**MERGED** John Cena Thread - Heel Turn, Matches, Etc. (Keep it in here!!)

[ThinkinSmart]

It was nice to see him bring it back for one night and I was entertained but if he did this every week it would get just as old. Yea we all liked Cena when he was controversial and doing raps but does any one really want Cena to go back to being 100% full rapper putting out rap albums. It would be nice for him to do raps every once and a wile in a feud but going back to this would make me hate him just as much as I do from him doing the Super Cena thing.

 

[Tyler44]

Let's be more specific, less blind, and more realistic.

You see, last RAW proved to me something. The rapper gimmick is completely old news. Everyone want a John Cena heel turn, yet we automatically figure the rap gimmick will just happen and work. On RAW, it was awkward. It didn't feel right, it didn't come natural, it was hard to get into, and it was just old news.

So if a heel turn ever was to happen, it'd have to a be a fresh and new idea, not an old gimmick from 8 years. That would be stale within weeks (which is the biggest complain of Cena).

But anyways on topic, you need to be more specific with the last pick. Do you mean the last 8 years of John Cena's character, or his present day character? Because let me tell you something, the John Cena of 3 years ago is much different than today. I like today's version. You know, the more aggressive, the more edgy, and the energetic Cena who isn't fighting for the title? The one who isn't being forced down our throats, and rather bases the performance he gives off our reactions? The one who isn't a babyface, just a mix.

I like this John Cena. He may still win all the time and his move-set may have not increased by 100%, but guess what, Triple H did this as well. WWE needs "the guy" who is just plain dominant, amazing, and truly respectable in a WWE sense. A guy who wins all the time because he IS the best. If Cena lost every other week, the face of the company would look terrible and his name would mean nothing. In a company like WWE, this type of person is crucial. John Cena is the face for years to come, CM Punk and Dolph Ziggler aren't taking over.

 

[akathelaw]

I love seeing Cena bring back his "Chain Gang" persona for a diss promo on the Rock. Too bad he didn't perform a full song with a backing band or DJ. That siad, John Cena constantly evolves and progresses, even if the changes are minute. I'm interested in where he will take his character when he no longer appeals to children and most of his young fanbase is grown up.

 

[MrExcitement]

I far preferred him in the 'Word Life' years. It was just a new and different character. He reminded me of the late 90's, early 00's Chris Jericho, a man who could absolutely rip on his opponent on the stick, but be able to back it up in the ring.

 

[IHW]

Rapper.

The SuperCena is old, it is time for a character change for Cena. If he isn't going heel, and we all know he isnt, give him his edgy rapper gimmick back. Then he may get on the good side of the male demographic.

 

[The12thMan]

The rapper gimmick is what made me cheer for cena years ago. His throwbacks were off the chart and his raps were awesome. Unfortunately this gimmick will be gone after this week and next week we'll get the super cena character again.

Only way we'll see the rapper gimmick again is if wwe goes away from pg...which I don't see happening.

Although Cena is coming out with a new album sometime soon so maybe WWE will have Cena be a rapper again and promote the cd....I sure hope so!

 

[PunkNation26]

The fact alone that Rock has to be watered down to give Cena an even playing field says a lot about the questionable credibility of Cena as a company's face and the declining state of the company as a whole. I believe that employees should earn their stripes instead of being given handicaps to get to the next level. If Cena was really as talented or at least as hard working as he, his fans, and the WWE continuously promote him to be, then he shouldn't need handicaps.

To put it frankly, Cena didn't really put in the time to develop himself into a truly credible performer in all aspects. Why? Because he is a YES Man. A true corporate puppet - someone who refused to speak up and go against the grain of the PG Agenda. He's complacent with what he has. And his fans reward him for that, which is unfortunate for the industry as a whole.

If he, his fans, and the WWE want to believe that him showing up everyday to hit the weight room is enough to be considered among the very exclusive list of wrestling icons in the eyes of the world, then they're sadly mistaken. Certainly he's worked hard. But it's the wrong type of hard work. Being in the weight room most of the time doesn't make one a WWE Icon.

I've always believed from the start that Cena was chosen as the company's face simply because of his look. And that everything else has been layered upon that which gave the illusion of real "talent".

In my opinion - and as much as I respect the man for his passion for the business - is nothing more than a superficial star forced-fed on society. He's no where near the talent caliber as someone as the Rock.

This is why Cena is the most polarizing face in the history of the business. It's because the public simply cannot resonate with him on a natural level. He's a superficial product that's been artificially manufactured in a futile attempt to fill a seemingly endless void which the Rock left when he retired.

 

[Slyfox696]

The fact alone that Rock has to be watered down

You think the Rock has been "watered down"? Being allowed to swear (every word except for the f-bomb) and run down the company's top draw and money maker, telling him he's going to rip out his throat is being watered down?

For a while, you were almost gaining a smidgeon of respect from me, but now you're back saying incredibly stupid things. What more can Rock say? He had a 20 minute rock concert in which he mocked Cena relentlessly, called him a girl, suggested Cena's wife divorce him, claimed to be having sex with his mother, etc. That is the exact opposite of being watered down.

The Rock is doing and saying anything he wants...he's just been getting his ass kicked by Cena. Which only shows how good Cena really is.

I believe that employees should earn their stripes instead of being given handicaps to get to the next level.

And Cena has, coming out ahead of Rock many times throughout this feud.

If Cena was really as talented or at least as hard working as he, his fans, and the WWE continuously promote him to be, then he shouldn't need handicaps.

Since he's not getting handicaps, then I guess he is that talented and hard working.

To put it frankly, Cena didn't really put in the time to develop himself into a truly credible performer in all aspects. Why? Because he is a YES Man. A true corporate puppet - someone who refused to speak up and go against the grain of the PG Agenda. He's complacent with what he has. And his fans reward him for that, which is unfortunate for the industry as a whole.

Ignoring for a moment the absurdity of the idea Cena hasn't put in time to improve himself, and the absurdity in you thinking you know what Cena has said to Vince, you seem to be asserting that working hard and doing as your boss asks is a bad thing. Are you really only 15 years of age? Because no respectable adult would think that doing as your boss says is a bad thing. Cena's job is to perform, not determine the direction of the company. Any employee knows the job of the boss is to decide direction and the job of the employee is to do the best he can in that direction. And when that boss is paying you over $1,000,000 a year, not only would it be bad financial sense to argue with him, it also would be incredibly disrespectful and unappreciative.

I've always believed from the start that Cena was chosen as the company's face simply because of his look.

And I've always believed you say incredibly stupid things about John Cena. Only one of us can be correct. I'm betting on me.

In my opinion - and as much as I respect the man for his passion for the business - is nothing more than a superficial star forced-fed on society. He's no where near the talent caliber as someone as the Rock.

And yet, he's been kicking Rock's ass week after week.

This is why Cena is the most polarizing face in the history of the business. It's because the public simply cannot resonate with him on a natural level. He's a superficial product that's been artificially manufactured in a futile attempt to fill a seemingly endless void which the Rock left when he retired.

No, it's not "the public" that doesn't like him, it's people like you, who think working hard, loving what you do, and being respectful to the man who signs your paychecks is a bad thing.

I call those people losers.

 

[PunkNation26]

I was referring to the wrist notes when I was talking about handicaps. Cena has been beating that horse to death for like 3 weeks. I still believe that was a work. Rock has NEVER shown wrist notes on camera to my knowledge. He may have used wrist notes in the past, but he never made it obvious.
I also don't think Cena has been winning the war of words. I know it is opinion based, but the crowd reaction seems to prove me right. People can see right through Cena. They see Vince's buddy.

Rock: Boots to Asses

Cena: Lips to Asses

 

[IT Factor]

You were using it as a basis to criticize Cena, while completely ignoring the obvious parallels to what Rock was doing. It's your inconsistent application of your logic that drew me to point it out. If Cena is stale/boring because he is unchanged from what he used to be, then Rock is also stale/boring because he is unchanged from what he used to be as well. It's a stupid criticism of Cena that I see often by TeamBringIt, because it's entirely hypocritical.

Let me make my position here entirely clear so that users like you cannot twist my words or make something of it that's clearly not there. When I was referring to one-dimensional characters before, I was talking about remaining the same character. As in heel/face character. Say what ya will about current form Dwayne Johnson, but, back in the day Rock cut a mean-ass heel promo. He could also just as easily switch into being the face that made the crowd hang onto every single word he said. Sing along if ya will . As for me being hyprocritical, I find that arguement amusing considering that I've said the same basic thing over and over without changing any. I criticize Cena because he's hellbent on being shoved down the audience's throat in his current form. He's even refrenced the "heel persona" thing on WWE tv as well and saying basically that he wasn't gonna change. Again, say what ya want about Rocky but he did what made sense. When fans chanted "Rocky sucks, Rocky sucks", he didn't ignore them and poke fun at them like Cena has done numerous times by remaining the same stale character. Which is also why I refrenced Rey Mysterio. He's also a similar stale character who can only pander to the kiddy crowd. He will never evolved or change and that point was clearly lost on you. Hence the long non-sensical tirade about being hypocritical when I was only pointing out something 99% of all adult males in the "WWE Universe" already know; Cena needs to change it up. Sadly, he most likely will not.

Especially when you claim that the only way to make it interesting is for Cena to act completely out of character...

Completely out of character? Delusional much? Because pro wrestling has always went by fan response to determine who's heel and who's face. Ignoring that fanbase seems illogical and hypocritical in itself, doesn't it?

First, come in/kick ass/leave is already Stone Cold's thing. If Cena did that, a whole new group of Cena haters would simply claim that he was trying to rip off Austin.

Yeah, and some are saying that current Cena is nothing more than a rip-off of Hulk Hogan. I believe Cena himself said something similar on WWE tv. Something about taking the hand from his ear and putting it in front of his face. Anyway, you get the jist. Fans are always comparing someone to someone else. I'd much rather be compared to badass 1997 Stone Cold than 1985 Hogan. Anyday.

The WWE is a multi-million dollar wrestling company that has worldwide recognition and a huge fan base. They know what they are doing...certainly more than the ENTIRE IWC does. They do what they wanna do because in their opinion, it will make them the most money. They couldn't give two shits about what the IWC wants, and rightly so. The IWC is such a small percentage of the overall wrestling viewership that it would be stupid to cater to it. Do you not see the stupidity in catering to the 1% of wrestling viewers that actually join wrestling forums to bitch about the product? Yeah, John Cena has been a good guy for a long time. But you know what he is doing? He is giving those young kids someone that their parents are okay with them watching. That may not seem like much now, but because those parents let their kids watch goody two shoes John Cena now, 10 years from now, that kid is still watching the WWE, because he got hooked, because his parents let him watch John Cena today.

Ok, I'm not gonna pick through every part here. Just the part I disagree with. 1% of the wrestling viewers? Really? Because every week in different arenas all over the world, Cena gets booed. Heavily. And even on the 'net, Cena is hated. Which I'll admit, has been the norm for awhile. But at least it used to be balanced live. It's nowhere near balanced these days. Which means your audience is telling you to try something new.

I got into Wrestling, and the WWF in particular early in to Hogan's first WWF title reign. We got cable shortly after he beat the Iron Sheik. The ONLY reason we were allowed to watch it was because Hulk Hogan was a good guy of epic proportions. Mom liked his message, liked what he stood for, so we got to continue to watch. Wrestling became a staple in my home growing up because of Hulk Hogan's super good guy persona. Had the WWF in the 1980s been like the Attitude Era, an entire generation of kids would never have been allowed to watch, and the WWF would have missed out on a lot of potential future viewers. You NEED to have a Superhero every other generation in order to attract the younger viewers, who later become adult viewers who pay for PPVs, go to shows, and buy all kinds of merchandise for THEIR kids.

I understand the PG thing. Every era needs a hero to pattern themselves after. Maybe Cena is that hero. But even the great Hulk Hogan was able to transition into the heel nWo role that revitalized his career. Hell, they've brought that back several times to try and capture that magic again. It never happened. I'm just saying that Hogan turned heel and was STILL a hero for most in the end. See any parallels with Cena? I do. People will still buy the merch and watch to see what Cena will do next.

John Cena as SuperCena may not boost the ratings right now, but they sure as hell will later.

Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it. Remember a little company named WCW? Because they had alot in common with current WWE. They kept doing the same thing over and over, despite fans wanting something different. If WWE keeps the pattern, they may not have a fanbase to ignore anymore.....

 

[Davi323]

To put it frankly, Cena didn't really put in the time to develop himself into a truly credible performer in all aspects. Why? Because he is a YES Man. A true corporate puppet - someone who refused to speak up and go against the grain of the PG Agenda. He's complacent with what he has. And his fans reward him for that, which is unfortunate for the industry as a whole.

Speaking of YES men and corporate puppets...

I understand the PG thing. Every era needs a hero to pattern themselves after. Maybe Cena is that hero. But even the great Hulk Hogan was able to transition into the heel nWo role that revitalized his career. Hell, they've brought that back several times to try and capture that magic again. It never happened. I'm just saying that Hogan turned heel and was STILL a hero for most in the end. See any parallels with Cena? I do. People will still buy the merch and watch to see what Cena will do next.

Hulk Hogan's nWo heel turn came 19 years into his career, at age 43. Using your logic, John Cena has another 7 years to go before he reaches that point in either the length of his career or his age. But hey, if you want to compare the two, that's fine...Hogan's wrestling career began in 1977. At this point in his career, 12 years in, that puts us at 1989. Hulk Hogan had already had a 4+ year title reign, and this puts us about the time of the Mega-Powers. Hulk Hogan was the single biggest name in all of wrestling, and his heel turn was still 7 years away.

And then we get to 1996, and the heel turn. Are you seriously trying to claim that as the leader of the nWo that Hollywood Hogan was still mostly the Immortal Hulk Hogan hero? I don't recall ever seeing the Immortal Hulk Hogan have paper cups, water bottles and all of that thrown into the ring because the crowd was incredibly pissed off, nor do I remember the Immortal Hulk Hogan being booed out of the building.

I do remember that happening with Hollywood Hogan though. Hollywood Hogan was 100% heel until the day he stepped foot in Toronto for Wrestlemania X8. He wasn't even remotely similar to the Immortal Hulk Hogan persona he was in the WWF and earlier in WCW. But, that face turn was the result of multiple factors. First, it was Hogan's first Wrestlemania since coming back to the WWF, to wrestle in the PPV that he put on the map, which was a monster occasion all by itself, AND it was a Canadian crowd, who as everyone knows, do things their own way. They don't always follow conventional wisdom. Hogan was booked as the solid heel and the Rock was booked as the solid face, but the crowd decided it would be the opposite...Even then, as soon as the match was over, Rock went back to being a face. His "heel turn" due to Hogan was only a very temporary thing. The crowd cheering for Hogan instead of Rock for that single match did not change the Rock's character at all on any sort of long term basis.

Lets get back to that whole "Hogan stayed mostly the hero" comment...Perhaps instead of being a hero to most in the persona department, you meant as far as fans continuing to idolize him for his work overall, heel or face. That people still respect him for his overall legacy.

What is Hulk Hogan's legacy now? Now, Hulk Hogan is a joke. I loved the guy for what he used to be, and I even use his face as my avatar. I love old school Hulk Hogan, and always will. But right now, he is the butt of every joke there is, and it's his own doing.

 

[Steve0904]

I also don't think Cena has been winning the war of words. I know it is opinion based, but the crowd reaction seems to prove me right. People can see right through Cena. They see Vince's buddy.

Rock: Boots to Asses

Cena: Lips to Asses

If you don't think Cena has been winning the war of words that's fine. It's your opinion as you said, but as I've said numerous times basing that opinion purely on crowd reaction is totally idiotic. I'm sorry it just is. Just because people love him doesn't make his promos any better than Cena's. I'm not saying Cena's god of the mic or anything, but I think a lot of people are just blinded by hatred when it comes to Cena that they don't give him credit when he says something truthful or funny or insulting or whatever it may be. On the flip side you have The Rock who can get away with saying really corny shit sometimes just because he's The Rock. That's what most people think (I think).

When you were young you loved saying the catchphrases of The Rock I'm sure, but if you really examine the many catchphrases The Rock has, most of them are corny, but no 8 year olds care about that. I hear some say Cena wouldn't have survived in the AE, but I'm going to pose a question here. Would The Rock have survived the "PG" Era? I think he would've but I don't think he'd be The Rock we know today. That's my short answer.

Another point I'd like to make here is that anybody can act tough over the internet and pretend like they'd get in a huge argument with their boss, but none of you would unless you're a complete idiot. I'm not saying be a kiss-ass, but you would all do what your boss told you unless as I said you're a complete idiot.

 

[PunkNation26]

I was an Austin fan. I got into wrestling when I was 11 which was mid 98. I was a mark for the most part. I cheered faces and booed heels. I however always loved The Rock. I do think he's somewhat of a douche and I'm not saying that he's perfect, but I love him for what he did for the business. I also agree with him when it comes to Cena. I believe that Cena is a phony and a kiss ass and is happy with the money he makes. If Cena wanted to change he would. He makes Vince enough money to have some pull creatively.

When it comes to standing up to your boss, Austin did. He didn't take Vince's bullshit. When it comes to The Rock, he made himself a megastar. He was getting the Cena treatment, but changed and became a legend. However Rock is a lot more talented than Cena. I still think Cena is all good looks and muscles. I personally however don't find Cena to be that good looking, even though I'm a guy.

 

[TWJC: The Beginning]

I like how everyone thinks Cena got to where he is because he kisses Vince's ass. Isn't that how the internet thinks EVERYONE gets ahead? Because most of you can't get ahead? So you think someone has to kiss ass.

Believe it or not, being a company man is NOT a bad thing. What's bad about being selfless and loyal? O yea, he makes kids happy, what a bastard. Then again, I guess Rock, who failed at football and then Canadian football, must have spend 5-10 years on the indies before he made it to the WWE and even then, probably wasn't given ANYTHING once he got to the WWF....o wait, he benefited from nepotism and as it turned out he was damn good so it all worked out.

Some of you REALLY try hard to bash things that really don't need to be bashed. It's not like Cena is polluting the ocean or making sure gas prices are high. He's saying "yea Vince, I'll get up at 5 and talk to a cancer kid, then go to a radio station and plug the show, then wrestle despite having a surgically repaired neck, and a some point, I'll find time to eat healthy and workout. Sleep? I don't sleep, don't worry about it."

What a piece of shit for being a company man.

 

[TWJC: The Beginning]

I was an Austin fan. I got into wrestling when I was 11 which was mid 98. I was a mark for the most part. I cheered faces and booed heels. I however always loved The Rock. I do think he's somewhat of a douche and I'm not saying that he's perfect, but I love him for what he did for the business. I also agree with him when it comes to Cena. I believe that Cena is a phony and a kiss ass and is happy with the money he makes. If Cena wanted to change he would. He makes Vince enough money to have some pull creatively.

When it comes to standing up to your boss, Austin did. He didn't take Vince's bullshit. When it comes to The Rock, he made himself a megastar. He was getting the Cena treatment, but changed and became a legend. However Rock is a lot more talented than Cena. I still think Cena is all good looks and muscles. I personally however don't find Cena to be that good looking, even though I'm a guy.

lol stuff like this cracks me up.

Cena is a phony? Okay, there are pics of him out with his wife....wearing jean shorts. That's just who he is. Ever think that maybe some people are corny and good and loyal? The most successful people I know act more like Cena than Rock. I know a rocket scientist, he's kinda dorky, but he's extremely loyal to his company and family.

I think you're blurring kayfabe and reality. If you legitimately think that Cena has been handed everything because he *GASP* tries really hard to do what the company wants and Rock benefited because he said "fuck it, this is what I'm doing" you're insane. Rock was NOT the first guy to have an edgy character in that era. He was NOT the first guy the WWE drastically changed. You think that A) if Rock's daddy and grand pappy weren't in the business that he would have been on the fast track? Or B) do you think he would have been given a second chance to do what he wants?

Fact is, BOTH guys are company guys who work and have worked incredibly hard and deserve everything they did. Neither guy is really phony. Rock is a movie star who loves being the center of attention and enjoys being in front of the live pro wrestling crowd. Cena is a corny company man with a huge passion for pro wrestling.

The last time I've seen someone get verbally abusive towards their boss and do something totally different was when I was working mcdonalds in high school and this guy wanted to go home so he could buy an XBOX. I doubt Rock, Cena, Austin, or Punk are ANYTHING like that piece of shit. They're probably a lot more civil. That's how you get things done. You talk it through with your boss in a logical, rational, reasonable manner. You understand that he is also a human being. It is 2012, not too many bosses are the machavelian stereotypical asshole Vince plays on TV. I really doubt that Vince is. He might act that way around some of the boys, but that's how you manage dumber, testosterone driven individuals. Some people you just have to yell at. Other people you reason with. Vince didn't bring the WWE to where it is by being a shitty manager. If someone had a good idea, I bet he listened and they BOTH worked it out together. Sucks that Rock and Austin weren't in the back flipping off Vince and saying "FUCK YOU I'M GOING TO CUSS AND SHIT" but it's true. Watch "Wrestling with Shadows" the scenes from backstage, HBK, Austin, Vince, they're ALL talking together and having a great time generating new ideas about how to be more edgy. It's not like vince was saying "no, no cussing or crudeness".

 

[IT Factor]

Speaking of YES men and corporate puppets...

Careful, you're starting to show signs of not being able to differentiate between storyline and real life. The Rock was corporate champion in storyline. Part of his heel routine, ya know, STORYLINE.....

Hulk Hogan's nWo heel turn came 19 years into his career, at age 43. Using your logic, John Cena has another 7 years to go before he reaches that point in either the length of his career or his age. But hey, if you want to compare the two, that's fine...Hogan's wrestling career began in 1977. At this point in his career, 12 years in, that puts us at 1989. Hulk Hogan had already had a 4+ year title reign, and this puts us about the time of the Mega-Powers. Hulk Hogan was the single biggest name in all of wrestling, and his heel turn was still 7 years away.

I never said Hogan & Cena are exactly the same career wise. Hell, I remember saying there were "parallels" but never that they were the same. I think you are overcompensating because you really have no basis to debate my points solely because you are against a Cena turn. Which is fine, just don't try to disguise it as fact. In case you haven't noticed, this is 2012 and not 1977 or even 1989. The wrestling business has changed alot since then and there's no way Cena would get a 4 year title reign. People were bitching enough when he was a one year champion.

And then we get to 1996, and the heel turn. Are you seriously trying to claim that as the leader of the nWo that Hollywood Hogan was still mostly the Immortal Hulk Hogan hero? I don't recall ever seeing the Immortal Hulk Hogan have paper cups, water bottles and all of that thrown into the ring because the crowd was incredibly pissed off, nor do I remember the Immortal Hulk Hogan being booed out of the building.

Again, you add words where I clearly didn't have them. I never claimed while The Hulkster was leading the nWo that he was a hero. What I did say is that despite being a heel for all those years, he's still remembered as a hero. Try to follow the parallel analogy. If Hogan could turn heel and then comeback later as a hero, I'm sure Cena could as well. At least Hogan had the good sense to know when changes needed to be made. Cena could do that for WWE currently, only he doesn't want to.

I do remember that happening with Hollywood Hogan though. Hollywood Hogan was 100% heel until the day he stepped foot in Toronto for Wrestlemania X8. He wasn't even remotely similar to the Immortal Hulk Hogan persona he was in the WWF and earlier in WCW. But, that face turn was the result of multiple factors. First, it was Hogan's first Wrestlemania since coming back to the WWF, to wrestle in the PPV that he put on the map, which was a monster occasion all by itself, AND it was a Canadian crowd, who as everyone knows, do things their own way. They don't always follow conventional wisdom. Hogan was booked as the solid heel and the Rock was booked as the solid face, but the crowd decided it would be the opposite...Even then, as soon as the match was over, Rock went back to being a face. His "heel turn" due to Hogan was only a very temporary thing. The crowd cheering for Hogan instead of Rock for that single match did not change the Rock's character at all on any sort of long term basis.

Thanks for the history lesson. Still, what relevance does that bear to Cena? I was comparing Hulk and Cena based on needing changes at obvious points in their careers. It's also not fair to add The Rock's heel turn being cut short. He went to freakin' Hollywood. WWE knew he'd be cheered upon returning and its good business sense to be a face when promoting a movie like Rocky has. Neither Hogan nor Cena would qualify in Rock's league here, as Dwayne is a much bigger movie star than Hogan & Cena combined.

Lets get back to that whole "Hogan stayed mostly the hero" comment...Perhaps instead of being a hero to most in the persona department, you meant as far as fans continuing to idolize him for his work overall, heel or face. That people still respect him for his overall legacy.

What I'm saying here is that people respect a great worker no matter whether they are heel or face. Their legacy would still be intact no matter what. However, history would notice that in Cena's case he's fighting a heel turn where one is clearly needed to evolve and change up his character. Which has pretty much been the basis for my point in this whole topic. Say what you want to about either Hogan or Rock in comparison to Cena. But, Rock & Hogan both knew when to listen to the fans and make crucial changes. Cena seems to do the opposite and delights in taunting the audience for it as well.

What is Hulk Hogan's legacy now? Now, Hulk Hogan is a joke. I loved the guy for what he used to be, and I even use his face as my avatar. I love old school Hulk Hogan, and always will. But right now, he is the butt of every joke there is, and it's his own doing.

No arguement on this front. Hogan is a joke now. Because he ****es out his name to make money. That won't affect his overall legacy to pro wrestling though. He'll still be remembered as the Babe Ruth of wrestling and the first major superstar that WWE got behind. Now imagine Hulk's first WWF run and how it would've been different because Hogan liked being a heel in the AWA and didn't wanna change. That's in essence what Cena is doing for the WWE lately. Whether Cena changes or not is ultimately up to him and the WWE. They can't complain though when their audiences call them out on it and expect better......

 

[ae_wrestler123]

I like how everyone thinks Cena got to where he is because he kisses Vince's ass. Isn't that how the internet thinks EVERYONE gets ahead? Because most of you can't get ahead? So you think someone has to kiss ass.

Believe it or not, being a company man is NOT a bad thing. What's bad about being selfless and loyal? O yea, he makes kids happy, what a bastard. Then again, I guess Rock, who failed at football and then Canadian football, must have spend 5-10 years on the indies before he made it to the WWE and even then, probably wasn't given ANYTHING once he got to the WWF....o wait, he benefited from nepotism and as it turned out he was damn good so it all worked out.

Some of you REALLY try hard to bash things that really don't need to be bashed. It's not like Cena is polluting the ocean or making sure gas prices are high. He's saying "yea Vince, I'll get up at 5 and talk to a cancer kid, then go to a radio station and plug the show, then wrestle despite having a surgically repaired neck, and a some point, I'll find time to eat healthy and workout. Sleep? I don't sleep, don't worry about it."

What a piece of shit for being a company man.

Doesn't everyone in the locker room work hard? Arent cm punk, miz, kofi, randy, mark henry, sheamus, ziggler, bella twins, eve working hard for the wwe??
Where has wrestling gone when we need to like a guy because of the good stuff he does for the business?? I fail to see how other wrestlers don't do the same thing and wouldn't do more if they were the FACE of the company. It is cena's JOB.
With that ideology i don't see why there should be anything such as face or heel. Everyone should be cheered because they are coming everynight to work for vince and fight? but wait.. Why are they fighting?? Or right it is a SHOW! They play CHARACTERS. Which people choose to like or dislike.

 

[TheJbody]

If this needs to be in the Cena thread then move it please.

A lot of people, like myself, are probably wondering what Cena will do after 'Mania. There are rumors of a rivalry with the Miz but that's not what I want.

I want Cena involved in a storyline with this man....

I'm a little biased because I mark out for him but I would love to see Ambrose/Moxley in an angle with Cena.

Here's how I would have the feud go. Cena is in the last 10-20 minutes of the show. It's the night after 'Mania and he's giving his speech about how he won, lost, etc. In the last 5 minutes of his promo Ambrose jumps him from behind. And this wouldn't be a regular beat down, oh no. I would have Ambrose beat Cena within an inch of his life. Leave Cena a mangled, battered, and bloodied (if possible). Give Cena the injury angle that way he can actually heal and rest from some nagging injuries that all wrestlers have. Cena misses a couple of months and in that time Ambrose goes on a warpath destroying everyone in sight. It all ends with a pay per view match against Kofi, Ryder, whoever just someone legitimate. After the match Ambrose is about to do the same beat down he did to Cena to the new person when Cena's music hits, he runs from the crowd and hits Ambrose with the AA all leading to a match for the June PPV.

What do you guys think about my idea for Cena? What are some of your ideas?

 

[Tattooed Jesus]

I have absolutely no idea who the guy is in your post and I would wager good money that most people that will be watching WM28 live or on PPV do not either. I have heard his name mentioned here and there and I suspect he must be a big thing on the indy circuit or something. There is no way, not an ice cubes chance in hell, that WM28 or even the RAW the night after would or any show for that matter would end with someone that is completely unknown to the majority of your viewing audience beating down the most well known wrestler in the business right now. This guy has not been seen on a single episode of RAW or Smackdown to my knowledge, is he even on NXT or Superstars? Why would the WWE choose to do something like that?

I honestly do not know what to expect for Cena following WM28, depends a lot on who wins and loses the match with The Rock, how much longer Rock is gonna be around if at all, and if Cena wants to take sometime off or not. I think it would be good for Cena to take a break for a couple months just to rest and recoup but who knows if he would ever even do so unless forced to.

I could easily see him jumping back into the WWE title picture even though most would hate it, I think he has a few more title reigns in him. I would like to see Cena feud with some new fresh wrestlers but it would have to be someone that has as least been on TV for sometime and not someone that I have no idea who they are.

 

[OneTooManyPunts]

I definitely like that the OP is thinking outside the box, but I don't see Cena being the guy to put any new talent over post Wrestlemania. The problem is that Cena, at least in his current incarnation, is Superman. He doesn't lose feuds, he doesn't come out of any storyline looking the worse for wear, and that's a problem when pitting him against new talent. It also would put incredible pressure on Ambrose right out of the gate. While he is without question, a very capable and extremely talented pro wrestler, losing to Cena isn't the best way, especially post WM when things kind of lag in WWE, to get him over. If the feud doesn't pull in ratings, if it doesn't generate serious interest, than it automatically puts Ambrose/Moxley in a situation where it looks like he's failed. Plus, a new talent should not be pushed that hard to the top of the card in the very beginning of their WWE careers. A guy like Ambrose deserves and needs the time to really cultivate his persona in WWE, be it as a heel or face, and to get a strong base for fan reaction. Once he has that, the sky is the limit. But coming in cold, with a lot of WWE fans that will have zero idea of his pre WWE accomplishments, will leave him looking like a one off feud for Cena.

It is looking more and more like Cena will remain the same Cena we've known for many years now,post Wrestlemania. With that comes the fact of accepting he isn't going to lose a feud, and will always come out the superhero. It would be much better to introduce Moxley/Ambrose into the midcard, allow him to feud with talent that flies a bit lower under the radar, so that he an showcase his talents with superstars that really know how to put guys over (Ziggler, Kingston...even a guy like Santion given his popularity).

 

[WWEvsJosh]

The idea is not bad but I think the person is. I dont want to sound like a guy who is "stuck in the times" or anything like that but just looking at the guy he does not look like he would be the type of guy to beat Cena up badly. If the guy was build like Brock Lesnar and wrestle like Lesnar then that would be a different story. Like I said i think it would be a good idea but just with a different person. (By the way i did not say Brock lesnar needs to be the guy)

 

[CultofProWrestling]

He is too fresh to be going into a feud with someone of the stature of John Cena. In a few years though, I could see him blowing up. It'll be like John Cena is Hulk Hogan and Ambrose is Rowdy Roddy Piper. Only time will tell.

 

[Trance Metaphor]

I'm a John Cena fan. I don't care what anyone else thinks about this. I followed him since his debut to his tag team partnership with Kidman and then his Thuganomics gimmick where he started actually coming into his own as a heel. Those were great times and I think those were some of his best times simply because of all the feuds he had and the opponents he surprisingly defeated. Does anyone remember when he finally turned face due to his popular battle raps? And does anyone remember that time he took Carlito's bodyguard Jesus to school with some great one-sided brawling? That was great. Anyway, when it comes to schooling someone on the mic, I have to give it to Cena because he comes up with some clever non-sugar-coated shit. His rhymes are funny and he may not be all that good of a wrestler, but he has everything that makes him look like the guy at the top. I'm not discrediting The Rock in any way. I find The Rock quite entertaining and I've loved a great deal of his matches from '97-'02. He's also funny and clever, but I don't think it's his time to shine anymore. John Cena is just overall hungrier. The Rock has beaten all the greats of his time, including Steve Austin. John Cena has done the same (minus Austin), which is why I believe he really needs this win at WrestleMania, because then he'll have truly done it all. In fact, I really hope The Rock sticks around after WrestleMania and I really wouldn't mind if The Rock had a rematch against John Cena at SummerSlam or something. This exchange of promos between these two has been stellar and it's more of what I'd like to see on WWE TV from two top players.

 

[californiachef84]

It's all been done before... no offense dude, but there is nothing original or creative about this hypothetical storyline. Think outside of the box more...

 

[TWJC: The Beginning]

Doesn't everyone in the locker room work hard? Arent cm punk, miz, kofi, randy, mark henry, sheamus, ziggler, bella twins, eve working hard for the wwe??
Where has wrestling gone when we need to like a guy because of the good stuff he does for the business?? I fail to see how other wrestlers don't do the same thing and wouldn't do more if they were the FACE of the company. It is cena's JOB.
With that ideology i don't see why there should be anything such as face or heel. Everyone should be cheered because they are coming everynight to work for vince and fight? but wait.. Why are they fighting?? Or right it is a SHOW! They play CHARACTERS. Which people choose to like or dislike.

Considering my post was a response to someone who was legitimately bashing Cena for doing what his boss asked and doing it to the best of his ability, I'm not even sure what you're talking about.

Also, no, not everyone can do what Cena does in and outside the ring. Lesnar has said it himself that it was too much for him.

I'm not saying you have to like him because he works hard for the company, I'm saying it's fuckin stupid to hate him because of it. Like you said, it's his JOB, he's doing his JOB, and some people hate him because he's doing his JOB.