Who's the better professional wrestler? John Cena or Bryan Danielson

[Slyfox696]

This was a question posed over a year ago...and I want to see how opinions have changed.

Simple question. Who is the better professional wrestler and why do you think so? Keep in mind, I am not referring strictly to in-ring skills, but to all the attributes of what makes a great wrestler, which includes off-screen stuff as well.

So, who is the better professional wrestler? Bryan Danielson or John Cena.

 

[IrishCanadian25]

Why not just come out and ask "how many indy wrestling marks do we have left on the boards?"

Cena is obviously leaps and bounds ahead of Bryan Danielson. That's why Danielson is on ROH and Cena is the #1 draw in the biggest pro wrestling (I refuse to use the term entertainment) organization in the world.

Cena brings crowds to arenas and whether he makes you love him or hate him, he makes people care.

Cena uses the right moves for him at the right time.

Cena protects his opponents from injury to the best of his ability while still making their moves look real.

I'd love to see if anyone has the guts to step up against Cena in this thread.

 

[Luther_Hull]

Cena's pretty much the benchmark for professional wrestlers today, Danielson's an indy wrestler trying to make it in the big leagues whos had numerous opportunities to make it in the WWE and failed every time. Whilst Cena has headlined four WrestleMania's in a row and had the longest championship reign in recent memory. So its really not that close at all really, its like asking whether a Premiership footballer is better than a non-league one.

Although I'm sure Danielson knows a wider variety of suplexes.

 

[Skillz]

Who the fuck is Bryan Danielson?

*looks on youtube to remind myself of who he is*

Ohhh him.

He simply isn't in Cena's league. This is a complete mismatch, and is actually quite laughable that anyone could think Danielson is anywhere near Cena.

Cena is the best and most recognisable wrestler in the world right now. He smokes Danielson in every single aspect of professional wrestling. When it comes to who is a better professional wrestler, Danielson can't see Cena, at all.

 

[klunderbunker]

This can't be serious. Look, I'm not a Cena fan and never will be, but this isn't even close. Danielson is the best wrestler in a company that's barely in business. Yes, he's the king of the indys, but there's a reason he's in the indys. Now he could definitely make a go of it in WWE, but the fact of the matter is this: John Cena is the man right now. He's the #1 star in the #1 company. Love him or hate him, the man does his job because he gets a reaction. Danielson I couldn't pick out of a lineup. Cena I could write a history of. This just isn't close, and even if it was on equal footing, it's still Cena and always will be Cena.

 

[The Undercover Man]

John Cena by far. Cena brings crowds to to the arenas, Cena brings in unbeleiveable amounts of revenue to the WWE and most importantly he has millions of fans. For me he is a much better entertainer then Brian Danielson and knows how to work a crowd well. As Irish' said Cena knows exactly how to work a crowd by doing moves at a certain time, and its true.

Cena is like the new Hulk Hogan, he just knows exactly when to do stuff and the right times and how to get a crowd involved in what their doing. As appose to Brian Danielson's work outside of wrestling, i have'nt seen much of him but as for Cena he does a huge amount. He visits hospitals, Make A Wish and countless other projects which gain him rep with many fans and his peers in the wrestling business.

 

[a0161613]

I desperately want to argue this......here goes.

I think Bryan Danielson is excellent. He has awesome potential, is adaptable and is young enough and good enough to go to WWE and do very well. The way I see it Danielson is better technically and so is the better wrestler.

But John Cena on form is the best ENTERTAINER in the business today and IMO (if WWE don't screw up) he will end up being the 21st Centurys' Hogan or Austin and continue to carry the company on his back with seemingly no effort. As such he is remarkable for what he does for the company outside the ring.

They both are capable of putting on excellent matches (Cena has impressed me because he is normally shown himself to be willingly carried along to a good match by those more experienced and better technically around him.)

Cena annoys me though. His offense is (for lack of better words) shit. Until somebody sits him down, is shown that his offence is weak and how it can be (easily) corrected, he will continue to be booed out of the arena.

His spectacular Rumble return was ruined by the fact that all those cheers turned to boos as soon as he started to punch.

I have no qualms voting for Danielson on this occasion because I feel the question is poorly worded. I'm no indy smark though.

Edit: I've just seen the poll score, currently at 12-0. Hmmm.

 

[RVDgurl]

Ok, Sly... I love these threads of yours that take shots at the Indy fans, . What do you mean by better? I ask because I look at wrestling very differently than most, especially you. If you are asking who gerenates more money, than of course, John Cena is your answer- no questions asked.

However, if you're asking people's opinions, then my vote goes to Danielson. He is my favorite wrestler in the game right now. In my mind, Danielson is better because I find him more entertaining. I like the way he showcases mat wrestling and submission holds in his matches. I prefer the indy style to the bright lights of the WWE. Danielson was not blessed with Cena's size, therefore he probably will never be a star in the WWE. Again, to each their own- just because a wrestler works for Vince, doesn't make them better in my eyes.

I'm not sure how off screen stuff has anything to do with how good a wrestler is, but both men are great role models. Everyone always sees Cena doing charity things because he is basically the WWE's spokemans. Danielson obviously does not have that sort of money or the platform to be seen, but he does what he can as well. Danielson does not do drugs or drink, he is a family man who performs alot of community service. He also aspires to join the Peace Corps which is a terrific display of humanitarianism. He plans to retire from wrestling early so that he can spend several years abroad helping a poverty stricken foreign country. He speaks about these things on his myspace and in interviews.

 

[Monkey_Mania]

It's really no question. Cena is on top of the world right now. Danielson will never reach Cenas level EVER. Cena busts his ass in the ring, he also busts his ass outside of the ring. Always improving his game, always doing charity work, promotional work and the whole nine yards. Cena has been in movies and has his own CD out. He's the consummate professional. While Danileson may be the king of the Indies. Cena is the King of the wrestling world.

 

[BooCocky]

OMG Sly, what kind of question is this? The answer is Danielson, he knows 9 different suplexes along with six different sleeper holds, he has three modified pile drivers, he knows a tornado DDT and several other versions of the DDT, and to top it off he can do a freaking moonsault. Damn boy, whats not to love?

Obviously the answer is John Cena and it isnt debatable, Cena is on top of the largest wrestling company in the world while Danielson's having trouble selling out High School gymnasiums. Cena is the biggest wrestler in the world today, and when it's all said and done he might be the greatest wrestler to ever step foot in the squared circle.

 

[L4L]

You really cant compare the two at all. Danielson is good for what he is a light heavy on the indy circut. But I think danielson is given a little bit to much credit at time by ROH marks. Cena is not my favorite wrestler but he is not bad by any stretch. He gets better and better all the time. I have been to a ROH show and while it isnt bad i was not all that impressed. I think an indy fed like OVW is far better and much more entertaining.

 

[agentmichaelscarn]

This is obviously John Cena, its like comparing a basketball player that plays on that And 1 tour to an NBA player. Yes that And1 player might be flashier and more exciting on the court but he isnt as good as that NBA player. Same thing with this situation, depending on your view or taste Danielson maybe more exciting in the ring but obviously he isnt as good as Cena all around or else he would be in the WWE. Cena has main evented the biggest show in wrestling 4 years in a row I believe. Danielson wrestles infront of a 100 people in some gymnasium while Cena was the main event at a show infront of 80,000 people. Cena is the biggest draw in wrestling and probably most recognizable active wrestler. I honestly dont know how anybody could make a serious case for Danielson.

 

[Dead Kennedy]

Ouch, this is a toughie. Considering what the definition of a professional wrestler is, those being a certain amount of in-ring skills, charisma and mic skills this one goes hands down to John Cena, no question. Let me break it down for you here.

John Cena. I don't like the guy much for several reasons I don't feel much like discussing, but there's nothing you can say against his accomplishments and standing in WWE. He gives everything and gets a hell of a lot back. Sure, he doesn't know eight variations of a suplex but his matches are good enough technically. That combined with the intensity he does bring to the matches creates memorable matches. Simply dishing out a bunch of impressive moves in a match without bringing intensity to it, sort of like Benjamin did when he first started out after being moved to ECW creates boring matches it's hard to get into, which brings me to item #2...

Bryan Danielson. Indie-fans' darling. Among the top of the food chain of workrates in the world. But he has an average look, no charisma and no mic skills to speak of. Danielson is a great wrestler, but there's no chance in hell he could become the same kind of draw Cena is. He doesn't have the other attributes needed to become one of the best professional wrestlers in the world.

In short, under the definition professional wrestler, Cena is the better hands down. Bryan has 100 times his moveset but lacks charisma and mic skills, more often than not irreplaceable traits needed for one to become one of the best professional wrestlers in the world. Danielson is one of those guys who could be great in "real" wrestling but as far as sports entertainment goes, Danielson lacks the "entertainment" part.

 

[X]

ROFL, Slyfox you big asshole! Necroing this thread from way back when. Was this your first thread?

I'll always carry some pride in my heart that I was the one to bring you here Slyfox after our short (and on my end, profanity-laced) YouTube debate. Who woulda thunk that a guy who I originally thought was just some idiotic Cena-mark would go on to be our resident ball-buster and Chief of Making You Look Stupid?

I'm tearing up just thinking about it...*sniffle*

Since our original debate, my opinion has changed. I still believe that Bryan Danielson is the more talented of the two in terms of his in-ring ability (I'll still stand by that steadfast), but obviously in terms of being a PROFESSIONAL wrestler, Cena is at the very, very top of the food chain right now. I don't hate the guy like I used to (thanks to you Sly), but I'm also not very fond of him either. I've become indifferent to him; and that in itself is quite the accomplishment Sly. You took me from a year ago saying that Cena was a cancer on Pro wrestling to now me being able to actually sit through one of his matches and say "Well, that wasn't too bad. Not great, but not bad".

 

[Darkshot77]

Febuary 8 2003: WWE Velocity-A 21 year old Bryan Danielson wrestled a 25 year old John Cena. Cena won the match affter hitting the Protobomb. Little did either of them know that 4 small years later both would be at the top of their respective areas, Cena champ of the WWE and Danielson King of the Indys. And thats the difference WWE and Indys.

Cena wins period. The fact that the term "American Dragon" is more synonymous with Jake Long than Bryan Danielson really says something. Danielson, but I bet he has never wrestled in arenas month after month where thousands of people are threatening to kill him. It was at this point I began to respect Cena, the fact that he was taking all this hate that by wrestling law he should not havew gotten and used it to become better gained my respect. Danielson has never done that, and most likely never will. Cena is better.

 

[Gelgarin]

Better at what?

They're both the top of their respective fields. They're both the best in the world at drawing to their particular cross section of fans. Neither man could do the others job.I agree it's a miss match, but not for the reason everybody else seems to think.

People tend to jump on the ideology of "Cena can draw thousands whilst Danielson can draw hundreds" and latch on to that as evidence that Cena is somehow more talented. It's probably because of this faulty "money correlates to skill" idea that's been doing the rounds over the past six months.

John Cena is the top name in the biggest wrestling company in the world, and is playing a gimmick tailored towards the biggest cross section of wrestling fans. Nobody draws better with the younger generations than John Cena.

Brian Danielson is in a small independent wrestling company with no media exposure, and is wrestling a style and gimmick tailored towards one of the smallest cross sections of wrestling fans. Nobody draws better with indy wrestling fans than Brian Danielson.

The point I am trying to make is that the two men are basically in different professions. The fact that they work in the same environment elicits comparison between the two which is faulty at best. If JC tried to main event a RoH PPV he'd get booed out of the building. If Danielson tried to main event Wrestemania he'd... well... now you mention it he probably could. Anyone who can lace up some boots, talk in complete sentences and remember their own name can be made into a star in WWE with the right booking, but that's a debate for another day. let's just say he couldn't do it as well as Cena could, and leave it at that.

The two men do totally different things. They both do them exceptionally well. An attempt to ascertain the better of the two men is first going to have to spend some serious time answering the question,

Better at what?

 

[Thomas_Argyle]

This was a question posed over a year ago...and I want to see how opinions have changed.

Simple question. Who is the better professional wrestler and why do you think so? Keep in mind, I am not referring strictly to in-ring skills, but to all the attributes of what makes a great wrestler, which includes off-screen stuff as well.

So, who is the better professional wrestler? Bryan Danielson or John Cena.

Neither are better or worse.

John Cena is the better WWE style wrestling, where as Danielson is the better ROH style wrestler. It takes different things to get over in WWE than it does in ROH. If you put Danielson in WWE and gave him Cena's push he wouldn't get over nearly as much as Cena. If you put Cena in ROH and gave him Danielson's push he wouldn't get nearly as over as Danielson.

 

[pewter02ws6]

Neither are better or worse.

John Cena is the better WWE style wrestling, where as Danielson is the better ROH style wrestler. It takes different things to get over in WWE than it does in ROH. If you put Danielson in WWE and gave him Cena's push he wouldn't get over nearly as much as Cena. If you put Cena in ROH and gave him Danielson's push he wouldn't get nearly as over as Danielson.

this sums it up pretty well IMO. it all depends on what someone's opinion of a wrestler is. is it the all around package or the technical aspect?? i'm sure some thing hulk hogan is the greatest wrestler of all time but hogan basically only showed us arm bars, clotheslines, body slams, a big boot, a leg drop and slapping someone on the back with a belt. the fact was that he had the charisma which made him the all around package that some would perceive as the greatest wrestler. cena gets my vote but that is derived by my opinion of what a wrestler is.

 

[One Punch Doug Crashin]

if your going with pure entertainment value I'd go with John Cena for the simple fact that he entertains the crowds even though they boo the crap out of him.

if your going with pure Wrestling ability then Danielson by far. I mean look at what he did with Regal back in the day... or a Jack Evans... the only reason that Danielson wouldn't make it in the WWE is because he's pretty bland.

 

[CENAtion]

This has to be a joke.

The #1 draw in the world who works for the biggest company vs. some Indy curtain jerker. Anytime Cena comes on camera the results speak for itself. Hes not the nmost polished guy in the ring and never will be. But he does his job better than anybody, which is why he is in the spot he is. He makes everyone care, entertains and puts on a great show. There are only a couple guys who can be mentioned with Cena in this debate, and even then i dont know if anyone could be Cena at this topic.

 

[Castleraegh]

OMG Sly, what kind of question is this? The answer is Danielson, he knows 9 different suplexes along with six different sleeper holds, he has three modified pile drivers, he knows a tornado DDT and several other versions of the DDT, and to top it off he can do a freaking moonsault. Damn boy, whats not to love?

I'm curious to know if you've actually seen Danielson wrestle. It doesn't sound like it. Same can be said for most of the posters in this thread.

Now, first thing's first, i chose John Cena for obvious reasons, but i'm going to play devil's advocate now.

Danielson had a dark match recently in WWE. Do you know why he got that dark match? Because he asked for it. He is on very good terms with WWE, has allegedly been offered a number of contracts since the aforementioned match against John Cena on Velocity, and could probably sign with WWE whenever he wanted. Fact is, he isn't just another indie wrestler. They guy can do what not many guys can do on the indie scene, and that is tell a story. He is surprisingly charismatic, he is well-travelled, he is a ring general, and i believe he could make it in the big leagues. He and Nigel McGuinness are two guys who could definitely make it into the WWE without much struggle. Main eventing is a different story, but certainly midcard glory is more than achievable for them.

That said, of course John Cena wins this, hands down, but you shouldn't really talk like Danielson is just another guy.

 

[Azrael Cain]

I believe that we are quick to judge Cena as a entertainer -- which one must become upon entering the WWE -- and Danielson as a wrestler, which he is as his result of staying in the Indys. I think that Cena can wrestle, and wrestle well -- and his match with Bryan on Velocity proves that.

Just because he does not wrestle with variations of one move does not mean he cannot.

When one enters the WWE, and especially when one becomes THE man of the WWE, a change in style has to be made. Danielson said it himself often times, the atmosphere is different. The style is different. It's a different approach.

But look at the Cena/Danielson match on Velocity. It's tremendous. For the 4 minutes the guys are in the ring, it's amazing. Which cannot be attributed to just one man -- I think we all realize that a match is a two way street and the more talented the travelers on that street are, the better the match.

I think asking who is better is pretentious and ends up being a popularity contest. Both are extremely talented, and both are where they want to be. Ask them, and I am sure they'll tell you they like one another and respect each other professionally.