Better wrestler: Cena or HHH

[shattered dreams]

It is impossible to not hear all the criticisms of John Cena's in-ring ability in the IWC. My question is who do you think is more entertaining as far as wrestling skills go? This is subjective but it can be more than just moveset evaluation if you desire. Including other factors like in-ring psychology etc. is encouraged but things like promo skills are a non-factor.

They are both below average to me. I think they both tend to have bland repetitive movesets. However, I think Cena is better than HHH because Cena brings a lot of energy to the ring. The crowd feeds off that to create a certain atmosphere while personally I find HHH to have extremely boring matches almost always.

 

[Ferbian]

This is a tough choice for me. I love watching Triple H wrestle, but of course his abilities has kinda loosened up a little bit with time due to the two quad tears he suffered through his career. I have always thought very Triple H was a good wrestler, kinda reminding me a little bit of Ric Flair.

Triple H is an in-ring general. And I know it very well that's not gonna be a part of this discussion. But it helps him a bit because he knows how to handle a situation, handle how the next 2 or 3 moves are handled. And it makes him to come off more clean as a wrestler I would say.

However, on the other hand John Cena, while he's not the best technical guy in the ring. He still manages to put on some pretty good matches. He's underrated in that manner that people disregard his wrestling matches. I thought highly of his match with Batista at Wrestlemania. They caught me off guard, and that's again with the disregard even I had for him.

In the end of the day, both goes out there, they perform and they do it damn well. They keep the fans interested. And they know how to hype the crowd with their in-ring ability as well as taunts that follows along. Triple H's taunt after the spinebuster, John Cena's "You Can't See Me".

I will choose this from a personal preference. And my choice will be Triple H. Because in the end of the day I would much rather watch a Triple H match than a John Cena match. But it doesn't make John's abilities to put on a great match any less worthwhile. And it doesn't make Triple H's abilities greater.

 

[Optimist Prime]

It's pretty hard to vote on this one because I agree with you on one thing. Triple H is usually pretty boring in the ring.

What's strange about Triple H is that he has this ability to come across where people don't really complain about his ability in the ring...for whatever reason. Maybe it's his personality? Some respect because he basically owns the company? I don't know what it is...but people rarely complain about him. My guess would be because TNA fans respect him and WWE fans (the fans who complain about everything) don't want to complain about him because he's the face of the company.

He does have the ability to make his opponents look better than they are though. Ric Flair and Macho Man had that ability. Macho Man wasn't the greatest wrestler there was...but he was such a perfectionist...he would plan out matches ahead of time with his opponent and you wound up with the Randy Savage vs. Ricky Steamboat match up that's one of the best of all time...and even the Retirement Match at WM7 with a really bad wrestler - The Ultimate Warrior...and that match was pretty awesome as well. One of my favorites as a kid most definitely.

Triple H doesn't have the ability exactly like those guys I've described...but you see it here and there. John Cena has shown he CAN do this from time to time as well (see: Bautista match at WM26). Wasn't my favorite match...and I actually thought it was pretty boring...but it was a lot better than I thought it was going to be. So I'll give some credit there.

This all being said, I can't vote. I think they're both very boring wrestlers...and while I like Triple H's personality (old DX personality) a lot more than Cena's...I still give Cena's respect because, while it's not my cup of tea, it's still much better than most in the WWE today. So I can't really pick between them. They're basically right down the middle for me. I'd give a slight edge to Triple H because of his ties to The Kliq though.

 

[WWE.IS.AWESOME]

This is a rather hard choice for me. I personally like Cena better than HHH but Trips got my vote. I think he is just better in the ring and his taunts aren't as cheesy as Cena's. Let's take a look at both of their wrestling abilities.

John Cena - He sells most of his moves and doesn't have that bad of a finisher. His submission is also very good. But to me, His "U Can't See Me" is more of a time-waster than a taunt.

Triple h- Very good at making his moves believable. I really enjoy his finisher too. The occasional use of the Figure 4 Leglock is preformed pretty well. I love when he hits a spinebuster. I think he puts on more entertaining matches.

But remember, Triple H has plenty more experience than John Cena. With Triple H retiring in a couple years, and John Cena having a good 10 yeats ahead of him, Cena could surpass him in the long run.

 

[Vega]

For me, it's Triple H, by far. He looks vicious in the ring and credible when destroying opponents. The pedigree, the running knee, the spinebuster for example look vicious.
Triple H sells much better than Cena, his pains look mostly real, while Cena looks like a Tekken fighter who just lost 10 HP but refreshes shortly after. I can only remember few Cena matches where I didn't get what I expected prior to the match - that kills the excitement. You mostly already know if he wins or loses by unfair treatment. He usually gets dominated by his opponent and then, from nothing, flying shoulder tackles ("Oh no, it's over now!" - you know what begins), Five Knuckle Shuffle, Attitude Adjustment or STF and it's over - if no one interferes. So repetitive, unauthentic and annoying. You could say his finisher is not the AA, but a combination of FST, FNS and AA. I'd say it's not completely his fault that his matches are unbearably hard to watch - the problem is that his character is not open for variant matches and unexpected endings. Both don't have the most exciting matches, but Trip's matches at least can have excitement.

 

[SpoodBeest]

I'm going to take the more difficult road to explain and pick John Cena as the more entertaining wrestler in my mind. So without further ado let's explain this one. I have been a fan of John's since his debut, his first match with Kurt Angle was actually very decent for a debut. Cena was very green in this time period and he had a few mediocre moments before he turned his character to a white boy rapper. This is when Cena's personality really started to flourish and I always thought he was entertaining when he was around. John Cena was still kind of green in the ring though.

Then he ended up winning his first WWE title, and from then on went to really evolve in the ring. Every week he would improve, and in mind delivered his very best everytime he went out there. He put on some of the best pay=per-view matches in 2005 against the likes of Chris Jericho, Kurt Angle, and others. While his title reign went on he also evolved as character. This transformation has made him into the John Cena we know today. Cena in my mind has put on consistently great matches on pay-per-view ever since he has been a world champion. Even after he lost the titles and wasn't champion he has had a dedication to put on the same best match he can for the people in attendance. That right there shows how committed John Cena is to the wrestling business, and how he truly cares to give his best in each and every performance. Even ignoring the idiotic hate chants he has been undeservedly getting for the past four years or so.

I am never bored while watching John Cena in a match. He does everything he can to keep the match interesting, while at the same time manages to tell a great story in the ring. John Cena is the ultimate entertainer the WWE has, in my mind.

Triple H on the other hand is quite different. He may be entertaining at times, he isn't al; the time. He has lost a few steps from the quad injuries he has had to come back from and since those two injuries he hasn't quite been able to muster that same magic he had in the early 2000s. Triple H also has the tendency to not wanting to put on a great match, and just put on something ok or good in his mind. During his time on top from 2002-2003 he had many shit matches as the world champion and most of the time didn't even care to try and out perform whomever he was facing. His matches with Steiner, Nash, Goldberg, as well as a few other during his times on top were awful and were a all time low point for his career. Today Triple H does so well for putting on a good match every know and then. But you rarely see Triple H put on a great match these days. The last time i think I seen him put on something great was his match against Jeff Hardy at No Mercy 2008.

These reasons I listed are the reasons why I find John Cena more entertaining than Triple H. Most of the time Cena tries harder, and earns every bit of respect I give to him. Triple H has my respect but he slowed down to much in the ring over the past few years and doesn't quite have the passion he used too. So that is why Cena gets my nod for WWE's most entertaining superstar.

 

[supersrc]

HHH no contest, yes they both hit there signature, spinebuster, throwback, ect. but unlike cena hhh will throw in a a vertical suplex, or figure four, use to do the indian deathock, moves that wouldnt be considered his "signatures" but are still actual wrestling moves. Triple H also got decent matches out of Kali and Kovlof, durring his short smackdown stint. (in my opinion Kovslof is a good but boreing wrestler, so getting good matches out of those two deserves some credit)

 

[shattered dreams]

It's pretty hard to vote on this one because I agree with you on one thing. Triple H is usually pretty boring in the ring.

What's strange about Triple H is that he has this ability to come across where people don't really complain about his ability in the ring...for whatever reason. Maybe it's his personality? Some respect because he basically owns the company? I don't know what it is...but people rarely complain about him. My guess would be because TNA fans respect him and WWE fans (the fans who complain about everything) don't want to complain about him because he's the face of the company.

That is the strange thing to me as well. Even back in the good ole wwf days I would watch HHH matches as a HHH fan and still sit there thinking let's get to the finish already. I guess it is partially that HHH was and still to an extent is quite good at setting up the feud so people care. Thus, they go into the match already caring what happens so they are interested in the back and forth no matter what. So I guess his skills outside the ring still help him hide some of his shortcomings in the ring. Cena is not that bad at this either but the way his character was booked over time destroyed the necessary mystery.

 

[Miss Flawless]

I say Triple H. He is just more variety in the ring than Cena. Triple H is good at everything when he is heel IMO, he was more viscous, and he destroys his "enemy" in the ring. When he is face, it's different. It's less viscous-ness and he's just boring in the ring. Triple H is actually a good wrestler, he just isn't the same anymore because of 1. Old Age and 2. Injuries.

 

[marklouis]

I think it's HHH, & it's not really close. HHH has show the potential to have all-time great matches- numerous matches vs HBK, the 3 stages of hell match vs Austin, the Undertaker match @ Wrestlemania. I honestly couldn't give you a memorable Cena match. Now, the common theme in all those matches is HHH is a heel, & they are "hardcore" type matches. HHH probably wouldn't be much to watch in an Iron Man match or submission match. But overall, I'd say HHH is much better.

 

[Fire Marshall Bill]

You're almost forced to say HHH just because of the way Cena's character is booked. I almost get sick of watching his matches because they're all booked the same way. Just like someone already said, he gets his ass beat for 8 out of 10 minutes, comes back with some shoulder blocks, suplex, 5 knuckle shuffle and finisher. Occasionally they throw his leg drop off the top rope in there somewhere. Other than that it's nothing but punches. It's sad because he's booked like that with his Superman character. It's one of the reasons he's so hated. This is the way it's been for a while now and so often they tease like something's gonna change, but then it doesn't. I like watching Cena really just for the story and what's gonna happen next, but as far as matches, I'd definitely rather watch HHH. His matches might not vary a whole lot, but they still change a little. Plus he usually has control of the match at some point which is better than watching one person get beat up for most of the match.

 

[Chardee Macdennis]

I really enjoy watching both of these guys perform, but I have to give the nod to Trips. I believe what Hunter is doing in the ring more so than Cena. As someone before me pointed out, HHH is one of the best at getting you to have an emotional stake in the match BEFORE it even takes place. Not often, but every once in a while, when I watch a Cena match, I feel like I'm watching a scripted one hour weekly drama on NBC where I know in the end, the hero is going to beat the bad guy. Every time I see a HHH match, I feel like anything can happen, even if he does use the same general moveset. In the end, I think both guys tell a great story in the ring, I just feel like Trips is never off his GAME!

 

[The 1-2-3 Killam]

This is a pretty tough decision. Neither are exactly the greatest in-ring workers around, as far as pure entertainment goes. They both know their way around the ring, they both know how to conduct a match and go with the flow. They can both think quickly on their feet, and they both excite a crowd. Triple H has been doing it MUCH longer than Cena, but they've both been the face of the company for about the same total amount of time in their careers.

Now, if this was 2005, or even up to 2007, I would give this one cleanly to Triple H with no argument. But, with his injuries, and with the company's direction towards a more streamlined (boring) formula, the Game's matches have just become completely by-the-book. It's like I could script exactly what would happen. He doesn't deviate from his normal spots, he doesn't change it up every now and again. And even when he snaps and gets pissed off he just gets a sledgehammer and hits a gut shot or something. Triple H is definitely a ring general, but he's also become the captain of the streamlined formula.

Now, John Cena does bring a shit-ton of energy to the ring. But it's pretty much gone within two minutes, and is followed by 20 minutes of him getting his ass kicked, followed by a Hulk-up and an eventual win. So, the crowd is super into the match for about 10% of the whole thing, with the middle just being blah... I guess if you're really into seeing Cena get destroyed, than his matches are great. Look at his Ironman match with Randy Orton. On the outside that looked like a great idea. Those guys were pulling a great feud, and it should have been awesome. But instead it was just a normal Cena beat-down stretched over the course of an hour. However, Cena can pull off the occasional great match depending on who he's working with. But so can Triple H. They're few and far between, but the two can light up an arena from time to time.

All that being said, I'm still going to have to go with John Cena. And I can't believe I'm saying it... I just don't remember the last time a Triple H match even excited me. He's great, and he's a legend, but his matches are just so straight forward and lackluster. I can't wait for him to return, don't get me wrong. But I think that Cena still puts on a decent match even if it's him getting destroyed. It may not be great, but at least it's average (what a horrible way to be described...). Triple H's matches, on the other hand, just usually fall short of the already incredibly low "average" bar Cena has set in recent years.

 

[wylieb0y]

HHH is definitely the more boring wrestler. The whole of '08 was him headlocking his opponent 3/4 of the match.

 

[Mr_billy]

HHH is the better wrestler, he is a throwback to the old school. him wrestling is like watching Harley Race in his prime. The match tells a story.

 

[Find'er Woo'er Ryder]

HHH is the better wrestler not by far but he is and the only reason is because cena get the crap beat out of him for 15 min of the match then the last 3 min he gets all pumped up and everyone cheers for him he hits the AA and get the pin at least with HHH its usually a back and forth match. if cena actually did good the whole match then i think he would b beter

 

[GameOver]

It's not even remotely close for me atleast.
Sure Triple H is far from the greatest in ring performer but his moveset varies from match to match outside of the standard moves and he mixes it up a bit depending on the match type.

Cena pretty much same moves every single match , regardless of the opponent and situation.

Triple H is also a clear winner in the storytelling and selling of moves
something Cena struggles with.

Triple H as a heel is a better wrestler true, he has more freedom to go nuts.

bout only thing i'd give a nod to Cena is strength moves and the STFU (when he actually applies it properly)

 

[dionlyone18]

why are you comparing the two? they arent even close they both have strenghts and weaknesses you cant just put the two together..this is just another way to slam Cena...

 

[Midnite Express 2009]

Hands down, Trips. HHH is really a good wrestler if people watch his matches, especially when he's a heel. The man is a genuis in the ring, despite what others think of him outside of it. On a side note: Can anyone tell me how to post topics? I've been wanting to post my own topics for quite sometime. If anyone can send me a note regarding this, it'd be much appreciated.

 

[Little Jerry Lawler]

Cena is the better wrestler. He has consistently put on better matches than HHH since he came to the WWE. HHH has never and will never be the kind of draw Cena has been. I've always found HHH's style to be quite boring since 2003. I know that's maybe due to injuries but before that he was only as good as Rock and Austin would allow him to be. That one year Austin was out benefitted HHH but he's been mediocre since. I much prefer Cena's style to HHH's as well.

 

[Dibil]

Cena because he didn't bang Steph McMahon to get where he is.he worked for it and he is better in terms of in ring ability,him and HHH are equal in Mic Skills imo.Cena is better at storytelling in the ring.I just DON'T UNDERSTAND why HHH is SO DAMN POPULAR,his Wrestling Skill is average and his Mic Skills are pretty good but THATS ALL.Cena may have ''five moves'' (even though he has more) of doom acording to people but his moves are effective and pretty powerful (except the five knuckle shuffle)

HHH

In Ring Skill: 6/10
Mic Skills: 8/10

Cena

In Ring Skill: 7/10
Mic Skill: 10/10

 

[Ruthless-RKO]

This is Triple H all the way!!!

Since I watched his first fight in 98' I became a fan, his best years as a wrestler I would say were from 1999-2004...he was just the best...His moveset has always been great, he has told better stories in the ring, his moves have a big impact, he brawls, he slams his opponents down hard on the mat, his finisher is cool...The only unfortunate thing here is his injuries...

I can remember tons of great HHH matches whereas I can only remember like 2 or 3 or Cena's...

 

[Rasha]

If you think Triple H is boring in the ring, then stick to watching luchadors. Heavyweight wrestlers have to be able to tell stories in the ring without the use of theatrics, and HHH has done that as well as anyone for a long time. He sells like a pro and hits his move, however limited the set might be, with precision and believability.

I'm sure many of you in the anti-HHH crowd would also turn around and tell me that Bret Hart was one of the greatest wrestlers ever. I find very little difference between the two in how they wrestled. Bret was a little quicker, and HHH much more powerful. But Bret had a pretty predictable moveset as well. The key is that, face or heel, both guys make you care.

Also, to the clown who said HHH only got where he is because of Stephanie; you're crazy. HHH may have stayed in the Main Event more than others thanks to that relationship, but the guy earned his spot. He was able to stay completely legitimate and remain a star in the era of Austin and Rock, and that speaks for itself.

 

[swamprat37]

HHH and it's not even close. He's better at in ring storytelling, selling the match, FAR better the Cena, I think is better on the mic too especially as a heel. His matches aren't nearly as boring as Cena's or as predictable. I can think of many more matches with HHH that are memorable, than Cena. To say Trips only got where he is by "banging Stephanie" is one of the most sub-moronic things I have ever seen on a message board anywhere.

 

[Morpheus101]

As a wrestler, I give this one to HHH. Maybe because HHH has been around for so long (long before Cena) and has pulled off so many amazing matches over the past 2 decades. HHH has really done it all...Hell In A Cell, hardcore, iron man...you name it. Technically, I also give the edge to HHH too, although Cena is certainly no slouch in that department. I just think that overall, HHH wins this. He has put his body through hell for a longer period of time and during the "Attitude" era, when it must have been a lot tougher, in terms of brutality and injuries. However, both guys are amazing workers and have come back from potentially career threatening injuries, so they are both deserving of being at the top IMO.