Most Valuable Player SINCE the Attitude Era

Cactus Col

The Domination of Triple H, the superman push of John Cena, Brock Lesnar and Bobby Lashley arrived, and then departed, the rise of TNA, Undertaker and HBK outperform everyone, DX re-unites, Ric Flair retires, Sting returns to wrestling, the brand split, Deacon Batista finds success, King Booker's royal court, King Regal's misfortunes, Mysterio's lightweight heavyweight, Kurt switches promotions, Jeff Hardy reaches potential, DX re-unites again, Evolution, Legacy, young talent overshadowed, young talent sparkles, Johnny Blaze/Nitro/Morrison, Benjamin underrated overrated, Love triangles, Edge/Hardy/Lita, Edge/Big Show/Vicky.

So anyway ... since the attitude era ended (which according to wikipedia was April 1, 2001 when austin sided with McMahon) who do you think has been the MVP in pro wrestling?

Bubs101

Biggest MVP to emerge is Lesner. Biggest MVP who stayed is Cena or Edge

gimmick

I would say HBK. Consistently good matches without hogging the limelighht by demanding titles at all times. I doubt anyone could come close to the amount of top qulaity matches he has had since his return in 2002.

Edge has only really come into his own since late 2005 when he went heel.

Handsome Bob

I would have said Jeff Hardy but he has proved himself to be no where near as reliable to be called an MVP. I would go with HBK too, there were a few tough years during the transition from the attitude era to where we are now, however one person that remained ever at the top of his game was HBK. He was a steady hand among the rocky waves. Edge is a close second but as I said, he took his sweet time in getting to where he is today. Ditto on Orton. HBK was someone who kept things interesting while these guys were evolving.

Bubs101

gimmick wrote: »

Edge has only really come into his own since late 2005 when he went heel.

What about his feud with Angle and the phenomenal tag team stuff with Rey and then tagging with Hogan and Benoit. His time as a face early on is underappreciated and for me he's the clear standout.

Since the attitude era WWE haven't been striving for faces because they've had Cena and Batista emerge but Edge has been by far the best heel and hence the MVP and better than HBK. Keep in mind that just before he won the title the top two heels on Raw were Carlito and Masters.

He's also the main antagonist of the most memorable moment since the Attitude era IMO with the MITB cash in and I'd also rank the tag match with Rey against Benoit and Angle as the best WWE match this decade

JP Liz

Cena, Edge, Rey, Jeff Hardy, Orton and even the returning Jericho are been major players

flahavaj

Cena

/thread.

chopperbyrne

It is without a doubt John Cena. Anyone who says otherwise is deluded. After him it's probably Rey and then a toss up between Hunter, Taker, Batista and Jeff.

Tricity Bendix

John Cena by a country mile.

gimmick

From the point of view of commercial MVP, it is Cena no doubt, with Rey a close second Id say. My uptake of the question is in an in ring capacity.

What about his feud with Angle and the phenomenal tag team stuff with Rey and then tagging with Hogan and Benoit. His time as a face early on is underappreciated and for me he's the clear standout.

Fair point, but I don't think he was as hugely over as a face than a heel. He is naturally better in that capacity imo and has done much more in that capacity also.

orestes

Cena, that guy is a frigging money machine

SlickRic

to be honest, i'm shocked by the fact only about half of the posters here so far have said John Cena.

he may not cater for all of us Attitude apologists, but he's easily WWE's MVP of the last 4 years.

easily.

without him, well, we don't know obviously...but he's WWE's biggest draw, has sold the most amount of merchandise, and has also been involved in some of the best matches of the last 2 years.

Kess73

Cena and the midget have to be the two biggest in terms of being constant commercial heavyweights.


My own favourite in that time would have to be Edge, but in commercial terms he is leagues below those two.

Handsome Bob

My arm has been twisted so Cena it is, I was just trying to be clever, okay?;)

Bubs101

Kess73 wrote: »

Cena and the midget have to be the two biggest in terms of being constant commercial heavyweights.


My own favourite in that time would have to be Edge, but in commercial terms he is leagues below those two.

Because he's a heel. Heels never draw as much. They get faces over. Edge has done that supremely well

WWE haven't striven that much for faces recently and it's debateable if Cena is that much of a draw. I fell out of touch when he started to main event but I'm almost 100% sure at this stage and for at least a year if he misses a PPV there's no massive drop between that one and the last one he was on.

And Gimmick you're right, his face run isn't comperable to his heel run but only because his heel run was outstanding and his face run was blighted by injury twice and face's need to get momentum behind them which the injuries stopped. His output from that period is still very very good

DM_7

SlickRic wrote: »

to be honest, i'm shocked by the fact only about half of the posters here so far have said John Cena.

he may not cater for all of us Attitude apologists, but he's easily WWE's MVP of the last 4 years.

easily.

without him, well, we don't know obviously...but he's WWE's biggest draw, has sold the most amount of merchandise, and has also been involved in some of the best matches of the last 2 years.

I guess some people really can't see him.

Cena is the MVP.

flahavaj

Bubs101 wrote: »

Because he's a heel. Heels never draw as much. They get faces over. Edge has done that supremely well

Who has he single handedly gotten over that wasn't already over?

Machismo Fan

flahavaj wrote: »

Who has he single handedly gotten over that wasn't already over?

Who has he been given the chance to face that wasn't already over? His match against Morrison a few months back made him look like a star.

flahavaj

Machismo Fan wrote: »

Who has he been given the chance to face that wasn't already over? His match against Morrison a few months back made him look like a star.

Fair point.

A point which renders Bubs' argument (about Edge's ability at getting others over making him WWE's MVP) null and void.:D

Bubs101

flahavaj wrote: »

Who has he single handedly gotten over that wasn't already over?

Matt Hardy. Too lazy to think of any others

Machismo Fan

Edge did help in getting Cena back over as a face.

CMpunked

Only MVP is the MPV of the Double-Double-E!




Only joking!



Without a doubt Cena wins hands down in this thread.

The big question is who comes after him, like who has the spotlight been on when he has been away? Injured/Movie making etc.

My money's on Edge...

*Yes, the spelling mistake is intentional..

flahavaj

Bubs101 wrote: »

Matt Hardy. Can't think of any others

1. Was always inexplicably over as hell anyway.

2. Got sympathay for real life situation as much as anything.

3. Didn't come out of feud with reputation mich more enhanced as before. certainly didn't end up any further up the card. If anyone did, it was Edge, not Hardy.

Also FYP.:D

Podge2k7

Without a doubt the MVP for the WWE since the attitude era is John Cena.

Bubs101

flahavaj wrote: »

2. Got sympathay for real life situation as much as anything.

Exactly, and who was the heel in that situation,. Who ****ed Lita. Who stabbed his friend in the back. Can't think of any other heel who went to the lengths of Edge to get face heat on such a waste of a ponytail as Hardy

He got Vickie over to an immense degree and when CM Punk was a face his pinacle was Edge's acting when he cashed in the MITB leading to the ultimate revenge and then the others, like has already been said were already over because Edge has been a fixture in the Main Event. Felt he gave Taker the biggest face reaction he'd had outside of his entrance in years. He also sustained some of Benoit''s momentum after Hunter screwed him backstage after his title win

Red Sleeping Beauty

Cena definitely since 2005 and his first world title win. But between 2001 and 2005 it was a bit of a strange transition.

Austin was on fire in his comeback in 2001 but that was overshadowed by the damned invasion thing.

2002 was an odd year because the belt went from Jericho to Trippers but then it was dropped to Hogan for a paltry short run before Taker got it for a little while (doing very little with I might add). It wasn't until Lesnar got it that it appeared that he'd be the flagship guy but then they wanted to turn him face and so that set in motion a lead up to WM XIX.

2003 I'd say was Lesnar. Angle did well with Lesnar. Triple H wasn't much to look at during that year and Goldberg was a waste of money.

Then in 2004 it appeared that the future was being pinned on Benoit and Eddie at WM XX but sure Eddie's reign was short lived and Benoit soon enough ended up dropping the belt back to Triple H's camp and then heading back to the undercard.

It really wasn't until 2005 when there was a clear plan that was stuck to (well sort of). Batista and Cena won the two world belts and they've more or less stayed in the main event spot since. Also Edge got Money in the Bank (I think didn't he ?) and he's since been a main eventer loads.

Oh and Taker & HBK have been really helpful in giving guys the rub that needed it.


Long story short : it's gotta be Cena. (much to my chagrin)

Cactus Col

I suppose it has to be John Cena. Despite (or in spite?) having a large section of fans turn he has put on great matches. i think his importance to wwe in the last five years was highlighted by the reaction he got on his entrance in the 2008 Royal Rumble. It was a mark out moment for a hell of a lot of people, including some very smart fans.

Outside of Cena, certainly Edge and Undertaker in wwe would be high on the list. Edge is all round great, I think he just needs that one hook to send him into the stratosphere. Maybe returning as a face will do it?

flahavaj

Bubs101 wrote: »

Exactly, and who was the heel in that situation,. Who ****ed Lita. Who stabbed his friend in the back. Can't think of any other heel who went to the lengths of Edge to get face heat on such a waste of a ponytail as Hardy

You really think he f*cked Lita to get heel heat. LOL.

He got Vickie over to an immense degree and when CM Punk was a face his pinacle was Edge's acting when he cashed in the MITB leading to the ultimate revenge and then the others, like has already been said were already over because Edge has been a fixture in the Main Event. Felt he gave Taker the biggest face reaction he'd had outside of his entrance in years. He also sustained some of Benoit''s momentum after Hunter screwed him backstage after his title win

LOL at thinking Taker needs Edge to be over. Vickie again was going to be over no matter what once her character turned heel, given who she was in real life. She helped Edge as much as Edge helped her and in fairness to her was bloody great as a heel in her own right.

None of the points you've made in anyway are justification for thinking Edge is the MVP of WWE since Atttiude ended. Brilliant, brilliant heel? Undoubtedly. But as valuable as Cena? No way.

Bubs101

flahavaj wrote: »

You really think he f*cked Lita to get heel heat. LOL..

He's a professional, of course he did. Anything else was a fringe benefit and if say Steiner had shown that dedication his programme with Test would have had more heat (Although I'd say Big Booty Daddy definitely had his way with her as well, just decided to keep it on the DL)

flahavaj wrote: »

None of the points you've made in anyway are justification for thinking Edge is the MVP of WWE since Atttiude ended. Brilliant, brilliant heel? Undoubtedly. But as valuable as Cena? No way.

Genuine question, is Cena that big of a draw. Like has he posted any massive PPV numbers that wouldn't have been big anyway (e.g. Rumble, Mania, No way out). Also, post attitude era top faces have been ten a penny. Edge (along with Jericho and JBL) is the only top natural heel and he's been there the whole time and been better and more consistent than the other two.

flahavaj

Bubs101 wrote: »

He's a professional, of course he did. Anything else was a fringe benefit and if say Steiner had shown that dedication his programme with Test would have had more heat (Although I'd say Big Booty Daddy definitely had his way with her as well, just decided to keep it on the DL)

LOUL.:pac:

Genuine question, is Cena that big of a draw. Like has he posted any massive PPV numbers that wouldn't have been big anyway (e.g. Rumble, Mania, No way out). Also, post attitude era top faces have been ten a penny. Edge (along with Jericho and JBL) is the only top natural heel and he's been there the whole time and been better and more consistent than the other two.

Drawing power in terms of big PPVs isn't really relevant as no one has really be a consistently huge draw since the days of Austin and Rock, unless you include Donald Trump of course.:pac: He is a HUGE merch seller though, ridiculously so and theres TV ratings that show he has had a positive effect on RAW ratings over time.

Oh, and Edge has never put in an in-ring heel performance as good as Orton's on Sunday if you want to go down the road of talking about unreal heels. He was absolutely sensational, as was Cena, in fact. But we knew he was without peer anyway, didn't we?;)

Cena is the undoubted star of his generation, Bubs and I think you know that as well as I do, though I'm always entertained by the "pick a less obvious answer just to be different" gimmick that you pull off so well.;)

a-hole

the only persion at the top since 2002 is angle he kept wwe aflote with a f**ked neck and now he is carrying tna

gerrybbadd

Have to say HBK, Cena, Orton Edge, and Mysterio. Hate Cena though.

Riddle101

Cena is deffinately the MVP post attitude era

But besides Cena going to go with Chris Jericho. Ignoring the gap when he left. Jericho has been consistantly doing a great job since he came to the WWE and after. He's had great matches with guys from HBK to CM Punk, is never dull on the mic, isn't so caught up in the title scene that you get sick of him constantly getting shots, despite being tag and I.C champion in the last couple of months. As well as that, he is able to pull a great match out of anyone.