How Valuable is John Cena's Endorsement?

[navyveteran]

I'm starting this after reading the Top 10 wrestlers and noticed that 2 men on that list both received endorsements from Cena behind the scenes and even on screen before the main stream audience really started to take notice. Both #1 CM Punk and #10 are recipients of John Cena's endorsement.

Back in June or maybe even as early as May, there were tons of reports about Punk's contract coming to an end. At that time, there were also several reports about John Cena requesting for a feud with Punk. Believing that if WWE would put Punk in the limelight that he would not only be successful, but he would stay, which in return would be good for business. Cena was right and his endorsement couldn't have been anymore accurate. It became public knowledge soon after that Punk's contract was coming to an end and that Punk had the intentions of walking out. Of course I don't take any credit away from Punk's promo abilities or from his in-ring abilities. Without those attributes, Punk would have failed and the endorsement would be meaningless.
Cena also endorsed Zack Ryder, before he was getting any real face time, Cena was giving him props and was pushing for Zack to be able to make appearances. Now look at Zack, he's receiving massive amounts of cheers and fans demanding more of him in the ring. Again, I'm not discrediting his own abilities or the fact that he started a youtube show in an effort to be known.

So the point of this thread is exactly as the title refers.... How valuable is John Cena's endorsement? I don't know of others and I'm sure many of you could prove this point further or discredit it completely, but it is a conversation I have yet to hear and was curious to see if I'm the only one who has ever thought it.

 

[NewEraIB]

As far as I know, John Cena is Vince's golden boy in the WWE and does whatever he can to keep him. Its only natural that Vince lends an ear and takes anything Cena says into consideration. Whether it be a nod for another wrestler or negative criticism, he listens. So maybe his endorsement is highly valuable.

On the other hand, the fans were going insane over Punk and Ryder because they connected with them. Punk because of his anti-authoritarian promos and ice cream bar plug. Ryder because of his youtube channel and his reach into the general fanbase. Both of these men were hot topics of discussion among twitter users, and everybody knows that Vince has a new fixation over twitter. Personally, this has more to do with their being in the top ten than Cena's endorsement. Cena probably only endorsed the two so the fans would continue to cheer him. Wouldn't surprise me one bit. He loves to steal the spotlight and take credit from others. Remember when he and Evan Bourne beat Edge and Sheamus on Raw? Evan Bourne pinned Sheamus, and rather than get out of the ring and celebrate on his own, Cena picked him up and pointed at him, but all the while he stayed very well on camera. I understand he was his tag partner but it wouldn't do any harm to let Raw finish differently one week.

 

[hollowpoint]

The best thing for ANY Superstar's career now is to either to Team with Cena (Ryder) or feud with Cena (Miz, Punk, Barrett, Del Rio, etc, etc). He's the flag carrier for the company so a rub from him is magnified ten times over. He's able to do what IMO no other Superstar has ever done in terms of elevating an entire arean's emotion whether positive or negative and not only embracing it, but usnig it to put on great matches/perfomances. Like I said if you want to move up in the ranks, get involved with Cena.

 

[Dagger Dias]

Cena's endorsement is very valuable. Like him or not, Cena alwas generates large reactions from the fans. When he speaks, they listen. He is also the top guy of the WWE. If someone like Alex Riley or Mason Ryan says they endorse the push of another wrestler no one cares right? Exactly. The reason they do when Cena endorses is because of how big a name he is. He is a future legend. If a face needs to get over, Cena can endorse them and support them onscreen. If a heel needs to get over, a feud with Cena is a big help. Any exposure at all with Cena would help someone get over now so yes his endorsement is rather valuable.

 

[hollowpoint]

I think Del Rio is the perfect example. Most people didn't believe him as a top heel or main event heel until he started feuding with Cena. They put on some good matches and Del Rio was made to look a lot stronger than he was before he went at it with Cena. Now he's been a WWE Champ and is getting PPV Main Events left and right. IMO all due to Cena.

 

[NewEraIB]

I think Del Rio is the perfect example. Most people didn't believe him as a top heel or main event heel until he started feuding with Cena. They put on some good matches and Del Rio was made to look a lot stronger than he was before he went at it with Cena. Now he's been a WWE Champ and is getting PPV Main Events left and right. IMO all due to Cena.

Del Rio was watered down severely when he was drafted to Raw. His feud with Edge, had it not been dragged out from Royal Rumble to WrestleMania, could have done him a lot better. I expected him to win the world title from Edge but he lost. Then, he lost to Christian. Cashing in Money in the Bank didn't really do him any favors because he would lose clean to Cena at the next PPV. I believed him to be a top heel UNTIL he feuded with Cena. Look at him now. I, for one, don't care about him anymore.

Miz got some rub from Cena until he lost the title to him as well.

Barrett was getting the better of Cena until he beat him at TLC. Was that necessary? Then he went out of his way to bury him and leave as the superhero once again.

Randy Orton perhaps got a good rub from Cena. I don't think hes overrated like a lot of people do. He puts on WAY better matches than Cena and doesn't waste as much time talking. Not to mention he gets booked to lose a lot more often, and clean at times. Last time I remember a clean Cena loss was Night of Champions 2008 to Triple H.

 

[Shockwave]

It seems as if Cena is the post-attitude era version of Shawn Michaels...both highly respected and people who, then and now respectively, Vince listens to, believing they will have ideas to benefit the company...whereas i'm sure if david otunga or Bob Holly had tried to give an idea at each of these time frames, Vince would be less enthusiastic to hear them out.

 

[hollowpoint]

Del Rio was watered down severely when he was drafted to Raw. His feud with Edge, had it not been dragged out from Royal Rumble to WrestleMania, could have done him a lot better. I expected him to win the world title from Edge but he lost. Then, he lost to Christian. Cashing in Money in the Bank didn't really do him any favors because he would lose clean to Cena at the next PPV. I believed him to be a top heel UNTIL he feuded with Cena. Look at him now. I, for one, don't care about him anymore.

Miz got some rub from Cena until he lost the title to him as well.

Barrett was getting the better of Cena until he beat him at TLC. Was that necessary? Then he went out of his way to bury him and leave as the superhero once again.

Randy Orton perhaps got a good rub from Cena. I don't think hes overrated like a lot of people do. He puts on WAY better matches than Cena and doesn't waste as much time talking. Not to mention he gets booked to lose a lot more often, and clean at times. Last time I remember a clean Cena loss was Night of Champions 2008 to Triple H.

I have to disagree with you on a couple of points.

Miz was an upper mid card level performer even when he cashed in his MITB against Randy Orton. His feud with Cena leading up to and after WM elevated him to the Main Event level.

As far as Cena losing "clean" CM Punk beat him twice clean so I don't know what you are referring to there.

Cena puts on great matches whether you want to admit it or not. Again see CM Punk and the matches with Del Rio were good as well. The only bad match I can recall was the one at WM with the Miz. Other than that one he's normally solid, if not great in the ring.

As far as Barrett goes, he got a MEGA push from Cena with all of that NExus stuff. If it weren't for Cena, Barrett would be Heath Slater. Again results of the feuds don't weigh as much as you may think.

 

[AWESOME!]

As an asset to me, he's nothing and anyone can replace him but seeing as how Vince doesn't realize this and will do anything he says so that Cena doesn't leave, which is the reason why I think it's BS when Cena says "I have no control over it, I'm sorry I'm not a heel and I win every match"

This means his endorsement as far as WWE goes is probably the top endorsement there is next to Vince's endorsement.

his endorsment is worth billions, although to me I would rather get to the top without it and in another way because I think it doesn't matter two sasquatch's hairy buttcheeks what he thinks.

 

[NewEraIB]

I have to disagree with you on a couple of points.

Miz was an upper mid card level performer even when he cashed in his MITB against Randy Orton. His feud with Cena leading up to and after WM elevated him to the Main Event level.

As far as Cena losing "clean" CM Punk beat him twice clean so I don't know what you are referring to there.

Cena puts on great matches whether you want to admit it or not. Again see CM Punk and the matches with Del Rio were good as well. The only bad match I can recall was the one at WM with the Miz. Other than that one he's normally solid, if not great in the ring.

As far as Barrett goes, he got a MEGA push from Cena with all of that NExus stuff. If it weren't for Cena, Barrett would be Heath Slater. Again results of the feuds don't weigh as much as you may think.

I watched MITB 2011, Cena lost because of a distraction by Laurinitis. I'll give you that he did lose clean at SummerSlam, though, that slipped my mind.

After Miz lost his title and Cena entered a feud with CM Punk, he was back in that upper mid card level in my mind. Yeah, he works all the media days he can and is more a mainstay than he used to be, but he's still missing something. The only person he went over as the champion was Jerry Lawler.

Barrett did receive a mega push back in 2010 but I attribute that more to the Nexus than Cena. It was a big group that tore everyone and everything apart, and it had everybody watching. Eventually, it would have had to come to an end. But the way they handled Cena as a part of the Nexus was a joke and it made Barrett and his whole stable look stupid.

I will agree that Cena does have great matches, but I like many of Orton's matches a lot better. That's just me.

 

[King Patrick Star]

I think John Cena’s endorsement is as valuable as Hulk Hogan’s, Ric Flair’s, Stone Cold Steve Austin’s, The Rock’s, Kurt Angle’s, and Chris Jericho’s. It will get the endorsed half way to where they want to be, and probably faster, but it’s ultimately up to them and the powers that be to get them all the way to the top.

 

[The Champ]

Cena is a big reason for Zack Ryder getting the push he's getting. Granted, it's not ALL Cena or anywhere close, but he's a big part of it. Along with other endorsements from big stars like Rock, Austin and Punk, as well as WWE just realizing they can make money off him, Cena's pushed Ryder's Twitter account on numerous occasions and has gone to bat for him with WWE officials. Like anything else, it's a variety of factors, but Ryder's exposure in itself has become more pronounced because of Cena. Pretty much anyone who follows Cena probably follows Ryder now, anyone who follows Ryder sees links to his YouTube show and probably watches it, and then they get a taste of what he's about. Ryder is obviously more responsible than anyone else for his own push, but if there's a number two, it's Cena.

As for Punk, I wouldn't give Cena so much credit for Punk actually getting pushed, but he deserves a lot of credit for making the angle as great as it was. He was the perfect guy to stand across the ring from Punk as the champion of WWE (literally and figuratively) and everything it stands for. People like to spew a lot of crap that it would have worked with anyone, but that's not the case. Put Orton in that spot and all he does is scowl and threaten to punt him. There would be no intense back and forths, or the story of the hero vs. the rebel. It's just not the same type of dynamic if it's not Cena, and he played his part to perfection.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

A simple fact of life is that no matter what line of work you're in, it's never a bad thing to have friends in high places. Whether anyone likes John Cena or not, the simple truth is that he's a major player in WWE and it's not for nothing. Again, whether you like Cena or not, the man has stepped up and delivered for the company time and time again so that counts for a whole helluva lot.

Cena's endorsement isn't the end all and be all of getting to the next level. Having someone high up vouch for you is one thing, but you've got to ultimately be able to back it up once you're there. There's only so much powerful friends, even ones as high up as Cena, can do for you if you don't have the ability to prove that you belong in a higher spot.

 

[Headman]

It's the same with any company. If the top sales person at a boat dealership goes to the owner and says "Hey that new kid is going to sell a lot of boats!" that new kid is now on the boss' radar. Ultimately it's up to the person himself to get over, but someone like Cena can and has provided opportunities for guys who Vince might have let go to waste. To be honest instead of hating on Cena we should be thankful he's in the position he's in to do what he's done for guys like Punk, Ryder, Bourne and others who were on the fast track back to the indies until Cena spoke up for them. I believe Cena could be a more valuable human resources asset than Triple H, but that's another point. So in short, yes Cena's endorsement is very valuable seeing as he has a track record of endorsing people who deserve it.

 

[The 1-2-3 Killam]

I think any guy that has been around for as long as Cena has, pushed as much product as Cena has, and worked as hard as he has for the company probably has Vince's ear. If I was sitting in VInce's chair and my biggest money maker over the last decade walked in and recommended I start pushing somebody, I'd take that very seriously.

Randy Orton is another that I think management listens to, especially now that he's closer to the top. From what I understand Edge was guy that kept to himself and did what was asked of him because he didn't want to make any waves. But you had better bet that if he walked into the McMahon office and said "this guy has talent, give him a look" somebody would take notice.

Any guy that is a success in the industry and makes VInce a lot of money is worthy of his time and confidence, or at least...that's the way I imagine it should be. John Cena is the golden boy, and I'd say the only other current performer with more "stroke" is Triple H. Obviously it's because he's a part of the McMahon family and head of a lot of different WWE positions behind the scenes. You listen to your money-makers, and you listen to your veterans.

I'd bet money that William Regal, Goldust, and Jim Ross still have a ton of pull backstage, regardless of if they're on television or being humiliated. The guys who have been around the longest should be listened to... So should the talents like CM Punk, who know what the current generation of fan wants. So should Zack Ryder, who clearly understands and connects to his internet fans. But yes, Cena's endorsement is likely the most credible thing you can have in the WWE, outside of a push from the very top.