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

[Defekt]

Can you imagine how stale that gimmick would be if Cena had been rapping every Monday for the 7 years?

The rapping was a gimmick to get Cena heat. Once he got over, and evolved to the next level, he didn't need it anymore.

Most wrestlers shed their gimmicks when they become main event stars, and just use their personality to stay over.

 

[Mr Ferguson]

If John Cena is going to turn it heel. It has to be on my terms. Versus Randy Orton at Wrestlemania 29. One on One. The Two biggest faces of this company. Cena wins via a low blow and the stfu. Simple. The small art of cheating in the main event of Wrestlemania. This is how it needs to be done and this how Orton is to become the face of the company. There is no room for two of them.

 

[[cL]]

( please move this if it should go into the everything Cena thread)

So I was reading an editorial post earlier and someone commented that John Cena was a legend. Now, I don't profess to be a Cena loyalist of any kind. As a matter of fact those who know me, know for a fact that I'm not. With that said, I will concede to the FACT that he has done a lot for the business in the last 7-8 years. I'll let the loyalist name those accomplishments. But I will give props where props are due. He's done a LOT to keep WWE moving forward.
However,
When you think of Legends you think of Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair and whomever else YOU think of. I think of people who have created a market for this business outside of this business. People may hate him, but Hulk Hogan helped to create the mainstream appeal this business gets and without him, WWE would probably have not become the global jaggurnaut it is today. So maybe Hogan is in a different class of Legend. So here are my questions:

What defines a legend?
and by your definition,
has John Cena reached Legend status already?

 

[Raiden46]

Cena has reached legendary status by virtue of his record-breaking 10 WWE championships. I could care less for his current character, but he wins those belts for a reason.

 

[WWEvsJosh]

Yes he is. The guy has the longest world title run in over a decade. He has main evented WrestlMania against HHH, HBK, and soon The Rock. Has ha mainevented many ppvs. Has been in 2 matches of the year according to PWI(With Punk and with HBK). Won best feud of the year twice according to PWI(with Edge and Punk). He is a 12 time world champion. A rumble winner. I can go on and on. The guy has own an era of wrestling pretty much. I dont care if you hate this era or him but the guy is a Legend in my eyes. He is also a hero for kids and he will be a Legend to them.

 

[I Heart Cena]

No. He is simply the face of the company because of the lack of any electrifying wrestlers. and because he kisses up to Vince better than anyone. He's nothing but a company man who's been chosen to play this ridiculous superman character.

He and this era will be forgotten and seen as a dark period in pro wrestling.

 

[Azane]

He's a legend undoubtedly.

He's been the face of the company for nearly a decade in an era with a very week roster, but he's definitely going to be a name you're talking about years after he's done.

 

[OneTooManyPunts]

I think he is, without question, a legend. With all due respect to a previous poster in this thread, he is more than the face of the company. He has been staple, and the catalyst for many, if not most of the major events in WWE in the last decade. You could easily call Punk or Orton faces of the company, but neither have achieved the success, fame, or accolades that Cena has. He has grown to the level of a Hulk Hogan, Rock, or Stone Cold Steve Austin, in that he now transcends professional wrestling. He is a household name to many that don't even associate closely to wrestling.

When you look at his body of work as professional wrestler, his amount of title reigns, the lengths of some of those reigns, coupled with the feuds he has been involved in (and make no mistake about it, his current feud with Rock is huge brick in the foundation that cements his status as a legend), he is the biggest name in the business, and has been for many years.

Whether loved or hated, he's carried the company on his back for years, and has been perhaps WWE's best publicity and good will campaign machine since the days of Hulk Hogan.

His 'era' will not be forgotten in the WWE. You don't reach the level of success that Cena has, to find yourself forgotten. That is as absurd as saying WWE has forgotten about Hogan, Austin, Flair, or Rock.

The biggest thing working in his favor is that, by all accounts, he still seems to have several, if not many years ahead of him in the WWE. His popularity and lack there of, as well as his merchandise sales, willingness to promote the WWE, Make A Wish, and everything else he does, ensures his spot at the top of the heap for as long as he chooses.

He will never be seen as the most gifted wrestler, and he is probably the most polarizing of any active 'legend' in WWE's history, but his contributions and status can't be denied. He's been given an entire year to build just ONE match with a superstar already easily considered a legend...if that isn't a nod by WWE to cement his status and to affirm his place as WWE royalty..nothing is.

 

[WWEvsJosh]

No. He is simply the face of the company because of the lack of any electrifying wrestlers. and because he kisses up to Vince better than anyone. He's nothing but a company man who's been chosen to play this ridiculous superman character.

He and this era will be forgotten and seen as a dark period in pro wrestling.

Leave it to you to get on here and talk crap. Dude get a life. You care more about the wrestlers you hate instead of wrestlers you love. You dont even try to look at things from another point of view.

This era a dark age? You mean the same era that might have one of the biggest matches in wrestling history? The same era HBK had his last match? The same era that had alot of actual wrestling unlike the Attitued era? The same era that Punk gave his big promo? I could go on and on but why bother you will come up with anything to make yourself feel better about your hate toward Cena.

 

[Merkin353]

John Cena will be a legend by default... In a dying age he played the savior & did it well enough to get a lot of shirts sold all the while annoying most adults in the end... Looking back at this past year the only thing that made John Cena interesting was CM Punk & The Rock... I don't know if anyone could say that about undisputed legends like Ric Flair & HBK...

 

[waylonmercy]

I believe he is legendary. Far from the icons like Hogan and Flair but definately the greatest of his era. He is an iconic company man. I would venture to say he is THE KING of doing public relations for WWE. He is so involved with the Children's Wish Foundation that his push/fame is well deserved. He is consistently top 3 in merchandise sales and connects with the youth demographic. John Cena has great charisma and would have flourished in the attitude era. His current gimmick would be a lot more edgier and would not survive what it currently is.

 

[[cL]]

Ok. I hear what you guys are saying. One poster, well many of you have pointed out "this era" of professional wrestling as being one of the catalysts to "legend" status. Here's another question, Would he be as much of a Legend, if this era had produced the kind of stars as the Golden era or the Attitude era? Would he have been given the same kind of push, had WCW not gone in the crapper and they still had major competition?

 

[alistahr]

Leave it to you to get on here and talk crap. Dude get a life. You care more about the wrestlers you hate instead of wrestlers you love. You dont even try to look at things from another point of view.

This era a dark age? You mean the same era that might have one of the biggest matches in wrestling history? The same era HBK had his last match? The same era that had alot of actual wrestling unlike the Attitued era? The same era that Punk gave his big promo? I could go on and on but why bother you will come up with anything to make yourself feel better about your hate toward Cena.

someones stating their opinion and they are talking crap?
why cause they disagree with you?

id have to say no, he is far from a legend, hes been the face of the company when not only is the wrestling business struggling financially but its come to a point where its almost embarrassing to be a wrestling fan, especially a wwe fan, and he is the face of that.

Years from now on of those legends of wrestling roundtables, we will see 4 older wrestlers talk about cena in ways they are not allowed today, hopefully then we will have a better representative of the wrestling business

 

[Jeritron5000]

Ok. I hear what you guys are saying. One poster, well many of you have pointed out "this era" of professional wrestling as being one of the catalysts to "legend" status. Here's another question, Would he be as much of a Legend, if this era had produced the kind of stars as the Golden era or the Attitude era? Would he have been given the same kind of push, had WCW not gone in the crapper and they still had major competition?

Stone Cold is a legend. Would he be as much of a one if he never shaved his long blond hair? Or if WCW won the Monday Night War? Would he have gotten the same kind of push if he were out of the Golden Era or even the PG Era? Doesn't really make a difference because we know how it actually played out. I have a strong dislike for John Cena but I would be lying to myself if for one second I believed that he hasn't already crossed the point of being assured the status of "legendary."

 

[WWEvsJosh]

someones stating their opinion and they are talking crap?
why cause they disagree with you?

id have to say no, he is far from a legend, hes been the face of the company when not only is the wrestling business struggling financially but its come to a point where its almost embarrassing to be a wrestling fan, especially a wwe fan, and he is the face of that.

Years from now on of those legends of wrestling roundtables, we will see 4 older wrestlers talk about cena in ways they are not allowed today, hopefully then we will have a better representative of the wrestling business

First off its crap because his name is I hate Cena. Therefore anything he says is going to be bias and his reasoning is not real valid.

Here is my question to what you said about the struggling finacially and what not. So without coming back would HBK be a legend? Would Bret Hart be a legend? Both were at there best during a time were the WWE almost went out of business and they could not save it. So are you saying they are not legends?

 

[nikkamcdraco]

Since wrestling storylines and everything are fake, wouldn't the only way John Cena could become a legend be if it was storyline wise?

kidding aside, Cena will only be a legend to the people that can look at what he's accomplished and have them respect him for that. He's gonna be remembered for a long time. He's accomplished way more than a lot of wrestlers have. I wouldn't personally call him a legend yet, he's in his prime, hasn't really peaked yet. He has to hit that spot where it's kind of special to see him out in the ring every once in a while and everyone still cheers for him. He's to controversial right now I guess.

 

[iHAZgirthANDlength]

If John Cena is going to turn it heel. It has to be on my terms. Versus Randy Orton at Wrestlemania 29. One on One. The Two biggest faces of this company. Cena wins via a low blow and the stfu. Simple. The small art of cheating in the main event of Wrestlemania. This is how it needs to be done and this how Orton is to become the face of the company. There is no room for two of them.

Orton was cool like 3 years ago.

That would be lame.

Instead of the "Good Heart" Super Cena, we need to see the "Over-Confident, cocky/showoff" Super Cena, which would be great if John Cena were to turn heel. -Jason Kristen, WrestlingSBW Radio Show

^^^ I agree

 

[LynchCats]

Here is how I consider John Cena a legend. My soon to be 11 year old son, who doesn't watch wrestling at all (it's on too late for him to watch), knows who John Cena is, and knows the "U Can't C Me" move, and considers Cena his favorite wrestler (even though he never watches it and is only familiar with the wrestlers through the video games and the DVDs I own).

 

[LynchCats]

no because a legend doesnt get booed as being the top babyface

Tell that to the Rock at WM 18. See how far that goes and tell me The Rock's not a legend.

Being booed has nothing to do with being a legend or not. Ric Flair for YEARS made a career out of being one of the biggest heels this industry has ever seen, and was booed in arena after arena after arena. Are you saying he's not a legend?

 

[3:16]

Cena....Legend....PPPPPLLLLLLLEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAASSSSSSSSSSSSSSEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!! I am not a Cena lover by far but I do respect what he has done, how far he has come, and his work ethic. But saying he is a legend is putting him on the same level as Flair and Brett which he is not. Granted the generation today may think of him as a legend because they grew up on him but others who have watched wrestling for years knows who constitutes as a legend and Cena is NO LEGEND.

 

[anthonymclaughlin]

Alot of you guys seem to be arguing about his mainstream appeal, maybe a better question would have been is he an icon? but anyway yes Cena is a legend, love him or hate him he gets the biggest reactions, he sells the most merchandise, hell he even has his own thread to stop this site getting overrun with Cena discussion's. Also this wrestlemania he's in a match against a true legend and people cant decide if he's going to win or not, who else is big enough to face the Rock? CM Punk? i love the guy but i cannot see Dwyane even entertaining the idea of losing to him. Randy Oton? maybe if he had spent all year getting a massive push, but even then he would get destroyed on the mic. Cena is a legend, he can put on five star match's, he can make crowds go nuts everytime he speak's on the mike. Put all the wrestling to aside and he does so mic for the company, with the make a wish and everything, he will be remembered for years to come (probably in a more positive light ).

 

[Defekt]

What defines a legend?

To me, a legend is someone who has contributed greatly to the history of pro wrestling. John Cena has been the face of the WWE since 2005, and has main evented several Wrestlemanias. He has also held the world title 10+ times. Very, very, very few have come close to accomplishing what he has.


Has John Cena reached Legend status already?

Honestly, there is no question as to whether or not John Cena is a legend. Anyone who says he isn't is bias, and their opinion should be paid no mind.

As far as creating a market outside the business, I think that's a pretty asinine and mute point. My girlfriend has never watched wrestling, but knows and loves John Cena (and has no idea who Ric Flair is BTW). Does that make him more legendary? Who cares what people who don't follow the "sport" know about a guy. I'm sure there's hundreds of legendary cricket players I couldn't care less about.

 

[MrGameTime]

Come on guys really. I really don't know how you guys can say he is are you on drugs... he simply is because there isn't anyone else better so they do with him.

Cena is no legend, compare him to previous legends and really look to see if he is on the same level. He isn't no where near.

He is only the face of WWE because wrestling has dropped so low and there is simply hardly any superstars with real "star" power that just gets that special reaction from the fans, like the rocks and austins did etc. Cena dosent do that, hell punk dosent even do that to some degree.

If you went back to the attitude era and thrown these guys like cena,punk miz etc in there, how far up the card do you think they would be competing? mid carders at best.

Everything about WWE has been slowly getting worse and worse for years on every level, Maybe its not the wrestlings fault its just that times change and people change I guess, if anyone says wrestling is as good as it used to be there dillusional or liars plain and simple

 

[Fansince1992]

Hard one to say if he should be called a Legend or not.

People have thier own opinions on what Legendary Status is.

Some might say a legend is a person who has done everything possible in their line of work - He has achieved this already. (10+ Championship reigns, Buries every monster heel that stands in his way etc etc)

Some might say a Legend is someone who has reached thier peak and only then can be considered a Legend - John Cena is not at his peak yet (imo ofc) so he hasn't acheived this yet. At what age does a Wrestler Peak? theres a whole new debate right there and thats another tough prediction. What defines a superstar at his/her peak? I'd say it's someone who is ready to slow down sometime soon. I'd say The Rock is at his peak right now. In shape superstars slow down when they hit thier 40s usually so i think Cena is still about 5 years away from Peaking.

John Cena (again and this is only my own opinion) is not a Legend right now until he reaches his peak in a few years. This also means that my idea of a Legend would mean that someone like the Rock has only just reached Legendary Status. Austin/Flair/Hogan/Taker/HBK have been Wrestling Legends for when they reached thier peak back in thier day.

 

[Fansince1992]

If you went back to the attitude era and thrown these guys like cena,punk miz etc in there, how far up the card do you think they would be competing? mid carders at best.

Why are people comparing today's Wrestlers with different Era's or Generations? This has nothing to do with wether or not a person should be considered a Legend. It's like saying Mike Tyson isn't a Legend in Boxing because he didn't fight Ali.

Also John Cena reached Main Event Status in the Attitude Era anyway. If i recall he Main Evented against Edge, and Triple H. Obviously he couldn't Main Event with Austin as he retired before Cena hit the scene, and The Rock left for Acting.