in Joe’s hands - and leans in to tell something to the champ. Joe scowls, considering spitefully choking Cena out then and there, but he eventually nods, turning back to Jay. He tells White that his title shot is scheduled for Full Gear, but he still doesn’t feel like waiting - so he makes the request they have the title match next week. White thinks about it, but says there’s nothing in it for him, leading to Joe saying he’ll face off with Juice Robinson and the Gunns in a 3v1 handicap match tonight in order to make it worth his while. Jay agrees to the terms, saying he’ll see him next week.
Later in the night, Joe’s 3v1 handicap sees Bullet Club Gold trying to tear him limb from limb, but right as they start resorting to outright cheating, the place erupts as JOHN CENA HITS THE RING, READY TO EVEN THE ODDS! Joe pushes him aside, saying he doesn’t need any help, but JUICE ROBINSON NAILS JOE WITH A ROLL OF QUARTERS WHILE THE REFEREE ISN’T LOOKING! ONE! TWO! THREE! The Bang Bang Gang look to continue the assault, but now Cena’s had enough, laying Juice out with a Franchise Lariat and hitting a double Attitude Adjustment on the Gunns before JAY TAKES HIM DOWN WITH A BLADE RUNNER! Jay stands tall with the belt, vowing this’ll be the scene next week. Next week, however, it is not the scene. Jay has an incredible showing, but Samoa Joe manages to out-grit him, reversing a Blade Runner and locking in the Coquina Clutch for the technical submission victory, surviving by the skin of his teeth.
After his win, he’s asked by Tony Schiavone why he insisted on having the match early, and if it had anything to do with what Cena said to him. After seeing John shockingly assist his greatest rival last week, is there something going on? Joe grabs the microphone and says that last week, John Cena made an offer he couldn’t refuse. He knew that Jay White had to have first crack, but John requested to face Joe for the AEW World Title at Full Gear. Tony asks why he’d do John any favours given their history, and Joe says “because he said he’d put his career on the line to make it happen.” Schiavone is stunned, as is the crowd, but Joe says he’d move heaven and Earth to make the match happen, and now it will - Cena vs. Joe, one more time, in a title vs. career match. Cena, in turn, presumably wanted to help Joe stay healthy in order to see the match through - but Joe says he’s a damn fool for doing so, because he’s just signed his own death warrant.
John Cena and FTR vs. Bryan Danielson, Jon Moxley and Samoa Joe
Collision sees a huge tag match, Cena and FTR teaming up against Samoa Joe, Bryan Danielson and Jon Moxley in a match that Tony Khan made “at Cena’s request, should he fall short at Full Gear.” It’s a walk down memory lane against some of his finest rivals, main eventing WrestleMania against two of them and SummerSlam against the third. He’s feuded with them all pretty extensively, you guys should read about it. They’re pretty good. Anyway, Cena’s obviously not at 100%, and Samoa Joe has no qualms in beating the piss out of him ahead of Full Gear - but FTR play defense, taking all the hits for the Franchise that they can. They even manage to neutralize Joe, giving Cena room to hit an FU on Bryan! ONE! TWO! THRE-MOXlEY BREAKS IT UP! He batters Cena in the corner, John creating some room for a FRANCHISE LARIAT, AND NOW A HOT TAG TO CASH! Cash rushes into the ring with a tag to Dax, both men clobbering Bryan before going for a Shatter Machine, but JOE TAKES OUT DAX, ONLY TO START BRAWLING WITH CENA! It’s complete chaos as everyone scrambles for a win, and in the bedlam, Bryan nails a Busaiku Knee on Harwood for three.
Bryan Danielson, Jon Moxley and Samoa Joe def. John Cena and FTR (26:09)
Following the match, Joe looks to continue the assault, but the BCC step in, saying Cena’s earned enough of their respect to at least stop Joe from making such a high-stakes bout an unfair one. Joe skulks off, Bryan and Moxley giving Cena props and wishing him luck before heading to the back.
The next week, there’s a video package documenting the history between champion and challenger - Joe’s dominance, and how he ran John out of TNA, WWE, and now looks to do the same for good with AEW. They’ve fought over world titles in NWA, TNA, WWE, ROH and soon AEW, and it’s quite simply THE defining rivalry of their era. They’re the two best of their time, two icons, and Cena has the chance to come from behind like he always does. Will Super Cena make one last appearance on a much more macro scale by taking loss after loss before winning the blowoff, or will Samoa Joe send Cena into that good night like he has so many times before… permanently?
On the go-home show, they have a simple meeting in the ring to talk. They get all the time they need, two phenomenal mic workers laying all their cards on the table after two decades of this. Cena talks up the stakes, his accomplishments, and says Joe’s a hurdle he’s never truly been able to overcome, so he knew he had to do this. Joe cuts him off quickly, telling him that this isn’t about Cena - it’s about him. They first met over 19 years ago, and Samoa Joe won. He was the better wrestler. Then he beat him again, and again, and sent him out of company after company, because the only way Samoa Joe was allowed to shine was if John Cena wasn’t there. It didn’t matter that Joe was better - Cena was a prettier face. He was the Franchise. He got opportunity after opportunity handed to him, accolade after accolade fell into his lap, and every time Samoa Joe beat the shit out of him and proved himself to be superior, he’d somehow scrape by and turn it into a world title win, and it DISGUSTED Samoa Joe.
He sent him packing from TNA and dominated, just as he’d always been doing, but suddenly more people were paying attention. Then in WWE, he was a huge deal, a force to be reckoned with, a multi-time champion just like Cena, and he beat Cena time and time again… but people never gave him proper credit until Cena came to AEW. Now he’s the AEW Champion. He’s successfully defended the gold, which Cena never could - but for some reason, John Cena’s still the GOAT in everyone’s eyes. Joe says that this time, Cena will have nowhere to run to in order to boost his stock. It’s not loser leaves AEW… if Cena loses, he’s done, and Samoa Joe will finally be recognized as the guy who was BETTER, like he should have been for the last NINETEEN YEARS. Cena seems undeterred by the speech, telling Joe that they’ve shared the ring plenty, and Joe’s usually won - but there’s a reason Cena has done more than him in his career. There’s a reason he’s more respected and beloved, and it’s not his looks - it’s because he never, ever gives up, and at Full Gear, he’ll keep going until his dying breath… and he knows Samoa Joe’s not strong enough to do the same.