London is set to host an athletic event of monumental proportions that will have all eyes on the Forest City. No, I'm not referring to the 2013 World Figure Skating Championships, during which London Mayor Joe Fontana is looking to spend $600,000 on a fancy light show. No, I'm referring to an event that will exhibit far more skill and artistry: the WWE Last Man Standing match between John Cena and Kane on March 10. Hey, that reminds me, the Fanshawe Student Union is giving away free tickets to the WWE show, so if you are a current fulltime Fanshawe student, head to FSU.ca/contest for full details.

In honour of the big event, I thought I would take a look at two films starring the aforementioned grapplers. Yes, that's right, not only have they conquered the sports entertainment universe, they are also budding thespians. Here is my take on both of their film debuts.

The Marine (2006)
John Cena, and plenty of explosions, star in this tale of a recently discharged marine who must get right back into the thick of things after his wife Kate (Kelly Carlson of Nip/Tuck) is kidnapped by diamond thieves.

The heroic John Triton (John Cena) survives one death-defying situation after another in his efforts to snag his wife back from the bad guys, led by Robert Patrick (best known as the T-1000 in Terminator 2: Judgment Day).

Patrick's role was originally intended for Al Pacino, while Cena's role was originally intended for "Stone Cold" Steve Austin. I'm sure Austin would have been fine, but the producers really dodged a bullet when Pacino declined the role. Cena, a beloved and skilled professional wrestler, proves to be just as capable of a leading man, and would have acted circles around Pacino, making old Michael Corleone look foolish.

The Marine crosses many genres. It is a war film. It is a romance. It is also a straight-up action film. One can certainly make the argument that it is the finest film to be released in any of those genres. And I am that one.

See No Evil (2006)
Several months before The Marine hit theatres, the first WWE Films production was released, this one starring the nearly 7-foot tall Kane.

In See No Evil, a group of teenage delinquents are forced to renovate a dilapidated hotel in order to have their juvenile detention centre sentence decreased. The place is full of mold, roaches, mice and, worst of all, a gigantic man wielding a chain with a hook at the end of it. Jacob Goodnight (Kane) is not just looking to murder them, he also wants to remove their eyes. The film was originally going to be titled Eye Scream Man, but unfortunately that idea was scrapped. As far as I can tell, the fact that they did not go with that title is the film's only flaw.

With all due respect to great horror protagonists of the past — Dracula, Freddy Krueger, Jason Vorhees, Chucky — there has never been an intimidating presence quite like Jacob Goodnight. Without uttering a single word, Kane delivers the performance of a lifetime. So good, in fact, that six years later he still hasn't had a follow up role. I guess he's quitting while he's on top.

These are two terrific films in my opinion, but if I had to choose a winner, I'd give the slight edge to Kane in See No Evil. But who will win when these two gladiators compete in London on March 10? Find out by winning some free tickets (they are good ones, section 106, row D) by visiting FSU.ca/contest.

And a word of advice to Mayor Joe Fontana. If you want to celebrate any event with an expensive light show, make it this one instead. Better yet, you can take a cue from The Marine and just blow a bunch of stuff up. It's probably cheaper, and quite frankly downtown London could use some blowing up.