I love watching people justify their needless disdain of Cena, in comical ways. Generally they just regurgitate the same tired lines that other people have used, never paying attention to how they've been proven false time and again.
So, for all of you Cena haters, I'm here to help. Let me explain to you all why you REALLY dislike Cena.
1) Cena's wrestling style
Cena's wrestling style does not match with what the typical "smark" opinion of what good wrestling is. Due to their being "worked" by wrestling companies (something I discuss in another thread), smarks now have in their head that those who mat wrestle/technical wrestle are good wrestlers. Why? Because this is what they've been told by the business for decades to think. They also think that any guy who is big and strong and doesn't work a technical style automatically is less skilled, when this is certainly not the case, and has been proven time and again to not be true. However, smarks think this because this is what the wrestling business has told them to think for years.
Quality wrestling has nothing to do with style of match, but rather with things such as storytelling, psychology, workrate, charisma, and selling. Unfortunately, so many "smarks" do not understand this, and simply believe that whatever offensive style a worker uses determines the quality of wrestler.
Thus, with that in mind, this was working against Cena.
2) His first feuds.
In my mind, this is the biggest factor. When Cena came over to Raw in the draft, he was MEGA over. Like, Steve Austin and The Rock over. However, the WWE did not understand the phenomenon that was coming their way, and so they placed Cena in a program with Jericho, and eventually Christian. Why was this a mistake? Because both of these guys were absolute "smark" darlings at the time. Their offensive match style was not the same as Cena's, and thus, smarks thought Cena wasn't good because he didn't work the same match style.
After a smattering of boos in his feud with Jericho, the WWE then booked him Kurt Angle, the prototype of the smark darling. Ignoring how silly it would be for Cena to wrestle Angle's style of match, smarks instantly assumed that because Cena didn't wrestle the same style of match, just like with Jericho, Cena must suck as a wrestler.
3) Cena rap album
At the same time this was happening, Cena had just released a rap album. The general wrestling audience is not made up of fans of rap music (we saw this in WCW with Master P), but rather prefer other forms of music. However, just like with any WWE worker's production, it was plugged non-stop over and over, causing many, including myself, to get tired of it and wanting it to go away.
So, let's take a short break to recap. Cena's wrestling style does not fit typical "smark" standard of quality, Cena is being pitted against two of the biggest smark darlings, and is the reason that an unpopular music choice is being constantly shoved down our throats each and every week. Let's go on.
4) Poor heel work by Kurt Angle.
I know people will look at this and scoff, but unfortunately, this is true. Kurt Angle's heel psychology in his feud with Cena was pitiful. Instead of working hard to change his style in order to keep fans from cheering him (as a heel should do, especially when the face already gets a smattering of boos), Angle instead completely did away with heel psychology, and cared more about crowd inducing pops than working a heel match. He would use high spot moves, high impact moves, play to the crowd, and do things to pop the crowd. This is not good heel psychology. So, instead of reversing a trend, Angle just further propelled it.
5) Snowball effect
Once it started, it was going to be hard to reverse it, much less stop it. Edge, for his part, did a decent job in January 2006 to stall it, but then Triple H came in and played right into the smarks hands and wet dreams. He proceeded to tell Cena he couldn't wrestle, etc. This, of course, led to their Wrestlemania match, where if anyone was paying attention, Cena actually outwrestled Triple H at the end of the match to retain the title. Unfortunately, that was lost on the majority of the crowd, most likely due to the snowball effect.
6.) Cena's natural appeal
No one can deny the fact that Cena is just naturally appealing to women and children. He's good looking, strong as an ox, and very charismatic. Unfortunately, so many males have a problem liking the same thing women and children do, probably because they feel as if they are superior fans. That is why for the longest time you heard "Cena only gets cheered by women and children". While that statement was factually inaccurate, it brought the much bigger question..."So?". Do women and children not count as fans? It was an attitude of "I'm a better fan than you", an attitude you see quite often with, ta da, "smarks".
7.) Cena's long title reigns.
While this by itself is not a big deal, when compounded upon the first six, it is more than enough reason to give people just another excuse to dislike him.
And finally...
8.) Cena wants you too
That's right, John Cena wants you to boo him. Because the louder you boo him, the louder his fans cheer him. The louder they cheer, the louder you boo, until the entire arena is into his matches, screaming at the top of their lungs their feelings for Cena. It brings a realism to professional wrestling that you see in boxing and MMA, but is foreign to professional wrestling. You can't call him a tweener, because he is obviously of face disposition, but he knows what irritates his detractors. I mean, if Cena and the WWE were REALLY concerned about him getting boos, don't you think they would have addressed it? Added more moves to his moveset? Changed his match style? Booked him against more heels like Edge and Umaga, guys he got cheered against because they were not as respected as guys like Jericho, Angle, HHH and HBK? Of course they would.
But, that would be against their best interests. There's a reason why Cena holds the hand up for a 5 Knuckle Shuffle so long, even when it's getting overwhelmingly booed. There's a reason he does and says the things he does. Because, in the end, YOU CARE ABOUT JOHN CENA. Whether you hate him or love him, you care. And, in the end, you will pay to watch him wrestle, whether you want him to win or lose.
And that's what professional wrestling is all about.
So there you have it. Why people ACTUALLY dislike John Cena.
Moved to Columns Lounger with Jake's permission.
So, for all of you Cena haters, I'm here to help. Let me explain to you all why you REALLY dislike Cena.
1) Cena's wrestling style
Cena's wrestling style does not match with what the typical "smark" opinion of what good wrestling is. Due to their being "worked" by wrestling companies (something I discuss in another thread), smarks now have in their head that those who mat wrestle/technical wrestle are good wrestlers. Why? Because this is what they've been told by the business for decades to think. They also think that any guy who is big and strong and doesn't work a technical style automatically is less skilled, when this is certainly not the case, and has been proven time and again to not be true. However, smarks think this because this is what the wrestling business has told them to think for years.
Quality wrestling has nothing to do with style of match, but rather with things such as storytelling, psychology, workrate, charisma, and selling. Unfortunately, so many "smarks" do not understand this, and simply believe that whatever offensive style a worker uses determines the quality of wrestler.
Thus, with that in mind, this was working against Cena.
2) His first feuds.
In my mind, this is the biggest factor. When Cena came over to Raw in the draft, he was MEGA over. Like, Steve Austin and The Rock over. However, the WWE did not understand the phenomenon that was coming their way, and so they placed Cena in a program with Jericho, and eventually Christian. Why was this a mistake? Because both of these guys were absolute "smark" darlings at the time. Their offensive match style was not the same as Cena's, and thus, smarks thought Cena wasn't good because he didn't work the same match style.
After a smattering of boos in his feud with Jericho, the WWE then booked him Kurt Angle, the prototype of the smark darling. Ignoring how silly it would be for Cena to wrestle Angle's style of match, smarks instantly assumed that because Cena didn't wrestle the same style of match, just like with Jericho, Cena must suck as a wrestler.
3) Cena rap album
At the same time this was happening, Cena had just released a rap album. The general wrestling audience is not made up of fans of rap music (we saw this in WCW with Master P), but rather prefer other forms of music. However, just like with any WWE worker's production, it was plugged non-stop over and over, causing many, including myself, to get tired of it and wanting it to go away.
So, let's take a short break to recap. Cena's wrestling style does not fit typical "smark" standard of quality, Cena is being pitted against two of the biggest smark darlings, and is the reason that an unpopular music choice is being constantly shoved down our throats each and every week. Let's go on.
4) Poor heel work by Kurt Angle.
I know people will look at this and scoff, but unfortunately, this is true. Kurt Angle's heel psychology in his feud with Cena was pitiful. Instead of working hard to change his style in order to keep fans from cheering him (as a heel should do, especially when the face already gets a smattering of boos), Angle instead completely did away with heel psychology, and cared more about crowd inducing pops than working a heel match. He would use high spot moves, high impact moves, play to the crowd, and do things to pop the crowd. This is not good heel psychology. So, instead of reversing a trend, Angle just further propelled it.
5) Snowball effect
Once it started, it was going to be hard to reverse it, much less stop it. Edge, for his part, did a decent job in January 2006 to stall it, but then Triple H came in and played right into the smarks hands and wet dreams. He proceeded to tell Cena he couldn't wrestle, etc. This, of course, led to their Wrestlemania match, where if anyone was paying attention, Cena actually outwrestled Triple H at the end of the match to retain the title. Unfortunately, that was lost on the majority of the crowd, most likely due to the snowball effect.
6.) Cena's natural appeal
No one can deny the fact that Cena is just naturally appealing to women and children. He's good looking, strong as an ox, and very charismatic. Unfortunately, so many males have a problem liking the same thing women and children do, probably because they feel as if they are superior fans. That is why for the longest time you heard "Cena only gets cheered by women and children". While that statement was factually inaccurate, it brought the much bigger question..."So?". Do women and children not count as fans? It was an attitude of "I'm a better fan than you", an attitude you see quite often with, ta da, "smarks".
7.) Cena's long title reigns.
While this by itself is not a big deal, when compounded upon the first six, it is more than enough reason to give people just another excuse to dislike him.
And finally...
8.) Cena wants you too
That's right, John Cena wants you to boo him. Because the louder you boo him, the louder his fans cheer him. The louder they cheer, the louder you boo, until the entire arena is into his matches, screaming at the top of their lungs their feelings for Cena. It brings a realism to professional wrestling that you see in boxing and MMA, but is foreign to professional wrestling. You can't call him a tweener, because he is obviously of face disposition, but he knows what irritates his detractors. I mean, if Cena and the WWE were REALLY concerned about him getting boos, don't you think they would have addressed it? Added more moves to his moveset? Changed his match style? Booked him against more heels like Edge and Umaga, guys he got cheered against because they were not as respected as guys like Jericho, Angle, HHH and HBK? Of course they would.
But, that would be against their best interests. There's a reason why Cena holds the hand up for a 5 Knuckle Shuffle so long, even when it's getting overwhelmingly booed. There's a reason he does and says the things he does. Because, in the end, YOU CARE ABOUT JOHN CENA. Whether you hate him or love him, you care. And, in the end, you will pay to watch him wrestle, whether you want him to win or lose.
And that's what professional wrestling is all about.
So there you have it. Why people ACTUALLY dislike John Cena.
Moved to Columns Lounger with Jake's permission.