John Cena Tops The PWI 500 - Let The Hating Commence

[Jack-Hammer]

It was announced on a story at wrestlinginc.com a little bit ago that John Cena has taken the #1 spot on the annual PWI 500. This makes Cena's 3rd time topping the list, surpassing every other winner since the list began in 1991. The magazine cites Cena's victory of the WWE Championship MITB ladder match, winning the 2013 Royal Rumble, his epic match on Raw against CM Punk earlier this year and his defeat of The Rock at WrestleMania 29 to become WWE Champion for the 11th time. The time frame taken into consideration for a wrestler's rank on the list ran from July 1, 2012 though July 1, 2013. The full list won't be revealed until later this week, I believe.

Cena last topped the PWI 500 in 2007 with his first win coming in 2006 and I'm sure a good many won't be all that thrilled by him topping it this time around. Now even though John Cena has shown time after time that he's quite an extremely good pro wrestler, I've little doubt this will probably piss some people off who feel it should've been CM Punk or Austin Aries or Bully Ray or whoever.

 

[Thriller Ant]

After a rough 2012, I have no issue with Cena topping the list this year. Some of his accolades are mentioned in the OP, but don't forget that he was also responsible for helping to get The Shield over, was the main event of Raw 1000, and got a pretty good redemption story over for the match at WrestleMania. No one really had an unquestionably great year, but it's hard to argue against what Cena accomplished.

 

[The Champ]

The PWI 500 is a kayfabe list, which recognizes wrestlers' kayfabe accomplishments.

Cena won the Royal Rumble, won the WWE Championship in the main event of WrestleMania by defeating one of the all time greats, and held that championship for about four and a half months. There's no reason why he shouldn't be high on the list, and no one else jumps out at me as rightfully being higher.

Hopefully our boy D-Bryan will be topping it next year.

 

[Poop Master Flex]

Cena had the best year in my opinion especially if its from July to July. CM Punk had a good year but missing a quarter of that time doesn't help anyone. Aries had a good year too but he didn't do much after losing at BFG, only 3 months into the year. Bully Ray would probably be #2 or #3 on that list as he had the best year out of anyone in TNA with his heel turn, but all in all Ace's and 8's fizzled out around the time Devon was revealed as the first member so logically it's got to be Cena.

Besides the accomplishments he achieved this year he had a consistently solid year, one of the best he's ever had personally. He had plenty of good matches with Punk this year, he was in a 2 year storyline with The Rock that drew gangbusters, he even had decent storylines and matches with Ryback and Mark Henry. I wasn't much into his Ziggler feud but it definitely put Ziggler on a higher level so really I don't think there's much of an argument against Cena as being #1 on the list. Frankly I don't think anyone has come close to having the year Cena had on any level.

 

[Pay Per Ghost]

Fuck the haters, Cena deserves this and a bag of chips.

Did you see his elbow last night? Yes I'm apathetic to temporary deformaties. He has had a very stellar 2013. I swear to God since Extreme Rules 2012 I have just grown to appreciate his in ring work, his tempo how he does the little things (that he always has really). Cena has had a good 12 months. He put wrestlers over, and then gone onto a much needed dominant run.


Good on ya.

 

[Blade]

I'm okay with this. CM Punk got his number 1 spot last year, and I'm guessing the fact that he took a couple of months off caused a few docked points. Bully Ray hasn't had the match quality to deserve a number 1 spot, and Aries is, simply put, just not as good as Cena. Cena has had a good year, even by his high standards, so no one can complain.

But with Cena now taking several months off for his surgery, right now the 2014 number 1 spot is two horse race between Daniel Bryan and CM Punk. Unless, of course, Orton's WWE title reign is a spectacular one.

 

[Cash Carson]

As with any magazine article, ranking lists are a matter of opinion, and not based on fact.

 

[H33LTurn]

If the list really is based off kayfabe accomplishments, Cena should be on top until the day he retires. I question, however, the appeal of someone who remains the most stale superstar on the roster despite winning the the Royal Rumble, WWE Championship, and main evening Wrestlemania opposite The Rock. Its deserved, dont get me wrong, but we're grading superstars on how well we can sell their merchandise and market their gimmick to... children. This year, and I have yet to look at the list, I feel Triple H, Brock Lesnar, CM Punk, and the Shield all stole the show. The Rock should also get an honorable mention since his match with Cena was probably the highlight of the year. I dont think this list is all to relevant, since we know the politics and dynamics of what goes into kayfabe accomplishments.

 

[MCMG]

MITB, Royal Rumble win, WWE title, defeating The Rock, Punk (on Raw) Ryback he has had a great year overall. The end of 2012 wasn't exactly great but he has been impeccable in the first half of 2013. I guess the only other person to who could challenge him is Bully Ray who has also been impressive but Cena has delivered great matches, feuds and promos so is a deserved number one.

 

[Mitch Henessey]

Both WWE Championship matches with Ryback are easy MOTY candidates. I think a lot of us get so caught up (myself included) in voicing or displeasure about WWE squandering Ryback's momentum with the loss to Henry at Wrestlemania and the heel turn, that we forget about the stellar quality of both matches.

My only complaint would be the match with Rock at Wrestlemania 29 not living up to the hype. The WWE Championship being on the line had a lot to do with that, because there was no reason at all for Rock to retain the title, instantly giving away the predictable outcome. Plus, I caught NBC's encore showing of the match a little while ago, and I give Rock credit for gutting it out after the injury, but the action in the ring was still underwhelming for the most part.

But yeah, Cena deserves it. The Rumble win, a WWE Championship run with no real stains, and the five star match with Punk on Raw. The only other guy, who could come close is CM Punk, but I have a feeling he'll take it next year, because he's already off to a great start with the Lesnar match this past Sunday.

 

[FlairFan2003]

If you look at that time frame who else really had a better run ? Personally I would have been shocked if he didnt win it.

 

[Kidpolean]

Um... He had no competition. Nobody has even come close to having a year on par with Cena's. Who would you even say had the second best year in the wwe? I think you can make an argument for Bully Ray but tna is second rate so idk bout that one.

 

[DetectiveZelix]

I love how no ones hating yet all of you idiots are addressing them. Funny. Good news for Cena fans

 

[The Butcher]

I love how no ones hating yet all of you idiots are addressing them. Funny. Good news for Cena fans

It's pre-emptive and/or a learned response. Any adult who is aware that the rankings are kayfabe achievement-based should also have the good sense to not to really give a damn one way or the other. I found it amusing that a few individuals in the spam version thread referred to Cena's match quality or status as the best wrestler in the world, but that's what happens when the name Cena is brought up.

The virulence of his detractors have made his defenders that much more vigilant, and so now the pendulum has swung from the haters overreacting to the fans overreacting. Gotta give Cena and WWE credit, though. They've created the number one face and heel in all of wrestling, a man so polarizing that no one can take a rational stance. He's either the best or the worst- no middle ground.

Like I said in the spam version, good for him. Another plaque for his mantle, another feather in his cap. It's not going to convince those who don't like him to start liking him, and it only reinforces the feelings of his fans. In the grand scheme, it means precisely dick, as it's an award for worked accomplishments. Good for John, though. He got the wins, thus he gets the number one spot.

 

[MayorMcCheese]

Cena does not deserve this honor.

First of all the WM29 main event sucked.
The buyrates fell well short of what WWE projected.

Second, his title reign was boring and nothing memorable occurred, until Daniel Bryan got involved.

Thirdly, all the top matches of the year, and the last calender year almost all involve CM Punk from WWE.

Fourth, i'd argue Cena didn't even have a better year than Bully Ray, but I guess those amazing t-shirts he wears gets him over with PWI

 

[rge2010]

Cena does not deserve this honor.

First of all the WM29 main event sucked.
The buyrates fell well short of what WWE projected.

Second, his title reign was boring and nothing memorable occurred, until Daniel Bryan got involved.

Thirdly, all the top matches of the year, and the last calender year almost all involve CM Punk from WWE.

Fourth, i'd argue Cena didn't even have a better year than Bully Ray, but I guess those amazing t-shirts he wears gets him over with PWI

Bully Ray wrestles in an amusement park, TNA wrestlers shouldnt even be considered, I didnt even know what TNA was until last week.

Have no problem with Cena getting number 1. He deserves it....he has had a wonderful year. Rumble, WWE Championship, beaten Punk, Rock, Ryback...some good solid promos as well.

 

[MayorMcCheese]

Bully Ray wrestles in an amusement park, TNA wrestlers shouldnt even be considered, I didnt even know what TNA was until last week.

Have no problem with Cena getting number 1. He deserves it....he has had a wonderful year. Rumble, WWE Championship, beaten Punk, Rock, Ryback...some good solid promos as well.

Ok then the list should be the PWI WWE rankings. Bully Ray EASILY had a better year than Cena. Wins and losses do not determine whos' the best in WRESTLING. 90% of the time Cena mails it in, it takes someone like Daniel Bryan, The Rock, or CM Punk getting personal with him, for the guy to actually have some damn passion. The rest of the time it's pandering to 5 year olds, making shitty t-shirts and doing the same formulaic match he's done 1000's of times

 

[Slyfox696]

As with any magazine article, ranking lists are a matter of opinion, and not based on fact.

Very true. If it was based on fact, Cena would be #1 just about every year.

I love how no ones hating yet all of you idiots are addressing them. Funny. Good news for Cena fans

I love how you troll. Actually, I don't. It's awful. Find a new hobby.

 

[shalliin]

Ok then the list should be the PWI WWE rankings. Bully Ray EASILY had a better year than Cena. Wins and losses do not determine whos' the best in WRESTLING. 90% of the time Cena mails it in, it takes someone like Daniel Bryan, The Rock, or CM Punk getting personal with him, for the guy to actually have some damn passion. The rest of the time it's pandering to 5 year olds, making shitty t-shirts and doing the same formulaic match he's done 1000's of times

Which is exactly the same as every other wrestler. Cena puts more passion and heart into a match against enhancement talent[/] like Slater on a non lead upt raw or smackdown then most guys put when they are on a ppv or for a title. He works hard and shows his love for the business every time he cuts a promo or has a match.

I am sick of this arguement. Every single wrestler puts on what is basically the same match every time they are in the ring. Each taylors a style and moveset to match their character and get reactions from the fans. Occassionaly they break out a move or series that you don't see often, but every single person to ever step in the ring has their own version of the much belittled '5 moves of doom.'. Even the ICW darlings like bryant and punk have moves and beats that they have in every match that you know you are going to see.
ie Punk:
1-Corner high knee and bulldog
2-top rope 'macho man' elbow
3-back fists and spinning heel roundhouse kick
then his gts and/or anaconda vice.
Bryan:
1-opponent on knees, kicks to chest followed with roundhouse to head.
2-mexican surfboard variations
3-running/flying sitdown clothesline.
4-stalling front dropkick to opponent down in the corner.
5-suicide dive through the ropes