10 Years of John Cena

Eire-Dearg

The 10th birthday of John Cena's debut against Kurt Angle is coming up in a few days. I remember that match, I think Smackdown was still on 10am on Saturdays. 10 years, christ.

jaykhunter

Austin joined WWF in late 95 and (even with approx 2 years out) stopped full-time wrestling 8 years later. Angle left WWE after 7 years. Rock debuted in late 96 and stopped doing fulltime wrestling less than 6 years later. Lesnar spent 2 years WWE.

Year 10 of Cena coming up, who hasn't changed his grating Gerwitz child-humour character in 8 years.

Even Hulkamania the 1st time around only lasted 9 years (1984-1993)

No wonder so many people are sick of Cena. He really needs to shake up his character big time.

Ive actually enjoyed Raw the last while but every show these days ends with Cena's weak comedy to close out the show.

Nody

Deleted User wrote: »

Even Hulkamania the 1st time around only lasted 9 years (1984-1993)

No wonder so many people are sick of Cena. He really needs to shake up his character big time.

Ive actually enjoyed Raw the last while but every show these days ends with Cena's weak comedy to close out the show.

Have we not been through this a bazillion times by now? Cena's not allowed to change it because he's the number 1 face of WWE by a long shot. A few are being worked up but people like Punk etc. are unlikely to stick around for very long so they keep on relying on Cena (who has been stated want to change the character but is not allowed to)...

Nody

Nody wrote: »

Have we not been through this a bazillion times by now? Cena's not allowed to change it because he's the number 1 face of WWE by a long shot. A few are being worked up but people like Punk etc. are unlikely to stick around for very long so they keep on relying on Cena (who has been stated want to change the character but is not allowed to)...

Thats what I meant. The company should change his character. Worded it wrong.

jaykhunter

Nody wrote: »

Have we not been through this a bazillion times by now? Cena's not allowed to change it because he's the number 1 face of WWE by a long shot.

You're exactly right, but also bear in mind, that's a business-stockholder reason, not a fan reason. Creatively (ie what fans want) he should turn heel, Cena's been getting flack for it for about...6-7 years now. WWE are shooting themselves in the foot by not featuring Punk (does he ever main event PPVs??) & Sheamo (whom WWE love/does a lot of appearances, sells lots of merch)

As an aside, TNA turned their biggest face at the time (Jeff Hardy) heel, and I personally thought it was great from a creative PoV, but was death for TNA since their next biggest face (RVD) was much much lower on the totem pole.

I also hope Cena goes away for a few months to sort out his legal/personal problems. It'd force WWE to rely on him less, which is the best for WWE in the long run.

Bounty Hunter

jaykhunter wrote: »

You're exactly right, but also bear in mind, that's a business-stockholder reason, not a fan reason. Creatively (ie what fans want) he should turn heel, Cena's been getting flack for it for about...6-7 years now. WWE are shooting themselves in the foot by not featuring Punk (does he ever main event PPVs??) & Sheamo (whom WWE love/does a lot of appearances, sells lots of merch)

Thats the thing, be it a heel turn or whatever that John goes through to change unless the focus is moved from him as the hero of WWE then the company might not be able to create the next Mega Star. As long as he is making them money as he is it seems they will continue to use him as the focal point of the shows and in doing so deny others the opportunity to take his place.

DM_7

Is it to late to try and turn Cena? We all talk a good game on this but if it was half arsed it would be pointless.

He would end up popular with the likes of us. He is around so long now I really think people would have level of respect for him and actually get it hard to really hate him. I'm not sure people would pay to see him get a good beating from a face. All his USA Armed forces, Make a Wish work, has it engrained in us that he is a good guy in and away from the ring.

The last two REALLY hated heels (Hated amongst older, wiser fans) WWE created, that I can think of were Orton and Edge. Edge thanks to the whole Lita business and Orton because people thought he was a genuine scum bag for a long time. They were actually hated as much for the person we believed them to be away from the ring as much as what they did during a WWE event. Orton could flip that switch today as we never see him outside a WWE event so no little of him away from the ring.

Before that HHH got that role and did it well, but that again was down to our belief about the person backstage, making it easy to hate the persona he played on TV.

Sure people like Miz or Mark Henry were disliked but they disliked rather than hated.

Cena would really have to commit to being hated for it to work. People would have to think he was absolute scum, he would have to be down right mean and nasty. I'm not sure he would want to do it.

Wow that was a bit of a ramble:pac:

Charisteas

I can't see a full blown evil heel turn working because we all know what such a nice guy he is outside the ring with the make a wish kids etc. It's too much of an extreme to suspend disbelief on that one. At least people have a real reason not to like Mark Henry, Brock Lesnar, Chris Jericho, Randy Orton due to the stories we read about them outside the ring.

As for a resurrection of the hip-hop basketball wearing douchebag that he was when he started, that would work for me but probably wouldn't be that over nowadays because the rhymes would be PG.

J. Marston

If that Kenny Dykstra interview is to be believed then it seems that he's a heel backstage. Bring some of the prickish-ness to the ring Cena, might make things a little more interesting.

Mr.Nice Guy

I think he's been fantastic for the WWE. Ten years as a star is a hell of an achievement and his dedication to the business can't be called into question.

I still remember when I saw him in Dublin my surprise that he actually busted himself open to further the angle where Austin would come to ref his match with JBL and Kurt. The guy is committed and seems to have the same commitment to his fans outside the ring with all his charity work and whatnot.

Legend.

Rjd2

J. Marston wrote: »

If that Kenny Dykstra interview is to be believed then it seems that he's a heel backstage. Bring some of the prickish-ness to the ring Cena, might make things a little more interesting.

Id be skeptical, their is very few reports of him been an arse backstage, everyone who leaves always seem quite complimentary about him.

Lets not forget he Make A Wish record holder as well.

jaykhunter

This seems to be a thing about John Cena where people don't separate his TV character and his outside work. Possible-scandal aside I don't think anyone can hate him for his tireless work ethic and dedication, but in ring, creatively, is a completely different matter. I know the two are somewhat linked (as you mentioned with blading on a house show match) but doing a lot of meet-and-greets and talk shows I never see, doesn't excuse this

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ziB0kQd7ltA

GTR63

Ah now Jayk that was funny in what 1994 when Jim Carrey did it sadly it had a shelf life that died at least 10 years ago.
Should of used Pussay that was in the superior Dumb and Dumber.

Fenian Army

If he turns heel I'd feel sorry for the kids

This was traumatic for me

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zwr1dTrLbY0

JohnMarston

I think he's more or less stuck as a face. As much as they try to push Sheamus and Punk to replace him, he's their cash cow.
John himself is probably dying to turn heel, but the best we can hope for is a more aggressive face

CastorTroy

He needs to go off air for 2 or 3 months. This will help WWE see and plan what they would have to do if he ever got seriously injured. It will also get more people behind him again. Like look at any time a big star comes back after a few months away, either due to injury or just filming a movie. Even if they were a heel at the time they went out, they get a huge pop upon their return.

Professional Griefer

Cool comment over on reddit about Cena I seen yesterday.

I remember when I stopped watching wrestling it was around the Wrestlemania where he fought Big Show for the US Title, at least I think it was for that title. I really like Cena, not sure why, just can't help it though.

Diabhal Beag

The man who commits murder to fashion every night he wears those jean shorts or "jorts".

jaykhunter

No sense in making a new John Cena thread. But this is pretty cool.

There are always plenty of candidates for top sports celebrity bad guy: LeBron, Tiger, T.O., Roger Clemens, and on and on. But what about top sports good guy? Those names don't come to mind quite as easily. Even beloved athletes such as Tim Tebow and Derek Jeter have detractors. But by one important measure, there is a runaway favorite.

John Cena.

Pro wrestler John Cena granted his 300th Make-A-Wish request to a 7-year-old boy.The pro wrestling superstar granted his 300th Make-A-Wish request to a 7-year-old Pennsylvania boy named Jonny Littman earlier this week. That's far and away tops among sports celebrities.

Only a few other sports stars have granted more than 200 wishes, including Hulk Hogan, Jeff Gordon and Dale Earnhardt, Jr. Michael Jordan is in the 200 neighborhood and Kobe Bryant has granted more than 100. (More than 50 wishes will be granted at the London Olympics.) Cena raced past 300 and he fully intends on getting to 1,000.

How popular is Cena with Make-A-Wish? There's a conference room dedicated to him at the company headquarters in Arizona.

"Overall, I get 100-140 WWE wish requests a year," said Shaina Reeser, sports program manager at Make-A-Wish, "and the majority is for John Cena. He probably does two or three kids every week. It's crazy."

Cena never says no. Even though his schedule is tougher than most stars – there are no home games and there's no off-season – he unfailingly builds in time for Wish kids. WWE rep Kevin Hennessey even says Cena's 300th wish was so important that his bosses rearranged his entire schedule for it.

It's not that other athletes are cold-hearted. Pretty much everyone says yes to Make-A-Wish every time. (In fact, LeBron, Tiger, T.O. and Clemens have all done over-the-top wishes for kids across the country.) But sometimes schedules conflict or an athlete can't be in the area where his wish kid lives. And, sadly, because of illness and the course of treatment, wish kids don't always have a lot of time to wait for their favorite athletes to become free. One of the big myths about Make-A-Wish is that children pass away from their illnesses; many make a full recovery. The only requirement for a wish kid is a life-threatening condition. But that usually entails severe hardship not only physically but financially. Families spend so much on care and medical bills that they can't afford over-the-top presents. That's where Make-A-Wish comes in. And that's where celebs like John Cena come through.

"He has been a big supporter of us forever," said Make-A-Wish national communications manager Mark Hiegel. "By this time next year, he'll have 400."

And while some heroes do a simple meet-and-greet, Cena turns the Wish into an experience. He usually invites the child to Monday Night Raw, where he takes the entire family backstage, gives them all signed memorabilia and introduces them to other WWE stars. That's what he did for Jonny Littman on Monday in New York. But then Cena followed up with a surprise visit the next day on Good Morning America.

That's by far the best part of the Make-A-Wish day – the surprise. Kids sometimes get shy and sometimes beam for hours, but they all forget for a while about the next hospital visit or the next round of chemo.

"He gets the kids out of their shells," Reeser said of Cena. "He's every good at asking questions, pulling information out of them. There's always a huge smile and their eyes light up. The more outgoing kids will say Cena's phrase, which is 'You can't see me.' "

But that's just it. A sick kid can see Cena. He makes sure of it.

credit sports.yahoo.com

Hashtag_HEEL

As long as the "Little Jimmeahs" buy his shirts, hats, sweatbands, figures and well anything that has his name on it he will be a face!

Stereomaniac

Say what you want about him, but you have to respect all that Make A Wish stuff, it takes effort.

Fenian Army

One of the best things about him, and Hogan in particular, thats why Hogan found it so hard to turn heel

Stereomaniac

Hogan kind of alluded to it on camera though, I felt. Does Cena use it to gain pops ever?????

A Primal Nut

As someone pointed out, would he be able to continue doing make-a-wish if he turned heel? Probably not, at least to kids as young as his 300th; who was 7. It's probably a good a reason as any why he doesn't turn heel.

CMpunked

Cena is a legend. I'm far gone caring if he turns heel, theres enough on the fringes that keep me happy in that department.

gnfnrhead

Cena doesnt need to turn heel. The major reason people want him to is because his character is stale. That can be fixed without turning heel. WWE just need to put some effort in to tweeking his character a bit every so often. He changed a little for his feuds with Rock and Lesnar and got support back, but was quickly back to normal afterwards.

Handsome Bob

J. Marston wrote: »

If that Kenny Dykstra interview is to be believed then it seems that he's a heel backstage. Bring some of the prickish-ness to the ring Cena, might make things a little more interesting.

Kenny came across quite badly in that interview, I wouldn't put too much stock in it.