Cena/Wyatt

[HiddenInPlainView]

If WWE really wants to build Bray Wyatt as a monster heel is Cena really the best guy to do it with? We know that Vince and all the higher ups see John Cena as the face of the company, and normally a heel taking out the top face is the best way to gain heat. But as I was watching Raw it is clear that the crowd is firmly behind Wyatt. Sure, there are a smattering of a Cena chants from the women and children, but without a doubt, the majority of fans are singing along with Wyatt.

My question is, with the disdain that most fans have with the Cena character right now, should WWE stop trying to build a monster heel character by using Cena?

 

[George Steele's Barber]

The monster heel is dead. WWE has rightly given up on the idea. Monster heels don't garner heat anymore. You have to be an authority figure, an aristocrat, or a disinterested part timer to get heel heat. The fans in live attendance don't plan along any more with the violent demented heel. They love the character and want to show their love by singing along and cheering.

Wyatt and Cena are just meant to entertain and keep people guessing. Can Bray Wyatt take the most important title in WWE currently, John Cena's purity?

 

[Jack-Hammer]

The monster heel is dead. WWE has rightly given up on the idea. Monster heels don't garner heat anymore. You have to be an authority figure, an aristocrat, or a disinterested part timer to get heel heat. The fans in live attendance don't plan along any more with the violent demented heel. They love the character and want to show their love by singing along and cheering.

Wyatt and Cena are just meant to entertain and keep people guessing. Can Bray Wyatt take the most important title in WWE currently, John Cena's purity?

Pretty much this. A lot of fans no longer care to suspend disbelief to the point of viewing most heels as "evil" and that's a reflection of society to some degree. Bray Wyatt is a vicious, hypocritical madman with delusions of godhood who wants to "burn the old world down." He's not exactly the type of guy that people 25 years ago would cheer for. John Cena, on the other hand, is the ultimate good guy/hero who stands for purity, moral truth, etc. However, people don't cheer for Cena the way they did even 8 or 9 years ago.

Because WWE wanted fans to boo Bray Wyatt, and by WWE I mean Vince McMahon, many fans decide to do the opposite in what comes off, at least to me, as some piss poor attempt at rebelling against authority, "the machine" or "the man" if you will. Sometimes, it strikes me as kinda pitiful really because some of these fans genuinely think they're making some sort of cool, edgy statement about themselves. It goes back to the unwillingness to suspend disbelief or to view things in a more traditional manner that's prevalent in society today. For instance, when I watched The Dark Knight in the theater years back, some people would start cheering or applauding when Heath Ledger as The Joker would start on one of his psychotic rants or brutally slay somebody while booing whenever Christian Bale as Batman would start to verbally chastize The Joker about morality and people's goodness.

If you don't at least try to suspend disbelief in regards to some aspects of pro wrestling, or even the movies, you find yourself enjoying it less and less as time goes by. That often results in people devolving from smarks into trolls who watch or post about them for little other reason than to voice their hate of it.

 

[Steve-O-Matt]

The monster heel is dead. WWE has rightly given up on the idea.

Yeah, it would be silly to have some weird monster heel tormenting people being a DEMON or something like that, the kind that would injure the underdog into using a KANE... See where I'm going with this?

They are outdated, but that doesn't mean the WWE doesn't want to use them any more. The WWE could use a lot of characters that are outdated, just wait until they debut someone dressed up as a knight.

 

[JoeyJoeJoe]

Because WWE wanted fans to boo Bray Wyatt, and by WWE I mean Vince McMahon, many fans decide to do the opposite in what comes off, at least to me, as some piss poor attempt at rebelling against authority, "the machine" or "the man" if you will. Sometimes, it strikes me as kinda pitiful really because some of these fans genuinely think they're making some sort of cool, edgy statement about themselves.

I could buy into this argument if it were an isolated incident, but it's happening week after week and it's happened with other wrestlers other than Bray Wyatt. Ultimately though, this becomes a reflection on the WWE's ability to understand its audience and what motivates them (i.e., what keeps them coming back and buying). At some point along the line, it's not about the fans not following the WWE's lead, being jerks, derailing stories, etc...it becomes the WWE not following along with the fans likes/dislikes. We're quick to point out that wrestling can not go back to stories and matches like in the 70s or 80s, but perhaps we're at another point where there needs to be a shift in storytelling and characters again.

Does Bray Wyatt need to be a good guy? Honestly, I'd say that as a guy railing against an authority figure, he probably would fill that role better today than John Cena. It's not a very big step for the character to shift his focus from Cena or Lawler or whichever face to Triple H and Stephanie McMahon, for instance. I can easily picture Wyatt cutting the same promo against them that he did last night and getting a huge face pop response from it.

Again, we're way past the point where anyone is going to say that there's some sort of obligation to cheer John Cena. The WWE has admitted as much. They've made that love/hate thing part of Cena's promos if not his character (I'd argue his character is in sore, sore need of updating).

As for whether Cena is the right guy to make Wyatt a monster heel...I agree, the monster heel of the past is dead. But as the guy who you don't know where they're going to go with next, Wyatt fits that bill. I would not be surprised to see Wyatt go over Cena at Payback. It wouldn't hurt him if he lost, though I'd say it's a missed opportunity to catapult him up into the main event (which honestly, is the next step for Wyatt).

 

[George Steele's Barber]

Yeah, it would be silly to have some weird monster heel tormenting people being a DEMON or something like that, the kind that would injure the underdog into using a KANE... See where I'm going with this?

Yes, that same Kane that was in a suit and tie a couple of months ago and is now referred to as a "demon" by Daniel Bryan with actual finger quotes (go back and watch the show). The same Kane that is attacking people left and right under no direction of the incredibly sarcastic Stephanie McMahon (Authority figure). The same Kane that is getting no heat on his own. Not that he is meant to get heat because the fans won't buy it. So he is just left to do his entertaining schtick and it doesn't matter who he is up against since few are buying his "demonic" (again finger quotes) presence anyway.

Looking at the context of the OP, this is about who faces Bray Wyatt and how the booking feels screwed up having Cena as his nemesis. In 2014, being sadistic only goes so far and is really just about entertaining, not garnering negative emotions. The monster heel may still exist (Kane, Wyatt, Harper) but the effect is pretty much dead to the live audience whether it is Cena, Bryan, or Brie Bella is under duress.

 

[Pedigree1]

Pretty much this. A lot of fans no longer care to suspend disbelief to the point of viewing most heels as "evil" and that's a reflection of society to some degree. Bray Wyatt is a vicious, hypocritical madman with delusions of godhood who wants to "burn the old world down." He's not exactly the type of guy that people 25 years ago would cheer for. John Cena, on the other hand, is the ultimate good guy/hero who stands for purity, moral truth, etc. However, people don't cheer for Cena the way they did even 8 or 9 years ago.

Because WWE wanted fans to boo Bray Wyatt, and by WWE I mean Vince McMahon, many fans decide to do the opposite in what comes off, at least to me, as some piss poor attempt at rebelling against authority, "the machine" or "the man" if you will. Sometimes, it strikes me as kinda pitiful really because some of these fans genuinely think they're making some sort of cool, edgy statement about themselves. It goes back to the unwillingness to suspend disbelief or to view things in a more traditional manner that's prevalent in society today. For instance, when I watched The Dark Knight in the theater years back, some people would start cheering or applauding when Heath Ledger as The Joker would start on one of his psychotic rants or brutally slay somebody while booing whenever Christian Bale as Batman would start to verbally chastize The Joker about morality and people's goodness.

If you don't at least try to suspend disbelief in regards to some aspects of pro wrestling, or even the movies, you find yourself enjoying it less and less as time goes by. That often results in people devolving from smarks into trolls who watch or post about them for little other reason than to voice their hate of it.

Well said,i often dont quote a post on here,but you hit the nail on the head.. People no longer dont have suspension of disbelief! It does piss me off,they boo Cena constantly. I get you buy your ticket and you can cheer and boo for whoever,but what is the point in trying to be cool and making a statement by Boo'ing someone like him.. To me,there are no more Heels or Faces its more of a Cheer or boo for whoever! The era,i grew up in suspension of disbelief is dead.. Guys like the Sheik,Sgt Slaughter,Piper you knew they were Heels at least early in their careers.. They touched on sensitive subjects to the point where people would threaten to kill them for real..

Perfect example,Bray Wyatt is someone 25 years ago you would not cheer for.. You would boo him out the building and Bray probably would get some not so nice fan mail! Cena would be someone who you would cheer for,adults kids alike.. People at least some of them are like sheep,their so effing afraid to have a opinion of their own they will go with the majority.. If the masses out there no longer have suspension of disbelief then you will not enjoy the program! Quit watching and find something else would be my advice

 

[chicagokmc]

The problem in current WWE is, if not Cena then who? Unfortunately Wyatt is healthy and ready to go now. WWE is extremely lacking in the single face department. There is Cena and Bryan and that's really it for now regarding full time current main event faces. The Best In the World isn't here right now. Shield isn't in this picture just because they're still doing things as a unit and not in singles. And given that we recently just got months of Wyatts vs Bryan, to go back right away to a program with him would just be extremely lazy storytelling. There is no other main event face for Wyatt to oppose right now so it has to be Cena in an extremely drawn out storyline.

To the issue of fans cheering Wyatt, last night WWE went to an old reliable and tried to have the Wyatts do something to get them booed without question - physically attacking innocent people (the announce crew) who can't defend themselves. Specifically the King in his home state of Tennessee. That didn't seem to work either, the fans weren't cheering as loudly when Lawler was being threatened but they didn't boo loudly either. Wyatt is close to going down that CM Punk path where they cheer him no matter what, leaving WWE with no other option but to capitalize fully on it and face turn him.

 

[FreezeIzGAWD]

I said it before and I will say it again...

Smarks are just ridiculous....

You know the same guys who are singing for Wyatt were chanting Husky Harris when he debuted to show how SMART they were....

They R the same guys who chant over EVERY MATCH at an event no matter who is wrestling so of Course they are going to SHYT on Cena and cheer whoever regards...

I actually am NOT a Cena fan because he DOES win every match.... I think occasional loess make for better viewing PERIOD....

That being said it's funny how you cheer for a GOD who is a NECESSARY EVIL and boo the guy who does Make a Wish and tells sick children to keep fighting and NEVER GIVE UP.....

I know that we don't live in a Good Guy Bad Guy world anymore and MAYBE THATS EVERYONES PROBLEM....

I buck Authority like the next man but there has to be some resemblance of order.... You guys want change then show some consistency yourselves....

Zack Ryder came out to crickets last night.... This was a guy who the IWC wanted pushed for a while... He got pushed NOW he's oh so yesterday....

I laughed so hard last night watching DB almost begging the crowd to chant with him and looking so DUMB when they didn't... It was soooooo sad

Look PPL the Good Guy should win... Evil should lose the Devil is a Liar....

If U can't accept this formula then yeah wrestling is STALE AND BORING to U know a days....

 

[USMNT]

The fact that I see the term 'monster heel' in the same sentence with Bray Wyatt is silly. Bray may be a 'monster' in the figurative sense, but he's not a 'monster heel'.

A monster heel is dominant. A monster heel physically demoralizes his victims. A monster heel doesn't say much because his look and style get him over. A monster heel should be in your face, but distant.

Like it or not, Bray Wyatt is much more Ted DiBiaise than Vader, Kane, Yoko or Abdullah.

What he stands for disgusts you. The way manipulates to get what he wants disgusts you. The way he wooed Cena in to the Last Man Standing match is his skill set.

The monster heel must win. The monster heel wins and wins and dominates and injures until a conqueror arrives on the scene to slay the beast.

Ted Dibiase can lose every match, but never lose his heat. Stop thinking about Bray Wyatt as a destroyer (despite what he says). He is a manipulator. The kind that can lose on Sunday night and brag about the beating he put on the good guy on Monday.

You want a monster? Cast your lot with Rusev. If given the ball, he could destroy 3/4 of the roster until someone stands up and vows to end his reign.