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RSS FeedIs wrestler John Cena a superstar or a dud?
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| Dud | 56% | 350 votes | Total: 620 votes | |
| Superstar | 44% | 270 votes |
Dud
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Add to FavoritesPersonally, I have watched John Cena since his debut, and it is more or less just another case of the WWE calling up their development talent before they are ready to compete on one of their main rosters. Yes, he has potential and Yes he has charisma, but at this stage in his career, even with him running with the WWE Championship, i do NOT see him as a Main Event Wrestler.
John Cena is being pushed as the top Baby-face, the top Main Eventer and the Franchise Player in the World Wrestling Entertainment, however, the reactions he gets from location to location vary too much, from heavy cheers, to heavy boos, to most often a mixed and split reaction within the audience in attendance. When a wrestler is pushed as a TOP BABY-FACE, they need the BABY-FACE pop, the cheers and support from the audience that shake the roof, the pop that can be heard echoing from the darkest corners of the known universe. The cheers that have been heard from the very presence of the Superstars such as Hollywood Hulk Hogan, The Rock, Ric Flair and Sting.
The reaction John Cena gets, is not a Baby-face reaction, it is a mixed reaction, the type you expect to hear for a new up-and-coming mid-carder at best, which just further proves he is being pushed too much, that he is not ready for the position he is in right now.
He is being put over for his charisma, which nobody can doubt, and it is a hundred and ten percent obvious that John Cena wreaks passion for the wrestling business, and actually believes in what he is doing, which can not be said for many of the business' modern day performers. His talent however leaves much to be desired. He moves gracefully around the ring enough and has an in-ring persona, but his wrestling skills are mediocre at best, and just prove my point that he was called up from development soon, that he didn't get enough training which the business is lacking lately.
His move-set generally consists of what i call 'Gimmick Moves' which are moves which generally taunt your opponent for a crowd reaction. Commonly seen from Hulk Hogan when he Hulks Up and hits his punch combinations, The Rock when he is about to hit a People's Elbow, and so on. Gimmick moves date back to early on within Gimmick Wrestling and WERE good to help you get a reaction, but nowadays, everyone has seen them, they are not impressive anymore.
Most of Cena's arsenal consists of knocking down his opponent then hitting a few gimmick moves, then following up with his finishing move, the 'F-U' which is simply a fireman's carry slam, a move which is commonly used as an early to middle match take-down move by technical, mat and ground wrestlers over the years such as Rick Steiner, Scott Steiner Kurt Angle and Fit Finlay. The move generally, is too weak to look effective as a FINISHING maneuver, and over the years by the wrestlers mentioned above, has usually been seen to follow up with a simple ground based submission such as a headlock or sleeper hold, which eventually gets reversed, and turned into a small series of chain wrestling. Cena however, simply makes a pin-fall after utilizing the maneuver for a victory most of the time.
To me, that is just one more of the many aspects of modern day wrestling which take the WRESTLING factor out of the sport as well as taking out the remaining sense of realism. Would a Five hundred pound man stay down for a three-count after a simple technical take-down? I think not. We who watch wrestling, for the WRESTLING, expect to see the wrestling factor played out as well as the entertainment, character and gimmick factor. Lately, and Cena is a prime example, the Wrestling world, with WWE as it's prime culprit, is simply favoring towards the character aspect, and slowly but surely draining out every last drop of Professional Wrestling.
The reason I personally think John Cena is in the position he is in with the WWE, is not only his charisma, which i admit, is top notch, but his position outside the company and the way he conducts himself. He is often seen taking time to sign autographs, help out with charity work and is a common sight in the public eye which contributes to his 'Common American Hero' type of persona which was introduced by Dusty Rhodes. The type of persona which says, 'Wow, he is just like me.' However, what we are talking about is the WRESTLING business, what happens outside the ring should not be used to put somebody over inside the squared circle. If it gets them more fan exposure, so be it. If it gets them recognition, so be it, but just because he is a class act out of the ring, is no reason to push somebody who is not ready, to the top of their company.
John Cena has potential, I'm not doubting that, but he is not ready for the position he is i, in my personal opinion. So right now, i am signing to the 'DUD' side.
Baby-faces need a Baby-face crowd reaction, not a mixed reaction. Therefore, push the man as a Heel and eventually work it over. He got turned to quickly for his own good, which lead to him becoming stale faster than he was meant to.
It is still fixable... But for now, Dud is my reaction to John Cena as a WRESTLER, not John Cena as a PERSON.
Learn more about this author, Wayne K. Wilkins.
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Superstar
John Cena is a superstar. He is one of the only bona fide superstars left in professional wrestling. With Hulk Hogan, "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, the Rock, and Bill Goldberg all but retired from professional wrestling, John Cena stands in the doorway carrying a billion dollar company on his shoulders. The WWE tries to market their favorite sons, Triple H, Shawn Michaels and the Undertaker, but the truth is: they're old, broken down, and marketed too strongly. I watched the June 8th edition of Raw, and when Triple H emerged from the ambulance, I groaned and turned the channel. And I am a Triple H fan; he is a good brawler, and can actually perform when he desires, but the way he presents himself is less than welcoming, and he is a sufferer of Hogan syndrome.
John Cena, as I said, is a superstar. He's detested as much as Triple H, but the man clearly has the companies best interest in mind. He'll take a beating from a lower carded performer, like the Miz, to get the Miz over. I cannot recall the last time Triple H did something like this; I do not consider Shelton Benjamin to be a valid response. In addition, forget about Hulk Hogan putting anybody over.
John Cena does exactly what the WWE needs him to do: sell out arenas and move merchandise. Cena has proved himself time, and time again to conquer both tasks fabulously. John Cena has become the less political version of a modern Hulk Hogan and Steve Austin. With his chiseled body, overall good looks, and natural charisma, Cena is easily the most marketable performer the WWE has. Cena has headlined how many WrestleMania's now? I do believe his main event with Shawn Michaels brought in the largest attendance for WrestleMania since the third installment with the titanic clash between Andre the Giant and Hogan.
Smarks routinely dog his move set, citing the five moves of doom disease. The thing I do not understand is that Ric Flair and Bret Hart created that nasty disease. Yet they are adored throughout the internet. I was not a fan of the FU at first, but it grows on you. As a child, a friend of mine would classify the moves according to one variable, if it would hurt on concrete. An FU on concrete would be devastating. In addition, watching Cena FU men like The Big Show and Khali is quite impressive. It is obvious that his move set was changed and modified; watch him in OVW and his early WWE stint. I remember when Randy Orton debuted and wrecked his shoulder the first time doing MVP's finishing maneuver. Cena isn't an independent wrestler, he cannot be throwing out head drop suplexes and nasty body altering submission holds. Management tells him what he can, and cannot do. Too many performers have suffered severe injuries over the years.
I believe that John Cena is the best main event wrestler the WWE has. He is much like the Rock and Austin in terms of bringing the goods to end a pay-per-view. If you have not had the opportunity to do so, watch the Last Man Standing match against both Umaga, and Edge. I personally rated the Umaga match 5 stars. Yes, I believe Cena carried a very game Umaga to a classic match. I prefer puroresu, All Japan pre-split, to American wrestling, especially the WWE.
If Cena can remain healthy, and not get pulled away to Hollywood, he will undoubtedly surpass Austin and Hogan both. It all depends on the American economy I suppose, and a new interest will need to be made to bring in new fans. I do fear that the product the WWE presents pushes many traditional people away. A depressed economy and unsuitable content will ultimately decide John Cena's fate as a mega superstar. Many claim that John Cena will never reach the level of super-stardom that Hulk Hogan, and others have attained. It is hard not to follow that belief, but John has already accomplished so much in his rather short career. If the WWE continues to book Cena in the manner they have so far, allowing him to headline WrestleMania's, reigning as champion more often, he will pass Hogan and Austin no problem. I believe he has passed the Rock already. It takes a superstar to do that; and that is exactly what John Cena is.
Learn more about this author, Sean Kelly.
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