John Cena and The Rock join forces in less than two weeks at Survivor Series. As a “never before, never again” tag team, these legendary Superstars will temporarily set aside their differences and unite to take on The “Awesome Truth.” There will only be one shot at this, so not only must this surprise pairing work – it will.

The Great One and the Cenation leader are simply too proud, too persevering and too talented to take “no” for an answer. Don’t be misled by past (or future) problems; these two warriors have more in common than at first meets the eye. These deep-seeded similarities are what will help them work together and succeed on Nov. 20.

To be the absolute “alpha-dog,” most popular and charismatic Superstar of an era in sports-entertainment is an incredible triumph. That has been achieved only by a very elite group of Superstars. Both The Rock and John Cena can proudly claim places on that short list. The thought of two such luminous presences working together just sounds like a recipe for success.

Their histories in WWE have more than a few parallels. Both are celebrated multi-time champions, each with dozens of wins in singles and tag team competition. Both are Royal Rumble winners, in 2000 for The Rock and 2008 for Cena. Ironically, both of those events took place at Madison Square Garden, which is hosting this year’s Survivor Series.

Another crisscrossing of their careers also took place at MSG: WrestleMania XX, in 2004. In fact, it could be argued that at this blockbuster event, when The Great One had what became his final official match for seven years and Cena won The United States Championship, it wasn’t just an overlapping of careers, but a passing of the torch.

In the end, the most vital commonality between John Cena and The Rock is that nothing but victory is enough for either of them. They are each willing to win at all costs – and they both want to be the one who gets the decisive pinfall or submission at Survivor Series. They have the shared aim of defeating The “Awesome Truth,” but they each want to be “the Man.” How that issue is resolved remains to be seen, but the fact that The Brahma Bull and the Cenation leader each have inspired drive is undeniable.

That singular motivation to win binds these two Superstars together and will propel them to triumph on Nov. 20. As unlikely a duo as The Rock and John Cena may seem at first, they will prove to be a great one.