The Brilliance of John Cena

[Ferathon]

The thing is though - all these people that hate him (and I'll actually include myself) will probably become his biggest fans when he finally turns heel.

This is how most everyone hating on Cena is feeling, we're all just waiting for that moment when he's in the ring with Orton or Daniel Bryan or some other mid to upper level face, when he just turns and snaps on the guy. That moment when all the kids freeze and don't know what to do and all the haters switch and instantly start cheering Cena. I get the feeling I want to cheer Cena, but not this Superhero Cena. I want him to become heel, no doubt. I am also willing to wait another year or more until this happens. You have to have someone who can take his babyface spot and surprisingly the only guy who can do that right now would be the Miz and that would take complete role reversal, which wouldn't fit yet. Maybe in the future once people begin to realize Miz is a real threat and he starts getting the cheers like Orton did that switched him to face, then maybe you'd have a chance, but right now there is no ability to switch Cena to heel and not be hurting.

 

[TWJC: The Beginning]

This is how most everyone hating on Cena is feeling, we're all just waiting for that moment when he's in the ring with Orton or Daniel Bryan or some other mid to upper level face, when he just turns and snaps on the guy. That moment when all the kids freeze and don't know what to do and all the haters switch and instantly start cheering Cena. I get the feeling I want to cheer Cena, but not this Superhero Cena. I want him to become heel, no doubt. I am also willing to wait another year or more until this happens. You have to have someone who can take his babyface spot and surprisingly the only guy who can do that right now would be the Miz and that would take complete role reversal, which wouldn't fit yet. Maybe in the future once people begin to realize Miz is a real threat and he starts getting the cheers like Orton did that switched him to face, then maybe you'd have a chance, but right now there is no ability to switch Cena to heel and not be hurting.

Yes, all 6 of you want this. However 75% of their audience doesn't. I'd venture to say that most of the people who boo him don't want this. It's more fun to have the reaction he gets now than to make him just like any other superstar.

Espcially since Miz is now being the "voice" of you guys. Miz was even quoted in someone's sig. One of the Cena haters quoted Miz. Vince works you guys. Just as easily as he works the kids. It's not "oooo Miz is shooting and proving Cena sucks" it's "Miz is incredibly intelligent and knows how to work everyone, the kids and you".

Thank god none of you guys work for WWE. They'd be out of business. Turn Cena heel? Basically turn him into a different character than what he became iconic in before his icon vs icon match? May as well use a different wrestler for the match.

 

[EStreet]

the brilliance of John Cena is that he doesn't have to be turned heel - just teased. Look what happen when he was paired up with the Rock, they highlight his joke of a gimmick, people defend him, and yet people turn on him at the same time. The art of getting a character over is getting him over with many audiences in different ways. The most successful stars are the ones who are hated and loved at the same time.

Recall how the Rock used to have to tell people not to "sing-a-long w/ the Great One" during his heel runs.

Hogan went heel with NWO and that faction sold more merchandise than any group - he was over as heel and face - ultimate credibility.

Nowhere in the real world does everyone love/hate you...and that isnt the case in WWE either - being both is pure brilliance, and Cena is walking that line extremely well right now.

 

[TWJC: The Beginning]

^^^^^Exactly. Cena, at one point, was the most over heel AND face on the roster. He is who he is. Kids and parents like him because he's a great role model, his character and in real life. Douche bag know it all smarks hate him because he's corny and muscular (swear to god the IWC descriminates based on this).

the people who want to turn him heel, which is a lot of smarks, WANT to like him. They boo him but I bet they like to boo him. They WANT to cheer him. It's not cool to cheer the brightly colored corny muscular guy. Cena works them into booing him. Just like Freddie Blassie used to work audiences into wanting to stab him.

It IS brilliance. Do I think this was the intended result? No, but that makes it even more brilliant. Instead of a knee-jerk reaction like turning him heel when the loud moves marks start booing him, Vince and Cena went "you know what, you guys will dislike pretty much any white meat muscular baby face, so I'm going to be the most cliche, white meat, superman, muscular babyface ever, I'll get insanely over with everyone but you, I'll be respected and you'll hate me for it and I'll love it."

I always tell you guys to go to a show and buy nose bleed seats to appreciate "overselling". Well now I'm giving you another assignment, go to a WWE show, and start chanting Cena sucks. Withing 10 seconds 20 kids will start chanting "Lets go Cena" then 5 adults will chant "Cena sucks" then 300 kids will chant "Lets go cena" and before you know it, 100% of the audience is making noise, completely backing every syllable they shout out. That's something most guys don't get. You can bullshit and say "well I don't like him because he doesnt' entertain me" but if that was the case you wouldn't watch. You wouldn't chant that he sucks. You LIKE booing him. It's FUN to boo him. It's FUN to hate him, just like it was fun for me to hate the nWo when I was 7.

 

[manstis1804]

Man, I remember thinking the exact same thing when they were airing his promos for his return at Survivor Series 08 I believe it was, against Jericho. They were laying it on so damn thick on how perfect and what an all-American hero the man is, and I really felt like they decided "well, lets just shove him down everyones throat! if they hate him, good, we got a top heel! if they love him, well good, we got a top babyface!" 3 years later, they are still doing it. Time will tell if its a good idea or not.

 

[TWJC: The Beginning]

Time has told. It was a good idea. He gets the most interesting reactions. The people who boo him will bitch about anything that's not a technical masterpiece (and their definition of technical masterpiece at that, for example, Kurt Angle's shitty repetitive, no finish having matches that he's been churning out for a few years now).

 

[MoRtAnDaD]

The most important asset for a wrestler...its the crown reaction. And Cena has the entire crown reacting to him, booing or cheering, it doesnt matter.

He is a guy that generate passion in every fan out there and better yet he knows how to handle it and how to take advantage of it.

 

[TWJC: The Beginning]

^^^^Exactly, one thing I don't think most people get is the pressure. How many guys would hear those "you can't wrestle" or "Cena sucks" chants and give them what they (think) they want and start being more ruthless? It takes a genius entertainer to give them what they actually want and take what they hate, corny, superman, all american babyface and shove it down their throats until they enjoy booing him.