What if Cena was in Evolution instead of Batista

[thefutureisnow]

How different would John Cena and Batista's career be if the roles had been switched?

What if Cena had been a member of Evolution instead of Dave Batista? Would he be as over as he is today?

What about Dave Batista? Would he still become a world champion, or would he be eventually released?

It is interesting to think what could have happened if Cena was in Evolution rather than Batista.

Or maybe it wouldn't have worked out, Cena wouldn't have as many reigns , and wouldn't be over as a face today?

 

[BatistrioFlyPunt]

I heard that he was going to be released after he was with D-Von if it wasn't for Triple H. I'm not sure though. And Cena wouldn't belong, he couldn't do a suit because he never really has, and he doesn't have that attitude, even as a heel.

 

[Ferbian]

I have to admit I have my doubts that either of their successes would've been so big if the roles were switches.

While John Cena certainly has the build to come off as a enforcer which Batista had, John Cena just didn't / doesn't have that intense look and wrestling style that Batista used to have, Batista was an absolute beast in the ring, an actual animal, as opposed to John Cena, who was far from an actual beast.

John Cena got big on a gimmick of rapping, Batista can't rap, therefore the roles being switched would've absolutely bombed for Batista, and John Cena also, because he doesn't strike me as an enforcer person.

But it could as well be because of the fact that it might be hard to imagine someone's career in another persons shoes, might be for me to say the least, and I simply think that the success of either guys would've absolutely bombed had the roles been switched, and I have my doubts that John Cena would've been able to work alongside the likes of Triple H and Randy Orton back then, as a cohesive unit instead of eventually bitter enemies, where as Batista has proved to be able to do both, but would probably have failed to work alongside some of the power houses that John Cena made his living from fighting.

 

[CraigThe13th]

What a thought provoker, kudos I think Batista would have been a ship in the night if roles were swapped. Maybe got to the level of a Tomko or a Snitsky who debuted around the same(ish) time. Cena in Evolution could have been very interesting, I would like to have known how close this actually could have been to a reality when Flair and Hunter were looking at new talent to start a stable with.

I think we would see a very different John Cena if he did join Evolution. He could have ended up over maybe as a straight up power man who could talk the talk rather than the shorts cap and t shirt marine/rapper has developed into.

Big Dave might have made it, but it would have had to be a hell of a build up similar to his departure from Evolution to do it.

 

[dwith]

Cena would have never of fit in the Evolution group. Batista only got the spot because of his size. He was the enforcer so to speak. Cena imo would have been released already if he would have been in evolution, because he would have failed, and alot of times with WWE instead of finding something different or fresh with the talent, they just get rid of them.

 

[Vanderhook]

They'd both be worse off.

The Evolution stable does not play to Cena's strengths. He can't pull off that style of heel attitude. Conversely, Batista would just fade into obscurity. I remember when I was watching Evolution, Batista always came off as the "Who the hell is this?" guy. He was boring, had no character and was simply just a big dude. It wasn't until he left and they pushed him that he gained momentum. Without Evolution, Batista would be nowhere.

I think a better question would be what would happen if Cena and Orton switched.

 

[dwith]

Still would have been interesting to see where they would both be if the roles were reversed. I'm not a big fan of Batista either way, I just wish he would learn a few more wrestling moves.

 

[Charismatic Edge]

Batista was nobody without Triple H. From November 2004 to April 2005, Triple H almost single handedly made him a star. Think of the Batista character before that. He was just a meathead.

John Cena was already over by then. So...If Cena were in Evolution then he would've ended up excatly like he is now. Batista would've disappeared.

 

[THTRobtaylor]

Cena did get over pretty much from day one with Angle... the Ruthless Agression promo from Vince was kind of the catalyst for him AND Evolution.

Cena would never have worked in the enforcer role as he was more the blue chipper... had he replaced Orton... I think Cena would have been as big as he is today, whereas Orton would have faded into TNA long ago...

Batista was just the biggest body that fit at the time, hence his role in Evolution... had he gone it alone from day one they would have had to have copied the Brock/Goldberg formula... he'd have been fed to Taker at Mania... end of career...

 

[The Scarred One]

Cena wouldn't have fit in Evolution because, personally, I don't think he could pull off the smooth-talking, suit-wearing, arrogant heel that Evolution was made up of. Whereas Triple H, Flair, Orton and Batista were polished, smarmy and poised, Cena was rugged, rough and street. But if he had been in Evolution instead of Batista, he would still be in the same position that he is today.

Batista, on the other hand, would not be as well off. If he was left to fend for himself, than he would've had to become almost like another Goldberg. If it wasn't for Triple H seeing something special in Batista, he would've been out of job almost immediately.

 

[Poop Master Flex]

I think both would of most likely suffered, but Batista would of been an afterthought if he had not been in Evolution.

Lets look at the facts, it was really HHH and Ric Flair that brought out Batista's personality as you could clearly tell that the longer he was in evolution, the better he was getting on a week to week basis (for the first year he was in Evolution he was more of a background player (although injuries certainly played a part in that)). I think through HHH and Flairs efforts Batista was able to learn more about the business, what it was about, how to get over with fans, put on a decent match, all of these things were instilled into Batista by flair and hunter (don't believe me, watch Batista before he was in Evolution, then watch him literally grow through his time in Evolution and now look at where he is), Batista gets a HUGE nod for listening and being able to pick up all this knowledge he was given, and learned how to use all this knowledge to his advantage, but if HHH and Flair didn't give it to him in the first place, Batista would have never gotten past the Vladimir Kozlov stage, a big guy who beats on jobbers but fails miserably when they are actually put in a program or are given a push.

Cena on the other hand didn't need Flair and HHH to get over, and I don't think he would of done better (probably closer to what hes doing now) or gotten over more being in Evolution, if anything it would of halted his growth. Obviously you can learn volumes worth of stuff from HHH and Flair, but Cena already had the X factor coming into the WWE (he was over in his first match against Angle for Christ sake, how many people can say they were actually OVER in their first televised match, I always knew Cena was a big star waiting to happen), and most of all he just didn't fit in with Evolution. He got over much better basically being himself (and apparently he is nothing more than a new age Mark-E-Mark) with the volume turned up. What really got Cena over with the fans was his Mark-E-Mark rapper gimmick and mic work using that gimmick, if he was in Evolution, this gimmick wouldn't of happened in 2003 (as he would of been doing basically Batista's gimmick) and I just don't think he would have gotten nearly as over as he did being a rapper, the Batista gimmick doesn't really fit well on John Cena.

All in all things worked out for the best the way they did, Cena didn't need Evolution, Batista did, both guys got insanely over with the fans and everyones a winner.

 

[Crawling King Snake]

This is very intriguing. Cena would get over no matter what. I hate to admit this, not his biggest fan. With this scenario though I probably would have been a fan of his. He would lose the kid fan base though, I still think the women would go nuts over him though. Batista on the other hand too a lot of work to get him over. Trips even said in his DVD, that he had to lose to him 3 consecutive times in order for him to become a top babyface at that time.

 

[axl626]

I agree with everybody here that Cena would have succeeded but Batista probably would have gone the way of Snitzky or Heidenreich. I will disagree with some here that I think if Cena had been in Evolution he would have fit in.

We're only looking at this from where there characters are now and not where they could have gone. Cena started off in trunks as a kid named John(or Prototype in OVW), who could have predicted where he'd be now? I would have guessed nowhere, and fast. But if he had been put in Evolution I could see him being a suit wearing kickass heel. I'm not sure if I'd like him, as I'm not to fond now, but he'd be in the same boat as Orton or Batista. Another interesting question is what would happen with Orton if he and Cena were there at the same time? And what of the at the time rumored fifth member, Matt Morgan? Would he be as successful as Batista and Orton? There are a lot of interesting questions there but I can't possibly answer them.

 

[Spidey Revivey]

Batista would be far from a household name if it wasn't for Evolution. Even Randy Orton looked bad until he teamed up with Flair and Hunter. Don't believe me then watch his pre-Evolution days on Youtube.

If Batista were on Smackdown during this time and Cena was on Raw, he would have just been another monster heel. Destroying jobbers much like Snitsky, Mike Knox, Tomko, etc have done. I'm not saying WWE wouldn't've molded him into a star, just saying without HHH's guidance Batista would have been just a musclebound competitor much like he was working with D-Von Dudley.

As for Cena, it wouldn't've fit either. Cena already had potential in his rookie years and Vince saw this. He was a benefactor of the Ruthless Aggresion Era much like Eddie Guerrero and Brock Lesnar were and he revolutionized it in his feuds with Rikishi and Carlito. And honestly I can't imagine him as the enforcer of Evolution. He was just as big as Orton making HHH (the leader) the biggest and that wouldn't've made sense...

Keep in mind Triple H put a price on Goldberg's head to get Batista to step up to the plate. Nowadays we could see Cena taking on 'Berg and it be legitimate. But back then a big guy needed to take another big guy and it just so happens Batista had the build.

So Batista most likely would have been let go and Cena would have been in the midcard a bit longer if it so happened their roles were reversed.

 

[JCE]

First off i agree that Batista would have had the goldberg/snitsky effect and fallin very fast. Cena on the other hand would have been interesting. Atleast in the sense of a better fallout for the group.

The fallout with Cena: a rapper street thug who doesnt really fit in the group but has the talent and charisma of a champion. Flair and HHH have been tring for months to "change" Cena but he just isnt cutting the mustard, due to Cena not being able to pull the suit, cocky, persona HHH sicks Orton on him booting him from evolution making his face turn to where he is now.

The angle would have worked just fine. Having a guy like Cena in the group tring to fit the mold would have worked wonders and led to a even better down fall to evolution. The promos of HHH and Flair tring to "mold" Cena would have been awsome, and the jelousy of Orton twards Cena being a low life street thug tring to take "his sopt light" would have been cool, thus cementing the Cena/Orton feud...

 

[NXTrookie2013]

this is an intresting thought. well batista probably wouldnt have gotten a push, who knwos what cena would be like now. plus that mans cena vs triple h at mania would have happened a year earlier and the main event of wrestlemania 21 would be different.

realistically, that wouldn't have happened. but good thought though

 

[holdingholder]

I'm going to say they would both be top stars. I attended a raw and a live event that summer, long before they started to tease his push and evolution breakup, and batista was WAY over with the crowd, (biggest pop of the shows) this was when Benoit was champ. I think his face turn and rumble win were out of necessity as he was getting face pops while in a uber heel group. he just has the it factor.

 

[goldbergiswrestling]

I think that Batista would have simply been another big guy. but Cena I think acctually could have done good, he wouldnt be the goody goody face he is he would have some attitude and I think be more interesting, and when turned face I think he would have been huge, and not been half booed half cheered

 

[XgringolocoX]

Cena would have made it. He has the stuff. Here's a point y'all missed. Cena wouldn't have played that role exactly like Dave. You can play the same part in many different ways. Cena has the personality to pull it off. Plus the guy listens. When you are a young up n comer and are pair with Natch and Trips...you listen til your ears bleed. I guarentee you that's what Batista did.
Big Dave making it with out Evolution? AHhhhmmm not to sure about dat one. He just had no personality, no connection. He was so bland in the ring he needed something to get him over and it wasn't there. Great look, poor engine. I think he would've been future endevoured. Then made mucho yen.

 

[Dagger Dias]

How different would John Cena and Batista's career be if the roles had been switched?

Very different. Batista is only as big of a name today as he is, due to being in the Evolution storyline. Cena would still be a big name, probably as big as he is now.

What if Cena had been a member of Evolution instead of Dave Batista? Would he be as over as he is today?

I can't really see Cena having played the enforcer role that Batista had. A better question would be "What if Cena had been in Evolution instead of Orton?". Hasn't someone made that thread already? If I can't find it I'll make it myself. Getting back on topic though.... I think Cena would still be as over as he is today if he had been in Batista's place in Evolution. His determination and passion for WWE would have helped him get to where he is now, and wrestling Trips at Wrestlemania one year earlier than he did would have helped some too. He would've still turned into "The Champ" at some point, and remain where he is today.

What about Dave Batista? Would he still become a world champion, or would he be eventually released?

Batista was a deacon before Evolution.... I don't think he would have made it much father than one world title reign unless they had turned him into a character similar to "The Animal" that he is now, or perhaps his Leviathan gimmick from when he was in developmental. He would still be there now, but with far less world title reigns and I doubt he'd be as over.