The face of the company

[the_vipers_enigma]

For the last at least 5 years we've all been saying that Cena needs to give his spot to someone else as the top dog in the WWE but the question is to whom.
Now there are many people that the IWC want to see as the face of the company but the WWE doesn't push them and vice versa and we the fans have been accusing them for not pushing other people but lets be clear on something the blame should be on us as much as it is on the WWE.
They've tried with many people and it just didn't happen for multiple reasons and that is understandable because there are meny things that play role in the process and that is understandable. But one of the problems here is that after they push someone for very short ammount of time the fans forget him. On the other hand they have also tried with people like Roman and it just doesn't work for multiple reasons. At the end the fans just don't want to accept other people which for me is a paradox cause we want change and at same time can't accept it.
All this leads me to the fact that like it or not we have all accepted Cena wether we like him or not. And please don't start with all the rants but he can't wrestle, he burries people and what not. The fact of the matter is that when Cena came there were people like Batista, Orton, Edge, Mysterio, Lesnar and they've tried pushing all of them and it just didn't happen.
But for me today we finally have someone who is both liked from fans and from the WWE in the face of none other than Seth Rollins. For me he has it all the looks, the mic skills, the wrestlling skills the entertaining factor. So with Roman screwing it up I believe the time to push Seth is now and believe me if they do it the WWE will have a new face by the end of the year.
Just my two cents of thought.(sorry for bad english, not my native language)

 

[nwocongo]

Exactly, Cena was never fully accepted by some as the face of the E so I see NO reason for them to put any stock in what a small sector of whiny die hard "fans" think.

If you're still paying for the Network and going to shows News Flash- Vince got your money already therefore your opinion is nothing to him. So to The Marks with signs like the classic " don't mute our voices, we pay for this" get over yourselves. That sign shows the stupidity and lack of logic from that group of fans. That's translates to- I'm pissed off and I think this sucks but my life is so meaningless I will continue to sink my paychecks into traveling to televised events so I can try to chant and put myself over on tv.

The company will be run like this until Vince steps down and possibly after. So ya know sit back and enjoy wrestlng for what it is, if the top guy isn't to your liking, STOP WATCHING and find something else to do with your life. I've taken a couple of year plus sabbatical's from WWE and I did not lose any sleep.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

I'm of the opinion WWE should at least try to revert to the sort of strategy they had during the Attitude Era in which there wasn't any single guy designated as the "face" of the company. Instead, there were around half a dozen or so guys who had been sufficiently built up to the point where they could step into the top spot if necessary; Austin and the Rock are probably viewed as the two top guys of the Attitude Era, and rightly so, but they weren't built to such a degree that it was laughable for a good number of other wrestlers to step up when needed, like if one or were out injured or just needed time off. Aside from Austin & the Rock, there were guys like Taker, Foley, Jericho, Angle, Triple H and possibly a few others who had the credibility because they'd been built enough.

For the last decade or so, John Cena has been built up and simultaneously protected to such an extraordinary agree that it's become almost a reflex for many of us to scoff or roll our eyes whenever it's suggested that someone younger, fresher, etc. can/will/should take Cena's spot. The one guy that we've gotten something of an inkling as far as taking Cena's spot is Roman Reigns and look how that's turned out. Vince attempted, at various points, try to use a similar formula with Reignas as has been used with Cena only to be met with near industry wide criticism, fans haven't embraced Reigns for a variety of reason as the new "Cena", including that Roman Reigns isn't remotely as strong as Cena inside the ring and has almost no charisma to speak of. Also, Reigns' credibility is all but shot now that he's failed a drug test which, quite frankly, has many fan shouting for joy as they're hoping that it's the end of what some have termed the Roman Reigns Experiement.

When you look at the main and NXT rosters, there are guys who're hugely over and embraced by fans, whether heel or face. Ambrose, Rollins, Cesaro, Zayn, Owens, Rusev, New Day and AJ Styles are all guys that fans have really embraced or, at least, has a ton of potential, so why go the route of one guy getting booked and protected to such a degree at WWE finds themselves right back in the same mess? You've also got guy like Big Cass & Enzo who're making waves, guys currently in NXT who're also getting rave reviews all over the place that can be brought up at any time like Balor, Nakamura and American Alpha. I'm not saying there's not more money in some of them than in others, that's just the natre of the game, but I don't see why WWE should once again put most of its eggs all in one basket.

 

[nwocongo]

I'm of the opinion WWE should at least try to revert to the sort of strategy they had during the Attitude Era in which there wasn't any single guy designated as the "face" of the company. Instead, there were around half a dozen or so guys who had been sufficiently built up to the point where they could step into the top spot if necessary; Austin and the Rock are probably viewed as the two top guys of the Attitude Era, and rightly so, but they weren't built to such a degree that it was laughable for a good number of other wrestlers to step up when needed, like if one or were out injured or just needed time off. Aside from Austin & the Rock, there were guys like Taker, Foley, Jericho, Angle, Triple H and possibly a few others who had the credibility because they'd been built enough.

For the last decade or so, John Cena has been built up and simultaneously protected to such an extraordinary agree that it's become almost a reflex for many of us to scoff or roll our eyes whenever it's suggested that someone younger, fresher, etc. can/will/should take Cena's spot. The one guy that we've gotten something of an inkling as far as taking Cena's spot is Roman Reigns and look how that's turned out. Vince attempted, at various points, try to use a similar formula with Reignas as has been used with Cena only to be met with near industry wide criticism, fans haven't embraced Reigns for a variety of reason as the new "Cena", including that Roman Reigns isn't remotely as strong as Cena inside the ring and has almost no charisma to speak of. Also, Reigns' credibility is all but shot now that he's failed a drug test which, quite frankly, has many fan shouting for joy as they're hoping that it's the end of what some have termed the Roman Reigns Experiement.

When you look at the main and NXT rosters, there are guys who're hugely over and embraced by fans, whether heel or face. Ambrose, Rollins, Cesaro, Zayn, Owens, Rusev, New Day and AJ Styles are all guys that fans have really embraced or, at least, has a ton of potential, so why go the route of one guy getting booked and protected to such a degree at WWE finds themselves right back in the same mess? You've also got guy like Big Cass & Enzo who're making waves, guys currently in NXT who're also getting rave reviews all over the place that can be brought up at any time like Balor, Nakamura and American Alpha. I'm not saying there's not more money in some of them than in others, that's just the natre of the game, but I don't see why WWE should once again put most of its eggs all in one basket.

Very good points, if the WWE continues their current trend of only being able to push one superstar as the main eventer, we will continue to see these Wrestlemania gimmick matches and returns. They seem to be trying to go in the direction of having a more well rounded main event and upper mid card scene. I suppose we wil have to wait and see if the "New Era" is just a phrase they are throwing around or if they intend to make the most of the roster and have some variety at the top of the card.

 

[Navi]

I think JH has hit the nail on the head. There is no reason to have another John Cena, we've already had 10 years of him. Not that I'm complaining but a lot of others are. Yes he sells a lot of merchandise and brings in lots of money for the WWE, but let's face it if given half a chance other's would as well. When you go to a house show half of the merchandise at the booth has Cena's name on it. There are upmteen different shirts, wristbands, caps you name it. You'll be lucky to find one t-shirt for some other wrestlers.

But that is only a small part of the the problem. When you push one guy like the WWE did with Cena and now with Reigns, they have basically painted themselves into a corner. It's like this is the guy we want, doesn't matter who you want, this is our guy and you will like it. Well that doesn't sit well with a number of people, they rebel against it. Remember the YES movement anyone? When you push someone as hard as they do, and give you no other choice, you can either put up with it or leave. Maybe that's why house show attendance and ratings are down, people have had enough.

What the WWE should do is have a small group of main event talent that can feud with each other and others, and gives them some credibility. Ambrose, Rollins, Reigns, Owens, Zayn, Nakamura, Balor, Cesaro, Cena and Orton are the names I would throw into the hat. They don't have to be feuding for the title all the time either, Cena reinvented himself this year with his US Open challenges, they were the highlight of most RAW's. Nothing wrong with taking a step down every once in awhile.

These are tried and true wrestlers that can be counted on to go out a put on quality matches, because let's face it that what we want, to be entertained. Now I'm not saying that the belt would be handed around like a hot potato but if your favourite is in the mix for a title run, that's all good. The way it's been the last year or so is we'll push this guy and that's about it.

No wonder we are seeing wrestlers getting discouraged and wanting to leave and fans not bothering to tune in anymore. Shame really because it hurts everyone on the roster when people turn their backs, but sometimes that's the only way to get the message across.

 

[@smarkmouth]

WWE trying to have a face of the company is the poster-study for having your cake and eating it, too. If my understanding of history is correct, WWE moved away from having one face of it's brand when his marquee, Hulk Hogan, turned coat. This was one of the major catalysts which caused Vince to promote the WWE brand rather than a star. As Jack-Hammer pointed out, that's when WWE was arguably at it's best.

Here we are, over a decade removed from the Attitude era. Vince et al promote WWE above all else, and they should. Nonetheless, despite shifting the marquee from one star to "WWE", they still build their programming behind a John Cena. In my own tastes, wrestling works best when it's an ensemble piece, and not the Cena Show or the Hogan Show. The Attitude Era exemplified that.

I think we all agree that WWE is shifting away from "the Cena Show" due to a handful of circumstances. Funny enough, in this transition, I'm unsure if we're moving to someone elses one man show, or one which celebrates a handful of moving pieces.

 

[The Samoan Heritage]

I'm of the opinion WWE should at least try to revert to the sort of strategy they had during the Attitude Era in which there wasn't any single guy designated as the "face" of the company. Instead, there were around half a dozen or so guys who had been sufficiently built up to the point where they could step into the top spot if necessary; Austin and the Rock are probably viewed as the two top guys of the Attitude Era, and rightly so, but they weren't built to such a degree that it was laughable for a good number of other wrestlers to step up when needed, like if one or were out injured or just needed time off. Aside from Austin & the Rock, there were guys like Taker, Foley, Jericho, Angle, Triple H and possibly a few others who had the credibility because they'd been built enough.

I agree with you, and think wwe needs to focus on their ENTIRE roster and not just the main guys.
I do have to disagree though with the assumption that wwe has only been pushing Cena as the top guy.

The difference is Cena has been at the top for the past 10 years, while Austin was only at the top for 5.
Austin had Rock, HHH, Taker, Shawn, Angle, and Foley all guys who could've replaced him if needed.

If we would split Cena's time at the top
Years 1-5 saw the pushes of Edge, Orton, Mysterio, Jeff, Batista, Lashley, (and Kennedy), all guys who could've replaced Cena at some point.

Now his last few years weren't so great, but one could argue there hasn't been many good enough to replace him. Even with that said, Years 6-10 saw the pushes of guys like Punk and Bryan at the top and the emergence of guys like Reigns, Rollins, and Ambrose(?).

Nevertheless I do agree with everything else. Wwe needs to go back to the attitude era like booking. I don't mean the constant swerves and silly backstage antics, though I wouldn't mind seeing a few things brought back. I mean in terms of having every part of the show relevant. That is something that has been missing for years! If it isn't the main event, it isn't given any real attention. Wwe has awesome talent in EVERY division now. Enough with focusing entire shows only around the main event guys, while throwing the mid carders in repeat(thinking having the same guys wrestle each other every week is enough to build a feud).

As for as the OP, I don't really care who the top face is, as I actually feel wwe needs someone like Cena that they know they can always depend on. Personally I feel like Rollins is that guy, but things may be changing with the introduction of Ambrose to the top. Who ever wwe choices as the top guy wouldn't be such a huge deal if they would focus on the rest of the card.
The issue is that we see the main event guys like 10 times a night! Give Reigns/Rollins 5 minutes to promote the main event, and then the main event. The rest of the 8 time they would be on should be used to give storyline developement to feuds like Sheamus/Crews and Natayla/Becky.

 

[lil steroid meat]

I'm of the opinion WWE should at least try to revert to the sort of strategy they had during the Attitude Era in which there wasn't any single guy designated as the "face" of the company. Instead, there were around half a dozen or so guys who had been sufficiently built up to the point where they could step into the top spot if necessary; Austin and the Rock are probably viewed as the two top guys of the Attitude Era, and rightly so, but they weren't built to such a degree that it was laughable for a good number of other wrestlers to step up when needed, like if one or were out injured or just needed time off. Aside from Austin & the Rock, there were guys like Taker, Foley, Jericho, Angle, Triple H and possibly a few others who had the credibility because they'd been built enough.

For the last decade or so, John Cena has been built up and simultaneously protected to such an extraordinary agree that it's become almost a reflex for many of us to scoff or roll our eyes whenever it's suggested that someone younger, fresher, etc. can/will/should take Cena's spot. The one guy that we've gotten something of an inkling as far as taking Cena's spot is Roman Reigns and look how that's turned out. Vince attempted, at various points, try to use a similar formula with Reignas as has been used with Cena only to be met with near industry wide criticism, fans haven't embraced Reigns for a variety of reason as the new "Cena", including that Roman Reigns isn't remotely as strong as Cena inside the ring and has almost no charisma to speak of. Also, Reigns' credibility is all but shot now that he's failed a drug test which, quite frankly, has many fan shouting for joy as they're hoping that it's the end of what some have termed the Roman Reigns Experiement.

When you look at the main and NXT rosters, there are guys who're hugely over and embraced by fans, whether heel or face. Ambrose, Rollins, Cesaro, Zayn, Owens, Rusev, New Day and AJ Styles are all guys that fans have really embraced or, at least, has a ton of potential, so why go the route of one guy getting booked and protected to such a degree at WWE finds themselves right back in the same mess? You've also got guy like Big Cass & Enzo who're making waves, guys currently in NXT who're also getting rave reviews all over the place that can be brought up at any time like Balor, Nakamura and American Alpha. I'm not saying there's not more money in some of them than in others, that's just the natre of the game, but I don't see why WWE should once again put most of its eggs all in one basket.

Bingo.

WWE only really put effort into Cena as the top guy, and Orton and Batista as contemporaries directly below them and their lack of true stars created over the past decade can directly be attributed to that.

Instead of one guy to be "the guy", how about let's allow 6-8 guys to flourish and be consistent main event fixtures. There is more talent than ever on the roster, there is no reason that there shouldn't be 5 or 6 top guys on each show. Having one guy be the face of the company is an outdated premise that worked when you wrestled once a month in the 80's with Hogan. Now that gets stale quickly.

Hopefully Roman failing the drug test showed them that putting all their eggs in one basket is a terrible idea. They got lucky in finding a lowkey dude like Cena who never really had a scandal or bad PR.

 

[Mantaur Rodeo Clown]

This whole 'face' of the company is a line fed to you by WWE to make you content with their shithouse booking where they only push one guy and can just have midcarders trade wins like they've clicked auto-booker on EWR.

An actual good wrestling company would have many memorable faces and characters. Guys like Big Bossman in 1990 or Kane in 2000 were as over and recognizable to fans as Roman Reigns is now, and they certainly weren't the "face of the WWF".

 

[nwocongo]

This whole 'face' of the company is a line fed to you by WWE to make you content with their shithouse booking where they only push one guy and can just have midcarders trade wins like they've clicked auto-booker on EWR.

An actual good wrestling company would have many memorable faces and characters. Guys like Big Bossman in 1990 or Kane in 2000 were as over and recognizable to fans as Roman Reigns is now, and they certainly weren't the "face of the WWF".

Eggs zackly. All the pieces are there, Cesaro could be huge if they booked him stronger, but we know how Vince feels about him. ADR could be huge if they weren't deadest on keeping him a heel and not pushing him to the level he was in his first run (maybe some kind of backstage beef due to his wrongful termination and how he spoke out about it). Rusev, Bray Wyatt, KO the list goes on and on.

Basically all the guys in the last MITB ladder match could be big names/draws in the main event/upper mid card but for whatever reason most of them have been doomed to the 50/50 trading wins garbage that keeps everyone in that mid card limbo. With the talent they have right now there is absolutely no reason the IC title could not be a huge deal right now, but nope for some reason we have the champ off filming a god awful movie while guys who could make that title mean what it meant back in the days when Razor, Shawn, Diesel, Bret and Mr. Perfect where fighting for it are now stuck spinning their wheels.

I can't pass up another chance to shit on the miz...Ironic that Razor had to leave the company to have any free time with his family when he was one of the most over guys they had at the time, now Mike "kiss ass reality tv ****e" Mizanin can leave for who knows how long while holding the title to film a straight to tv movie. The guy's lackey was more over than he was for fuck's sake, now Aaron Stevens is on to possibly bigger and better things than kissing Vince's ass so good for him.
And yes X Pac does rule.

 

[rbv13]

The next face of the company will be presented as driven, highly intelligent and a hardworking individual that can reach new demographics. The new face of the company has seen the industry evolve from the Rock n Wrestling Era through today's product. WWE has begun the build for the new face of company and soon we will see these efforts go into over drive. The next face of the company is Stephanie McMahon.

 

[BestSportsEntertainer]

How are we to blame? It's WWE's fault.

If they gave Reigns some character development (such as changing his entrance music or ring attire), not pushed him so hard (he was handed countless accomplishments), and not made him into an underdog (when he was clearly not), then maybe he would be over. What if he gained some actual mic skills for once? What if he wasn't extremely uncomfortable on the mic? What if they didn't try to make him into the next Cena, who never does anything wrong, when everything about him screams 'badass assassin'? WWE had a chance, and they blew it. And that's my fault? I (and many others) didn't accept Reigns as 'face of the company' because of these reasons. How is that my fault?

Besides WWE needs a bunch of 'faces of the company', so to speak. Multiple guys that can switch in and out as the top guy. Such as Ambrose, Reigns, Rollins, Styles, Wyatt, Zayn, Owens, Cesaro. Fans aren't going to accept one guy for 10 years because everyone will get held back. In the Attitude Era, it wasn't just Stone Cold. It was Rock, Kane, Taker, Foley, HHH, Angle, Jericho, Benoit, etc. The list goes on. It needs to be like that today.

 

[Deoxyribonucleic A.C.I.D.]

I'm of the opinion WWE should at least try to revert to the sort of strategy they had during the Attitude Era in which there wasn't any single guy designated as the "face" of the company. Instead, there were around half a dozen or so guys who had been sufficiently built up to the point where they could step into the top spot if necessary; Austin and the Rock are probably viewed as the two top guys of the Attitude Era, and rightly so, but they weren't built to such a degree that it was laughable for a good number of other wrestlers to step up when needed, like if one or were out injured or just needed time off. Aside from Austin & the Rock, there were guys like Taker, Foley, Jericho, Angle, Triple H and possibly a few others who had the credibility because they'd been built enough.

For the last decade or so, John Cena has been built up and simultaneously protected to such an extraordinary agree that it's become almost a reflex for many of us to scoff or roll our eyes whenever it's suggested that someone younger, fresher, etc. can/will/should take Cena's spot. The one guy that we've gotten something of an inkling as far as taking Cena's spot is Roman Reigns and look how that's turned out. Vince attempted, at various points, try to use a similar formula with Reignas as has been used with Cena only to be met with near industry wide criticism, fans haven't embraced Reigns for a variety of reason as the new "Cena", including that Roman Reigns isn't remotely as strong as Cena inside the ring and has almost no charisma to speak of. Also, Reigns' credibility is all but shot now that he's failed a drug test which, quite frankly, has many fan shouting for joy as they're hoping that it's the end of what some have termed the Roman Reigns Experiement.

When you look at the main and NXT rosters, there are guys who're hugely over and embraced by fans, whether heel or face. Ambrose, Rollins, Cesaro, Zayn, Owens, Rusev, New Day and AJ Styles are all guys that fans have really embraced or, at least, has a ton of potential, so why go the route of one guy getting booked and protected to such a degree at WWE finds themselves right back in the same mess? You've also got guy like Big Cass & Enzo who're making waves, guys currently in NXT who're also getting rave reviews all over the place that can be brought up at any time like Balor, Nakamura and American Alpha. I'm not saying there's not more money in some of them than in others, that's just the natre of the game, but I don't see why WWE should once again put most of its eggs all in one basket.

I don't think that the WWE had multiple top guys during the AE. Up until 1999, Austin was the man. Second to him was Undertaker, but Undertaker was never considered the face of the company like Austin was. Rock and Triple H didn't break through up until 2000, when Austin was injured. Mankind was just a flash in a pan. Austin was the man and that's why the main events of 1998 and 1999 were always placed around him in some capacity.

Rock came into Austin's level in 2001 and Austin's injury helped him greatly. Actually, 2001 was the only time WWE had TWO mega stars in the same show at the same time.

But I agree with your overall reasoning. I don't think that the WWE needs one top guy. I have always thought that Te Shield should become the face of the company. All three of them being the top dogs.

From the rest of the roster, I can see Owens and Wyatt becoming big heels in the future and Balor also a top face. These 6 guys are for me the ones with the most potential.

But for me, given the state the WWE is right now, they should just throw all their young stars in the arena and see who can survive. Not push whoever they like. Something like a "Deathmatch". The one who comes out as the best and the most popular, should become the face of the company, having the support of both the fans and the WWE.

 

[Messiah]

Cena can't give that position to anyone.. It's up to the fans to make these guys bigger stars.. Buy their merchandise, bring signs to the event. Show that you care about these people.. Cena has been outselling everyone for year's.. WWE is trying to put Roman Reigns in his spot, but the fans ain't having it either.. No matter who they put in that top spot, they'll be disliked by the internet fans.

 

[ShinChan]

I agree that there shouldn't be focus on a single person.

WWE has atleast 8-10 talented wrestlers to fill the main event region.

Rollins, Ambrose, AJ Styles, Cesaro, Owens, Zayn, Reigns, Balor, Nakamura, Rusev etc can easily do so.

Both WWE and we would be content with such variety at main event level.

 

[justinept]

Sorry, but I view this topic and situation completely different from most...

For starters, anyone that thinks Rock and Austin weren't the absolute face of the company during the AE is lying to further whatever narrative their trying to tell. People showed up to house shows to see those two. They didn't show up to see The Undertaker, Foley, or Kane. People tuned in to Raw to see those two. They didn't tune in to see Angle, Triple H, or Jericho. Does that mean people weren't invested in Taker, Foley, Kane, Angle, Triple H or Jericho? Certainly not. They were absolutely a part of the eras overall success. But notice what happened in 2002 when Austin and Rock were mostly done with wrestling. It's been a 14-year lull period where ratings have dropped on a yearly basis, house show attendance has gone down, and the overall interest in the product has waned to the level it was at prior to Austin's rise.

This is something the IWC ignores when talking about the face of the company. There will ALWAYS be one. No matter how bad business is, no matter how little people care about the product, the WWE will always have one guy that gets more exposure than everyone else. There will always be one guy that is used more to promote the company than anyone else - the guy that hits the national talk show circuit, the guy that does the award shows, the guy who is pushed into the mainstream pop culture beyond everyone else on the roster.

Now some face of the company guys might not be as good as others, but that doesn't mean they weren't the face of the company. It's like a baseball team. Every team has a number 1 starter by default. But not every team has an ace. Most eras in WWE history have lacked that ace. This current one is no exception.

When the face of the company succeeds, business booms. It's during these times that the entire product becomes ingrained into the pop culture, and as a result, national outlets turn to the next tier of guys for media opportunities (especially since the face of the company becomes even more difficult to book). That's why you saw so many wrestlers get national attention during the AE. The product was so hot, and Austin/Rock were so in demand, that a lot of outlets "settled" for guys like Foley, Triple H and Jericho when they couldn't book Austin or The Rock. The same thing happened in the 80s when Hogan was the face of the company. His success helped launch guys like Piper and Savage into the pop culture. Does that mean that the 80s was a team effort with no face of the company? Hell no. It was Hogan. Everyone knows that!

But when you don't have an elite face of the company, these opportunities are few and far between for the guy not being pushed the hardest by the company. Remember Michaels and Hart's turns as the face? It didn't work out so well. Ratings sagged. Attendance dropped. Interest waned. And while Hart and Michaels were both taking turns doing b-level TV shows, the rest of the guys on the roster were getting little love at all from the world outside pro wrestling. Because Hart and Michaels lacked in star power, the rest of the guys on the roster had no chance of growing their star. And that lack of star power is why you had Lawrence Taylor wrestling the main event of a WrestleMania...

It's similar today. Cena has actually done a decent job of breaking into the main stream lately with roles in Trainwreck, Sisters, and Daddy's Home. But his star hasn't grown near the level of an Austin, Rock, or Hogan - and as a result, there hasn't been room for the rest of the roster to grow beyond the WWE product... or products produced by Universal (their TV partner). This, mind you, is why we keep getting part timers working main event matches at WrestleMania...

What's the difference between an elite face of the company and a place holder? Place holders are guys who either get great reactions from the live TV audience or they help sell the most tickets to house shows. Hart and Michaels got great reactions on TV, but their house show numbers were awful. Cena sells the shit out of house shows, but his reception from the TV audience dampens his star.

Honestly, this is another thing the IWC takes for granted. We think the WWE is tone deaf to its audience. But we don't see the audience 95% of the time. Just this week, Stephanie McMahon made a statement that they use house shows as test audiences. They see what's working when the cameras aren't rolling, and then they use that to write their TV shows. Why was Reigns the champ? Because he was working the main events at the higher-drawing house show (they typically run 2 at a time), and he was getting great reactions. Why did fans think the WWE was ignoring them? Because the guy was getting booed out of buildings during live tapings. And why was the belt taken off him? Well, possibly because his house show numbers were dragging while the shows headlined by Ambrose were outdrawing his.

Now, there's no good way to find an elite face of the company. They're the rarest things in pro wrestling. Again, there have been only 3 in 30 years! But the WWE needs to keep trying to find one because when they have one, business explodes and everyone feels like a bigger star. But when they don't, the product sags and everyone gets overshadowed by 'nostalgic celebrity' acts at WrestleMania.

 

[shooter_mcgavin]

The face of the company is the "WWE Brand" it might sound witty but that's the way I see it right now.

Sure the WWE will try to have Cena, Reigns, or someone else as the one front and center for PR and Marketing related event but at the end of the day the WWE Brand has positioned itself strong enough that it does not have to rely on a specific superstar to be the face of the WWE.

Actually this is why I can never see Cena as on the same level as The Rock, Austin, or Hogan. Those three were the faces of the WWE because the direction of the company depended on them, while Cena was more like a spoke person or the face of the direction the company was already starting to take.

In the end though Vince probably see this for the best business wise. Where the WWE brand can never be eclipsed by any of it's stars where they can just feel they can walk away and not need the WWE.

I think this was seen with the WWE's paranoia when The Rock was becoming so big that he might leave the WWE to pursuit acting. Even Steve Austin said it in his podcast that he felt there were times when the WWE was doing things to try purposely cool him down bit.

It seems the WWE has always tried to find an opportunity to be at a point when a star, no matter what spot in the card they are in, can never surpass the WWE. And I think now they have done it and I don't see that changing for a long time.

So my answer the face of the company is the "WWE" name.

 

[justinept]

Actually this is why I can never see Cena as on the same level as The Rock, Austin, or Hogan. Those three were the faces of the WWE because the direction of the company depended on them, while Cena was more like a spoke person or the face of the direction the company was already starting to take.

In fairness, the direction of the company is fairly dependent on Cena's character direction. It fits the PG Era just as well as Austin/Rock fit the Attitude Era.

In the end though Vince probably see this for the best business wise. Where the WWE brand can never be eclipsed by any of it's stars where they can just feel they can walk away and not need the WWE.

I think this was seen with the WWE's paranoia when The Rock was becoming so big that he might leave the WWE to pursuit acting. Even Steve Austin said it in his podcast that he felt there were times when the WWE was doing things to try purposely cool him down bit.

It's not a bad thought. Piper's book made this point about a decade ago when he mentioned the WWF was the first wrestling promotion not to put wrestler's names on the marquee. Instead, the event was sold on the strength of the WWF logo that was on the marquees.

A few more notes, though -

1) The Rock wouldn't have created this paranoia. Lesnar was tapped to replace The Rock as the face of the company. The company invested millions of dollars into promoting him to take that torch. Then he bailed. I'd be more apt to believe that Lesnar created the paranoia, but even then, I'd be skeptical because...

2) Hogan left in 1994. He took his WWF-marketed star power and used it to beat the shit out of McMahon in the MNWs. He nearly bankrupt the old man in the mid 90's. If that didn't scare McMahon into not wanting to promote guys ahead of the company, then nothing will.