Does your age play a role in what you want to see from WWE?

[Sexcellence of Sexecution]

Originally Posted by Cosmo Surfer

I agree Cena is good overall, but I completely disagree that Cena is a good worker from a wrestling standpoint. He has what, four moves? Shoulder block, the side slam thing, five knuckle shuffle, AA, STF, legdrop off the top rope. Ok, that's six moves. We can agree to disagree in that regard. I think Cena is an abysmal in-ring worker when it comes to actual wrestling. He's great at engaging the kids though.

This argument is completely ridiculous and to say that those are the ONLY moves Cena does is profoundly ignorant. Yes, that is Cena's comeback, babyfaces have comebacks. Shawn Michaels, who is a revered worker, had a comeback. Flying Forearm & nip up, atomic drop, scoop slam, diving elbow, sweet chin music. based on that I could say that I could say that HBK knows only 5 moves, but that would be equally ridiculous. John Cena will often use a fisherman suplex, gutwrench suplex, clotheslines, bear hug, headloack takeover, hip toss and superplex among other moves. When Austin was on top his moveset didn't really have more "variety" than Cena's does now. There's also a lot more to being a good worker than just knowing a lot of moves. You can know a lot of moves, but if you can't tell a story in the ring and can't connect with the audience you're not a good worker, I can't stress this point enough:that's what being a "good worker" really means. Cena has demonstrated time and time again that he can tell a story in the ring and get the audience extremely emotionally involved in the match, and he is therefore a good worker. One of the other trademarks of being a good worker is being able to work with a wide range of different opponents. Yes, Cena has had good matches with guys like Michaels, Guerrero, Angle, Jericho and Punk, all of whom are very "technically skilled" and proficient. But he's also had good matches with guys like Umaga and even the Great Khali at One Night Stand 2007. That was without a doubt the best match of Khali's career, and it took place against Cena. Keep in mind Khali has also wrestled the likes of Triple H and the Undertaker, two highly respected veteran ring generals. Cena vs. Edge TLC Match at Unforgiven, Cena vs. Triple H at WrestleMania 22 and at Night of Champions, Cena vs. RVD at One Night Stand 2006, Cena vs. CM Punk at MITB 2011, Cena vs. Umaga Last Man Standing, Cena vs. Michaels for one hour on RAW, Cena vs. Jericho from Survivor Series 2008, Cena vs. Orton Iron Man match at bragging Rights, Cena vs. the Rock from WrestleMania 28, these are all great main event matches that Cena has participated in, and they come from a wide variety of match types and opponents.

Originally Posted by Cosmo Surfer

Don't get wrong. I'm not discreding Cena's status as a superstar. His character is completely and totally nauseating, but that doesn't change the fact that he's the man of the company. Kind of sucks considering Punk is the champ, but the reality of it is that Cena is the man of the WWE at this point. He does a great job of engaging the children and reminds me a lot of what Hulk Hogan was in the late 80s and early 90s. I think I'd be a huge Cena fan if he'd turn heel and start berating the crowd.

Yes, Cena is reminiscent of Hulk Hogan, and you said yourself you started watching as a kid during the Hulkamania era, so think about the kids who start watching today. That's the point of John Cena. Also, if Cena were to "turn heel" and then you liked him, he wouldn't be doing his job as a heel. A heel's job is to be hated so that people want to see him get beat by a face. Like I've said before, Cena is the top face and top heel at the same time. Kids and women cheer for him as want to see him triumph, so he's a face to that demographic, adult males hate him and passionately want to see him get beat, so he's a heel to that demographic. The adult males you see in WWE crowd with anti-Cena signs who try and boo him out of the arena are the true marks of the modern era, they are getting worked by Cena and the WWE extremely well, and I suspect they don't even know it.

[Triple Naitch]

I definitely think that as a younger viewer you buy into pretty much anything they feed you, as long as your favourites are involved, which is why you see the younger WWE audience still adoring John Cena even though the material he is given to work with makes me cringe almost every time I see him.

As an older fan, I found I was looking at the storylines and promos in greater detail and wanting myself to be entertained more, rather than just cheering or booing when I was expected to, and for the people they wanted me to react to.

The age of the viewer does definitely alter what you want to see. As a mid-20s male I really have no interest whatsoever in seeing a midget running around under the ring, or seeing things like R-Truth and an imaginary friend. I want to see athletic, violent matches with wrestlers who can put on a good feud, and make me care about their characters and the reason they are fighting.

I want to see things that make me jump out of my seat, I want the Attitude Era back.

[Kris Benwa]

Originally Posted by Sexcellence of Sexecution

This argument is completely ridiculous and to say that those are the ONLY moves Cena does is profoundly ignorant. Yes, that is Cena's comeback, babyfaces have comebacks. Shawn Michaels, who is a revered worker, had a comeback. Flying Forearm & nip up, atomic drop, scoop slam, diving elbow, sweet chin music. based on that I could say that I could say that HBK knows only 5 moves, but that would be equally ridiculous. John Cena will often use a fisherman suplex, gutwrench suplex, clotheslines, bear hug, headloack takeover, hip toss and superplex among other moves. When Austin was on top his moveset didn't really have more "variety" than Cena's does now. There's also a lot more to being a good worker than just knowing a lot of moves. You can know a lot of moves, but if you can't tell a story in the ring and can't connect with the audience you're not a good worker, I can't stress this point enough:that's what being a "good worker" really means. Cena has demonstrated time and time again that he can tell a story in the ring and get the audience extremely emotionally involved in the match, and he is therefore a good worker. One of the other trademarks of being a good worker is being able to work with a wide range of different opponents. Yes, Cena has had good matches with guys like Michaels, Guerrero, Angle, Jericho and Punk, all of whom are very "technically skilled" and proficient. But he's also had good matches with guys like Umaga and even the Great Khali at One Night Stand 2007. That was without a doubt the best match of Khali's career, and it took place against Cena. Keep in mind Khali has also wrestled the likes of Triple H and the Undertaker, two highly respected veteran ring generals. Cena vs. Edge TLC Match at Unforgiven, Cena vs. Triple H at WrestleMania 22 and at Night of Champions, Cena vs. RVD at One Night Stand 2006, Cena vs. CM Punk at MITB 2011, Cena vs. Umaga Last Man Standing, Cena vs. Michaels for one hour on RAW, Cena vs. Jericho from Survivor Series 2008, Cena vs. Orton Iron Man match at bragging Rights, Cena vs. the Rock from WrestleMania 28, these are all great main event matches that Cena has participated in, and they come from a wide variety of match types and opponents.

This^ is an amazing post i'm glad someone else understands. Every face has a comeback that doesn't mean those are the only moves they know i mean come on the guy regularly wrestles main events for 30+ minutes you can't do that with only 6 moves. The man is a good wrestler who damn sure can tell a story in the ring.

[Revenant87]

As a 25 year old I find it pretty hard to relate to todays WWE product. I'm not saying I want an exact replica of the AE back but I would definitely be more interested if they turned up the violence and profanity a few notches and tried to write deeper, more mature storylines and develop characters better.

[stonecoldstv86]

Age plays a factor into what people want to see in the product.

I started watching wresting back in the Hogan and Savage Era when I was really young. Then I was tone in off and on for a while and then started tuning in about full time back in about 01 and am still going.

Anyways, these are generlaztions but, Kids like to watch the bright colors. The over top charecters like Hogan, Warrior, Savage, Cena among others. But the biggest thing is Kids like things that are familar. They like the same people to win, their favs usally the Hero. To see the five moves of doom that has to be in about every match from a wrestler. The cookiecutter matches. Kids don't care much about Promos and storylines unless they are short and basic. When we get into stories that we had in the AE most of that stuff is above kids heads so it dosnt matter to them. Plus kids over look alot of the stuff that just is stupid. Like Cena getting DDT'd on the concret floor and makes a comeback. Or that match with Ortan where it was an anything goes match. Orton beats on Cena for like 30 mins. Cena little to no offence till he does 3 moves at the end and Orton gives up. Kids don't care how stupid that looks, they just care the Hero won.

Then as people get older, the interest shift. Need to have indept stories that don't seem to just fall apart. Need a reason to get from one match to another. Like that feeling that don't really know what will happen. Which with the PG Era they took away the anything can happen aspect that we use to have. Everything seems to be cookiecutter, you know of this person is getting a push so he is going to win. We are not challenged to guess what is going to happen we are pretty much given the answer in the PG Era that we werent given the answer back in the AE as much. Also like to have the matches that are not all the same. The matches that it's not just hitting the 5 moves, finisher its over.

So yes basically kids like over the top charecters, bright colors and stuff that is familar and as we get older seems to moves to storylines and matches that challenge us and we don't know the outcome of.

[#MrScissorsKick]

I didn't read any other posts before this one, so my apologies if I repeat anything thats already been said before. Anyways, I'm 20. I started watching professional wrestling since i believe it was 1998 but no doubt i took time off between my life of watching wrestling. From 1999-mid-2001 was the first time i took a break. I missed the biggest events in the history of the professional wrestling industry. So I have a limited memory of that time period in my memory. I remember watching TLC matches on SmackDown! between The Rock and The Dudleyz and since i was so younger than i am today, I used to, like many other youngins thought professional wrestling was "real". I put the real aspect in quotation marks because professional wrestling is half real - the ring is there, fans are in attendance, there are wrestlers fighting etc. At that age I thought the storylines were legit, the injuries were real, and the moves would work in translation to "real life". However as I got older, I begin to surf the web and I had no idea that there was websites - aka dirtsheets. I was a little upset at that at the time but as i get older i still have that passion i once did. I (try to) watch as much wrestling as i possibly can. I was a true WWF fan I hated the WCW but i would try to watch if my favorite wrestler, Booker T was on. When I was about a early teen, I used to have a passion of dislike for Hulk Hogan. However, as I got older I begin to realize that he was from a generation before my time, the same way I'm a fan of John Cena, Booker T. Who knows maybe the generation after mine will hate Cena (well, for all you Cena Haters, i already know you guys don't like him). Moral of the story: Yes, wrestling has played a role in how i react/watch it because of my age.