What if John Cena had made his debut during the "Attitude Era"

[CDR]

If John Cena had made his debut during the WWF's "attitude era", would he have been more entertaining to all kinds of fans? How would John Cena be different? How would the WWE be different? Would Cena be more or less successful? How would the WWE fare? To put it simply, would WWE and Cena be better off had Cena come around during the "attitude era?"

Personally, I think Cena wouldn't be as popular as he is now. Part of that is because I don't feel like he would have been as successful. With The Rock, Austin, and HHH being pushed so far, there would be no room for a new superstar who hasn't proven himself yet. If Cena started in the "attitude era" he would most likely be a heel, seeing as how he was a heel at the beginning of his career. Also, he wouldn't be where he is right now. I think he wouldn't be as over because they weren't targeting kids back then. They weren't looking for showy, kid-favorite superstars. Right now, I think Cena would still be in the main event picture, just maybe not the most popular on the show.

What do you think? Would the WWE and Cena be better off had he come up during the "attitude era?"

 

[slimymeteor]

Well, Cena did get pretty well over as a heel rapper, and I think that could have also worked back then. But, I do agree that with Austin, HHH, Taker, Rock, etc. that the main event scene was pretty crowded, so he wouldn't have been pushed to the championship quite as fast, but with his work ethic and mic skills he most definately would have made it there eventually.

 

[klunderbunker]

Well he would have been stuck in the midcard for a good while if he was lucky. That was a very different era when it was much harder to move from the middle of the pack to being a leader. The fans knew who they liked and rarely would let anyone else into the top for the long term. Cena would have had his fans, but when you're up against guys like Taker, HHH, Foley and the two big dogs in Rock and Austin, Cena at the time would have been in way over his head. He's great now, but he got tehre with no other real super star to contend with. He's had big names against him, but never that kind of star power.

 

[ffrikku]

He would either have been lost in the shuffle because there was SO much talent around that time.. or he would be in a similar position as HHH. A dude who perfected his craft in the attitude era who is top dog now.

 

[AnthonyMango/NoFate007]

If he was to debut in the Attitude Era where there was no brand split, he wouldn't be as big as he is today, but he probably would have a solid character and actually be cheered or booed according to what was supposed to happen.

But if he was to debut in the Attitude Era in some alternate universe where there was a brand split, I think its pretty safe to say he'd be slightly less popular but still a main event type of guy. He's charismatic, has a good look, and probably would've benefited greatly by being in feuds with the likes of Austin and Rock more than he is when he's up against people like...well...look at one of his "archenemies"....JBL, one of the most pathetic excuses for a main event star in history lol.

 

[Smart Mark]

He'd be more entertaining and have more character than just the "guy who keeps overcoming the odds". Remember when Cena actually had personality and character that set him apart from the rest of the roster? Remember when he was on smackdown and though he was heel was so entertaining, doing freestyle raps and disturbing the order of things on the show, that you couldn't help but cheer for him and couldn't help but want to see more of him? That guy wouldn't have stayed around instead of being replaced by some one who's so 1 dementinal in personality if you were to describe him you could only really say "well...uhh...he doesn't back down from a fight that's for sure" but than again that could be said for any face couldn't it?

 

[Mr. TM]

He could be as big as he is today, but he would have had to work hard (which he does) to get there. He had a lot of good gimmicks to compete against back then, such as Kane, he Rock, Stone Cold, The Undertaker, Triple H and DX and so forth. Being the character he is now, I'm not sure if he could have made it, but John Cena is one hell of a worker. Being that there was no brand split means he probably would have been in the midcard for longer but that doesn't mean he couldn't have risen above it.

 

[salomon1080s]

If cena debuted during the attitude era it would have taken him a few years to get over. one in the late 90's hip hop wasn't as big as it was today. Who knows if the white rapper woulda pissed everyone off enough then. I don't know without that gimmick cena woulda been able to get over. he prolly woulda been stuck in the midcard until most of the big attitude era guys were gone. honestly if he got into wrestling earlier who knows if he still woulda been a rapper too.

 

[Starchild]

As I've said before, the best superstars always rise to the top. Cena is one of the best, probably ever because he is the main guy for this era just like Hogan, Bret, and Austin before him. So do I think he would have gotten big? I really do.

Sure there was a cluttered main event scene, but Cena is a hard worker and WWE particularly Vince would have seen that. The only difference would probably be the amount of time it took Cena to get to main event and iconic status. He would have stayed in the midcard much longer just like Rock, Austin, and HHH all did at that time before breaking into the main event scene. One big difference I think is that Cena would not be as hated as he is by fans and the IWC. The basic premise behind it is that he was shoved down our throats, so staying in the midcard for much longer before competing with some of those other guys would have done wonders for him. Fans could have warmed to him, and he would be getting cheers now as Austin and Rock always do.

 

[SavageTaker]

I think that John would not have been as big as he is because there wouldnt be room for him as a main eventer do to how crowded it already was.he probably would have been in the midcard and by the time that some of the main eventers were gone he would slowly rise up.maybe what happened to jbl could have happened to him,start all the way in the bottom to eventually be a main eventer.Also he could have been lost in the shuffle and been released like many guys from the attitude era.

 

[Cena's Little Helper]

If John Cena debuted during The Attitude Era, he would currently be at the top right now after idling in the mid-card for 7 or 8 years, like Bret Hart did during Hulkamania. However, he would garner much more respect than he currently does, as many would feel that he had paid his dues and earned the spot that he currently has.

The initial main-event pushes of Cena and Hart are very similar. However, as I have already hinted at, the big difference between the two is that Hart received his after many years of busting his ass in the Hart Foundation and after a year or so of giving a great deal of credibility to the Intercontinental Title.

Personally, I was never a huge fan of Hart. But, after he beat Flair for his first reign as WWF World Heavyweight Champion, I wasn't frustrated or perturbed in the least; for all the blood, sweat, and tears Bret Hart gave to McMahon, he deserved a run with the company's top belt. And, had Cena debuted in The Attitude Era and played second fiddle to Austin, The Rock, Foley, HHH, Taker, and many others, I am sure most of his current detractors would have the same feelings towards him as I had towards Bret Hart.

 

[AgeOfOrton09]

Agree completely. He wouldn't be the "main eventer" he is today. And the most he would probably have been was a very annoying heel with his rapper gimmick. At least I would have a reason to cheer/hate him there. Now, I just simply hate him for being who he is--a big guy who wrestles like he is a little guy.

 

[Blade]

He would be stuck in the midcard for his entire career. Cena coming into the WWE during the Attitude era would mean he came when there way more wrestlers more charismatic than him (Considering Cena's charisma as a good guy is what got him to the top) as well as better in the ring and on the mic.

He would simply would've had to take a back seat to guys like Rock, Austin, HHH, Mankind etc.
And thinking that he would be on top now due to staying in the company for so long isn't very logical based on the fact that:
1. The amount of Attitude Era midcarders that left or were released after or during the era (Shamrock, The Godfather etc...)
and 2. The amount of wrestlers who stayed with the company through and well past the attitude era only to end up as worthless (Kane, Venis etc...)

But there's a big posibility that he could've gone to TNA and become a big star, maybe even ending up in the MEM right now...

 

[Uncle Bagwell]

cena in the attitude era...now theres a thought .... im guessin they wud hav had him do his white rapper gimmick, push him 2 the top of the I.C title mix aftr a few years n then job endlessly to stone cold,hbk,rock,foley,taker,kane etc . i reli doubt he wud b were he is today if he came in at around 97-99 but then again thats jus my opinion and im not a cena fan so i cud b biast ! bret hart wuda tied him up in knots ! hitman 4 life

 

[Queers and Steers]

that's true to an instent, but also remember during the attitude era the events were rarley held in vanues that held more than 21 thousand fans. now its regularly in the biggest stadiums the world has to offer. so apparently there are people with star power? but at the same time cena could never be as loved as the rock or Austin. another thing is wcw was competing with wwe than so everybody wasn't only going to wwe like now. its difficult to say but i think he would of been a ic champ at best back than

 

[jmt225]

The reason I believe Cena was able to get so over as the heel rapper was because "Battle Rapping", with the movie 8 Mile being released and what not, was HUGE by the time he debuted the "Thug Life" street character. The only rap big during the Attitude Era was Cash Money, really. It lasted like that for a long time once Pac and Big died, and true Hip-Hop was an afterthought at that point. So, Cena's creative flows on other wrestler wouldn't have come close to becoming as over as it did in 2003/4, because rap just wasn't big at the time. He would've looked at as more of a joke then anything else. Hell, Offspring's "Pretty Fly for a White Guy" was the biggest song in the nation at one point during Austin's run. The white guy "acting black" didn't get accepted until later on.

 

[SinCityBlitz]

Cena would have still got over in the AE. The biggest thing he has going for him is his look and mic skills. Both were big during the AE. I don't think he would have been shoved down our throats like he is now though. They tried the same thing with the Rock and it didn't work either. But they had more/better main event guys then they do today. So The Rock was able to grow into his character while Cena was shoved down our throats.



The whole white guy acting black is not accepted today and will never be. Hip hop was just as over in the AE as it is now. So as far as his gimmick goes I don't think it matters when he debuted.

 

[HBK-aholic]

It's hard to think of Cena as anything other than the face he's been recently - the huge, huge face who provides a role model for millions of people across the world. Therefore, it's almost impossible to see him in the attitude era. WWE would probably have made it work somehow, he's talented enough to do that. But some wrestlers have a gimmick they just fit into - Cena's is his current child friendly one, which wouldn't have fit in back then. He can do more, but it's not his best, and I don't think he'd be the star he is now if he'd debuted then.

 

[The Rob]

The WWE wouldn't of needed another top star in the company. They had The Rock, Stone Cold, Undertaker, Triple H etc. Cena would probably be a nobody and would of fallen out of the WWE. The only superstars in my mind who was very low key in the attitude era and have become a massive success are Kurt Angle (granted, his rise was incredibly quick) and Edge, but thats mostly down to their in-ring abilitys. Cena would never of made it in my opinion.