Is Cena the most hated Face is Wrestling History

[ASKane]

John Cena debuted as a face and has stayed that way all of his 11 year WWE but one thing I have noticed is that with each title win more fans turn against him. I have been a wrestling fan since 2000 so I don't know much about Wrestling history but I think Cena is the most hated face of the 21st century as I was wondering whether there is anyone who has been a long term face(over 1 year) who is more hated than Cena in history

 

[The_Killswitch]

Yes and no.He's generally disliked inside the ring from adult males and hardcore fans. But that's just "oh man same crap" attitude from them. No because most kids and female demographic love him for his merchandise and ability to appeal to a younger audience. I however can't recall John Cena claiming all cheers though ,?maybe when he first won the title though.

Also he was a heel late 2002 to late 2003.
.

 

[KBeef]

I believe he is and that's very sad, I get the negatives with him, but its almost

like everyone ignores the positives. The big match feel he brings and his promos

are good sometimes, and to be honest his entrance where he says something

random to the camera I kind of enjoy. Is he a technical wizard? no not at all

but there has been a lot worse. I do believe his character is a little stale but it

is what it is, will he turn heel one day? maybe but no one should hold their

breath and just accept him for what he is. He almost embraces the boos

which would've never happened 20 years ago.

 

[Mongoose McQueen]

I would say he is the most controversial of all time. I am not sure about the most hated in history, that seems a little far fetched in my eyes. He gets different reactions wherever he goes, boos, cheers and mixed etc....

 

[TheHitMark-SirJoseOle]

I don't really think so, I just think having an open communication forum like the internet magnifies it. Cena's fan base is heavily built up of really young kids that are going to keep him a very rich and influential figure in wrestling for years to come. I give him all the credit for carrying such a heavy workload and upping the ante in his matches like he's done over the years. This is coming from someone who isn't even remotely a fan of his.

I really do think that if the internet was around back in 1985, a lot of adults would be vehemently express their discontent with Hulk Hogan. Just my opinion though. Cena does have some polarizing qualities, but he is effective and popular, despite what the vocal group that I often read posts from on forums like these say.

 

[thebowtiekiller]

his character was clearly designed to be a hero to children which he is and with his good morals,never give up,dont start nothin there wont be nothin attitude parents are fine letting there children watch and idolise him.

on the other hand he is hated or at least disliked by a large portion of adult fans especially those who enjoyed the attitude era because in my opinion he symbolises wwes child friendly image and the other reason hes squeaky clean to the point its sickly he actually thanks the fans for booing him its ridiculous and every one loves to hate a goody two shoes.

so id say cena is easily the most hated face this century but i think hes equally loved aswell.

 

[HistoryLesson]

John Cena debuted as a face and has stayed that way all of his 11 year WWE:

He was a heel turned on Billy Kidman if memory serves me right early in his career during the transition to the thug life gimmick.Then got an enforcer in bull buchanan.

But most hated i dont think so, Hogan in wcw was getting boo's before he turned and joined the nwo.

In my opinion he is very stale pandering to the kids in the crowd, But had moments in the feud with the rock when he showed glimpses of how great he can be when he acts tough and makes his act tougher. His free style on the rock he had the whole crowd eating out of his hands.

 

[Eyebrows]

John Cena debuted as a face and has stayed that way all of his 11 year WWE

He was heel from the autumn of 2002 to the autumn of 2003 and paradoxically got turned because he was excellent in his heel role and the fans wanted to cheer for him, which is an interesting reversal of how the fans treat him now.

I think Cena gets the hate because he's the figurehead of the current WWE product and a lot of people have issues with that product. I don't think the majority hate him but what he represents and the refusal of the WWE to change the status quo for a significant period unless someone else really strikes it hot. When people say they hate him, they really hate the creative processing around his booking. The internet provides an open forum for that hatred to manifest.

There are wholly unpleasant people that have been involved in wrestling who are far worthy of hatred than John Cena.

 

[Spidey Revivey]

John Cena debuted as a face and has stayed that way all of his 11 year WWE

False.

It was through his rebellious rapper gimmick that he gained support from the fans. Let me put it this way- people love a rebellious character. They always have. He became a face because he was rebellious. Do you want to know why he's hated by some now? That rebellious spirit is gone. He's became a conformed never-say-die boy scout character and that doesn't sit right with a lot of people, especially those that watched men like Stone Cold and Degeneration X tear shit up in previous years. He is hated because he doesn't fit that mold anymore.

Which is all the more reason to applaud him I think. No matter what he would be hated by a select crowd, especially now that most of us have computers and thus can clearly state our opinions of the show.

 

[ryder123]

This is just a quick reply as I'm in a rush.....

I honestly think that booing Cena as become more of a trend than a personal thing. Much like Kurt Angle's theme tune in the 'You Suck' portion of the song. Honestly WWE has given us everyside of John Cena. They've tried everything to make people like him. For example John Cena got booed at Wrestlemania 29 but when he got the win, Everybody erupted with cheers. I think it's a case of You have too Boo Cena. Even in 20 years if hes retired and entering the Hall Of Fame...Expect Booing because it's what we do and of course...It's what's best for business!

 

[MrMojoRisin]

It's a sign of the times.

No one likes a too good to be true boy scout anymore... and that's what Cena's character is.

Throw in that he's a condescending, holier than thou too good to be true boy scout character, and he's hard to like for anyone over the age of 13.

Plus it's been the same schtick for so long now, it's really worn thin with a lot of people.

I know they'll never turn him heel, and that he's gone on record saying that he will never turn heel... and that there's all this worry about losing revenue if they do turn him heel and all that... but I really do feel that both Cena and the WWE are missing so much opportunity by not just going with what the people obviously want to see... and turning him heel. It would just freshen him up so much, and do so much to help build the next super face of the company.

 

[Matty~!]

I don't know if it's really the case that it's a trend. Remember the booing started before the ECW One Night Stand PPV in 2006 although that's really where it took off. If it were a trend I think it really would have stopped after 7 years. Besides some cities really don't get into the whole booing thing and get behind him, then you get the cities that try and fail, obviously there are certain places that really get into it.

Another point that I would look to when he returned at the 2008 Rumble, after having been totally off TV for a prolong period he garnered a fantastic reaction if it was cool to boo him, he wouldn't have got the superstar reaction.

 

[#tamale]

Probably. The top babyfaces of the 90s or early 00s did not have such a vocal section of people who hated the top guy. Goldberg may have had that negative reaction. Cena does receive the negative reactions from the crowd but these crowds also wanted to push Ryder and once he got pushed fans realized he was a one-dimensional character with a short shelf life.

I know they'll never turn him heel, and that he's gone on record saying that he will never turn heel... and that there's all this worry about losing revenue if they do turn him heel and all that... but I really do feel that both Cena and the WWE are missing so much opportunity by not just going with what the people obviously want to see... and turning him heel. It would just freshen him up so much, and do so much to help build the next super face of the company.

What's the reason for turning him heel? Because of the people that boo him? That section wants to see him turn heel so he is giving them what they want. He betrays the people who support him to appeal to the people who do not support him. Doesn't make much sense there.

They are not missing an opportunity. If you are a face and going up against Cena for the WWE Championship, that's a major rub waiting to happen. He doesn't need to be heel to achieve that.

 

[Kris Benwa]

He was heel from the autumn of 2002 to the autumn of 2003 and paradoxically got turned because he was excellent in his heel role and the fans wanted to cheer for him, which is an interesting reversal of how the fans treat him now.

I think Cena gets the hate because he's the figurehead of the current WWE product and a lot of people have issues with that product. I don't think the majority hate him but what he represents and the refusal of the WWE to change the status quo for a significant period unless someone else really strikes it hot. When people say they hate him, they really hate the creative processing around his booking. The internet provides an open forum for that hatred to manifest.

There are wholly unpleasant people that have been involved in wrestling who are far worthy of hatred than John Cena.

It's not all that unusual it happens most of the time. They did it with Randy Orton and CM Punk fans loved them and wanted to cheer them and when they turned face a few months later it was all "Turn him back heel he's stale as a face"

I don't think people actually hate John Cena. What reason do they have to hate him he's debunked most everything bad about him bu people continue to "hate" and boo. People boo John Cena because it's cool and they like doing it. I was watching a match a few days ago where Cena won something I can't remember what but the guy in the front row was booing up a storm when Cena came out but then once the ref counted the three and Cena he was jumping up and down cheering him.

In fact I'd say most people like John Cena they'll never admit it though.

 

[Hard Hit Prince]

This is what I have for this subject - John Cena is the best number one guy that the wrestling world has ever seen. He's the best wrestler, the best talker and the best PR guy, simple.

I get the Cena hate, I truly do understand it and what not, but as a fan and an educated one I can't feel anything more than respect for the performer the guy is. He is probably one of the best wrestlers in the world and he has been proving it this year with a lot and I mean a lot of good matches, from guys that go between Damien Sandow to Ryback, Daniel Bryan and CM Punk. Nobody can touch him this year as far as WWE goes.

Now onto the subject of people hating him - I truly think that the majority of fans that boo him, only do it because others do and because it's his thing. Nobody takes wrestling so serious to the point they'll genuinely hate a guy for being so damn good for so damn long time - they do it because it's cool and fans want to be the anti-WWE system, specially hardcore fans and I gotta be honest, as much as I hate seeing stupid comments like "Cena sucks because he always wins" or "Cena can't wrestle, he's the worst that has happened to WWE", I wouldn't want it any other way - this different opinions on the guy just makes his matches a whole lot better because he makes you react and really react.

So yeah, he's the most hated babyface as far as top stars go, but he's also the best they ever had on top. The hatred for him, isn't necessarily about John Cena the performer and person, it's like people that hate football clubs like Barcelona or Real Madrid, they were on top for so damn long that people want change and want to hear different things, but that does not mean that Barça and Real are not the best anymore. SO let's say that when they "boo" Cena, isn't a boo like "I dont want to see this guy anymore", it's more like "please bring someone new and something fresh" - proof of that is how Cena instantly improved WWE programming since his return last month.

 

[SkandorAkbar]

This is what I have for this subject - John Cena is the best number one guy that the wrestling world has ever seen. He's the best wrestler, the best talker and the best PR guy, simple.

that's laughable......the guy has never been tested in any other wrestling promotion. where are his legendary matches? he has none. 13 time champ? big deal, he's the poster child for a paper champion. he's the worst thing that's ever happened to wrestling, he'll be forgotten 5 minutes after he retires.....you cant see me.....blah blah blah. i hope someone shoots on him.

 

[MrMojoRisin]

Probably. The top babyfaces of the 90s or early 00s did not have such a vocal section of people who hated the top guy. Goldberg may have had that negative reaction. Cena does receive the negative reactions from the crowd but these crowds also wanted to push Ryder and once he got pushed fans realized he was a one-dimensional character with a short shelf life.



What's the reason for turning him heel? Because of the people that boo him? That section wants to see him turn heel so he is giving them what they want. He betrays the people who support him to appeal to the people who do not support him. Doesn't make much sense there.

They are not missing an opportunity. If you are a face and going up against Cena for the WWE Championship, that's a major rub waiting to happen. He doesn't need to be heel to achieve that.

More storytelling opportunities? A more organic story instead of a paint by the numbers manufactured one?

Let me ask you something? How much further can they take face Cena? Are their any new stories left for him, or are they all just rehashes of old ones at this point?

And the people that boo him would actually be a good reason to turn him heel. It's been a reason to turn countless guys heel over the years. Why should Cena be any different? Because some Internet smarks liked Zach Ryder and didn't realize how bad he was, so they shouldn't be listened to at all? Keep in mind too, that the fans are why Austin became a 'good guy', even though there was literally nothing about his character that said he should ever be a good guy. Yes, it would have been ridiculous to ignore the growing Austin sentiment and keep him as a heel... but isn't it just as ridiculous to then ignore the fact that people clearly don't want to see Cena as a face?

Plus how realistic is it that Cena continues to be the do gooder in a world where he is constantly resented for being that do gooder? At what point does he finally say I'm sick of it, I've tried, no one cares, and I'm in this for myself now? Human nature says that eventually Cena should have enough of it, but he never does? Is Cena more than human than?

You actually touch on a point that allows Cena to become such a major heel that the guy they choose to take him down gets a better rub than he ever could from a face/face matchup with Cena. He stays face because he doesn't want to betray the ones that do support him... mostly the kids. But eventually, he can't handle the negative reaction from everyone else, and snaps. He turns on the kids, tells their parents where to go, goes full bore I'm better than the rest of you, I try to teach your children right from wrong when you obviously don't know the difference. Gets both sides hating him, and then really runs roughshod over the roster, all in the name of what he considers to be right. The guy that ends up beating him then... THAT guy is made for life.

Cena's not getting any younger and they need that next guy soon. Turning Cena could be how the get him.

 

[Merkin353]

I like John Cena on total divas but I hate him on Raw. I think people have bought into him making it seem like a special moment when he comes out & it's simply not special... The last time Cena did anything entertaining was way back on Raw when he faced CM Punk. I get he was out for awhile & some may say the DB match at SummerSlam was "Special" but I've found plenty of people who think otherwise. It's very hard to argue the match V Punk earlier this year. With that being said John Cena is the most hated face of all time simply because he is riding the wave of the fans hating each other. It's like the argument in politics or religion. The fight has become about who is smarter & who knows more & it's gone away from a reasonable debate with a solid conclusion. You can love John Cena all you want but the fact that most can't admit he is stale proves my point. He is at the latter half of his career & his best days are behind him. People need to move on & by people I mean the WWE creative team.

 

[#tamale]

More storytelling opportunities? A more organic story instead of a paint by the numbers manufactured one?

This is an assumption, not a guarantee. We have already seen Cena be part of great stories in his current incarnation.

Let me ask you something? How much further can they take face Cena? Are their any new stories left for him, or are they all just rehashes of old ones at this point?

As long as the Cena brand is still over 100 million dollars.

And the people that boo him would actually be a good reason to turn him heel. It's been a reason to turn countless guys heel over the years. Why should Cena be any different? Because some Internet smarks liked Zach Ryder and didn't realize how bad he was, so they shouldn't be listened to at all? Keep in mind too, that the fans are why Austin became a 'good guy', even though there was literally nothing about his character that said he should ever be a good guy. Yes, it would have been ridiculous to ignore the growing Austin sentiment and keep him as a heel... but isn't it just as ridiculous to then ignore the fact that people clearly don't want to see Cena as a face?

If you're reasoning for seeing Cena heel is:

More storytelling opportunities? A more organic story instead of a paint by the numbers manufactured one?

...then I will go with the numbers that tell me Cena is making stacks and stacks of cash being who he is. Some people just focus on one section instead of the whole section. Cena has detractors. Cena also has supporters. Many supporters.

Plus how realistic is it that Cena continues to be the do gooder in a world where he is constantly resented for being that do gooder? At what point does he finally say I'm sick of it, I've tried, no one cares, and I'm in this for myself now? Human nature says that eventually Cena should have enough of it, but he never does? Is Cena more than human than?

That's the point of his character. Again, why would Cena betray his supporters and his beliefs to please the fans who "hate" him?

Cena's not getting any younger and they need that next guy soon. Turning Cena could be how the get him.

John Cena is only 36. A wrestlers prime is between the ages of 30 and 40. He's still bringing the Brinks trucks. No reason at this point to turn him heel.

 

[MrMojoRisin]

This is an assumption, not a guarantee. We have already seen Cena be part of great stories in his current incarnation.



As long as the Cena brand is still over 100 million dollars.



If you're reasoning for seeing Cena heel is:



...then I will go with the numbers that tell me Cena is making stacks and stacks of cash being who he is. Some people just focus on one section instead of the whole section. Cena has detractors. Cena also has supporters. Many supporters.



That's the point of his character. Again, why would Cena betray his supporters and his beliefs to please the fans who "hate" him?



John Cena is only 36. A wrestlers prime is between the ages of 30 and 40. He's still bringing the Brinks trucks. No reason at this point to turn him heel.

I love the irony that you're using one of the reasons I said they'll never turn him, as your argument against me thinking they should turn him.

Yes we all know how much revenue Cena generates, and that they're afraid of hurting that revenue stream by turning him heel. I was trying to talk about why it would be a good idea BESIDES that.

I've already explained WHY he would. If you need more... it's a heel turn. Thousands of wrestlers have betrayed 'their character' to turn heel. Cena's no different. I've just explained a valid reason for him to betray that character.

And by pointing out his age, you've made my last point for me. 36 isn't exactly young anymore, and he's not getting younger. Plus with the schedule he works, he's getting banged up more often. It happens.

Personally, as a guy that can appreciate all that he's done over the past decade, I'd like to see him have it a little easier. I'd like to see him slow down and help preserve his quality of life after wrestling. As a fan of the business, I'd like to see him begin to pass the torch. Honestly being heel could help with all of that. It's easier to work heel than face. You book him so he's more offensive in the ring, and the wear and tear on his body will be minimized. You push someone to beat him in an epic showdown, and he can take a break after to heal up, then even come back for a redemption storyline.

There are a lot of reasons why it makes sense to turn Cena heel. To use the phrase of the moment, I dare say it'd even be 'best for business'.

But some people don't want to see that. I guess we'll just have to agree to disagree here.

 

[Kris Benwa]

Yes we all know how much revenue Cena generates, and that they're afraid of hurting that revenue stream by turning him heel. I was trying to talk about why it would be a good idea BESIDES that.

LOL WWE is a business and revenue is what matters to a business. I think Cena will turn heel but it'll be a few more years. I don't think Cena is past his prime he's had phenomenal matches all year long I think he's doing just fine and there is no NEED to turn Cena heel...yet.

that's laughable......the guy has never been tested in any other wrestling promotion. where are his legendary matches? he has none. 13 time champ? big deal, he's the poster child for a paper champion. he's the worst thing that's ever happened to wrestling, he'll be forgotten 5 minutes after he retires.....you cant see me.....blah blah blah. i hope someone shoots on him.

This is just asinine. He doesn't need to be tested in any other wrestling promotion because he's in THE WRESTLING PROMOTION. Where are his legendary matches? Are we being serious or are we just stupid. I'll give a few:
Vs. Michaels at WM 23 and the hour long match on RAW
Vs. CM Punk at MITB 11 and the one on RAW earlier this year
Vs. JBL at Judgment Day 05
Vs. Brock Lesnar Extreme Rules

Those are just a couple. If John Cena being a great performer is the worst thing to ever happen to wrestling in your opinion then allow me to ask how long have you been a fan of wrestling? He'll go down in history as one of the GOATS and I'm not sure if you mean like cut a shoot promo on him or actually with a gun shoots him. If it's the latter then come on man that's not cool and it isn't that serious. If it's the former, then that would be cool and I would like to see that also.

 

[GeneralKarim]

Not he is not. He just happens to be in an era where everyone can voice their opinions online so naturally the hate is hightened.

The dude is the face of the company, never stop working, always ups the antee(?) when it comes PPV matches and is very effective at his role.

Is his role as a good guy run its course?Sure but who the hell is gonna replace him, DB had a decent chance, that went out the window.

Plus if he turns heel who in god's name is gonna feud with him?Cm punk?Been there done that.And what after that feud?WWE needs big faces that make them money before they turn Cena heel.

My predictioni , and I hope I'm wrong, is that Cena will turn heel when he is 39-40 and slowly fading out. ( although I do love the cena orton at the top until they are 60 ).

 

[Da Solo]

Before I start, let me correct something real quick:

This is what I have for this subject - John Cena is the best number one guy that the wrestling world has ever seen.

Um...

He's the best wrestler,

Bret Hart, Shawn Michaels.

the best talker

The Rock, Stone Cold.

and the best PR guy, simple.

Once again, The Rock.

I get the Cena hate, I truly do understand it and what not, but as a fan and an educated one I can't feel anything more than respect for the performer the guy is. He is probably one of the best wrestlers in the world and he has been proving it this year with a lot and I mean a lot of good matches, from guys that go between Damien Sandow to Ryback, Daniel Bryan and CM Punk. Nobody can touch him this year as far as WWE goes.

How about Daniel Bryan, the dude who got a title shot by crowd opinion and went over him clean at Summerslam? In terms of quality of matches this year then he has a better chance in the argument, but still no (beat out by The Shield, Daniel Bryan, Kofi Kingston, Mark Henry, Cesaro, etc.).


OK, now as far as the topic goes, I say it's because of lack of forward motion in his character. EVERY face of the company had some kind of evolution to him (with the exceptions of Bruno and Hogan, and that's because there wasn't bi-weekly and tri-weekly wrestling TV programming to tire of so quickly). Austin did a heel stint and adopted elements to his character other than "drink beer", and even then common fan talk resents his winning the 2001 Rumble over Kane. Rock literally became a new guy every time he came back on screen (Nation Rock, Thousand Dollar Shirt Rock, People's Champ Rock, Hollywood Rock, etc.) and he still took boos, albeit very rarely (during the Hogan match at WM and in Brock's first title win come to mind). Cena has literally been HUSTLE LOYALTY RESPECT! since like 2005 and only teases character changes just to revert to the same. Granted, that's creative's fault mostly, but you mean to tell me he doesn't have the slightest pull over the way his character his portrayed on TV?

But admittedly, the "He Can't Wrestle" argument is stupid. He can wrestle, end of story.

 

[MrMojoRisin]

Yes we all know how much revenue Cena generates, and that they're afraid of hurting that revenue stream by turning him heel. I was trying to talk about why it would be a good idea BESIDES that.

LOL WWE is a business and revenue is what matters to a business. I think Cena will turn heel but it'll be a few more years. I don't think Cena is past his prime he's had phenomenal matches all year long I think he's doing just fine and there is no NEED to turn Cena heel...yet.

Uh yeah, thanks for letting me know that. Businesses like money. Who knew?

I never said he's 'past his prime'. I said he's starting to get up there in years, and it's true, he is. With his age, and how the injuries are starting to pile up, he's not going to be able to go like he has been for too much longer.

What do they do when Cena is past his prime? Who takes the mantle from him? Punk? Bryan? Both are outstanding wrestlers, and both are over... but I don't really see either guy as being the ones to get to the level of an Austin, Rock, Hogan, Andre, Bruno or Cena. The larger than life transcendent star.

I'm also not talking about turning him heel tomorrow, or even saying that it'll happen. The guys been pretty clear on the fact that he does not want to turn heel. I'm just hypothosising that it might be better for the companies future that he does, and that when he does, he's used to cement his successor.

 

[#tamale]

I love the irony that you're using one of the reasons I said they'll never turn him, as your argument against me thinking they should turn him.

So you say but then...

There are a lot of reasons why it makes sense to turn Cena heel. To use the phrase of the moment, I dare say it'd even be 'best for business'.

so you agree it's not best for business but then claim that Cena turning heel at this moment is best for business? Awesome logic.

Yes we all know how much revenue Cena generates, and that they're afraid of hurting that revenue stream by turning him heel. I was trying to talk about why it would be a good idea BESIDES that.

Yet the ideas have been lame. Show me a situation where a heel Cena helps out the overall business of WWE.

I've already explained WHY he would. If you need more... it's a heel turn. Thousands of wrestlers have betrayed 'their character' to turn heel. Cena's no different. I've just explained a valid reason for him to betray that character.

To turn on the people who support him in order to appease those who hate him? You are using fan reaction to justify the turn but are leaving out the facts:

1. Have a turn make sense. That's why the CM Punk heel run failed. CM Punk should have sold out to a corporate figure. Not just be a larger than life douche with Heyman on his side.

2. Cena has one of the rarest reactions in wrestling. It's never full on hate or full on love but it is always one of the best reactions. It's not like Austin or Razor where fans loved that rebellious bad guy character. Cena's is different.

And by pointing out his age, you've made my last point for me. 36 isn't exactly young anymore, and he's not getting younger. Plus with the schedule he works, he's getting banged up more often. It happens.

How much time was he slated to miss from his last surgery? When did he come back?

But some people don't want to see that. I guess we'll just have to agree to disagree here.

I'll agree if a good idea is presented where it benefits all parties. Just haven't seen that.