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

[bluejt16]

Cena will never "fall back into the shuffle" this guys market value is bigger than just about anyone in WWE history. He sells t-shirts like nobody else, whether it's the 'Cena Sucks' or one the million shirts he's had over the past few years. I think that what WWE is doing to/with Cena right now is great, their showing a different side of Cena.

oh and right now Cena's losing streak is 1... that's hardly a Drew McIntyre losing streak...

 

[Mustang Sally]

I believe it's a bit of a change in direction to refresh his character.

Exactly. I was waiting for someone to say the whole thing is an effort to boost Lord Tensai, which would have been ridiculous because if that were the sole purpose of the match, John Cena wouldn't be needed to do it.

Cena is the #1 man in the company. Due to his apparent flexibility in how his character is portrayed, there are so many things the company can do with him. I still believe a face change is coming; maybe not soon, but eventually. When that involves the top guy, it isn't done in a day, but rather is seen as something so monumental that events build up to it over a long period of time. For all we know, the problems with Rock and Brock, added to the unlikely loss to Lord Tensai, might be building blocks toward this.

If Cena is on a "losing streak" as you say, it is absolutely not because he's joining the ranks of the mid-carders, for heaven's sake. The guy is huge and will remain huge; don't let the "hate Cena" people make you think otherwise.

Not only is John Cena the whole package, he also cooperates with Creative and loses matches to boost other people. Can you imagine Hulk Hogan doing that back in the day?

Me, either.

 

[kingofkings01013]

Cena won nearly 90% of matches since 2005.

Had an year long title reign in 2007.

Cena has been the top guy for the last 7 years.

7 years of Cena being on top isn't enough for you ?

And so what if he has only won 1 recent PPV match against Kane. Let's see TLC - no match, Rumble - no contest vs Kane (in which Kane looked better than Cena), Chamber - beat Kane, Mania - lost to the Rock, and at Extreme Rules - lose to Brock. People use to cry when he won all the time and kept getting shots at the title. Now internet fans get what they want and the QQ, like always give the internet what they want and they cry.

 

[Jonyboyuk2]

Who else would Lesnar be able to work with? HHH is backstage nowdays... Cena is the biggest star wwe has. I'd wager that Cena gets destroyed by Lesnar, and then leaves to take some time off. He's gone full speed since 2002. He needs time off from tv, refresh his character, and the only 2 people who can carry WWE in his absence are Lesnar, and CM PUNK. Which would be good cos Lesnar could destroy cena, then John laurenitis could get Lesnar to turn his attention on CM Punk, giving us a SummerSlam match, which CM Punk could lose his WWE title to Lesnar. Then have Cena return at Survivor Series or even Royal Rumble. I have to say, the storyline involving Cena V Rock then Cena V Lesnar has been the best WWE storylines in years.

 

[Pedigree1]

I am enjoying Cena's latest losing streak. Its a fresh change for once its a change IMO for his character!! Cena has been top dog for 7 years now that is a long time. Cena is no where near going to mid-card status he is a top draw and will always be a top draw. Booked into main events.

When Lesnar was top guy you had guys like HHH,Angle,HBK,SCSA,Rock. Now thats serious firepower right there when Cena came onboard rock was gone SCSA retired Lesnar left! Its just a character overhaul for cena at this point

 

[Headman]

I believe it's a bit of a change in direction to refresh his character. A babyface is only as strong as the heels he wrestles. People have been tired of his invincible Superman schtick and soner or later they will go from booing him to not watching at all. What's the point of watching if you already know what's gonna happen? Another thing is sooner or later fans get tired of the same old same old and want to see other wrerstlers be the center of attention.

You mean if they keep Cena as a super man they might be able to get rid of the annoying segment of fans who boo faces, don't buy merch or ppvs and bash the product no matter what they do? I thought these guys were hardcore and would never stop watching, but you've given me hope.

As for Cena's losing streak. I'm sure they're going somewhere with it, and I'm 100% positive that it's not to a complete burial of Cena. They can't replace Cena with part timers and nobody on the WWE roster is even close to Cena. Punk's 3 month hot streak is long gone, Sheamus is popular but become less so with the same segment of fans who hate Cena, Orton is in limbo, there's just nobody else to turn to.

 

[lazeric]

I strongly doubt they send Cena down to the land of Drew Mac but what I do hope is not only do they use this as a character refresher but as the chance to finally give Cena some sort of heel push. U gotta admit all signs are pointing towards that. While we all know he's going to lose at Extreme Rules and I do believe this would be a great time for him to take a much needed break the last image of Cena shouldn't be of him being carted out on a stretcher but of him going into a rage from losing and hearing all the fans cheer Brock. He should grab a mic and act like he's gnna say congratulations on a great match only to attack Brock and put him thru a table. Then he could say something like if u want me gone fine let's see how this company does without me and leave. Great way to end the show and allow Cena to rest his body for a while then come back after Brock beats Punk( which I personally hate by the way) and they can have a rematch at SS maybe not for the title or maybe for the title and have the Rock interfere by hitting both with Rock Bottoms

 

[Pingu66]

When Lesnar was top guy you had guys like HHH,Angle,HBK,SCSA,Rock. Now thats serious firepower right there when Cena came onboard rock was gone SCSA retired Lesnar left! Its just a character overhaul for cena at this point

That one thing people are forgetting. There were a lot of super star during those year. Young stars rising....

Keep in mind. New heels were appearing and looking unstoppable.... But Cena managed to overcame and killed them.

 

[Fugazi]

This is great for Cena in my opinion. Him jobbing is a nice change up and it will just add to his build up when he climbs back up the ladder later this year. I think the best way they could do it is maybe giving him a couple month break after he loses to Lesnar at Extreme Rules then he can come back and maybe turn heel. All the great went heel and while Cena original rap gimmick was heel he could make the WWE really interesting if he turned heel in this era. Could be great if the WWE ever decided to do it. I'm not sure though, I've always thought they were on the verge of turning Cena heel for years and years but they never did so maybe they never will. He's huge for the WWE but really when you look at it all the greats had great heel runs so Cena is just next on the list but he probably needs a decent face to feud with. I would go with maybe Punk since Punk can be a good face as long as the story isn't set up to make him look like a Randy Orton wannabe with his rage(current Jericho feud).

 

[whoopin' ass]

storyline - he lost to Rock so his confidence is shaken and he is off his game. that simple. Cena is never going to leave wwe for another company and he is too good a public face for wwe so anyone who thinks he is in the wwe doghouse really doesn't understand how things work behind the scenes. realistically, Punk hasn't won a lot of matches recently - is he in the doghouse? no, it is storyline.

 

[LegendKiller716]

Cena's gonna get destroyed by Lesnar, and then moved to Smackdown in the draft. Cena will spend the rest of the year becoming a more agressive style character. He'll challenge The Rock at Summerslam to prove to himself he can beat him. After that he'll go on to win the Rumble and Challenge Lesnar at Mania where he will recapture the title. This is WWE's way of trying to "legitimize" Cena as the top guy. As much as they say they don't care, WWE wants the whole crowd behind Cena.

 

[Trance Metaphor]

I don't mind John Cena losing, but the people that he's losing to are people that he needs to go over (ex. The Rock, Brock Lesnar). Lesnar has already beaten Cena and if Lesnar somehow beats Cena again, then where does that leave Cena? It means after all these years, he STILL can't beat Lesnar. For a guy that's been carrying the company, he needs these big one-time wins more than his small multi-time losses. I'm really hoping his time will come. John Cena doesn't need any more Championships, he just needs these big wins to truly say that he's done it all.

 

[Fugazi]

Cena will beat both the Rock and Lesnar at some point. I like the idea of a Rock vs Cena rematch at summerslam. It's perfectly clear at least in my opinion that Lesnar beats Cena at Extreme Rules but I'm also 100% sure Cena will beat Lesnar before the next mania.


As for Cena winning the rumble, I don't like that. I like Cena. I do. But I don't believe he should win the rumble this year. I really think if they wanted to continue having Punk as an important superstar they should give it to him(unless Steve Austin decides to face him at the next mania of course).

 

[ProWrestlingFan84]

I do think it's interesting reading all the posts. I don't think I've ever seen so much over a person who has lost a couple matches. It's something different and makes it interesting. Granted his win over Lord Albert wasn't remotely clean it was still enjoyable. He will most likely lose to Lesnar. I'm curious what happens if Cena doesn't lose to Lesnar for whatever reason, I'm sure people will hate it saying their normal stuff about super Cena. Considering Extreme Rules is shaping up to be Mania all over again minus HHH/Taker and instead of Cena/Rock it's Cena/Lesnar, I wonder how the PPV will do. I don't have a problem with Cena losing because it's refreshing but after this feud ends...if it ends, whose do either feud with next?

 

[Tripleb2k1]

calling it a losing streak is erroneous at best...he wins on live events plus his win over Otunga makes it a 1 loss streak...can only be a streak if its losses in a row

 

[jeritroll94]

I believe this losing streak will possibly go in either one or two ways:

1. This is for Cena to bounce back and beat Brock at Extreme Rules perhaps and get himself back at the top again. I'm not a Cena fan but do respect his loyalty and the fact that he is in general a good guy but he just turned into the same thing. But the kids love him and it has been a while since Cena has been in the title picture.

2. A Heel Turn! A storyline could be Cena in a psychological state which is holding him back since The Rock bested him at WM28. Cena said it himself, no one remembers second place! Therefore to bounce back Cena does something nobody saw coming. It would be a good way to get heat if Cena doesn't just beat Brock but used tactics like Austin did at WM17 against The Rock and annihalate Lesnar. Then a good heel promo to follow will signal a heel turn blaming fans for turning on him and not respecting him. It would be someone to experiment with.

But I think we will be in for a surprise at Extreme Rules...Cena will beat Brock!

 

[Rampage Bentley]

What major losing streak?

He's lost ONE CLEAN MATCH. He jobbed to The Rock at Mania, then got beat by five guys in an extreme rules match on RAW. Are you assuming he's going to be fed to Lesnar at the PPV? It's a little soon to be predicting that... Not that it's out of the question, but Cena won't be losing cleanly.

Before WrestleMania the last time Cena lost clean was to Randy Orton at Hell in a Cell 2009. Before that was Batista at Summerslam 2008. I'm honestly tired of him winning everything, and think a few clean losses will only help him and the business.

 

[whoopin' ass]

why does he need to beat The Rock? what does he gain by doing it? does that make him `the man`in the company? and unless i am getting old and forgetful, when did he wrestle Brock? Brock came out and F-5ed him, Cena came out the next week and looked like a million bucks when he walked right up to Brock and slapped him. this `losing streak` hasn`t made him look bad at all so why all the concern. plus, the top guy has to lose from time to time to make others seem like threats. if he was losing to Santino, then be worried but right now, there is nothing wrong with what they are doing with him.

 

[AndThat'sTheBottomLine]

why does he need to beat The Rock? what does he gain by doing it? does that make him `the man`in the company? and unless i am getting old and forgetful, when did he wrestle Brock? Brock came out and F-5ed him, Cena came out the next week and looked like a million bucks when he walked right up to Brock and slapped him. this `losing streak` hasn`t made him look bad at all so why all the concern. plus, the top guy has to lose from time to time to make others seem like threats. if he was losing to Santino, then be worried but right now, there is nothing wrong with what they are doing with him.

Back around the time when Cena debuted into WWE he had a fued with Brock. They wrestled a match not long before Brock left to go to UFC and Cena lost. I agree Cena doesn't need to beat the Rock to be the man because he's already the man and I don't see him beating Brock in Brock's first match in 10 years. He's lost like one match so you can't call it a losing streak unless he had lost to Rock, Otunga, and Tensai consecutively. I think he'll lose to Brock and take some time off. Then he'll come back a changed and refreshed man.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

I think DirtyD79's post has the right of it in that this is yet another means of refreshing John Cena's character. Over the past several months especially, we've seen changes in Cena's character, such as generally becoming edgier & intense, while basically keeping the core essentials of the character front & center.

Cena has been a big money maker for WWE for a long time and, like a lot of people, I do think that these changes that we've seen, and the potential changes that MIGHT be yet to come, have been very good overall and could be beneficial in the long run. Cena's "losing streak" does seem more significant when you take everything into consideration: he lost probably the most heavily hyped & talked about match in WWE history against The Rock & WM 28, Brock Lesnar has returned & left him laying two weeks in a row a Cena suffered a very rare loss on Raw to Tensai. While there was some interference in the match, it was no DQ and the interference wasn't major.

Knocking Cena down a couple of pegs has been good for his character in my opinion. In other forms of media, whether it's movies or television or even comic books, the hero needs to get his ass soundly kicked every once in a while.

 

[whoopin' ass]

Back around the time when Cena debuted into WWE he had a fued with Brock. They wrestled a match not long before Brock left to go to UFC and Cena lost.

yeah, but Brock was the man back then and Cena was still an up and comer. Cena losing was not a big surpise - much like someone losing to him now. their interaction over the last few weeks hasn't hurt Cena at all. Both guys are coming off as really strong since neither is backing away from the other.

 

[AndThat'sTheBottomLine]

yeah, but Brock was the man back then and Cena was still an up and comer. Cena losing was not a big surpise - much like someone losing to him now. their interaction over the last few weeks hasn't hurt Cena at all. Both guys are coming off as really strong since neither is backing away from the other.

This is true. Both men are being shown in a positive way. Brock is the huge threat and Cena isn't backing down. The question is will WWE book Brock to lose his first match back? I think not. While I don't see this as an actual losing streak I do see things for Cena getting worse.

 

[George Steele's Barber]

I guess I am not watching the same programming as everyone else here. Cena's losses are hardly a reflection on who he is or what he is becoming. His loss to The Rock was kind of flukey. He got cocky and got caught. Rock helped make Cena look really good and the stronger of the two men in that bout. His loss to Tensai was the furthest thing from clean. He got beat by some screwiness and then the green mist (brought to you by Scope). Again, hardly a reflection on who Cena is as a competitor or where this is all going.

As far as Extreme Rules, I wouldn't call Brock winning a foregone conclusion. Maybe Vince wants to humble both Lesnar and MMA. After Extreme Rules is all over maybe Lesnar will have to go back to the bottom and work his way back up like he did 10 years ago by squashing guys for a while before getting big wins.

 

[OneTooManyPunts]

Cena's losing streak is simply a part of a long term storyline WWE has in store for him. It doesn't affect his standing in WWE to lose, or his overall legacy within the company one bit. He's not being punished by WWE. WWE is simply trying to make Cena a more vulnerable character, trying to get fans to sympathize with him, and to cheer him on to overcome his losing ways at the moment.

At the end of the day, Super Cena ran it's course a long time ago. The best top level babyfaces are the ones that are better defined, more vulnerable in the end. Look at the Jericho/Punk feud. Before Punk and Jericho's program began, Punk was all but untouchable, because he always had the upper hand, always had the superiority on the microphone. By adding in the alcohol/drug history, they were able to humanize him a bit more, and add depth to why he is Straight Edge, in an attempt to make fans respect him more, and want to root for him.

 

[iwinulose]

My friend this is a clever stunt being put on by the wwe. Cena is losing because of all the haters. Think of this as john cena being repackaged. He is on a losing streak. Let's say this goes on for a year or so where he wins 10 - 20% of his matches, but they are all medium profile, so he has lost, crowd, is still behind him, then he start winning more match ups, in theory the crowd will be cheering for him when he wins. Basically they are trying to get cena over once again by burying john cena. It's actually a rather clever plan to say the least, unless it fails. But only time will tell.