CleverName51
Little Jimmy
This rant should be the "be all end all" IMO in WWE "only pushing John Cena"
John Cena debuted in 2002. In 2004, he beat Big Show for the US title at WrestleMania XX.
One year later, in 2005, he beat JBL for the WWE Title.
Now, in 2011, 6 and a half years later Cena is a 12 time World Champion (10 WWE, 2 WHC).
A lot of people complain that it's Cena's faul that he's always champion and hasn't turned heel. Some argue it's creative's fault for recycling the same feuds over and over again. I propose, it's neither. It's the WWE's fault that quite literally, from 2002-2011, only 8 "new" main event players were made.
To be a main event player, you need to be a 3 (or more) time world champion, or have 1 reign of 5 months or more, without using MiTB to win a title. (that's the definition I'm using)
Also, for the sake of this argument, anyone needed to win their first World title (WHC or WWE) at WM20 or after.
New Main Event: Edge, Jeff Hardy, Batista, CM Punk, Rey Mysterio, Randy Orton, Miz.
These 7, plus Cena are the only people who qualify. (Kane held the WWF/E title in 1998, keeping him from the list, Sheamus and Christian are only a 2 time champion.)
Let's have a look at "failed" main event players during this same time.
Candidates for possibly beating Cena and the reason they failed:
1. Brock Lesnar: 3 time WWE champion, leaves suddenly at WM20, how many more titles would he win if he stayed.
2. Dave Batista: 6 time WWE/WHC champion, injury prone and left in 2010 at the age of 41. If he was healthy, how many of Cena's reigns would he have had?
3. Kurt Angle: Defected to TNA. How many more reigns from 2006 could Kurt have had?
4. Jeff Hardy: Drugs, if Hardy had stayed clean, could he have won more titles?
5. Bobby Lashley: never won a world title, but he had the look to be a champion.
6. Ken Kennedy: injury prone, left after issues with Randy Orton. Allegedly had a world title reign coming when he lost his MITB briefcase to Edge.
7. Christian/Jericho: left for TNA/other endeavors, could have been champion earlier/more often if they had stayed.
8. Umaga/Benoit/Eddie Guerrero: untimely deaths may have prevented any hope in future title reigns.
9: Great Khali and Vlad Kozlov: If either of these guys could get a crowd reaction/cut a promo/show personality they could have had a few title reigns.
10. Jack Swagger: Couldn't get a crowd reaction to save his life.
11. Shawn Michaels: Didn't want the title. He had all the tools needed to be champion even in the 2002-2010 comeback.
12. Dwayne "the Rock" Johnson: Left in 2004. Let's say he came back and worked a part time HBK schedule, he probably would have gotten 1 or 2 more farewell reigns.
13. William Regal: Had a world title reign coming. Drug suspension.
14. Matt Morgan: a guy who matured into a decent start in TNA, but as Jeff Hardy shows, the WWE marketing machine can make average talent a star. WWE dropped the ball with him.
15. Sean O'Haire: see above.
16: Drew McIntyre: the Chosen One...remember that?
17: Rob Van Dam: could have been a multi time transition champion, drugs happened.
18: Shelton Benjamin: wins over HHH and attempts at a big push, it never worked
People who might still crawl back into the title picture:
1. John Morrison: if he can connect with an audience, he can be champion.
2. Dolph Ziggler: Just needs to do something to "WOW" the audience, he has what JoMo is missing, JoMo is all "WOW" no substance, Ziggler is all substance no "WOW"
3. Sheamus: he's off the list because how I defined the criteria. But honestly if he takes the title from Mark Henry.
4. Mark Henry: current WHC, too injury prone to get this push earlier.
5. Wade Barrett: Honestly could have held the title with Nexus. Could easily slide into the title picture with his current gimmick.
6. Zeke Jackson, Mason Ryan, Brodus Clay: All (with Sheamus) are competing for the Batista big-guy role. Only one will get it. Jackson is the lead right now.
7. Kofi Kingston: JoMo's WOW, but botches too much as is too Rocky Maivia...(smiley and unable to be taken seriously). He showed signs of this during his feud with Randy Orton, but it never really went further.
8. Christian: easily believable as a heel champion now. Was a face champion on WWECW long enough to also turn face and be champ again.
9. Alberto Del Rio: Could maybe pull himself back up if he went back to SmackDown and faced the B-show competition.
10. Daniel Bryan: If his MITB storyline is built right AND Bryan can connect with the WWE audience, he could be a modern Benoit.
11. R-Truth: With his legal problems with Canada cleared up, he could get a title reign, this new character is gold.
On my failed list there are 22 names. Toss that in with the 7 that "made" main event status and you get 29 attempts at creating a main event talent. 7 of them made it. (yes HBK was a main event talent, so he's not counted in terms of creating a main eventer but the other 28 names leave this) a 25% success rate (7 over 28).
On my possible list: there are 13 names. Using the 25% success rate of the last decade, 3-4 of these people will make it. Handicap them as you feel like.
Rant over.
John Cena debuted in 2002. In 2004, he beat Big Show for the US title at WrestleMania XX.
One year later, in 2005, he beat JBL for the WWE Title.
Now, in 2011, 6 and a half years later Cena is a 12 time World Champion (10 WWE, 2 WHC).
A lot of people complain that it's Cena's faul that he's always champion and hasn't turned heel. Some argue it's creative's fault for recycling the same feuds over and over again. I propose, it's neither. It's the WWE's fault that quite literally, from 2002-2011, only 8 "new" main event players were made.
To be a main event player, you need to be a 3 (or more) time world champion, or have 1 reign of 5 months or more, without using MiTB to win a title. (that's the definition I'm using)
Also, for the sake of this argument, anyone needed to win their first World title (WHC or WWE) at WM20 or after.
New Main Event: Edge, Jeff Hardy, Batista, CM Punk, Rey Mysterio, Randy Orton, Miz.
These 7, plus Cena are the only people who qualify. (Kane held the WWF/E title in 1998, keeping him from the list, Sheamus and Christian are only a 2 time champion.)
Let's have a look at "failed" main event players during this same time.
Candidates for possibly beating Cena and the reason they failed:
1. Brock Lesnar: 3 time WWE champion, leaves suddenly at WM20, how many more titles would he win if he stayed.
2. Dave Batista: 6 time WWE/WHC champion, injury prone and left in 2010 at the age of 41. If he was healthy, how many of Cena's reigns would he have had?
3. Kurt Angle: Defected to TNA. How many more reigns from 2006 could Kurt have had?
4. Jeff Hardy: Drugs, if Hardy had stayed clean, could he have won more titles?
5. Bobby Lashley: never won a world title, but he had the look to be a champion.
6. Ken Kennedy: injury prone, left after issues with Randy Orton. Allegedly had a world title reign coming when he lost his MITB briefcase to Edge.
7. Christian/Jericho: left for TNA/other endeavors, could have been champion earlier/more often if they had stayed.
8. Umaga/Benoit/Eddie Guerrero: untimely deaths may have prevented any hope in future title reigns.
9: Great Khali and Vlad Kozlov: If either of these guys could get a crowd reaction/cut a promo/show personality they could have had a few title reigns.
10. Jack Swagger: Couldn't get a crowd reaction to save his life.
11. Shawn Michaels: Didn't want the title. He had all the tools needed to be champion even in the 2002-2010 comeback.
12. Dwayne "the Rock" Johnson: Left in 2004. Let's say he came back and worked a part time HBK schedule, he probably would have gotten 1 or 2 more farewell reigns.
13. William Regal: Had a world title reign coming. Drug suspension.
14. Matt Morgan: a guy who matured into a decent start in TNA, but as Jeff Hardy shows, the WWE marketing machine can make average talent a star. WWE dropped the ball with him.
15. Sean O'Haire: see above.
16: Drew McIntyre: the Chosen One...remember that?
17: Rob Van Dam: could have been a multi time transition champion, drugs happened.
18: Shelton Benjamin: wins over HHH and attempts at a big push, it never worked
People who might still crawl back into the title picture:
1. John Morrison: if he can connect with an audience, he can be champion.
2. Dolph Ziggler: Just needs to do something to "WOW" the audience, he has what JoMo is missing, JoMo is all "WOW" no substance, Ziggler is all substance no "WOW"
3. Sheamus: he's off the list because how I defined the criteria. But honestly if he takes the title from Mark Henry.
4. Mark Henry: current WHC, too injury prone to get this push earlier.
5. Wade Barrett: Honestly could have held the title with Nexus. Could easily slide into the title picture with his current gimmick.
6. Zeke Jackson, Mason Ryan, Brodus Clay: All (with Sheamus) are competing for the Batista big-guy role. Only one will get it. Jackson is the lead right now.
7. Kofi Kingston: JoMo's WOW, but botches too much as is too Rocky Maivia...(smiley and unable to be taken seriously). He showed signs of this during his feud with Randy Orton, but it never really went further.
8. Christian: easily believable as a heel champion now. Was a face champion on WWECW long enough to also turn face and be champ again.
9. Alberto Del Rio: Could maybe pull himself back up if he went back to SmackDown and faced the B-show competition.
10. Daniel Bryan: If his MITB storyline is built right AND Bryan can connect with the WWE audience, he could be a modern Benoit.
11. R-Truth: With his legal problems with Canada cleared up, he could get a title reign, this new character is gold.
On my failed list there are 22 names. Toss that in with the 7 that "made" main event status and you get 29 attempts at creating a main event talent. 7 of them made it. (yes HBK was a main event talent, so he's not counted in terms of creating a main eventer but the other 28 names leave this) a 25% success rate (7 over 28).
On my possible list: there are 13 names. Using the 25% success rate of the last decade, 3-4 of these people will make it. Handicap them as you feel like.
Rant over.
