Who Better Than Cena?

[RatedDashing]

First of all, that title isn't quite as catchy as the Kanyon version.

I thought now was the appropriate time to make this thread considering Cena is now the WWE champion. Which isn't something I hate, i just want to take an in-depth view into seeing if he does have all the right tools to be the number one guy in the company.
It's likely to be a long thread. Just an warning in advance.

John Cena has been the main guy for almost a decade, and people expect him to be on top, he is almost a dynasty now. The best are supposed to be on top. You expect the Lakers to succeed in NBA. You expect Barcelona to succeed in 'soccer', and..my intelligence on MLB and NFL is so limited that I won't even attempt to continue this analogy. The conclusion is, the world would just feel wrong without John Cena at the top.

Now let us examine the 5 aspects that should make someone the pinnacle of Sports Entertainment, and see if John Cena is the best option available.

In Ring Ability

Personally, I am not a fan of his style, but that doesn't make him 'the worst wrestler ever!' or call for the many suggestions that he can't wrestle at all.
My rating for this would be a bit lower if I hadn't of watched Tough Enough recently. That show truly shows how talented 99% of the WWE roster are. Every match, every move, requires absolute concentration and trust. And it's very rare you see John Cena make a mistake in the ring. He is technically sound. If he couldn't wrestle, he would be a danger to others inside the ring. He may botch a minimal amount because his ring style is very basic, but his ring style gets a reaction. Therefore I give him a 4/5

Appearance

Physique wise, John Cena has the look. He looks like a champion. You fully believe he has the strength to kick someones arse. Or five people's arse at the same time. Hi Nexus.
But the one aspect that let's Cena down, in my opinion, is his attire. Jorts? Bright colored shirts? Baseball caps? Sweatbands? He looks like he is going down to the beach for a lovely game of volleyball, not like he is going down to a wrestling ring to beat some bitches up.
Overall another 4/5 Quite generous, but his physique balances out the attire from making him look too..dorkish. Which i am not even sure is a word.

Mic. Ability

Probably his strongest point.
When I say Mic. ability, I am leaning more toward his ability to speak on the microphone, rather than actual context. The scripting of promo's makes it really hard to really judge that side.
Speaking on a microphone, in front of tens of thousands of people is actually really harder than it looks. Especially when they are booing you.
So he may say something shockingly corny lines, but he says them with gusto! You believe him when he speaks, he is able to express emotion well. Although sometimes he slides into the territory of 'shouting makes my words seem more important. Please react to my words before i burst a vain!'
Overall Cena has had enough quality promo's in his career to rightfully get a 5/5

Marketability

Cena is a media ****e. I say that in the nicest possible way. Unlike Paris Hilton, who most likely literally ****es herself out to the media.
Cena can attract to all entertainment aspects. He is perfect for the WWE. He can slide into music, tv films, chat shows. No other person can claim to be able to do that. The closest is probably The Miz, but I have little faith in his ability to sing. Or if he would make a believable action hero. I am choosing to discount The Rock because..he would completely ruin my argument. And I can't self sabotage my own theory.
Cena is marketable 5/5

And finally..

Crowd Reaction

Number one face of the company. That means at least 90% cheers, adoration and love. Right? No.
I don't buy into the concept that the face needs for you to cheer for them. Their role in a feud/match is to make you care. To get you invested in the entire thing. Who cares if people are booing the face? It's proof that people are paying attention to the match. Who cares if the heel is being cheered by a minority of the crowd? When a crowd is reacting to the action, it completes the match. A silent crowd with no atmosphere would be awful.
Cena is the best at drawing a reaction. You may find him stale, but you are still watching his matches, if only to see him lose. He gets viewers. He is doing his job. 5/5

Before typing all this up, I wasn't pro-Cena at all. My initial reaction to him winning at Extreme Rules was 'Oh..So this is happening? Okaaay' But a 23/25 Score suggests that he is on top, because he deserves it.

Does anybody else in the WWE score any higher than that? And deserve to replace him? If so Who? and explain why.

It will be interesting if any Cena haters can find a better alternative to the problem, rather than moaning about it.

 

[darbare]

Whats the point of this thread? Whos better than Cena? Its all a matter of opionion bro. Hell I could say who better than Zack Ryder? WWWYKI lol In my eyes he could be the be all end all. Your ratings are also that of opinion. Where exactly did you get these scores from? The only thing I give Cena credit for is carrying a generation by himself. And even that is something that he cant be credited for, because WWE has decided to build the entire brand around him, instead of around him and Orton. If they wanted to build the entire brand around effin Santino Marella, then so be it

 

[mykeymayhem]

who is better than cena hmmmmm i can say all of your ideas here are based on opinion just because he dosen't hurt someone dosen't mean hes good in the ring tough enough is about teaching basics....don't hurt anyone is the first thing you learn....dose it happen yea...but look at the other champ christian he has the look to. he's never put anyone on the shelve with an injury....he can wrestle with the best of them....he can be a heel or a face with is a big thing cena has yet to do....cena has proving to do he needs a heel turn in my eyes to be looked at as great and a different move set yea you said it simplistic moves...hes boring to watch and is over with children and women.

 

[BritishLion]

In Ring Ability

Personally, I am not a fan of his style, but that doesn't make him 'the worst wrestler ever!' or call for the many suggestions that he can't wrestle at all.
My rating for this would be a bit lower if I hadn't of watched Tough Enough recently. That show truly shows how talented 99% of the WWE roster are. Every match, every move, requires absolute concentration and trust. And it's very rare you see John Cena make a mistake in the ring. He is technically sound. If he couldn't wrestle, he would be a danger to others inside the ring. He may botch a minimal amount because his ring style is very basic, but his ring style gets a reaction. Therefore I give him a 4/5

Did you seriously give him 4/5 for in ring ability. Have you ever seen him wrestle? He's a three at best, and that's only when he has other people help him. There are thousands of wrestlers better than him, even on the mic.

 

[TheKingHustla]

Who's better than Cena?

Well since we going on opinion obviously, I'll say... Cody Rhodes

25/25!

Cody is the best.... his mic skills are ranging on hall of famer, his ring presence is the best. His music has that "whoa" sound in the beginning, and he just lost to rey mysterio which means he knows how to put guys over in big matches. Plus, he had back to back great ppv matches, unlike Mr. Cena. Plus, he wears a mask!

(Hopefully you'll understand that this post is a joke, lol. although i really like cody rhodes, the topic is all about opinion. So hey, if you say cena, i can say Rhodes > Cena! "Whoa!")

 

[Beebeck]

CM PUNK IS... More charisma, much skilled in the ring, better in the mic... There are a lot of other guys talented than Cena, but all of them are buried deeper than fuck....

 

[TheKingHustla]

you called it Dashing. All I see are a lot of Cena bashers/haters with no comebacks other than anti-Cena. Some people have no clue

What are we supposed to come back with when it's based on his opinion? There is no facts in his post. I can see if he had numbers, if he had ratings of where it spiked when cena was on the screen, or anything like that. It's an opinion thread, so of course, people are using their own opinion as comebacks... So how does that mean some people have no clue? Because we don't agree with his opinion? Funny.

 

[Hourani777]

I hate this about these forums you bash people for making a thread who gives a fuck if it's pointless to you don't post then other people wanna contribute and the thread maker wants his questions to be answered nothing wrong with that.

On to the thread

Opinion wise I'd say Randy Orton

in ring ability
5/5
Cena 3/5

Appearance
5/5
Cena 4/5

Mic skills
3/5
Cena 5/5

Marketability
2/5
Cena 4/5

Reaction
5/5
Cena 5/5

Good thread man

 

[sajsSAMynwa1892]

in my OPINION giving cena a 4/5 is a slap in the face to most wrestlers, if bret/michaels/flair would get 5/5 than that would imply that cena is very very good, and even though he isnt absolutely terrible he still isnt GOOD. plus his mic skills are overrated, i know the wwe has scripted promos but edge, cm punk and christian are all infinately better on the mic,cody rhodes recent promos have been very good as well, plus when jericho was their there is a huge gulf in class on the mic and in the ring. i know the wwe will not push someone based solely on in-ring ability and so i have no problem with cena being wwe's leading face, but i was annoyed about the ending to extreme rules, it made no sense. i dont care how long its been since cena held the title it seems like he never lost it, they should of held off and let the miz retain it until everyone was desperate to see him lose. and if they waiting for longer to give cena the title back his fans would have been delighted to see him win, as opposed to people just nodding and saying i expected that. shame really cos i thought the show was really good, i even enjoyed the divas match!

aaaaaaaanyway in answer to the who better than cena? given the right push - orton,rhodes,christian,mysterio, CM PUNK, daniel bryan. probably several more, but cena being in the main event picture is useful because they can push some young talent, who are good enough to carry him to quality matches. or turn him heel, i think he would be very entertaining.

 

[Amarillo del Bosque Verde]

Sure I can just agree or disagree, but I have thought of some who are the same, or better, than Cena.
I'll do John Cena, and as an example, CM Punk, and The Miz, two of Raw's top heels.

In Ring Ability
John Cena: Has a very basic style. Goes in to the ring and gets the job done in one of the easiest ways possible. He entertains and does the "Superman" gimmick well, mainly using big moves after a beatdown. He also has no technical prowess. But he isn't terrible. He's average. 3/5
CM Punk: Great in ring ability. Probably one of the best in the WWE. He has a large moveset and has various styles (Technical, High Flying, etc.). 5/5
The Miz: See Cena, except for the superman part. He has more of a back and forth match and shows a wider variety of moves. He's slightly above average, but not great. 3.5/5

Appearance
John Cena: Obviously has a good clean-cut appearance. Impressive physique, and according to Facebook posts I've seen, girls love Cena's appearance. 5/5
CM Punk: Doesn't have an appearance that you'd expect a top star to have. I'm sure a non-wrestling fan would enjoy seeing him on a poster and suddenly want to buy the show. 3/5
The Miz: Has a somewhat good appearance. He has the look of a top star, and has a following of girls that like him (Once again, based on FB posts I've seen.) 4/5

Mic Ability
John Cena: Cena can command the crowd on the mic, or he could. If someone attacked him the week before, just Cena mentioning him can get the crowd to boo. He is creative on the mic and his voice is distinctive. Only problem is seems repetitive at times. 4.5/5
CM Punk: Is, and has been a genius on the mic for years. All the way back in his indie IWA:Mid South and ROH days. Everything he says is different and unexpected. Like Cena, he could easily command the crowd. He's a creative genius. 5/5
The Miz: Like the other two, a genius on the mic. He's not as creative as CM Punk, but not as repetitive as Cena. (Although he can be at times). He cuts a perfect heel promo. 4.5/5

Marketability
John Cena: He's the face of the WWE and he has a huge fan following. He does movies and appears on dozens of TV shows, scripted and unscripted. As OP said, he's a media ****e. Not to mention Make A Wish foundation. 5/5
CM Punk: As a face, he could be marketed alot. Why? He's the only top straightedge superstar. He can be a huge role model for kids. To never drink, do drugs, or have casual sex. Kids can look up to him. 4/5
The Miz: Like Cena, does tons of media appearances. He's the future John Cena in terms of marketability. 4.5/5

Crowd Reaction
John Cena: Huge at times, and also gets the split "Let's go Cena"/"Cena sucks" chants. 5/5
CM Punk: Got huge reactions as a face, and as a heel gets HUGE heat, and eve cheers. 4.5/5
The Miz: Also gets HUGE heat, but not many cheers. 4/5

Sooooo in conclusion:
John Cena:22.5/25
CM Punk: 21.5/25
The Miz: 20.5/25

So Cena may be the top, but quite a few superstars come very close to him. Cena is the best option, but not the only option who could as well as him. If given the ball, Punk or Miz could be the top.

 

[Amarillo del Bosque Verde]

I hate this about these forums you bash people for making a thread who gives a fuck if it's pointless to you don't post then other people wanna contribute and the thread maker wants his questions to be answered nothing wrong with that.

On to the thread

Opinion wise I'd say Randy Orton

in ring ability
5/5
Cena 3/5

I'm sorry...what? Orton is nowhere near a 5. A 5 would be HBK, Hart, Angle, Benoit, Y2J, Punk, Bryan. Orton doesn't come close. He's VERY repetitive and boring in the ring. He's also very limited down these days and only does few power moves. Fewer than Cena.

Just wanted to throw my two cents in...

 

[rowingisgood11]

This is how I think Cena is worth

In Ring Ability- 2/5
The man has only a few moves in his arsenal and those are pretty poor. The Attitude Adjustment is just a fireman's carry, the 5 knuckle shuffle is a piss poor version of the people's elbow and it's sad when I can call what you're going to do at the end of the match. Also he needs someone to carry match for him in order for it to be a top quality match. 2/5
Appearance- 3/5
He has the size, but the jean shorts don't work for me. They just make him look like he's a kid running around in the ring.
Mic- 2/5
I don't like him on the mic at all. He just talks louder when he's messing around with people and when he's serious I want to laugh at him. He can't act serious, especially in his face off with the Rock (who destroyed him on the mic in my opinion), he looked terrible.
Markability- 5/5
Yes he is marketable due to his popular base with kids. I give Cena props on that part, he can sell merch and get people to wear it.
Reaction- 5/5
He still gets booed by actual crowds that aren't populated with kids or whenever the Rock is in the ring. He does get a reaction though even if it is booing, no matter what people make some sort of noise when he enters

Overall- 17/25

Not bad, but to be the face of the company with that score is poor, Orton, Morrison, Punk, Miz, and The Rock all top this. Yes I mentioned The Rock since his merch is selling like hot fire.

 

[Long Island Iced WXYZ]

I can't think of anybody in the WWE right now who could do Cenas' job.

Orton is just plain awful in everythng he does. Boring in ring, boring promos. Just awful.

Miz is probably your closest bet, but he's not ready for that level, yet.

Miz is very good on the mic and he's perfectly able in the ring.

But he doesn't have that fire that Cena has or The Rock has.

So right now, no one is better than Cena but eventually someone will catch up/exceed him.

And I can't wait to see who that is.

 

[TheKingHustla]

Many of these opinions are starting real convo, let me formally make mine... I would say Orton, Del Rio and Rey are good enough to compete in this competition based on the guide lines.



In Ring Ability

Cena: I think Cena's in ring abilities are below average, not as an anti-cena bash or anything, but on an impossible to rate scale of 1 to 5, I'd give him a 1.5, just because i feel like compared to guys who I'd give a 5 to, HBK, Ric Flair, Kurt Angle maybe, he isn't anywhere close. He sells badly regularly and it seems like he doesn't do good at putting other guys over. 1.5/5

Orton: I think Orton falls into the same category as Cena in this but i'd say his is better than Cena's. He sells better or as good as anyone else in the business 3/5

Del Rio: Del Rio, in my opinion, has great in ring skills. And the scary thing is, he'll only get better. So he has to get the biggest rating in this department with a 3.5/5

Mysterio: Although Mysterio may not be as agile as he used to be, he still does some good things in the ring. His size takes away from the possibilities but I personally would still rather watch him than Cena in a match. 2.5/5

Winner: Del Rio


Appearance


Cena: Cena's appearance is horrid. I mean, yes, he has the build of a wrestler and everything but his attire drags his score down to lower than the original posters 4. I'd give him a 3/5

Orton: Randy is, in my opinion, the pennicle of what a heel in the WWE should look like, aside from his new beard. He has a wrestler's build, classic trunks with designs, and he his tattoos are great. Also, he has all the women going bonkers about how sexy he is (just ask my wife and she'll tell you). 5/5

Del Rio: Del Rio to me is great too in the classic sense, but his cars, and his visual star appeal bumps him up higher than cena, but not quite up to Orton. 3.5/5

Mysterio: Mysterio's mask is one of the most recognizable symbols in the history of the E. No one can say that his image isn't top notch, even though many might see it as stale and old by now, he always spices it up just a tad. 4.5/5

Winner: Randy Orton


Mic Ability


Cena: This is an area where Cena shines. His mic skills are one of the things that makes him great. I can't give him a 5 in this department just because those are left for legendary mic spitters, but he gets real close, and eventually, he'll be a 5. 4.5

Orton: His mic skills are only so-so. 2.5/5

Del Rio: His name is Alberto Del Rio, but you already know this. His mic skills have gotten a lot better sense he first came, and they are on the rise. His accent makes him difficult to understand sometimes, but I'd still rate his skills high enough. 3.5/5

Mysterio: The lowest mic skills in my list. He just doesn't have it there. 1/5

Winner: John Cena


Marketability


Cena: Another area that Cena excells in. The marketability for this guy is off the charts. Even if the E is stuffing him down our throats, he sells merch. Regardless of if you like him or not, you have to admit that he moves a whole ton of those colorful shirts. 5/5

Orton: Orton could be more marketable than he currently is if the E force fed him to us like they do Cena, but they don't, so he isn't. 3/5

Del Rio: Del Rio isn't at that point yet where he could sell a show as a headliner. He doesn't move that much merch either, but he's still on the rise. 1/5

Mysterio: Once again, the mask. Right up there with Cena as far as the kiddies are concerned, Rey has tons of masks in the crowd, and he even has, or will have, or is on the verge of having, his own comic book in Mexico. 5/5

Winner: Tied Cena/Mysterio



Crowd Reaction

Cena: It's hard for me to grade Cena on this because I havn't been to a live show and the audio on tv could be fixed, but just about as many people who love him, there's the same amount that hates him. Seeing how he is a face, it's a split decision because it's still crowd reactions, but it's not the kind that Cena and the WWE really want. 3.5/5

Orton: Randy get's big pop, but that seems to be dying down, so I think the move to Smackdown was good for him because he got huge pops in his debut. He is a stable pop machine. 3/5

Del Rio: Del Rio struggles in this department as well, but once again, he's on the rise. People hate him, and that's what they are supposed to do. 2/5

Mysterio: Mysterio is another hard one to judge because I'm not in the arena live. I'm sure the kiddies go wild for him, but I don't know about the adults. The pops for him sound decent on tv, but that's tv. 2.5

Winner: Cena

Overall Scores:

John Cena 17.5/25
Cena has the edge in the market and the mic, which helps him in area where he struggles, like appearance and in ring.

Randy Orton 16.5/25
Orton has all the potential to be the top dog, aside from mic skills, if the WWE were to push him down everyone's throat.

Alberto Del Rio 13.5/25
Alberto is the future of the E. He is on the rise and will soon be the one who is the big star along side guys like Miz and Cody Rhodes.

Rey Mysterio 15.5/25
He is the face of the WWE for kiddies and in Mexico. He is the international star, although it may not last long with Del Rio and Sin Cara being around and younger.

Winner: John Cena
It doesn't means he's the best, it means he is the most pushed. If guys like Orton would be pushed as much as Cena, the overall product would be better. You also have to realize that guys like Miz, Cody Rhodes and possibly Jo-Mo, will keep growin and developing and will be better in the future and could be bigger draws if WWE pushed them.
When compared to other headliners of the past, like Rock, Triple H, Austin, HBK, Hogan, Undertaker and others in their prime, Cena doesn't stack up.

 

[DanielJames]

you called it Dashing. All I see are a lot of Cena bashers/haters with no comebacks other than anti-Cena. Some people have no clue

um not that mnany people have done that compared to other cena threads. no one is really bashing him.
someone said he is a 3 at best in ring, they're right. thats a fair judgement giving him anything more is bias.
i by all means am not a cena basher, i use to like him a good amount and thought he was doing a good job as the main guy. but i do believe he has gotten stale and thrown down our faces to the point where people will get sick of them.
see cause we're not kids we don't buy into his supercena comeback no matter what stuff and cause we're not women we're not constantly attracted to him

but you can't get mad at people saying who they think is better than cena if thats what the thread asks for..
i say orton is better than cena, but there are people better than orton and i can admit that. but i do think he has earned his spot as the #2 face of the company.

 

[Reddog1146]

I think he is great in the ring but i may be biased because i live in the southeast where people actually like the guy who is the babyface in wrestling and that rubbed off on me. But there is something that is confusing me, people are giving CM Punk a 5/5 along with legends such as Michaels, Hart, and other big people in the company and he does not really compare to them, here is how i would rate him:

In Ring ability- 4/5
He is great in the ring combining highflying, technical, and stikeing styles and is a joy to watch in the ring. He would have had a 5/5 but the GTS is horrible no matter who sells it.

Mic Skills- 5/5
I will give him that, when he feuded with randy orton, he brought up something from 2008 to verify himself, that was genius.

Crowd reaction- 3/5
He does get a decent reaction but ever since his feud with randy orton, the heat had died down from mark out to eh.

Appearance- 2/5
This is his lowest rating, because the guys looks like he has been doing drugs with the lean body, scraggly hair, and the bags under his eyes.

Market ability- 4/5
A lot of people but into him for his in ring ability, promos so he sells well in my opinion.

Total 18/25- great but not legendary like the past greats, i love seeing CM Punk but keep him in perspective please.

 

[sajsSAMynwa1892]

I'm sorry...what? Orton is nowhere near a 5. A 5 would be HBK, Hart, Angle, Benoit, Y2J, Punk, Bryan. Orton doesn't come close. He's VERY repetitive and boring in the ring. He's also very limited down these days and only does few power moves. Fewer than Cena.

Just wanted to throw my two cents in...

agreed, i said something similar, if 5/5 is the best of the best then you cant put anyone who has decent matches and the occasional good one up there

 

[sajsSAMynwa1892]

i realised i didnt do any rating systems and they look fun so il do one for:
John Cena

In-ring- 2/5
look its really not a bash, hes better than mark henry but he is below average, every match seems the same and his moves seem daft, but then again so was the peoples elbow.

Mic- 4/5
i think he is very good on the mic tho not as good as made out, his promos seem repetitive and shouty now but he deliveres well. and in the past hes had some great promos, particularly heel.

crowd reaction 4.5/5
i havent given him 5 only because i see that as hogan-like, or jericho beating hhh in 2000, or stone colds entrance when makind beat the rock(you get it) though i love the split crowd thing.

appearance 3/5
could be too much because his ring attires awful, and his massive but legs surprisingly thin hehe. doesnt look cool does he, stone cold looked menacing and everybody wanted to be the rock sooooooo....

market- 5/5
cant argue because kids buy everything, hes really succesful and thats that. though i have to say hes only this marketable because hes been superman for 5 years....

overall 18.5/25
i think thats fair

 

[Jericaholics_anonymous7]

IMO... its gotta be Chris Kanyon....

'Who better than Kanyon....'

EVERYBODY

Classic..

Personally... wwe wont let anyone outdo their golden son.... not even the great one himself... so expect a cena win at WM next yr...

IMO... Jericho is the best in ring performer and mic worker... maybe only second to HBK...

so... Jericho/HBK and Kanyon.....

 

[BigSexy The IndyKiller]

who is better than cena hmmmmm i can say all of your ideas here are based on opinion just because he dosen't hurt someone dosen't mean hes good in the ring tough enough is about teaching basics....don't hurt anyone is the first thing you learn....dose it happen yea...but look at the other champ christian he has the look to. he's never put anyone on the shelve with an injury....he can wrestle with the best of them....he can be a heel or a face with is a big thing cena has yet to do....cena has proving to do he needs a heel turn in my eyes to be looked at as great and a different move set yea you said it simplistic moves...hes boring to watch and is over with children and women.

Ok, so are you completely forgetting the Dr. of Thuganomics???? Cena's first real character was SUPER HEEL... Before he completed his (fan forced) Face turn, he used BRASS KNUCKLES to beat Big Show for the US Title (he was still a Heel at the time). Fact of the matter is this, in relating to the original topic of this thread, Cena is Vince's Guy. The Top Dog. The Face. He's extremely over (whether you like him or don't like him), money on the mic, can go in the ring (when allowed to do so), puts guys over (look at his match with Swagger when Cena was WWE Champ and Swagger was ECW Champ, made the kid look like GOLD), and lives the business. With that being said, He's the guy to hold the Title right now and get all of the new Heels on Raw over in pursuit of that Title. NO ONE else on the roster is capable of doing so right now... No need for a Heel Cena at the moment.

 

[JGlass]

Did you seriously give him 4/5 for in ring ability. Have you ever seen him wrestle? He's a three at best, and that's only when he has other people help him. There are thousands of wrestlers better than him, even on the mic.

Shows how little you know about wrestling. You don't have to do 100 different moves like your boy Daniel Bryan to be good. No doubt, having a wide arsenal is impressive, but if you can put on great matches with only a few core moves, why go crazy with illogical crap?

Oh, and people help him? Try flipping that around. You know who does the brunt of the work during the wrestling match? The guy on the receiving end of the moves, that's who, and that's why guys always look so great when wrestling Cena, because he elevates them.

And on the mic, Cena isn't just the best in the world right now, he's one of the best ever. Easily in the top 5 of all time. I implore you to try and name more than 5 people who are better than him.