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Post by LtD73 on Aug 21, 2014 9:54:01 GMT -5
This is not a thread bashing Cena
I'm just remembering Heyman's promo from Raw about how long "The Guy" has been on top and he was talking about Austin and Rock been on top for only a handful of years each, then there's John Cena who has been the Guy for 10 consistent years. It's just made me wonder why WWE has stuck with him for so long when 2 of their biggest stars were only on top for less than half that time.
Could it be that Cena had no place/didn't want to go do other things?
What do you think has kept John Cena at the top for so long as opposed to previous top guys?
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Post by Captain Charisma on Aug 21, 2014 10:07:56 GMT -5
no one else in recent memory can bring in the revenue he does consistently in merchandising etc and he is good with Corporate Social Responsibility events and initiatives. That's my guess.
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Post by BrIaNMeRcY on Aug 21, 2014 10:15:41 GMT -5
John Cena's run on top can be summed up in one word: Longevity
The WWE strapped the rocket on his back when he was 27 years old. The amount of years that would come after speaks for itself. Longevity gave them the base to market Cena in merchandise and gave him his run on top.
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Post by J12 on Aug 21, 2014 10:24:44 GMT -5
I think it's a variety of factors, some are related to him and his characteristics while others are beyond his control, but work in his favor.
For starters, he's immensely dedicated and passionate, to an extent that is very rarely, if ever seen in pro wrestling or any other sport. That's not to take away from the thousands of professional athletes who love what they do and are dedicated to it, it's just that Cena takes it to a whole different level.
He's extremely marketable - he keeps up his squeaky clean appearance in and outside of the ring. He's charitable. He's a likeable personality to the general public, and he makes the company a whole lot of money in merchandise sales.
He, unlike Stone Cold, has not had severe injuries that have led to him being forced out. Cena has had his fair share of injuries, of course, but, as evidenced by his long-term staying ability and current shape, he's rebounded from all of them and continues to be a dominant hand with no lingering risk of long-term damage.
He, unlike The Rock, came into wrestling at a time that very few people "in the mainstream" were watching. Hollywood saw The Rock as this bright, young, charismatic guy who could transition well into film, and of course, The Rock wanted it too. Cena, on the other hand, has ruled WWE in a very different era where it's no longer "cool" to feature pro wrestlers outside of the squared circle, or at least not to the extent it was during the attitude era. Couple that with Cena's desire to remain a wrestler, and you have your answer on that front.
Still, though, the fact remains that WWE has grown so comfortable with Cena in his role that the have proven to be unwilling to push the envelope in the direction of an up-and-coming star. Roman Reigns is the first guy to have "the machine" behind him, so to speak. You can almost see the wheels turning, inching closer to superstardom every time he's on TV. WWE has continuously thwarted any character who was reaching John Cena heights of popularity, and sometimes with good reason. If you ask me, CM Punk was well on his way to becoming the company's #1 babyface in the summer of 2012, but let's be honest, with his attitude, how could he possibly represent the company the way Cena does?
Cena is a rare, rare breed. I speak frequently about how Brock Lesnar is a wrestling anomaly - a guy who came in and was immediately deserving of the hype, attention, and push he received. From a marketing standpoint, John Cena possesses the exact same intangible, enigmatic quality that forces WWE to put the company's weight on his shoulders.
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Post by Next Manufactured’s Sweater on Aug 21, 2014 10:26:50 GMT -5
He didn't have the injuries that Austin did. He didn't have the opportunities/desire to go onto other things that Rock did. He didn't have the attitude problems that Shawn Michaels did. He didn't have the lack of charisma that Bret Hart did. He didn't have the inability to draw revenue that the New Generation guys did. He didn't have the inability/refusal to handle the WWE schedule that Brock Lesnar did. He didn't have the inability to handle pressure that Eddie Guerrero did. He didn't have the drug habits that Kurt Angle did. He didn't have the boredom-inducing personality that Randy Orton did. He didn't start wrestling at age fifty with asthma like Batista did.
Basically, he's their perfect combination of workhorse and box office attraction. He rose to the top relatively young, so he had a good decade ahead of him. He does well with sponsors, he says yes to every talk show/movie cameo/appearance WWE asks him to do, he draws, he sells merchandise, he usually delivers in the big matches, he says all the right things in interviews, and he comes back from year-long injuries in two months to boost revenue. He makes life easy for the company compared to past top guys.
The SummerSlam main event indicates it more than anything else. Could you imagine Austin losing a twenty minute squash? Hogan? "That doesn't work for Terry, brother." Bret? Shawn? Goldberg? No chance. Cena does whatever they want him to do, and his body still lets him do it. For now. But the sooner they can get Reigns built up (without blowing it), the better.
What has kept Cena on top for so long? This video answers the question:
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jcjdotcom
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Joined on: Oct 23, 2005 23:26:04 GMT -5
Posts: 530
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Post by jcjdotcom on Aug 21, 2014 10:26:48 GMT -5
So far, we've determined that the reason John Cena has been on top for so long is his longevity which means he's been around a long time. Perhaps, Brian meant his durability? He's had injuries, but hasn't missed an extended period of time, unlike Austin and Triple H. He also didn't become a big movie star (despite the WWE's best efforts) like the Rock. I was actually wondering something like this just yesterday. How did a guy with a white rapper gimmick become so popular in the first place. Seriously, is there anyone that gets teased more than a white rapper (Vanilla Ice), especially 10-12 years ago? A white guy that doesn't have even have a rough background acted like a "thug" and became one of the biggest stars in WWE history. His raps were slow and not very clever and when I hear him talk now, he's just boring. He should have ended up ridiculed, jobbed, discarded and sent to FCW to get a new gimmick. I really don't understand his popularity.
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Aug 21, 2014 10:30:20 GMT -5
Vince McMahon used a ton of money to build a robot and he called it John Cena. The perfect specimen, he was known as the Prototype, he is Vince McMahon's wet dream.
The guy brings in money, is amazing in big match performances, has the desire to stay a WWE superstar and is never gone long. Why do you think he can come back from injuries so fast? He's not human and he's a machine. I've come to believe this and it has to be true.
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Post by marino13 on Aug 21, 2014 10:32:49 GMT -5
He's polarizing. One of the greatest faces in the history of wrestling, while still being one of the greatest heel of all time. Half the crowds pays to see him win the other half pays to see him lose. Either way, you're paying to see him.
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Post by punksnotdead on Aug 21, 2014 10:33:17 GMT -5
Austin had to retire and the Rock left on his own accord. Either way, we would have gotten sick of both of them had they stayed around as long as Cena. I think it's a combination of Cena's willingness to do absolutely everything that is asked of him, producing the merch, ratings and buys to be and stay at the top, and WWE's general unwillingness to take a risk on moving Cena away from the spotlight, for fear of losing money/ratings/buys. WWE has absolutely no competition, plenty of sponsors and a board of directors, they are going to milk that cash cow until it's drained. Plus, there are definitely politics involved. Cena represents the kind of white collar image and personality that is best for business. I love CM Punk, he's the ing man imo, but he's not the face of a million dollar company, even if he gets over as the face of the company in a wrestling sense, not in this era. The same really goes for Bryan as painful as that may be to hear for some of you. Cena looks the part, he acts the part, so he gets the part. He's earned that spot and the right guy hasn't come along to take it from him, or WWE hasn't given the right guy the opportunity to take it from him due to a variable of circumstances. HBK didn't want it, Brock left, HHH was the villain, Orton was the villain, Batista didn't have enough of it, Eddie died, Punk quit, Bryan got hurt, Taker just got old, and anyone else who was a draw in the business was in TNA.
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Post by OmegaGaijin on Aug 21, 2014 10:36:44 GMT -5
Right guy in the right place at the right time, kinda like John McClane in Die Hard 2, but the opposite.
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Post by Chip on Aug 21, 2014 10:43:48 GMT -5
It's a combination of MANY things...but when comparing him to Rock & Austin
The Rock left for Hollywood Austin had to retire early due to injuries, and even Austin was older when he was at the top, Austin was already 32 when he delivered the KOTR '96 speech. And his popularity didn't explode until 1997/1998. All the other guys who may or may not have been "the man" had so many issues, it just wasn't going to happen.
The other thing is complacency....the WWE made Cena into such a mega star (in their eyes) why change it? why mess with it? because up to this point it hasn't stopped. He is still the most polarizing figure they have, he still draws money, he still entertains and he still has more passion than a lot of guys. Not to mention every time the company has tried to unseat Cena whomever they pick ends up getting suspended, hurt, or some other strange thing that keeps them off TV for months.
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Post by BrIaNMeRcY on Aug 21, 2014 11:47:22 GMT -5
If you really want to look at the whole spectrum as to why John Cena was in the spot he is in. Let's start from November 1999. Steve Austin needed to walk away and get his needed neck surgery, The Rock and Triple H had to fill in that spot. Come March of 2000, The Rock got a ton of praise from his hosting Saturday Night Live. Of which drew a huge rating for SNL and NBC. This was the catalyst for jump starting The Rock's movie career. Fast forward to September 2000 which is when Steve Austin came back from his neck surgery.
Come 2001, it became apparent that Austin & Rock's time on top was beginning to draw to a close. The WWF couldn't rely on Austin & Rock for much longer. Sure they had Kurt Angle and Chris Jericho as main players but they didn't have the name recognition Austin & Rock hat. Triple H was on the disabled list for tearing his quad. 2002 just arrived and they knew the need for a new top marquee name was needed. Of the OVW Four (Brock Lesnar, Randy Orton, Batista & John Cena), the only one that was remotely ready was Lesnar. When Lesnar debuted the night after WrestleMania X8, the shift was about to change. The Rock's involvement in Hollywood became greater, Austin didn't have much gas in the tank left, and Triple H was just Triple H.
Going back to 2000 when Jim Ross signed John Cena. Ross told Vince McMahon he just signed somebody who would be headlining WrestleMania in five years. McMahon laughed at Ross for making that statement. McMahon ate his words and Ross was right. When John Cena debuted in 2002, he came in looking like a create-a-wrestler and having a good match with Kurt Angle. I should mention that Cena was on the verge of being released by the WWE a few months after his television debut. There is a story that made rounds that once Stephanie McMahon heard Cena rapping on the WWE's tour in the UK in October 2002. The light came on for Cena to be this rapper and soon after he had been given something to chew on.
Rapper John Cena was something fresh for the time. Cena would often rap on various things from slicing people up like cucumbers and name dropping Bruno Sammartino. The WWE began testing the waters of Cena in the main event when he fought The Undertaker at Vengeance 2003. Soon after, Cena was just there floating and remaining in the same place. Then came his face turn in November 2003. One thing that really helped Cena was the slow build to being a main eventer and his longevity. In 2004, Cena was put into various programs from feuding with Big Show leading into WrestleMania XX and having a series of matches with Booker T. View 2004 was the year they built up Cena. One of those last ingredients of positioning Cena as a top guy was being the runner-up in the 2005 Royal Rumble match.
Soon after, Cena defeated JBL at WrestleMania 21 and thus, the proverbial rocket was strapped onto his back. More fuel was added when he was drafted to RAW in June of 2005. The fact Cena was 28 years old, caused the WWE to take full advantage of his young age and reliability. Since then, Cena has done a ton of positive PR for the WWE, helped the bond become stronger with the WWE and the Make A Wish Foundation, and has been their marquee name. When ever Cena has new merchandise out, it sells because of name value and the fact the WWE has invested a ton of time and resources into Cena. The WWE has gotten too comfortable Cena being that top guy.
One of the main reasons why the WWE hasn't created their next top megastar is the WWE is too comfortable with Cena's name on merch and marketability. People may harp on Cena for being on top, the one thing that matters to the WWE is making money. Cena has made the WWE a ton of cash and explains why John Cena has been the top guy for such a long time.
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Post by bababooey on Aug 21, 2014 11:58:19 GMT -5
I would say its a mix of passion, charisma, dedication, hard work, and clean living.
Hogan had kind of left the business in the 90s to pursue other things, plus I'm sure he used steroids.
Rock left the business for the movies.
Austin was a heavy drinker and had other problems with his neck and legs.
Cena shows up to work, ready to do business. He hasn't gotten the itch to leave and do other things. He keeps his body fit and has managed to avoid super serious injuries. The Attitude Adjustment has to take less of a toll on his body than the Stunner or Leg Drop. Also, look at when Cena had that grapefruit on his elbow. He pushed himself and came back like 6 months early.
Cena is also a good businessman and knows how to carry himself around the right people, meaning executives and fans.
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Post by ThugSuperstar on Aug 21, 2014 13:27:44 GMT -5
Nobody has been as marketable and healthy, plain and simple. They've tried to reintroduce guys to lighten the load on Cena over the years but it's never worked out.
It's worth noting, though, that the WWE basically redesigned their entire product to benefit Cena by moving to a PG product and trying to appeal to a younger audience, which is something they never had to do with guys like Austin, Rock, etc. If they didn't start targeting a younger demographic just for Cena, though, he would've faded out long ago. That's why I don't consider him to be anywhere close to one of the best of all time.
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dod0411
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Post by dod0411 on Aug 21, 2014 13:35:59 GMT -5
Heart, skill, look. Pretty much Somes it up
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Post by Next Manufactured’s Sweater on Aug 21, 2014 13:41:16 GMT -5
It's worth noting, though, that the WWE basically redesigned their entire product to benefit Cena by moving to a PG product and trying to appeal to a younger audience, which is something they never had to do with guys like Austin, Rock, etc. If they didn't start targeting a younger demographic just for Cena, though, he would've faded out long ago. Lolno. There were two key reasons why WWE had to go PG: 1. A year earlier, a wrestler had murdered his wife and child before committing suicide, and thus the industry's reputation needed cleaning up. 2. Linda McMahon was making a doomed attempt at a political career, and thus her company needed cleaning up. This is the first time I've ever heard a "WWE went PG to benefit Cena" conspiracy theory. It's pretty funny.
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Post by sitruC on Aug 21, 2014 13:59:29 GMT -5
Because he is in my eyes the best wrestler ever.
He isn't another Austin who appeals to everyone who hates their boss, he isn't The Rock who rose from a group into one of the biggest stars by being cool and he certainly isn't HHH, although they have some similarities.
He is John Cena, what you see is what you get. The guy has spent his adult life attempting to give us enjoyment only to get people online going "LMAO CENA CAUSED PG WWE!!!!" It's ridiculous, the guy puts his job over anything else, he literally said he doesn't want kids just yet because of it and that made me respect him way more, and the people who bash him daily 9/10 times still think TV14 is necessary to enjoy WWE...
Cena sums up every good part of WWE, in the media and on WWE, yes he wins alot, yes he is corny, but WWE is a business and like any wise businessman Cena has took all his chances.
Mad props to Cena, I hope he wrestles until he's 150.
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Post by Yambag Jones on Aug 21, 2014 14:14:50 GMT -5
Because he is in my eyes the best wrestler ever.He isn't another Austin who appeals to everyone who hates their boss, he isn't The Rock who rose from a group into one of the biggest stars by being cool and he certainly isn't HHH, although they have some similarities. He is John Cena, what you see is what you get. The guy has spent his adult life attempting to give us enjoyment only to get people online going "LMAO CENA CAUSED PG WWE!!!!" It's ridiculous, the guy puts his job over anything else, he literally said he doesn't want kids just yet because of it and that made me respect him way more, and the people who bash him daily 9/10 times still think TV14 is necessary to enjoy WWE... Cena sums up every good part of WWE, in the media and on WWE, yes he wins alot, yes he is corny, but WWE is a business and like any wise businessman Cena has took all his chances. Mad props to Cena, I hope he wrestles until he's 150. You are certainly welcome to your own opinion, but...you're wrong. lol He's a very hard worker who doesn't deserve the amount of hate he's received, but he's far from the best of all time.
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Deleted
Joined on: Sept 27, 2024 11:30:48 GMT -5
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Post by Deleted on Aug 21, 2014 14:31:03 GMT -5
He didn't have the injuries that Austin did. He didn't have the opportunities/desire to go onto other things that Rock did. He didn't have the attitude problems that Shawn Michaels did. He didn't have the lack of charisma that Bret Hart did. He didn't have the inability to draw revenue that the New Generation guys did. He didn't have the inability/refusal to handle the WWE schedule that Brock Lesnar did. He didn't have the inability to handle pressure that Eddie Guerrero did. He didn't have the drug habits that Kurt Angle did. He didn't have the boredom-inducing personality that Randy Orton did. He didn't start wrestling at age fifty with asthma like Batista did. Basically, he's their perfect combination of workhorse and box office attraction. He rose to the top relatively young, so he had a good decade ahead of him. He does well with sponsors, he says yes to every talk show/movie cameo/appearance WWE asks him to do, he draws, he sells merchandise, he usually delivers in the big matches, he says all the right things in interviews, and he comes back from year-long injuries in two months to boost revenue. He makes life easy for the company compared to past top guys. I don't think anyone else in the company has all of those qualities. It's going to be very hard to replace Cena and likely why he hasn't been replaced as the top guy already. Some come close and I know everyone has their favorites but Cena is the Face of WWE for those reasons you stated whether we like it or not. I'm not a fan of Cena but I respect Cena and I understand why he is the top guy.
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Deleted
Joined on: Sept 27, 2024 11:30:48 GMT -5
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Post by Deleted on Aug 21, 2014 14:36:06 GMT -5
1. Booking
2. He won't leave
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