Where does John Cena rank among all-time greats?

[streicher187]

Can't believe I'm saying this because I can't stand the guy but he is one of the top 5 easily. Look at all the others and they had a rival at the time to push them while Cena has had a bunch of different "b" players

Hogan - He had Roddy Piper to push him and at times he was even bigger than Hogan
Flair - had Sting and was part of the greatest group in history
Austin - Had The Rock who at times became bigger than Austin
HBK - had Brett Hart
Undertaker - had Mankind and the streak

Cena has had a bunch of different guys but no one on his level like at almost every other time in wrestling history he's had CM Punk, Orton etc. but none last very long before someone else pops up. While all the other "it" guys have had memorable feuds Cena has none that stand out, just a bunch of guys challenging him. Now if they make Bray Wyatt his anti-Cena and run the program for 6 months or a year than that might be his heal but they will probably end it shortly after Mania and move on to another victim.

 

[L@RISANO]

So, judging by the Poll;

John Cena is top10 of All-Time for almost 70% of the forum members.

Am a bit surprised,tbh. Not because I disagree, but because I think when his career is over, and as usual, the majority will remember the good and shove the most of the bad aside, John Cena will firmly in that 70-75% of people's top5 WWE Superstars of All-Time,lMO.

 

[Bythedockofthebay]

Most of the accomplishments you mentioned are scripted accomplishments.

Cena is not nor will ever be on the level of guys like Rock, Taker...

He didn't have any impact honestly.

He just kept the boat floating, the company isn't growing.

Rock and Austin led to the growth of the company.

Cena is a black mark in the history of WWE.

The launch of the WWE Network would and the new cable deal have a lot to do with Cena. He's not exactly a black mark on history. He's helped bring new fans in, and he's done more than keep the boat floating, he put an engine in it.

 

[BrockTheBeast123]

About 2 or 3 if not number 1 I am not exaggerating either.In 13 years in the WWE he has done more than any face of the company in the past.Only one who comes close to him for real is Hogan only by years and maybe even Austin only by Rumble wins.Sure Austin,Hogan,Rock was way more popular.Sure Hogan made wrestling what it is today,sure Austin saved wrestling,and sure Rock brought it to new heights.But Cena is a (14x world champ all together),2 time RR winner,MITB winneer,3x Elimination chamber winner,11x WWE champ,2x WHC,been in the business (actively) longer than Austin and Rock combined.He brings more emotion out of the fans than anyone in WWE history.Whether you boo him or not at the end of the day when it is all said and done when he retire we all will respect him 10x more than we did during his career.

 

[JoeyJoeJoe]

I see Cena being somewhere around #4 through #6, but definitely in the top 10. I can't understand too many arguments to the contrary.

My own personal ranking:

1) Hulk Hogan
2) Steve Austin
3) Bruno Sammartino
4) The Rock
5) John Cena
6) Andre The Giant
7) The Undertaker
8) Randy Savage
9) Shawn Michaels
10) Bret Hart

I think the last is probably the toughest, but I always struggle with the #10 spot...there's so many guys who I could see conceivably coming in at that spot including Pedro Morales, Roddy Piper, Triple H, Backlund, etc. I sometimes wonder if Hart's popularity and legacy is truly as big as he likes to believe it was, though.

 

[Bythedockofthebay]

What baffles me is that people don't seem to understand the whole situation and how important Cena was. WWE has dealt with a lot during the Cena era. Most importantly the Chris Benoit situation, and Cena navigated everything flawlessly. From a murder to concussion issues, The man has been at the forefront and has kept the WWE on track even during it's hardest times. From going from sick chair shots to now having wrestling classics instead. You can't take the cheap outs anymore, no more hardcore jumping off cells or blasting your opponent in the head with weapons, not to mention blading and other cheap tricks being gone.

Cena has help build the WWE back up after some of it's toughest times, and has remained relatively squeaky clean in this current age while being in the forefront especially in a business like wrestling. Is unreal, he's been through the toughest spots possible and he's going to leave the WWE in better shape than when he entered it. That's his legacy imo.

 

[jeffrey9800]

About 2 or 3 if not number 1 I am not exaggerating either.

Yes you are,
And it hurts,

I won't go into where he should be,
Just want to discuss your top 3,

How, is Cena in front of Hogan?
How? Hogan, the guy who put wrestling on the map, the guy who made the WWE shine through Hollywood,
Rock?
I don't even know how to adress this claim
Austin? What?
Austin? WHAT?
Austin is responsible for an ERA in wrestling, he invented catch phrases that are still used today... had some of the best matches ever....

The way I see it would be saying: In 2050, who will I remember from the wrestling world? Rock, Austin, Taker, HBK, Hogan, Flair, all come before Cena, so he's not in the top 6 imo.