Did WWE make John Cena or Did John Cena make John Cena?

[Disturbed]

I was thinking about John Cena's career and everything he has done since debuting back in 02. It seemed like back in 02 when he debuted against Kurt Angle, everyone knew he was going to be a star. So my question is do you think WWE made him or did he make himself? What I mean by this is, do you think he could of been a top star somewhere else or did WWE make him a top star like they made Hogan? For example, if WCW would have still been around and Cena signed with them, do you think he still would have been a big star? Or what if he signed with TNA, would have been a big star? Let's look back at Cena's career and the accomplishments he has had in WWE.

Ohio Valley Wrestling
OVW Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
OVW Southern Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Rico Constantino
Pro Wrestling Illustrated
PWI Feud of the Year (2006) vs. Edge
PWI Match of the Year (2007) vs. Shawn Michaels on Raw on April 23
PWI Most Improved Wrestler of the Year (2003)
PWI Most Popular Wrestler of the Year (2004, 2005, 2007)
PWI Wrestler of the Year (2006, 2007)
PWI ranked #1 of the top 500 singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 2006 and 2007
Ultimate Pro Wrestling
UPW Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
World Wrestling Entertainment
World Heavyweight Championship (2 times)
World Tag Team Championship (2 times) – with Shawn Michaels (1) and Batista (1)
WWE Championship (7 times)
WWE Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with David Otunga
WWE United States Championship (3 times)
Royal Rumble (2008)
Slammy Award winner - 2009 and 2010 Superstar of the Year
Slammy Award for Holy %&^*%&* Move of the Year (2010) Sends Batista through the stage with an Attitude Adjustment.
Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards
Wrestler of the Year (2007, 2010)
Best Box Office Draw (2007)
Best on Interviews (2007)
Most Charismatic (2006–2010)
Most Charismatic of the Decade (2000–2009)
Best Gimmick (2003)



Could John Cena have just as many accomplishments in another company?

Could John Cena have more accomplishments in another company?

Did WWE make John Cena who he is today?


Not to sound like a dick, but please don't feel this thread up with simple one-liner spam posts like some of you did in my Ede/Sting thread. If you want to do that, go to the spam sections. Go in depth about your opinion and why you feel that way.

 

[JuviJuiceIsLoose]

I think it's a little bit of both. I don't the WWE hired Cena thinking he was gonna be THE guy.

They had guys like Brock Lesnar, and it seemed like they were pushing Randy Orton and Batista to take his place after he left.

Cena got over on his own with the rapper gimmick. It was just supposed to be a one time thing, but it got so over, they kept going with it.

I think it was obvious he was gonna be a Top Guy during the fall of '04 when he became the most over face on Smackdown. You started seeing "Word Life" and "You Can't See Me" signs everywhere. The crowd would pop pretty loudly when his music hit.

I think Vince realized how over he was, and put his full support behind him.

 

[Serious Jones]

As with most stars, it was a joint effort. John Cena had the talent to become a star, and the WWE knew how to make stars. WWE is responsible for making John Cena because they booked him to overcome the odds and rise through the ranks. John Cena made John Cena a star by taking the ball and running with it.

Cena was impressive even during his debut. The crowd was hot for the new guy, and even here, both parties were responsible. Cena knew how to play to the crowd and get a reaction. WWE knew how to get him over quickly, by putting him against Kurt Angle. John Cena couldn't have been a star on his own, and WWE couldn't have made a star out of a guy with no talent or charisma.

Could Cena have been a star in WCW or TNA? Maybe, but not likely. Cena would've had the potential, sure, but WCW and TNA have had a bad record of building new stars. Had Cena set the world on fire with his charisma, he would've been pushed anywhere, but the WWE was his best choice. This doesn't mean that WWE alone made John Cena; it's more of the fact that the other big companies haven't put as much focus on pushing new guys.

 

[Dzone]

Completely agree with Juvi, Cena had a Goldberg/SCSA moment where even though technically speaking they aren't the greatest looking/wrestling talents ever but the crowd just loved them. Then Vince just went with the flow and it got Cena to where he is right now.

I voted nothing because you only have yes/no ;P when most people will say equally a bit of both I'm predicting.

 

[gers09]

both if he was in WCW or TNA he wouldnt of became the top guy or had same success he has had at WWE they make the stars but at same time Cena had to step up and prove he could be they top guy

 

[DForce]

John Cena made John Cena because only John Cena can. Man makes the machine; the machine doesn't make the man. We're talking about what if Cena were in TNA, WCW, or whatever, but what if Cena wasn't at all? Would WWE still dominate? Sure they would because of brand, but I don't think they'd dominate as much simply cause they wouldn't have had that face to carry them out of the Attitude Era. TNA might have stood a fighting a chance with no Cena. Case in point, WCW would have drove WWE into bankruptcy if not for Stone Cold Steve Austin.

 

[Elementz of Fear]

There are really only two, arguably three, characters in WWE's history where the individual made himself. The Rock, Stone Cold, and arguably the Undertaker. Austin & Rock's characters were their own personalities and if given the opportunity to do the same elsewhere (as seen with Austin in ECW) they would have succeeded.

EDIT: To clarify what I meant about Taker, his character might have been the brainchild of someone else at the time but his character then is nowhere near what it evolved into. Undertaker has gone through more character tweaks than probably any other successful wrestler and they have all worked. And for that I think you could argue Taker made Taker but not to the same extent as Rock and Austin.

In Cena's case, WWE made Cena but Cena made the character what he is today. By that I mean even in his debut, it's not like Cena decided he would have a top notch match with the best wrestler in the company at the time. It was simply booked that way. The "Super Cena" character we see today is more of Cena's own doing so in a sense it is a little bit of both. That said, if Cena were in say WCW for instance, he would have been just another jacked up midcarder. WCW only pushed 1 original star their entire run against WWE and that's Goldberg. Could Cena have been Goldberg? Sure, but even that was just great booking.

With no disrespect to Cena, WWE made him, gave him the ball, and let him run with it as he pleased. I view it as a give and take kind of thing but I wouldn't ever say Cena made Cena.


Great topic choice by the way.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

Like with any other huge star, the answer is that it was both Cena and the fans that made him.

John Cena has that special something that has made droves of fans care about him. It's a combination maybe of his looks, his overall ability in the ring & mic, the family friendly image that he puts out, the fact that he just seems like a genuinely nice person plus that special x-factor. You know, that thing that nobody can really put a name to but you can tell that when someone's got it.

Getting fans to care about what you're doing and pay to see you do your thing is the single most important factor in the business of professional wrestling. Doesn't matter if you have the face of an angel & the body of a god, doesn't matter how many accomplishments you rack up, doesn't matter how great of an athlete you are, etc. if you can't make the fans want to devote their time to invest their interest in you. And if you're able to do that, then of course you're gonna keep on doin' your thing as long as you can. One reason why Cena hasn't changed in the past 6 years is because there's no reason for him to. He brings in fans and the fans bring money. He ain't broke, so don't try to fix him.

 

[cmpunk1984]

My answer is that cena was originally made by Vince and then he kind of took his character to new heights with the thugenomics thing and then he became the face of the PG version of WWE with his current super cena character.

 

[WunNightStan619]

The John Cena we know now is COMPLETELY a WWE creation. It's the WWE that has him in these cartoon looking shirts, kid friendly and superhero gimmick. You really think that the REAL John Cena would write "poopy" on jbl's limo? Or say he was gonna kick CM Pucks "Fart box"? Hell no...THey watered him down and made him into what they wanted him to be which is why i dont hate john cena, he's just doing his job.

 

[Mustang Sally]

John Cena made John Cena because only John Cena can. Man makes the machine; the machine doesn't make the man.

I suppose it all depends on one's definition of "makes."

The way a company makes a performer is to put him in the position to succeed. He gets the proper venues, the proper build-up, the proper opportunities to display his talent. The company has already chosen him out of many other people because they feel he has the best chance of succeeding, based on his ability (and I'm not talking only about wrestling ability).

If a company doesn't give the performer the opportunity, he's not going to make it big, no matter who he is. Take Hulk Hogan (please). In an interview a year ago, he says he made WWE and actually claimed to have taught Vince McMahon the wrestling business. If he honestly believes that, he knows even less about the business world than he thinks he does.

Therefore, WWE made John Cena. Cena is talented, no doubt about it.....but without a corporate machine behind him, he would never have attained the heights he has.

 

[Safari.GFX]

Like with any other huge star, the answer is that it was both Cena and the fans that made him.

John Cena has that special something that has made droves of fans care about him. It's a combination maybe of his looks, his overall ability in the ring & mic, the family friendly image that he puts out, the fact that he just seems like a genuinely nice person plus that special x-factor. You know, that thing that nobody can really put a name to but you can tell that when someone's got it.

Getting fans to care about what you're doing and pay to see you do your thing is the single most important factor in the business of professional wrestling. Doesn't matter if you have the face of an angel & the body of a god, doesn't matter how many accomplishments you rack up, doesn't matter how great of an athlete you are, etc. if you can't make the fans want to devote their time to invest their interest in you. And if you're able to do that, then of course you're gonna keep on doin' your thing as long as you can. One reason why Cena hasn't changed in the past 6 years is because there's no reason for him to. He brings in fans and the fans bring money. He ain't broke, so don't try to fix him.

I'd like to add the fact that John Cena has one of the best worth ethics in the company. I don't think Cena has missed a show in his career, and if he did it's because of working on a WWE funded and produced film. He works all house shows, and always connects with the fans like no one else.

John Cena built John Cena. With out his dedication to his job, no fans would be behind him at all. He does such a great job of getting the crowd behind him, and if you ask anyone on the street who John Cena is... They'll be able to tell you.

 

[Spuddogg]

John Cena made John Cena in my option...he made his own theme song, he comes up with his one line's eg champ is here....and own moves eg 5 knuckle shuffle and so on just a few reason i think john cena made john cena

 

[JohnOldSnake4]

Vince gave Cena the ball and has invested a lot of time and money into building Cena into this generation's face of the company. Cena has worked hard with what he's been given, though he'd be nowhere near where he is without Vince and WWE in my opinion. Same for any star really.

 

[Davi323]

I voted no. The WWE gave Cena the opportunity, but ultimately, Cena's success in the WWE is because of Cena. The WWE has given opportunities to many wrestlers over the years, and many wrestlers simply don't have what it takes to follow through with it. Cena not only took the chance the WWE offered, he seized it.

If the WWE had the power to turn someone into the next huge star all by itself, why isn't Morrison bigger? Why isn't Kofi? The WWE gives the wrestlers the chance, but it is up to the wrestler to do what they can with that chance. Cena is making the most out of it. There was no guarantee at all that the Prototype would become the face of the entire company, Cena is where he is today, because he earned it.

 

[Lion's Sacrifice]

Cena began the process. He was the one that came in and got a reaction. As a heel in his early days he received massive heat. Once he turned face he was set. The guy was getting some of the loudest pops night in and night out. He was largely responsible for the the early part of his success. The reason I say that Cena began the process was because WWE was focusing on Orton, and Lesner. They were ready to stick the Lesner as the face of the company when he left. Once he did Vince had to look else where for the next star. Cena was the biggest face at the time. That's when WWE step in and shot him to the main event. Since then Cena's never looked back.

So I'd say that he could have made it in another company. While it have been WcW, or TNA. The guy new how to work a crowd. Thus, how he got over to began with. So I'd say yes, he made himself. With Vince putting the final touches on him.

 

[LSN80]

Its a combination of both, honestly.

WWE gave Cena the gateway, if you will, but it was Cena's connection with the fans that really made Cena who he is. The fans responded positively to him, and he took his gimmick and ran with it. He's made fans care about him, positively or negatively. When's the last time that you've seen a Cena match or promo where the fans were on their hands? Whether it's a "Cena sucks" or "Lets go Cena", noone evokes a larger response than Cena does. And to do that, it's because you personally have breathed life into your character. Cena deserves the credit as he's sold. He's sold merchandise and he's solds tickets. Is he a WWE creation? In some ways. They've given him the foothold and the place to get across who he is. But once in the door, its been John Cena whose made the character who he is. It was John Cena the man whose been a publicity machine for the company.

So to answer the question, he's an initial product of the WWE machine. But if you read or listen to interviews with other superstars, they talk about how much Cena ad-libs and has freedom over his character. As much as any star is the product of a machine, it's on them whether they deliver or not. And nobody in the business has delivered the way Cena has and does since he's become the face of the company. So it's John Cena whose made John Cena, even though he was initially molded and shaped by WWE. But John Cena deserves the credit for what he's become. And he could probably make himself to be a star somewhere else, because of who he is. There's no doubt he could be the face of any company he steps into. But other companies have notoriously taken WWE stars and have been unable to get them over. Ill say this: If anyone could get over in another company in the world today, it's John Cena. Because as much as WWE is a machine for churning out stars, there are few in history that could get over wherever they would go, I believe. And today, that person is John Cena.

 

[Ferbian]

Its a combination of both, honestly.

This is more or less the real answer.

Obviously initially WWE makes everybody, they give them the stage to perform on, they promote them and they give them the necessary tools to make the wrestlers into stars, to put them over and to let them showcase themselves as the superstars they are.

However, John Cena worked just as hard himself to put himself over. Not only does John have a great talent, both in the ring as well as on the microphone, but he also made work of what storylines he has, what material he had and what he was given by WWE. All of this is essential in the fact that John Cena worked just as hard for what WWE put on the table for him to get over with.

Somehow I guess you could say John did the most of the work. He was given the promos to work with, the delivery, the raps, the matches, the promotional appearances and everything. However, that doesn't mean that we can discredit WWE for giving him what was needed for him to actually have something to work with.

After all, John Cena, while being a great talent wouldn't have been anything without WWE to compete in and to showcase himself in. He could've been an absolutely amazing wrestler performing in a gym hall in front of 100 people, and it wouldn't mean anything because he wouldn't have the international exposure that WWE gives him.

Therefore, as LSN80 said, there's a combination of both in this.

 

[nwocongo]

I think WWE made him, not to discredit his hard work but to me he is just a knockoff of The Rock. He has a bunch of lame catchphrases and the audience loves to sing along with him much like the Rock, and if the 5 knuckle shuffle isn't a reinvented People's Elbow then the sharpshooter and the scorpion deathlock aren't the same hold.

 

[Pro Wrestling is FAKE]

Like with any other huge star, the answer is that it was both Cena and the fans that made him.

Couldnt have put it any better.. No matter what the gimmick, nor how much Vinnie Mack cares for you it has to be how the wrestler himself that has to perform in front of an audience.. If you do well, only den you are a star.. And apart from that you have to make the crowd love you or hate you according to your character..

Cena has done that.. He started with rapper, to Dr of Thugonomics and finally to Super Cena and he made the crowd feel what he's doing and that's why is the face of the biggest industry out there.. "nuff said...

 

[therockisback!!!]

Angle Made Cena Big if u ask me coz it was his biggest early fued
Then It jst carried on too JBL ORTON(Which was his best)

 

[RSM88]

Couldnt have put it any better.. No matter what the gimmick, nor how much Vinnie Mack cares for you it has to be how the wrestler himself that has to perform in front of an audience.. If you do well, only den you are a star.. And apart from that you have to make the crowd love you or hate you according to your character..

Cena has done that.. He started with rapper, to Dr of Thugonomics and finally to Super Cena and he made the crowd feel what he's doing and that's why is the face of the biggest industry out there.. "nuff said...

Moreover look at what he has done for the biz.. He worked his ass off, stayed loyal to the company, came back so soon after being badly injured.. He deserves being the top face of the company right now..