John Cena: 16 and Beyond

By Tom Clark

WWE fans know three things about John Cena; he loves denim shorts, kids love him, and he will tie Ric Flair's record. It's never been a matter of if, but when.

The fact is he's going to break it.

Cena's reappearance on SmackDown Live's main event scene was not surprising, although the timing was. The screws on AJ Styles' custom side plates were still warm from the drill when John confronted him. Fans that believed the company was finally moving ahead may have been caught off guard, but they shouldn't have.

This is still Cena's WWE, and it's still his title. He actually said as much, which likely sent his haters into cardiac arrest.

But as the wrestling world prepares for another John Cena main event in this "New Era," the inevitable has now taken center stage. It can't be ignored anymore, no matter how much fans don't want to talk about it. Ric Flair is about to be matched.

Think about that.

The greatest of all time, the man that inspired a whole generation of wrestlers that followed him, has never really had an equal. Dusty Rhodes was amazing. Hulk Hogan made a lot of money. Stone Cold Steve Austin resurrected WWE. But no one-no one- has ever been in the same conversation as The Nature Boy when it comes to accomplishments.

Shawn Michaels has been called the greatest performer of his time, but even he would likely not rank himself above Ric. But why? The answer is in the numbers.

16. Ric Flair is the 16-time world champion. While titles don't mean as much today, they did when Ric was reigning over the NWA. They meant everything then, as being the top guy meant being the top draw. The top championship went hand in hand with that, and was a statement of faith by the promoter.

Ric had built up a tremendous amount of faith, and trust, not only from Jim Crockett but Vince McMahon. The whole concept of "being the man" came from Flair's run in the NWA, and it followed him throughout his entire career. On 16 separate occasions, Ric was the man. Now that record will be tied and eventually beaten.

Maybe it should come as no surprise.

The Undertaker's Streak was conquered. Shawn and Bret Hart made peace. Styles became WWE champion. A lot of seemingly impossible scenarios have been realized, so perhaps this was bound to happen eventually. Then there's the fact that Cena is a favorite of Ric's, and has earned the respect of his peers as well.

However the question of what all this means is surely being asked.

Is this really a case of tying Flair's record, or is this two entirely different things? Cena is the top guy in WWE, and has been nearly every time he's worn the championship so why wouldn't his record count? On the other hand he won all of his belts in WWE, at the hands of Vince himself.

So is this a case of splitting hairs; are fans trying to downplay Cena's achievements because he's hated so much?

The fact is fans may never see this again. With the exception of Triple H at 14, there are no legitimate threats to tie the record in WWE right now. So if it has to happen, the best time is now. The best guy to use is Cena. It wa going to happen eventually.

How much it all means is up for fans to decide.