Tuesday, February 3, 2026

Smells Like Team Spirit

John Cena VS Dolph Ziggler - WWE Steel Cage Match 1/14/2013

JJZ: Let's bookend this son of a bitch CJD! After the ladder match with Dolph had some sneaky interference, John Cena finds a way to eliminate the distractions so he can get his revenge on Ziggler in a STEEL CAGE MATCH! This was the blow off to the Cena/Ziggler feud as a RAW main event. I think using a cage as a tool to keep AJ and Big E out of the ring and not as a weapon to punish Dolph was a good way to not expect the blood and guts that a steel cage match usually comes with. Great story telling in the ring. Loved the falsies. Big E looked like such a monster at this time. I loved that what won Ziggy the match at TLC played into the finish of this match for a satisfying conclusion. Enjoy homie.

CJD: I was so close to watching this match instead of my ladder match, and I was already in the mood for more Cena, so you made my freezing cold day with this pick John! I love the rare instances we hold up our imaginary title for the week and feature a rematch. And I love really well done TV main event wrestling. And this was both of those things! I didn't love the angle that brought AJ and Ziggler together, but this trio together were one of my favorite things about this era of WWE. They had such a fun dynamic, and similarly I am a total sucker for Cena and Dolph as opponents. These two matches were a treat, and I'm tempted to go back to Big Match John yet again, but I think I think I'll take a break from the WWE machine and dig into some Nic Nemeth instead.