Could Cena Stay Big Without The Title?

[Dagger Dias]

Cena may not have had many feuds outside of the world titles in the past few years, but even when he's not in title matches he still manages to stay relevant. He does a great job of making non-title feuds look great and important, even when they are filler. In 2008 he lost the title feud with Orton but moved on to another angle involving JBL, Cryme Time, and Legacy. He helped make all of them look good during that feud. It was not for any of the championships. That whole summer Cena stayed out of the title scene until he got injured. How about his feud with Miz in summer 2009? Without that angle Miz would never have become relevant enough to even GET to his MITB push. Cena then was involved with the world titles again basically until THE NEXUS.

The feud with Nexus kept Cena out of the title scene for almost a year. It made Nexus' members look great and without Cena this angle would have flopped. It was originally supposed to be Trips rather than Cena, they made the right decision to have it be Cena. The feud made Barrett into what he is today and saved the rest of Nexus from getting future endeavoured other than Tarver. I do realize that Cena is in world title matches and feuds nearly all the time, but he still manages to stay relevant when he's in non-title feuds because not only does he make the fans care about those angles but he does his best to elevate whoever he is feuding with too.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

John Cena no longer needs the WWE Championship to be a huge star. John Cena has dominated the WWE Championship picture in and of itself since 2005 and has won the title a total of 10 times since then. Cena is at a point in his career where he's a main event level guy with or without the WWE Championship. He doesn't need the title to remain a huge level player in WWE and I think that's a big source of the frustration some people feel.

In my opinion, I think WWE made some mistakes with Cena. It's something that you can see pretty easily in hindsight but it's something that I think has kind of bitten them in the ass. If you look at the general main event picture of Raw right now, WWE has been pushing wrestlers in their 30s and many of them have already been in WWE for years or have established themselves in other companies and have gained a lot of experience. When it comes to Cena, they didn't really do that. He was young, dynamic and hugely over with fans as a face or a heel. I think Vince let himself get caught up in that and saw that Cena was going to be the next THE guy in his company even though he was so young. Fast forward to today and John Cena is still in that same spot and he has nothing left to accomplish. He's only 34 years old but he's already done everything that can be done in WWE as a main eventer. He's headlined WrestleMania numerous occassions, he's won the Royal Rumble, a 10 time WWE Champion, a 2 time World Heavyweight Champion, has generally been the overall centerpiece of Raw and most of the biggest angles & feuds on Raw have had him right smack in the middle. John Cena is a victim of his own success and lots of people are just kind of burned out on the guy.

Don't misunderstand me because he's deserved to be in the spot he's had for so long. Cena has been a consistent, big money draw for WWE for a long time and that's what any wrestling company wants from it's top guy. But Cena is going to be at least one of THE guys if he never holds the WWE Championship again.

 

[LoudClearVoice]

John Cena no longer needs the WWE Championship to be a huge star. John Cena has dominated the WWE Championship picture in and of itself since 2005 and has won the title a total of 10 times since then. Cena is at a point in his career where he's a main event level guy with or without the WWE Championship. He doesn't need the title to remain a huge level player in WWE and I think that's a big source of the frustration some people feel.

In my opinion, I think WWE made some mistakes with Cena. It's something that you can see pretty easily in hindsight but it's something that I think has kind of bitten them in the ass. If you look at the general main event picture of Raw right now, WWE has been pushing wrestlers in their 30s and many of them have already been in WWE for years or have established themselves in other companies and have gained a lot of experience. When it comes to Cena, they didn't really do that. He was young, dynamic and hugely over with fans as a face or a heel. I think Vince let himself get caught up in that and saw that Cena was going to be the next THE guy in his company even though he was so young. Fast forward to today and John Cena is still in that same spot and he has nothing left to accomplish. He's only 34 years old but he's already done everything that can be done in WWE as a main eventer. He's headlined WrestleMania numerous occassions, he's won the Royal Rumble, a 10 time WWE Champion, a 2 time World Heavyweight Champion, has generally been the overall centerpiece of Raw and most of the biggest angles & feuds on Raw have had him right smack in the middle. John Cena is a victim of his own success and lots of people are just kind of burned out on the guy.

Don't misunderstand me because he's deserved to be in the spot he's had for so long. Cena has been a consistent, big money draw for WWE for a long time and that's what any wrestling company wants from it's top guy. But Cena is going to be at least one of THE guys if he never holds the WWE Championship again.

Good post. I totally agree. The main problem is that they give him the belt too much. Look at a guy like The Undertaker. He's been around far longer than Cena yet virtually everyone loves him. That's because they haven't given him the belt every other PPV.

Cena is bigger than the belt now, and they should realize that and let him go maybe a year without it. That might actually unite some of the haters with the Little Jimmys.

 

[H33LTurn]

He can stay big due to the fact that hes the most popular superstar on the roster right now. Hes made a name for himself, and gold around his waist doesnt help or hurt him at this point. I will admitt, however, it seems like he was in a lul for most of this year when he didnt have the title. Its all about who hes feuding with to be honest. Like others have stated, the Nexus angle was entirely done with a championshipless Cena.

 

[InsomGTS]

He can't have the title forever. It accomplishes nothing if Cena is a 25 time champ when he's 40 and then retires after putting over 3 or 4 guys in his whole career.

 

[Dusty Roids]

"Cena easily has a ten-year career left at the least if he stays healthy and he'll win several championships by then, no doubt. If you break down how many titles he has won each year, you get:

World Heavyweight Championship

2008
2009

WWE Championship

2005
2006 x2
2008
2009 x2
2010 x2
2011 x3

I think nowadays, Cena is guaranteed at least two reigns a year and definitely one every year so it seems he'll eventually reach an absurd amount like twenty title reigns."

Cena must also be the first to win the WWE and World Heavyweight championship in the same year.

 

[IT Factor]

Alot of the smart fans hate Cena. Sometimes even the not-so smart fans do as well . While I used to get bored of his routine and actually wanted him to lose more, I've always respected Cena's work ethic and ability. As to the topic question "Could Cena Stay Big Without The Title?", the answer would be a resounding yes.

Cena is a draw and main eventer whether or not he's chasing a title or the current champion. He's one of the few younger guys that has stepped up and become a veteran in the ring in a relatively short time. His storylines are always given the time to develop and that happens whether or not the WWE Title is involved or not. The biggest potential problem I forsee in the future for Cena is that he's getting stale very quickly. He's already what? An 11 or 12 time WWE/World Champion? That's alot of reigns in a short time and that will not bode well for Cena with most smart fans. I'd say WWE needs to keep Cena relevant till Wrestlemania 28, have The Rock "injure" Cena in a battle of a match, and after 6 months or so off, bring him back to television with a few character tweaks. Maybe even a heel turn[though that's a doubtful event]. Whatever the case is, Cena needs a vacation for himself and for the audience watching. That would both keep Cena relevant and also fresh as far as longevity is concerned.

 

[The 1-2-3 Killam]

No, I really think his seven, soon to be eight WrestleMania main events, two time PWI Wrestler of the Year, Royal RUmble win, 3 US title reigns, 4 tag team title reigns, 2 World HEavyweight title reigns, 10 WWE title reigns, Make-a-Wish, Gillette, Subway, and Nascar endorsements, plus his 4 movies are a bit more than enough to keep him relevant without the title.

He's John Cena. You think he's going to slip into obscurity without a trashy looking belt around his waist? I highly doubt it...

 

[The Champ]

I have noticed something in the recent months, John Cena has to have the title to be relevant. John Cena is now stuck in a spot of WWE championship. Look @ CM punk, Undertaker, HHH, Miz, Hitman. Hogan, Macho etc etc They have had the title and lost it but is still extremely relevant. Many superstars have step aside and allowed other to shine at the top spot, eventually they come back to the top spot ( for the older guys) But it seems to me John Cena has to stay on top because he can't do anything without that title.

In your opinion: What happens to Cena without the WWE title?

Yeah, with all due respect, this argument holds no water. The Nexus storyline is a crystal clear example of the fact that Cena will still be the top guy on Raw whether he's the champion or not. You can also go back to the short-lived Cena vs. Batista feud in 2008 and how that was booked above the Punk vs. JBL title feud. Not to mention the fact that he's going to be headlining WrestleMania with The Rock next year in the only Mania main event without a title or stipulation in years. (Unless they do decide to make it for the championship, but I'm doubtful that they will at this point.) On the flip side, Cena should continue to hold the title because the title needs legitimacy, and if Cena is holding it, you know that it's an important piece of whatever feud that he's in. There's no reason to take him out of the title picture altogether just to have the title take a backseat to everything else (which it already did at Night of Champions even WITH Cena in the title match).

 

[PsychoBlack]

Cena always stays big when he doesn't have the championship. The reason for this is because often times his feuds are so deep that you forget that they are even about the strap. He does a great job of bringing emotion into the ring while borderline breaking kayfabe. Regardless of that the fans love him or hate him and he always gets a response. Look at any of his recent pay per view matches and you'll notice that the crowd is going nuts like the Undertaker just returned.

 

[#hamler]

Cena always stays big when he doesn't have the championship. The reason for this is because often times his feuds are so deep that you forget that they are even about the strap. He does a great job of bringing emotion into the ring while borderline breaking kayfabe. Regardless of that the fans love him or hate him and he always gets a response. Look at any of his recent pay per view matches and you'll notice that the crowd is going nuts like the Undertaker just returned.

Very well said here.

I pretty much agree with everything here. John Cena doesn't need a title to stay relevant in anyway. Just think, how many guys in the back would absolutely kill for rub off of John Cena? John Cena does not need the WWE or World Heavyweight Championship to put over talent. He doesn't need the title to stay big. Whether he’s being cheered or boo’d, people care when he’s on their television screens. As mentioned before, his credentials speak for themselves; 12-time World Champion, United States, Tag Team Champion, Royal Rumble winner and he's main evented numerous Wrestlemanias. John Cena is the measuring stick in the WWE - WWE Championship or not.

 

[BigPoppaPunk]

At this point in his career, Cena will be a big superstar whether or not he's the champion. WWE has done a great job of building him up to an almost legendary status. The only real accomplishment left for him to achieve is defeating Undertaker at WM. If that were to occur, he might be the single most reconized superstar of all time(maybe a close second to Hogan). So, asking a question like "can he stay big without the title" seems like a rhetorical question. He has had longer periods where he wasn't the champion(s), and still WWE managed to make him relevant. Not only that, but still managed to make him look as good as any champion during those periods.

Cena is a household name for the WWE and maybe even pop culture in general. I'd venture to say he's doing for this generation what Hogan did for his. And that is transcending being streotyped as just a wrestler and becoming a celebrity. Even if you aren't a wrestling fan, chances are you'd know who John Cena is and what he has accomplished. So, not only has he stayed big without the title, but he's carved out his spot in pop culture. And that is no easy feat with wrestling being streotyped as a redneck sport that isn't legitimate.

 

[nWo2]

WWE putting the strap on Cena is the most cliche thing in WWE

We expect Cena to be the champion on RAW

He's such a huge star in WWE that provided he's given compelling storylines, worthwhile opponents and quality matches, he can go almost a year without the belt and still remain unquestionably the #1 guy.

 

[1TheGreatOne1]

IDC just keep the belt off Cena, he doesn't need it anymore. It serves nothing just another meaningless win, everytime i see the belt on Cena which is 99% of the time it looks like a prop.


Build new stars. Give it to CM Punk.

 

[Hulk Hogan's Brother]

Cena can sure as hell stay relevant even without the title. He has had great feuds which have not involved the World Title. His feud with Nexus comes to mind almost immediately. In early 2009 he had a great feud with Miz and that was non title too and it was really the first thing that solidified Miz as a singles competitor.

But sometimes the title needs Cena more than Cena needing the title. Look at Del Rio right now. He has won the title, won MITB and won the Royal Rumble and yet few people are buying him seriously as a main eventer. Enter John Cena, the guy who can elevate almost anyone. So Del Rio is drafted into a feud against him while he was still holding on to the title. Look at what Cena holding the title did to Punk. Punk leaving with the title would not have been as big a story had it not been done against Cena. Nor would Punk's victory at MITB seemed as huge had it not been against Cena.

 

[BigPoppaPunk]

IDC just keep the belt off Cena, he doesn't need it anymore. It serves nothing just another meaningless win, everytime i see the belt on Cena which is 99% of the time it looks like a prop.


Build new stars. Give it to CM Punk.

The thing is, WWE needs to limit how many times Cena wins the title. That way, when he is champion, it will mean something and not just another pointless reign. Besides, at this point in his career, his role should be helping to establish new stars. When you look at both shows, there is a lack of fresh new faces in the ME's.

Once his reign is over on RAW, I personally think he should be sent to SD to help improve the ratings. Plus, if he were on SD, it would help to break the cycle of SD being perceived as the B show. RAW has been dominanted too long by Cena, so going to SD seems like a logical and strategic move to me.

 

[InsomGTS]

I agree about Cena going to SD. It has embarrassing attendance right now and needs Cena to elevate it. RAW is a big enough brand to be fine with Punk and Orton carrying it.

 

[vampireblade]

no he does not need the title to be relevant. He's beyond needing the title at this point in his career he will still sell merch and ppvs but to say he needs the title to do that is absurd i mean hes only 10 years in his career and hes posed to become the biggest star ever and when i say biggest i mean bigger then hogan ever could have dreamed of being so here's what i see happening in my personal opinion cena is going to be the 1st man ever to hold the WHC the WWE championship the US championship and the IC championship all at once i mean why not do it?

 

[Terry Gyimah]

Sorry to correct you but Cena has never been Intercontinental Champion, he was United States Champion 3 times

However in all seriousness at this point in his career Cena does not need the WWE Championship as he has that much star power when you really think about it

 

[InsomGTS]

no he does not need the title to be relevant. He's beyond needing the title at this point in his career he will still sell merch and ppvs but to say he needs the title to do that is absurd i mean hes only 10 years in his career and hes posed to become the biggest star ever and when i say biggest i mean bigger then hogan ever could have dreamed of being so here's what i see happening in my personal opinion cena is going to be the 1st man ever to hold the WHC the WWE championship the US championship and the IC championship all at once i mean why not do it?

Punk has more accolades than Cena right now.

MitB
IC
Tag team
WHC
ECW
WWE

All he needs is US title and Royal Rumble to have done all you can do today. Cena needs MitB and the IC title and can never win ECW.

 

[gamma2008]

It seems like the WWE just doesn't think they can sell as many PPVs unless Cena is in a title match. Even the Nexus angle didn't really include Cena in non-title PPV events with the exception of last year's elimination tag match, which was basically a way to resolve the angle and start to put a chink in the stable's armor.

Alberto Del Rio, in my opinion, is a main-event caliber talent that got ruined by the visa issue. And now, with word that Vince is ticked his name came up in Del Rio's last promo, who knows if he just gets buried or not. But you have Del Rio, Miz, and Punk as three legitimate main event caliber talents in terms of drawing power, mic skills, and in ring ability on RAW. I think Ziggler could move up to that point as well, but he's still dealing with the US Title feud that I still can't quite wrap my head around. Hell, even R-Truth could enter the main event picture again with his heel character. Cena could have a meaningful, attention grabbing feud that had nothing to do with the title. The problem is that PPVs are usually based around title matches. It's tough to be the headline without a title on the line, or even the second draw due to the brand split.

 

[The Crock]

Punk has more accolades than Cena right now.

MitB
IC
Tag team
WHC
ECW
WWE

All he needs is US title and Royal Rumble to have done all you can do today. Cena needs MitB and the IC title and can never win ECW.

John Cena is a 12-time World Champion. Punk could have every single belt around his waist with a cherry on top and he'd still be below Cena. He doesn't have more accolades than Cena. There's no comparison. Stop being a blind Punk mark and use your fucking brain. Cena is in the top five, probably, of the most decorated professional wrestlers of all time. He's on a completely different playing field than CM Punk.

On to the question now. John Cena can clearly stay relevant without the WWE Title. He does it quite often, actually. Cena only takes the title when absolutely necessary due to a storyline or something. Cena is the top guy, people go to shows to see him. When he had his story with Nexus, he didn't have the belt, hell, he had a whole story about chasing Miz and the title and still managed to be the focus of the whole show. Simply put, Cena is about as relevant as a wrestler can be. He doesn't even really need the title at this stage, the WWE really just needs him to carry it.

 

[BigPoppaPunk]

John Cena is a 12-time World Champion. Punk could have every single belt around his waist with a cherry on top and he'd still be below Cena. He doesn't have more accolades than Cena. There's no comparison. Stop being a blind Punk mark and use your fucking brain. Cena is in the top five, probably, of the most decorated professional wrestlers of all time. He's on a completely different playing field than CM Punk.

That is probably the biggest pile of monkey crap I've seen so far. You tell the guy to quit being a blind Punk mark, then turn around and sing Cena's praises like a Cena mark. Notice anything ironic or hypocritical there? InsomGTS listed all the accolades Punk has vs. Cena's, and still you say Cena is more decorated? Seriously, you need to use your brain and stop marking out for Cena and buying into WWE propaganda. Cena's definately has more WWE/WHC reigns, but Punk has more actual accolades title wise(and in a much shorter period I might add). To claim he's on a different playing field than CM Punk is laughable. I'd say they are close to being on the same level. Proclaiming he's at a higher level doesn't make it a fact, so stop stating it as if there's no possible dispute to it. The accomplishment list InsomGTS listed pretty much speaks for itself and says otherwise(contrary to your own personal opinion). Can't exactly preach about bias when you are clearly a heavy Cena mark(or that's what you lead me to believe).

On to the question now. John Cena can clearly stay relevant without the WWE Title. He does it quite often, actually. Cena only takes the title when absolutely necessary due to a storyline or something. Cena is the top guy, people go to shows to see him. When he had his story with Nexus, he didn't have the belt, hell, he had a whole story about chasing Miz and the title and still managed to be the focus of the whole show. Simply put, Cena is about as relevant as a wrestler can be. He doesn't even really need the title at this stage, the WWE really just needs him to carry it.

Again, stating opinion as fact doesn't make it so. "WWE really just needs him to carry the belt". Really? It's funny, b/c I could've swore guys like CM Punk, Miz, Rey Mysterio and several other talented guys on RAW could easily do that. The fact is, Cena has reached such an almost legendary status, he doesn't need the belt. If he is looking to help WWE benefit from his time in the wrestling industry, he should be putting over new, fresh faces in the ME's. That way, when he retires in a few years WWE will still have enough star power to survive. To say WWE has to depend on Cena being WWE Champion to survive shows you really know nothing about doing what is right for business. If you depend solely on one star, then the WCW effect will bite you in the ass and you'll go under. How does that benefit anyone? It only makes WWE and Cena look desperate and without any talent to push.

 

[TWJC: The Beginning]

You guys are always thinking about it wrong. The title itself doesn't mean anything. If someone beats someone else for the title, good for them. If they beat John Cena for the title, or even have a long feud with John Cena for the title, then it means something.

Think of it like this, a TON of people don't even know who won the world series last year. Why? Because the Giants and Rangers, though in large markets, aren't huge draws. If someone beats the Yankees or Red Sox in the Series, everyone remembers it.

So yea, of course Cena will still be the most over guy in the world without the title, it's just not good business because the title itself doesn't elevate guys, who they beat (John Cena) does.

 

[TWJC: The Beginning]

Punk has more accolades than Cena right now.

MitB
IC
Tag team
WHC
ECW
WWE

All he needs is US title and Royal Rumble to have done all you can do today. Cena needs MitB and the IC title and can never win ECW.

So, if I own a minor league team, and we change affiliates and levels several times, win the Eastern League (AA), Southern League (AA), Pioneer League (A I believe), International League (AAA), and Texas League (AA) championships, then I have "more accolades" than the New York Yankees because they have 27 of the same title?

John Cena has more accolades than Punk. He's a 12 time champ and a record 10 time WWE champ.

This isn't about booked accolades though and it's incredibly markish to even use that. Or say stupid shit like "WWE needs to limit Cena's title reigns". Why? So a womanizing 16 year old trapped in a 65 year old's body can keep his record? Because you aren't a Cena mark? Because you are a mark for the belt?

Bottom line is it's good business for Cena to elevate guys. Anyone who is in a feud with Cena is automatically more over and more visible to the audience.