The *Official* John Cena Thread

[Little Jerry Lawler]

LITTLE JERRY LAWLER, I LOVE DEBATING WITH YOU!


1.to your response about faces being in the home town,yes you are right,3 out of about 40 ppv's he has been on are home town of people,all the others are neutral,i mean the bash and judgement day 09 were both neutral,and he was booed.
royal rumble 08 and wrestlemania 08 were neutral,still booed,even summerslam 06 in CENA'S HOMETOWN, vs orton he was booed,bring something stronger than that.

2.As for the face opinion,apart from wrestlemania 23 summerslam 08 night of champions 08,and great american bash 07,all the others have been against heels,that is 4 out around 50 ppv's you are talking about,a low percentage wouldn't you agree?!? I mean you like rey mysterio,another poster boy of wwe which is cool, but what is the difference between mysterio and cena? why do people cheer rey but not cena? because some fans, the iwc,and myself can see true natural wrestling talent and not just showmanship. It is simple ljl, you like cena and anyone who does not like him regardless off if it is a good point or not,you won't agree........I LIKE THAT!

I hear from posters up and down this forum that Hogan didn't have enough wrestling talent and only knows a small number of moves yet he gets cheered as a face and booed as a heel. The IWC praises the heels so much that it is harder to be a face these days. Cena is doing the best he can but when he goes againsts heels like Orton and Edge who are labeled "cool", he gets booed. I would suppose part of it was that he kept changing gimmicks from "Hustle, Loyalty, Respect" to the Marine to really not a gimmick at all. Even Austin during his heel run was cheered most of the time so I'm not going to hold it against Cena when it is the other way around.

 

[Chill]

Where is some evidence that shows Cena is sloppy in the ring. If you can't prove that, then you don't have much of an argument.

This isn't an example highlighting that Cena is sloppy in the ring as such, but more an example of general incompetence. Watch his match with Big Show at Extreme Rules 2009. As usual, Cena went for his leg drop from the top rope but in hilarious fashion he completely misjudges it and he overshot the Big Show. How can someone miss something like that, especially considering the size of the Big Show? That wasn't supposed to happen. They may have shown it from a different angle on the DVD release but for those who watched the PPV live, you'll know what I mean.

Nonetheless, it's possible that this was just a one off mistake but I just wanted to throw it out there as an example of an event were Cena's in ring work can be evaluated and put under the microscope (and remember I'm no expert, I'm very conscious of the fact that it's very easy for me to sit on my computer and act like I know what I'm talking about, this is simply an opinion).

Overall, I've posted elsewhere in this thread and I gave my opinion of Cena and I still maintain that he has a passion and work rate that is admirable and despite his shortcomings (which every wrestler has by the way), I still think he's the best choice to be the face of the company. He's entertaining, he shifts the merch, he gets the audience emotionally involved whether he elicits boos or cheers and is capable of pulling off some great matches, especially when given some quality opposition to work with.

 

[Travaje]

Cena, Cena, Cena.....

It's too bad he's so popular and is the WWE's biggest draw, because I think he has the potential to be the WWE's biggest heel. He's just sooooo hated! He's got the verbal skills to draw heat, no doubt. It really isn't much of a surprise he keeps getting booed and Randy Orton is slowing starting to get over.

It's not going to happen, though. I was born in 1980, so I was just a kid when Hulk Hogan was ruling the WWE. And I couldn't stand him. I thought he couldn't wrestle, was boring, resented that he always won, hated his promos, and so on. I was never a Hulkamaniac and had they turned him heel back then, I would have booed him more than everybody. But that was never going to happen, because Hulk drew the most money. He sold the most merchandise. He was the most mainstream, followed by people who aren't really wrestling fans but if they know one guy, they know him. He was the guy who made movies and did TV appearances. And his biggest fanbase was children.

John Cena is the new Hulk Hogan. Nobody else comes even close. Trips is smart enough to know he's not that guy, so I give him credit. Cena's on top. There's always going to be a percentage of people that feel about him like I did about Hogan. And like I had to, you're just going to have to deal, because it's not going to change.

 

[LSN80]

I started watching wrestling again because of John Cena. Ive driven long distances to see John Cena wrestle. Many of my favorite matches include Cena, including his TLC match w Edge, his Raw match in England w HBK and his IronMan match with Randy Orton. John Cena understands the psychology of wrestling better then 90% of the wrestlers wholve ever lived. The man sells well. He puts guys over. He gets the crowd excited. He can cut a goofball promo one week, and a serious badass promo the next. I know the threads a bit old, but I voted as a Cena fanatic.

For those that say Cena is sloppy in the ring, where exactly? Who in his career has he injured due to his slopiness? Noone comes to mind. Got a video that shows hes sloppy or careless? Id love to see it.

 

[''The Icon'' Chris]

I'll just say what I voted in the poll.

I dislike John Cena the character, but I respect John Cena the man.

I used to like him when he was the Doctor of Thuganomics, but these days his character is stale and repetetive.

 

[The Viper]

here's my opinion. Cena doesn't suck, but he also isn't good, he's ok. he is ok in the ring, he is a great entertainer for kids but boring for adults, im sure the poster of this thread will shit talk me here cuz he seems to have done that to pretty much everyone who replied which is kinda dumb cuz its just an opinion and nothing else, nobody is right, he isn't right, im not right, we just all have opinions, there is no right or wrong in this question.

 

[hidalgo]

i like Cena, he's a likable guy. he's not a great wrestler, but only avg. he more than makes up for it in charisma, and intensity. i understand why they push him so much, he's got that "it" factor like Hogan, stone cold, the rock, etc

 

[littlered1]

I'M PRESONALLY THRILLED THAT CENA IS THE NEW CHAMP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I THINK HE HAS WORKED VERY HARD AT BEING THE BEST. I WASN'T ABLE TO WATCH THE SHOW LAST NIGHT , BUT AFTER FINDING OUT THAT HE WON, I' M VERY HAPPY. I THINK HE DESERVES IT AND HAS WORKED FOR IT, UNLIKE SHAMEUS. I THOUGHT FROM DAY ONE THAT HE WAS JUST ANOTHER OF TRIPLE H'S FRIENDS WHO THEY WANTED TO HELP. I'M ALL FOR NEW TALLENT, BUT SHAMEOS WAS JUST A JOKE. HE DIDN;T DESERVE THE CHANCE AT THE TITLE! HE HADN;T EARNED IT.

 

[Theo Mays]

Littlered, you do know that Cena lost the title to Batista right?

Anyways I was actually rooting for Cena in the match and I loved the swerve of giving the belt to Batista. It just furthers the feud between this two and really sets up a match at Mania. Over the course of the last year or so I've grown to Cena. I've always respected him, but never really cared much for him. But he is growing on me and I think he is one of the best on the stick in the business and he has improved his in ring ability. Love him or hate him, he deserves respect and will be the face of the WWE for a long time.

 

[JCE]

This isn't an example highlighting that Cena is sloppy in the ring as such, but more an example of general incompetence. Watch his match with Big Show at Extreme Rules 2009. As usual, Cena went for his leg drop from the top rope but in hilarious fashion he completely misjudges it and he overshot the Big Show. How can someone miss something like that, especially considering the size of the Big Show?

......Now that's pricless!!!

Cena is the biggest waste of charisma the WWE has ever had. His character is a rip off of a modern day Hogan, his ring skills like hogan blow donkey's for quarters, however like Hogan his mic skills and charisma are gold....wait platnium! People "hate" him because hes a kiss ass to the fans (like hogan!) to me a great face shouldnt ever have to get cheap pops from the fans ala foley and hogan (umung others). I would'nt have a problem with him if it wasnt for this. Austin, The rock, HBK, HHH, Flair never had to come out night after night and talk about how much they love the fans, to support the troops, blah blah blah! Were any of these guys above doin the troop thing in the first war in iraq in the 90's......dont worry ill wait for an answer.............


Cena is rapidly falling under the catagory as a fake, he's too perfect, too strong, nothing in his life can go wrong which makes people dispise him he needs a flaw like all HOF faces had. HBK cocky arrogant loved women persona, HHH extemly agressive angermanagement, Flair greedy with $ women party animal, austin alcoholic didnt take orders renagade. Cena needs some flaw that relates him with the fans!!! This is how all "faces" heros ect are created so we the "ADULT" fans can relate to them. As long as Cena is marketed to us as "superman" people will continue to hate him no matter what he does inculding me.

 

[Datdude2485]

I know some people might have some very passionate opinions on to why Cena is a bad wrestler but please just hear me out. The first thing people seem to mention when criticizing Cena is that he's a bad wrestler. Imo thats a bit harsh and a little unfair. Take Triple H for example. He has his spinebuster, front knee face, and pedigree that he's been doing for years now and no one ever screams out he's a bad wrestler. In fact, I don't know any moves that Triple H can do that Cena can't. But on the other hand, Cena does a leg drop from the top turnbuckle. When's the last time anyone has seen Triple H jump off the top turnbuckle? I'm not saying its a necessity for Triple H to jump off the turnbuckle or that makes Cena better because thats certainly not the case. Even if it wasn't for his past quad injuries Triple H has never really used an aerial move in his move set. And imo thats the main issue for Cena, not his wrestling ability so to speak but his move set. If Cena took a little time to learn and add new moves when he wrestles would anyone think he's a bad wrestler. I mean just because he probably can't do a moonsault or isn't a mat technician doesn't mean he can't wrestle. Those moves don't even fit his gimmick. It certainly doesn't fit Triple H to jump off a turnbuckle and that simply is why he doesn't need to do it. I don't mind if people don't like Cena because he wins a lot or because their tired of the same moves he does. Just because you do the same moves in your match doesn't make you a bad wrestler. Everyone does it. Everyone has the same 4-5 moves they do everytime they wrestle. But over the years Cena continually gets labeled as the guy who can't wrestle and stays at the top. Imo I just think its a little harsh and unfair that because a lot of fans dont like him they go to his wrestling ability as the first thing why they don't like him. I mean his move set probably deserves a little criticism, but is Cena's wrestling ability as bad as people claim it is?

 

[Mr_Ab_Fab]

In my opinion wrestling is not just about moves. You have to be able to tell a story which John Cena can do but then makes the story irrelevant when he hulks up and becomes superman, then after he's won the match he acts all knackered like he struggled to win. Its the predictability of cenas moves as well i think. You can pretty much predict cenas matches from start to finish. Cena starts strong, gets beaten up a bit, then it looks like his oppenent might win cena suddenly gets a burst f energy and bam shoulder bock shoulder block, can't c me, f-u match over.

 

[Little Jerry Lawler]

In my opinion wrestling is not just about moves. You have to be able to tell a story which John Cena can do but then makes the story irrelevant when he hulks up and becomes superman, then after he's won the match he acts all knackered like he struggled to win. Its the predictability of cenas moves as well i think. You can pretty much predict cenas matches from start to finish. Cena starts strong, gets beaten up a bit, then it looks like his oppenent might win cena suddenly gets a burst f energy and bam shoulder bock shoulder block, can't c me, f-u match over.

How does Cena "hulking up" make the story irrelevant because it makes the story more relevant. He gets dominated most of the match which makes the crowd think he won't win it and then he makes his big comeback and wins which makes the crowd excited. Hogan did it for years and years and he didn't suffer from it. Cena is just following the mold and there is nothing wrong with that. Most of the all-time great faces have done it from HBK to Undertaker and Savage. It doesn't make Cena any less of a wrestler but more of a wrestler.

 

[TKO 3:16]

John Cena IS Hulk Hogan.
Now he IS hulk hogan,( agreeing with the poster on top of me) Cena aways has that "moment" that get gets the "rage" and then we all know he's winning after that.
But back on topic, I have to say that his wrestling is NOT that bad, he does have the "limited" moveset, but so do A LOT of other superstars. BUT... You have to use those moves RIGHT, telling the story, making it "believable" IMO Cena going to the top rope is NOT believable, he is just to big to be up there, leave that to the "cursierweights".

 

[The Gribbler]

Okay I will start this post by saying, Can you please use paragraphs, that was a nightmare to read.

Now on topic I think that Cena has improved a great deal since the beginning of his world title monopoly (WM 21) and sometimes does not get the credit he deserves. However he is far from the best wrestler in the company.

He does have a limited moveset but then what main eventer doesn't.

So in short yes, I think the heat he receives from being suck a limited wrestler is largely exaggerated.

Just My Opinion

 

[rko102]

Cena is a bad wrestler. Yes other wrestlers all have their signature moves just like Cena but their matches aren't nearly as predictable as Cena's matches tend to be. The other week on RAW I was naming Cena's moves up until the finish of the match right as it happened...shoulder block, shoulder block, spinning back body drop or wtv it is, you can't see me, attitude adjustment. the little kids might like it but to me it's grown stale and boring to watch. and so what if cena can do a leg drop off the top rope? most of the time he barely gets close enough to the guy for it to look even a bit real. cmon.

 

[BatistrioFlyPunt]

My opinion is the predictability factor, and that is he over-rated as "One of the best wrestlers ever" in the WWE's eyes. He has only a handful of moves which sometimes he can't even sell them correctly. Here is a Cena/Heel match: The Heel beats up on him for 2/3's of the match, then Cena gets some stamina and uses the shoulder block, the neckbreaker, U Can't C me, and then the FU, wins, and that's the end of the show. That's why he is a bad wrestler, and please don't get me started on how else he is bad because I could take all day writing why he is bad in every other form.

 

[Mr_Ab_Fab]

Hulking up makes the story irrelevant because if someone was kicking the living crap out of you for 20 minutes you wouldn't be able to recover that quickly. It makes the other wrestler look weak also. It makes more sense to have an equal match where both men match each other and one gets the clean or dirty win, or if cena is getting the crap kicked out of him to win with a out of nowhere F-U.

 

[Little Jerry Lawler]

Cena is a bad wrestler. Yes other wrestlers all have their signature moves just like Cena but their matches aren't nearly as predictable as Cena's matches tend to be. The other week on RAW I was naming Cena's moves up until the finish of the match right as it happened...shoulder block, shoulder block, spinning back body drop or wtv it is, you can't see me, attitude adjustment. the little kids might like it but to me it's grown stale and boring to watch. and so what if cena can do a leg drop off the top rope? most of the time he barely gets close enough to the guy for it to look even a bit real. cmon.

Are you kidding me? His matches are not the only ones that are predictable. 95-100% of the wrestlers in the WWE have predictable matches and if you are kidding yourself if you think otherwise. So what if you can count the number of moves Cena does? That doesn't mean he is a bad wrestler. You can count the number of moves Hogan, Austin, and the Rock have done so does that make them bad wrestlers as their matches were predictable too?

 

[Little Jerry Lawler]

Hulking up makes the story irrelevant because if someone was kicking the living crap out of you for 20 minutes you wouldn't be able to recover that quickly. It makes the other wrestler look weak also. It makes more sense to have an equal match where both men match each other and one gets the clean or dirty win, or if cena is getting the crap kicked out of him to win with a out of nowhere F-U.

How does it make the other wrestler look weak? If he is facing a heel, then the formula is for the heel to dominate most of the match and then the face makes his dramatic comeback and beat the heel. It's the battle of good vs. evil which has been displayed in wrestling since its inception and that is never going to change. Cena tells that story better than anyone else and that is why he is the top guy in the WWE. What's the point if the heel wins all the time or even if the heel and face dominate an equal part of the match. It makes no point whatsoever.

 

[ZUMBOdriver]

After working main events consistently for five or so years, one can't help but improve in the ring. I see this as the case with Cena. He certainly has a grip on how to work the "WWE main event" style. I'd rather see Cena work as opposed to other WWE main eventers such as Orton and Batista. Keep in mind this is coming from a guy that hated Cena as much as anyone a few years ago and loved the crowd reactions towards him at WM22.

While he has improved, when it comes to technical wrestling Cena is still nothing to write home about. Most of you know how that story goes though. Hogan was no technical marvel and James Gibson could wrestle circles around people. Whose career do you consider more memorable?

In conclusion, the answer to this question depends on one's point of view. If one watches wrestling to see good athletic competition in the ring, that person would think Cena is a bad wrestler. If one watches wrestling for the same reason their grandma watches The Young and The Restless, that person probably thinks Cena is the greatest.

 

[Mr_Ab_Fab]

Another factor which makes a good wrestler is being able to take moves. John Cena never really takes anything. The last thing i saw him take were those kendo stick shots from orton in the i quit match and the only reason he took those so well was because his hands were cuffed up and he couldn't block them.

 

[Big Nick Dudley]

Is John Cena that bad of a wrestler? Yes, I think he is. Does that mean I hate John Cena, the man? No. I have no personal ill will toward him, I just think he's a bad wrestler.

You hear a lot about Cena's limited moveset. Does he have a limited moveset? Yes, I think he does. Does HHH have one? Yes. Did Austin and Rock have a limited number of moves used as well? Yes. My problem with Cena isn't necessarily the amount of moves he uses. It isn't the moves themselves. It is his sloppy, non-caring execution. You take the STFU, for example. This submission has been used by plenty of other guys. It looks painful...when executed by OTHER guys. Cena puts ZERO tork on it. The back is in no way extended. It looks like he is lying on top of someone, waiting for the submission or the next set of moves to begin.

The Attitude Adjustment isn't really as bad as people say it is. I'm not a fan of it, but I don't mind a glorified fireman's carry being used as a finisher. The problem is it has no intensity behind it. It has no "wow" factor. He just sort of dumps someone from his shoulders, very much like a powerslam. Now, when he does it to the Big Show, I think it's sweet.

His set-up moves aren't that great either. I hate his flying shoulder blocks. First of all, he doesn't fly. It doesn't look like he really puts anything behind them. They look weak and rushed. Get some air underneath those shoulder blocks, and really nail someone. I don't mind his brawling, that is usually somewhat decent. Also, he isn't that bad at selling, but I wish he was better at it.

When I see someone compare his moveset to someone like HHH, Austin, or the Rock, I get a little upset. Those guys had/have a ton of intensity behind their moves. Austin looked like he wanted to kill you with every move he had (minus his weak punching). Rock didn't look like he wanted to kill you, but he was big, ellaborate, over the top. He was entertaining. His moves had a lot heart behind them, while Cena just looks as though he going through the motions. HHH uses the same moves, but they are always executed to perfection, which is something I cannot say for John Cena.

Also, Cena doesn't seem interested in improving. And why should he? He's the biggest name in wrestling. Vince doesn't care if he is Bret Hart of HBK in the ring, as long as he sells t-shirts.

I have a lot of respect for John Cena. He is great with kids and does a lot of great work for charity. I also respect the fact that it never seems to bother him that he gets boo'ed by half of the fans, even though he is the company's biggest face. I am sure it does bother him, but not letting people see that is being a good worker. I just wish the guy cared enough to really try and improve and expand his wrestling game.

 

[Thomasrko]

I'm tired seeing John Cena in the main event of Raw, PPV, and Wrestlemainia. He's not great of a wrestler, his match is very predicable, and he does the same move every week Sholder block, five knuckle shuffle, back drop, fisherman suplex, leg drop of the turnbuckle, and the F-U even I can do does moves. Sure he was awsome as a rapper, he acted like a rapper, he did different moves, he was entertaning. Ever since he was drafted to Raw he's acted like a boy scout. He started say stuff like You can't see me, the champ is here(even when he's not the champ), and you want some come get some, for the last 6 years. I don't see why WWE is so big on this guy. WWE do us a favor, change Cena's additude, punch lines, and make him learn some new moves.
Share you'r thoughts!

Rko 4 Life

 

[gremmlinsmith]

Easy: Cena is WWE's cash cow. Cena is today what Hogan was in the 80's. A big, stale superhero gimmick all the kids love.