Otunga the next Cena?

[Mitch Henessey]

WWE might have some plans for Otunga in the future, but I think you're going way too far by calling him the next John Cena. Otunga's mic skills are terrible. He always sounds awkward when he's cutting a promo, and the charisma isn't there. Otunga has a good look. That's all. I don't ever see him main eventing Wrestlemania. There's a chance he could win the WWE Championship, but I think it's a very slight chance. And as far as star power goes, yeah, he's married to Jennifer Hudson, but being a former contestant on the I love New York show isn't that big of a deal.

 

[AndyUK]

I keep hearing about his great mic skills but personally, I think everybody else in Nexus is better than him. They may not be full of charisma but they sound natural when they speak. Otunga is really awkward when he speaks. It always sounds like he's trying too hard to sound tough.

 

[LeGenDKiLLa2010]

otunga as the same level as cena, no. able to actually make something of himself once he is out of nexus. yes. im pretty sure he got barried once in nexus, pretty much every member did except barret. otunga needs to get out of nexus and work on his wrestling, ( i dont care what anyone says, i think his mic skills were great on nxt). just improve his wrestling and he has a chance

 

[Father Uncle Oscar]

I believe Otunga will definately end up having a great career in the long run. How long WWE decides to extend his push is almost unknown, but Otunga definately has potential to become at least a top main event contender down the road. I feel he needs to improve in the ring before any first step is taken though.

 

[mral82]

Otunga needs a lil more time that's all and he may be so called "NEXUS" right now which I'm not buyin him as a member 'cause he doesn't seem he is 1. The only thing he needs work on is in ring is work on his pitch in his voice. I think Michael Tarver is better than The A-List.

 

[fenfool]

Keeping in mind he's still basically a rookie, I can't really see it happening. I think a face turn is coming, but I don't think he has the charisma to be a top face. Maybe he develops into something eventually, but I think it will take a lot of time and effort, and WWE hasn't been known for their patience lately.

 

[Karaoke Superstar]

By reading the title most of you guys are probably like WTF or hell no, but lets think about it...

Otunga is someone who can easily become the face of the WWE. He has the look and can easily get over with the media. He also has solid mic skills. His ring work however is pretty bad. Since this whole Cena/Nexus program happened Otunga seemed the odd one out (altercations with barrett, and almost removed from Nexus on Smackdown) Cena came back after being "fired" and attacked everyone but Otunga. Then on Raw he was the one who told Barrett rehire Cena or your out of Nexus which got that crowd to cheer. We also know the WWE has been searching for a African American Main Eventer. If they push Otunga as a face, with his not so great wrestling skills will he become the next Cena?

Your right when you think I'm saying "hell no". Let's compare and contrast:

Otunga is horrid in the ring. Cena's ring work is often criticized but he is at least capable of putting on a good match. And has decent technical skills when he shows them. Cena's strong points in the ring is storytelling and getting people to care. I know Otunga is a rookie and can improve but still he just looks slow and awkward, and I really don't think he was ready to perform on the big show.

Cena can cut a great promo. Otunga is okay at cutting promos. I'm not really sold on Otunga's mic skills yet. There is more to mic skills than just being articulate and speaking fluently, which is what Otunga is capable of doing. Cena speaks with passion, he makes people care about him and his matches. Maybe I'm wrong but I haven't seen enough to call him great on the mic.

Otunga does have a couple things going for him, he has a look, size and body plus is married to Jennifer Hudson. That might be enough to get him somewhere, but he won't be a top guy and certainly not the face of a company.

As far as the next top black superstar, I think the best candidate for that is Big Zeke.

 

[Tech N9ne]

I think someway or somehow, he will probably end up being a name. WWE will always be able to use him to attain a bit more of mainstream attention.

The way I would describe it, is a NAME not a FACE. I absolutely do NOT see him being a top guy, let alone THE top guy. He will never be on a level of John Cena. I think that is a big stretch.

But like I said, just because he will not be John Cena, doesn't mean he won't be valuable to the company in his own way!!

 

[Gregor_Samsa]

Otunga is a horrible speaker and because of this he cannot portray his A-List character with any depth or believability.

If it is true that the company is looking for a black superstar to push to Main Event status they should keep Michael Tarver in mind. He looked bad ass, was very comfortable during promos and in his last TV match he did a great job conveying his anger toward Cena; showing emotion, which is something I have yet to see out of Otunga.

And since when did in ring ability matter in building a main event performer? This isn't ROH. All that matters is character and personality.

 

[DecayNYFX]

With the outcome of the "Otunga as the Black Cena" debate clearly not in question (the majority is screaming "no", sorry to anyone who feels otherwise), the one thing I think he WILL be remembered for is putting the first major chink in the armor that is Nexus & cause the whole group to fall apart. Last week, we saw the entire stable definitively on his side as he issued the "Rehire Cena" ultimatum to Barrett, the first time any of the others opposed Barrett's commands. I truly believe that we are witnessing the beginning of the end & it's going to be Otunga, NOT Cena, who seems to be going down as being mainly responsible for their dissolution.

 

[Stephen11]

I have to agree with the majority of this thread. While Otunga might be pushed more than the other Nexus members because he has the Hollywood factor, he isn't going to get anywhere. His mic skills aren't great, some might say they are horrible since he's always very bland and I feel like he's taking the typical stereotype. His wrestling skills are beyond horrible, even with all of this experience he has the last couple months he still CAN NOT wrestle. There is no way he will be a believable main eventer in the near future.

 

[LSN80]

Where? I fail to see any similarities whatsoever. We were told over snd over by WWE during NXT 1 that Otunga had alot of charisma and great mic skills, so alot of people bought it. Nothing about him screams "it" factor other then a nice build.

Im admittedly biased here as a huge Cena fan, but everything about him screams charisma. He has confidence, poise and passion, 3 areas that Otunga can't touch.
Whether its the way he comesd to the ring, cuts a promo, or makes a top of the hour Raw feel like a PPV main event, John Cena is on a level that Otunga will never be able to touch.

Otunga is the male version of Kaitlyn from Season 3 of NXT. He never wrestled in his life before NXT, and he got as far as he did based upon a great look, and his celebrity status. Cena has worked hard for everything he did, while Otunga has and continues to cost off the coatails of his celebrity wife. David Otunga needs to work on being the first David Otunga, and not silly comparisons to John Cena.

 

[Mekanik Kommandoh]

I'm going with the consensus here. Otunga is not the next Cena for the simple fact that John Cena has something called talent. He's a wonderful in-ring worker, the pops he gets every time his music hits are deafening, and the audience is always emotionally invested in whatever he's doing. He has what's commonly referred to as the "It" factor, which is why he's the face of the WWE.

Otunga, on the other hand, has a job because he's jacked and romantically linked to a celebrity. His mic skills are mediocre, his in-ring skills are sloppy at best and atrocious at worst, and I don't get the feeling that anyone in the audience gives a shit about him. WWE will probably try to turn him face once the Nexus storyline is all said and done, but I'm pretty positive it will fail. Other than his connections to a celebrity and killer look, there's nothing to like about him.