When 2010 ends who will be the bigger star: Orton or Cena?

[DaBadGuy]

For the past 4 or 5 years their has been no question who has been the bigger name in the WWE and that person is obviously John Cena but now with Orton's new face turn could we possibaly see a change. Orton's had made a name for himself early in his carrer in Evolution and by becoming the youngest World Champion of all time and for the past 3 years Orton has been known as not only one of the best heels in the WWE today but in Pro Wrestling period. As a heel Orton had Legacy had some good fueds and matches with HBK, Triple H, John Cena etc... and was a 5 time WWE champion. Now as a face Orton could possibly take his game to bigger and better hieghts. The guy was well liked by the crowd even as a heel and now that he's a face things can only get better, many like to say Orton is the the type of wrestler in todays WWE that could easliy fit in with the Attitude Era wrestlers and hey I can't deny it. Even as a face Orton still has the tendancy's of a heel, he never smiles, he still acts psychotic, still punts people in their heads, and still acts like the creepy Viper he was as a heel yet people can't get enough of him and continue to cheer him. He's more of in a tweener role if you ask me but with the reception he gets you would think he's a face. If Orton continue's to play his character out the way he is with the crowd reaction he gets today we could see a new era in the WWE. But not taking anything away from Cena, as much as people may dislike the guy including me he's still the face of the WWE and will continue to be but for how long. So my question is by the end of 2010 does anyone believe that Orton will be a bigger star than Cena and finally become the face of the WWE or do you think Cena will still be the face of the WWE.

 

[BWEEZY2009]

Orton

I like cena and it's clear he is the face of the WWE right now, but without some what of a change in his gimmick (im not saying he has to turn heel before anyone says they are tired of this) but he needs to switch it up a bit. His promo have me flipping the channel every time. Orton right now is the most over guy in the company today. When you are suppose to stay heel and you get that over as a face within a month thats an accomplishment. I kind of feel sorry for Ted because it defiantly delayed his babyface push.. but it's not like Orton meant to get over to the extent where he might now be considered the top babyface on the Raw roster which is loaded with babyfaces.

Randall Orton will be the top guy in WWE entering 2011

Edit: By the way... When orton "slithers" and does the "knuckle bump" signaling for the RKO... it's by far the biggest pop in wrestling today.

 

[Fire Marshall Bill]

I'd have to say Cena. He's been the face of this company for years now. He's become a household name. Even people who don't watch wrestling could tell you who John Cena is. Orton, while likely bigger in the IWC, is not a household name like that. Will he eventually turn into one? Probably. But it just hasn't happened yet.

 

[XgringolocoX]

I'd say Orton. He's popular with the older Attitude era fans, and now is getting over with the young pg era fans. I do think he needs to limit his posturing to the crowd during his matches. I like him being him. I'd hate to see him as a smiling happy go lucky face.
Cena would have to add some edge to his character in order to do this. He also needs to switch his in-ring game up considerably.

 

[3,000 Pound Gorrilla]

I was lucky enough to be present for WM26 in Glendale, AZ... and let me tell you... Besides Taker and HBK... Orton blew the roof (figureatively speaking as it is a retracting dome hehe) off the joint. His pops have gotten bigger and bigger, and he hasn't even changed his character, people just "get" him. Noone is "Superman" a la Cena. Now I love the guy, my kids love the guy, but sheesh, if he told me to take my vitamins and say my prayers, I would not be surprised. But for your average 18-25 year old male viewer, they "get" Orton. Loner, cocky, plays by his own rules... WE ALL WANT TO BE HIM. So, as for now, Cena still pushes the merch. But, more people will be wearing gasmasks...and Vince will notice. RKO RKO RKO!!!!!!!!!!

 

["Cool Guy" Jensen]

Maybe I'm on my own on this one, but I really don't think something like a simple face turn will make Randy Orton the face of the WWE over John Cena. Even if Orton has proven to be one of the best heels in WWE history. Looking at how Randy Orton isn't officially 100% face yet... it may be too early to tell.

John Cena lives, breathes, eats, and sleeps WWE. While, Randy Orton seems to have as much of a passion for the business as Cena does, Cena has always been given more credit. He's in movies and he is always on talk shows promoting the WWE. We can't exactly say that about Orton.

So my question is... Why can't Randy Orton and John Cena BOTH be considered the face of the WWE? They're both capable! So I say... why not?

 

[luis_is_king]

John Cena will always be bigger because of his popularity in and outside of the wrestling world. Now that Orton has been receiving huge pops because the fans(particularly older audience) wants someone who reminds them a bit of the attitude era and besides it is nice to cheer for someone other than Cena. Obviously Orton is much bigger to the eyes of the IWC but due to Cena's popularity, hell even people who don't know much about wrestling knows John Cena, Cena will always be the face of the WWE in this era.

But if the WWE decides to change the PG rating and go on to the next era that will try to rival the attitude era in terms of popularity, Randy Orton will definitely become bigger than Cena because his current gimmick has all the qualities of a superstar that would rise to fame in the attitude era.

To Conclude:
Cena > Orton in PG Era because of merchandise and the target audience of the WWE.
Cena < Orton if they ever decide to transition into the next era.

 

[johnnyblaze3:16]

orton big time. cena wont be around forever and the crowd half hates cena, orton is now way over and reminds me alot of when stone cold started to break through and if that's the case then orton will be a huge star for a long time plus he's already got a lot of accolades sky is the limit and at the end of the day orton will be way more popular then cena and the face of wwe

 

[Captain Insane0]

RKO RKO RKO when i hear that i get chills. Just cuz i never knew how big Orton would be. If they push him correctly i can honestly see him being this generations Austin. He is th etypical anti hero who gets the job done no matter what. I watched Wrestlemania 26 live i marked so much when he started looking crazy just before he was gonna set up the RKO on Cody. He will be the biggest to start 2011 if they continue to push him like he is now. I hate edge as a face but imagine these guys teaming up again. We'd hear SPEAR RKO SPEAR RKO SPEAR RKO. that is crazy

 

[wwefreak269]

orton big time. cena wont be around forever and the crowd half hates cena, orton is now way over and reminds me alot of when stone cold started to break through and if that's the case then orton will be a huge star for a long time plus he's already got a lot of accolades sky is the limit and at the end of the day orton will be way more popular then cena and the face of wwe

Not sure I get that. Cena isnt much older the orton is! But as far as who is gonna be the bigger star its a tough decision, both these guys still have major potential but its almost like comparing hulk hogan to stone cold. Two very different styles, yes orton does have more in ring skills but I don't think cena has any limitations the writers just need to let him use some new moves. But if anything ill have to say both will be huge stars in 2011 kinda similar to the rock and stond cold

 

[JoonDaGr8One]

They both can be the face of the face of the company let cena keep his kids and wwe merchandise and let orton have the more mature crowd. Cena can keep doing what he doing and Orton could venture out and maybe get deals where he can sell things like watches, colonge or underwear make him be the tom brady to cena's peyton manning.

 

[DCubedxDDD]

I hate to say this but isnt Orton supposed to be shooting a movie in New Orleans or something with Ed Harris....if that is the case then it could hurt him wrestling wise but could help him crossover into the mainstream. The reason it could hurt him wresting wise is because he could be off camera for a while which I hope isnt the case as he is clearly getting the biggest pops from the crows right now and seems to have all the momentum. If I were to put my money on it I would say Cena will still be bigger but Orton will def close the gap and hopefully will have more interviews and other media endevours. He is a star and has been for over 6 years now and time for the E not to screw this up because I honestly think the one thing the E is missing is the classic Austin/Rock face duo if that makes sense. They need another face the fans can attract to and I think that it is undoubtedly Randy Orton.

 

[thedriffter50]

Anyone thinking John Cena is giving up his thrown to anyone is crazy but yeah Orton has been hot latly and is the closest wrestler that can be on a pg WWE show...just surprised people are cheering the supposed main heel of the WWE right now...if only he was not always taunting to the crowd at every moment he gets he would be perfect...

 

[justinept]

This thread is an IWC dork's dream. Of course most of you want Orton - you crave the Attitude Era, you need the Attitude Era ... many of you can't even go on living in this PG World. Orton satisfies your thirst for that time period of WWE history.

Unfortunately ...

WWE is still PG. Will remain PG. And has no plans in the near or distant future to switch directions. That alone should be enough reason for people on this board to realize that Cena will remain the face of the company.

Here's another - much more important - reason why ...

Randy Orton's history will prevent the WWE from truly marketing him any time soon. Orton is a guy who has twice failed a drug test. He has wrecked hotel rooms. He has been surly to fans.

...does that sound like someone the WWE is going to market in their kid-friendly era?

Meanwhile - John Cena does 50 appearances a month. He makes movies. He deals with all the media. He goes on all the charity visits. He works as an ambassador for the WWE. And he does it all with a smile on his face. And that's what separates Cena and Orton. Cena goes above and beyond for the company outside the ring. Orton - though not a bad thing - comes off as a guy who would rather be kept alone.

 

[greg_74]

I really hope its Orton, but I think it would be hard for him to be the "face" of WWE, just because he's not going to be doing the commmercials and everything like that. So I think Orton can be a bigger star with the fans, especially us attitude era fans, but Cena will still be bigger overall.

Btw the guy that said he reminds you of Stone Cold... I'm the same way, I think WWE could really use the same angle and have him as a loner that doesn't trust anybody and is a badass face. Orton has been my favorite wrestler since Stone Cold (all time favorite) left/his Evolution days so I'm loving the reaction he's been getting. I think he's the best thing going for the company right now and they should gives us a guy that isn't a stereotype for the PG rating.

 

[Big Nick Dudley]

This is a tough one. I would LOVE for it to be Randy Orton, but I'm not sure that's going to happen.

The reason I say I am not sure it will happen is because I am not sure the WWE wants it to happen. Cena is a merchandise-selling God, and the kids love him. John Cena is a "good guy" inside and outside of the ring. The WWE seems to be pretty happy with it's more family-oriented programming, and I don't see that changing for at least a few years.

I could see the WWE watering down Orton's character big time, making him more "kid friendly." If they do this, it will kill his momentum. If they start making him act like the nice guy that he isn't, he will never reach Cena's heights...and that might be the way Vince and company want it. Vince seems to be very happy being PG, and doesn't seem to want that to change.

Cena has been getting boo'ed off and on for years now, and it doesn't seem to bother Vince. Vince is all about the money. If the money is pouring in via merchandise sales, etc., don't look for him to push Orton too hard. He might be saving Orton for when this audience becomes older, and demands a change.

I think part of me is bitter over the fact that I really see Vince and creative killing Ortons character. But I could be wrong. Vince has changed up strategy at the drop of a hat before, and could do it again. Orton is getting the most emotional pop in pro wrestling today. I am not sure how long Vince can ignore that.

 

[DaBadGuy]

This thread is an IWC dork's dream. Of course most of you want Orton - you crave the Attitude Era, you need the Attitude Era ... many of you can't even go on living in this PG World. Orton satisfies your thirst for that time period of WWE history.

Unfortunately ...

WWE is still PG. Will remain PG. And has no plans in the near or distant future to switch directions. That alone should be enough reason for people on this board to realize that Cena will remain the face of the company.

Here's another - much more important - reason why ...

Randy Orton's history will prevent the WWE from truly marketing him any time soon. Orton is a guy who has twice failed a drug test. He has wrecked hotel rooms. He has been surly to fans.

...does that sound like someone the WWE is going to market in their kid-friendly era?

Meanwhile - John Cena does 50 appearances a month. He makes movies. He deals with all the media. He goes on all the charity visits. He works as an ambassador for the WWE. And he does it all with a smile on his face. And that's what separates Cena and Orton. Cena goes above and beyond for the company outside the ring. Orton - though not a bad thing - comes off as a guy who would rather be kept alone.

First of all I'm not a dork so get that straight through your head now. And yes I do love the Attitude Era I was a big fan off it but I'm not one of those wrestling fans who wishes the Attitude Era was back just because I dislike the PG Era or what ever it is people like to call this new era. The point of me making this thread is basically saying do you think Orton has a chance to be a bigger star then Cena by the end of this year because he's really getting over with the fans. If you look at what I wrote I didn't even say that I think Orton will be bigger than Cena this year I'm undecided which is why I made ths thread to see what the rest of the IWC thinks.

 

[Sharp_Shooter]

Orton over Cena anyday. But to compare star power: Cena being halfway hated is another thing that makes him a bigger star. Men get bored with his "I Never Sin" attitude and women love when he takes his shirt off. Add to the fact that the WWE seems to have in Cena's contract one movie every 2 years, and there's no competition. Unless WWE Films start making vampire movies or something, no one can compete with Cena on star power.

 

[xZiLeRaTe]

most likely orton.
he blew tha roof off on monday so this face turn can be one of the greatest we have seen in a long time

 

[Eversoris]

Why is everybody talking about being the "face of the company" for? That wasn't the question.

Fuck...Orton is bigger RIGHT NOW and he's only been a babyface for about two weeks. If he'd have hit an RKO on Cena Monday Night the god damn roof would have been blown off.

And why is Orton so over right now? It's real simple. REAL simple. Especially since Orton has done absolutely nothing to change his gimmick. It's because people are sick and fucking tired of the PG shit and sick of Super Cena and his comic book hero gimmick and his cheesy one liners and his same recycled, over-used "I'm pissed off" speech.

Fans are tired of it all and did what they did with Stone Cold. They're cheering for the biggest, baddest heel in the business. It's the anti-hero mentality. Orton is Stone Cold and Cena is Bret Hart.

 

[future admin]

It will be orton, the crowd loves him, but he has to stay as a Randy's crazy IED think wouldn't work as a face. I can't really see cena doing anything, 2010 just sounds like ortons year. a solid feud with dibiase could really put both of them on the map this year

 

[whatalife1683]

This is an interesting question to ask. I think both will be the face of the company, but Cena will still be known more outside the wrestling community. As I can see from threads, people assume it is Orton because of his pops. Well, Cena still gets cheered and does more outside the business. This is how you tackle this question. Orton will be bigger in the eyes of the "wrestling community", but Cena will be bigger if you expand it to just non wrestling. I want them both to be on the top, and I think it is sad that people want Orton but not 2 top guys.

 

[Rhonda Rousey's Sports Bra]

It all really depends on what you would consider bigger.

If bigger is selling merch then it's still Cena.

If bigger means more championships then it will probably be Cena, seeing that he has already had at least 2 reigns since the year began. Randy hasn't had any yet and he will probably be in a few programs with younger guys like DiBiase to help them get over instead of being in the title hunt for a few more months.

I personally think that Cena will have the title more and be doing more outside the WWE than Orton this year. I don't think that Randy will be the poster boy for the WWE like Cena is unless Cena turns heel, which is more likely seeing that Orton is pretty much a face now. All in all I think that they will end up being like Stone Cold and the Rock of the PG Era. Each being bigger in different aspects of the business, Cena doing more movies and publicity and Orton doing more wrestling and such.

 

[JBK2008]

Cena has been shoved down our throats since his push from Wrestle Mania 21, so you'd have to assume anyone that can get over, face or heel to match Cena would have to e cheered for more. Orton's music and the RKO just make everyone pop and Orton just goes out there and beats his opponents down and doesn't look for the crowd to pop everytime he does something in his matches unlike Cena. With Orton's face turn, it's new and it's something that's not John Cena, so by the end of 2010, I wouldn't be surprised if Orton is over Cena.

 

[Phoenix]

I'm going to break it down into a comparison terms based on people's views and reviews

Subject A: John Cena
Comparison: Hulk Hogan

Subject B: Randy Orton
Comparison: Steve Austin

Now granted, these guys won't ever be the full heights of Hogan and Austin, but hear me out. Cena does what Hogan did only twenty years before, he is the guy who applies to the kids with the cheesey catchphrases, merchandise, t-shirts and gets given the big Wrestlemania moments with the title because he is much like Hogan the face of the company that applies to the kids and has the finishers with the biggest build to them.

Examples:
Hulkmania = Cenation
"Watcha gonna do brotha when Hulkamania runs wild on you?!" = "The Champ Is Here"
Red/Yellow Bandanas and Tights = Every other colour with Baseball caps and T-Shirts
Big Boot into Atomic Leg Drop = Five Knuckle Shuffle into the Attitude Adjustment

Now in comparison, what makes Randy Orton similiar to Austin? He's bad to the bone but is also not a sell out in doing so. They don't have outstanding wrestling attires, it's basic and simple. Their entrances are ones that pump the crowd up through music that hits instantly to get an adrenaline rush and what's the only time they pander to the crowd during their entrance? In the ring. These are guys who basically work by what they do in the ring with moves that are quick, insightful and also not worked by routine. Orton is the member of the roster who applies to the older members of the audience, he does things that are about drinking milk or saying prayers or wanting to get some, he just does it. Orton much like Austin lets his actions speak louder than words (true that Austin had some of the best mic skills in the world) and he doesn't need to go on why the kids love him, he focuses on the moment. Also his RKO is much like the Stunner, blink and you'll miss it, it's a move that can be hit anywhere.

Examples
Entrance Music - Glass Shatters = Voices - Instant and adrenaline rushing
Entrances = Asserting and authorative walk with some possible crowd pandering in the ring
Stunner = RKO - quick and effective
Crowd pandering through gestures towards the wrestlers, not the crowd. Only fully acknowledges them during the entrances mostly
Ring attire = Exactly the same

Simply put, you basically have newer variations of the two top company guys that we love in the same era. Mainly when we talk of great stand out company guys, we always think of counterparts as their heels but not many had matching faces except for Austin who had The Rock who is a guy that is a standalone act. There has never been a blend of the likes of Hogan or Austin at the same time, everyone has always been a standalone face and a heel. Cena is today's incarnation of Hogan while Orton is the incarnation of Austin, something we haven't truly seen at the same time since The Rock and Austin.

So who will be bigger? The answer is BOTH of them will be as big as each other for their target audience. Cena will be huge for the kids, Orton will be huge for the adults. Personally the adults will more than likely determine Orton to be the bigger act, but in the end their both two different guys who have completely different target audiences, much like Austin and Hogan.