Fightful managing editor Sean Ross Sapp promised the author of this article would not get drug tested for this, but no amount of drugs in the world could have possibly prepared anyone for the Firefly Fun House match.
WrestleMania 36 was already put in a unique position due to unfortunate circumstances, but Bray Wyatt and John Cena gave those watching at home a trip into the bizarre, cycling through not just years of their rivalry, but decades of wrestling past.
After Cena triumphantly entered the WWE Performance Center for his match against Wyatt, Cena was magically transported to the titular Fun House. Once Cena went through a door that had an appropriate “Abandon All Hope Ye Who Exit Here" sign placed in front, the multi-time former WWE Champion and Cena went down a rabbit hole that spiraled into madness the longer they were there.
Both Cena and Wyatt transformed into previous incarnations of their rivalry, dissecting into each other’s psyche in a showcase of storytelling and puppeteering. For brief moments, Cena became not just the Doctor of Thuganomics, but also the young, brightly-colored trunk wearing version of himself that answered Kurt Angle’s challenge on SmackDown nearly two decades ago.
But Wyatt wanted to correct what he felt was the wrong that was committed to him when the two faced off at WrestleMania 30 back in 2014, the wrong that gave birth to The Fiend years later. As such, Wyatt wanted to destroy Cena, not physically, but mentally. Wyatt psyched Cena out by singing the theme song of Nikki Bella, Cena’s ex-fiance, transporting him to a backstage promo for an old WWF Saturday Night Main Event and even warping reality back to the late 1990s by becoming Eric Bischoff introducing the leader of the New World Order: Hollywood John Cena.
The sweet sound of the Doctor of Thuganomics on the --. #WordLife@JohnCena #WrestleMania #FireflyFunhouse pic.twitter.com/ge2CnVoaN4
— WWE WrestleMania (@WrestleMania) April 6, 2020
WHAT IS HAPPENING INSIDE THE #FireflyFunHouse?!?!#WrestleMania @JohnCena @WWEBrayWyatt pic.twitter.com/F8NFKQtJxi
— WWE (@WWE) April 6, 2020
2️⃣ SWEET.#FireflyFunHouse #WrestleMania @JohnCena pic.twitter.com/b5RCJecyxl
— WWE WrestleMania (@WrestleMania) April 6, 2020
Even as Cena was slowly starting to figure out Wyatt’s mind games, his body was under Wyatt’s spell and unable to do much as he was constantly taunted by his opponent and the puppets that reside inside the Firefly Fun House.
Throughout the journey that Cena and the audience went through, Wyatt wanted to make one thing absolutely clear: Cena is an arrogant bully who takes advantage of the weaknesses of others.
Whether or not Wyatt is correct, Cena was trapped in Wyatt’s own twisted version of reality. As if things couldn't get any worse for the Cenation leader, The Fiend finally made an appearance at the end and hit him with the Mandible Claw, pinning him to the mat for the 1-2-3.
He's here.
— WWE (@WWE) April 6, 2020
LET HIM IN.@JohnCena @WWEBrayWyatt #FireflyFunHouse #WrestleMania pic.twitter.com/3YrNy5zKpR
Wyatt corrected the biggest mistake of his career, losing to Cena at WrestleMania 30, and in doing so, justified his descent into the madness that gave birth to The Fiend. The Fiend managed to do what Wyatt could not and did so while giving Cena a bizarre experience that he will never forget: a deconstruction into the mind of someone who has held a grudge for six years.
Like Mr. McBossMan, a puppet parody of Vince McMahon, said in commentary during this match: "This Is Such Good Sh*t."
You can see our full live coverage of WrestleMania 36 night two at this link, and our post-show podcast at this link.
