I don't know why, but I'm starting to like Cena

[Eklipse]

The past few weeks have changed how I feel about Cena. I really like the angle that he's got going with The Rock, and I think the match with Miz at 'Mania should be solid.

I'm sure that if he wins the title at 'Mania I can go back to hating him again.

Anyone else feel this way? Or starting to hate him a little less?

[Nicky Fives]

still hate him.....

[Eklipse]

I'm not saying that I actually like or cheer for him. He just doesn't bother me as much. He actually doesn't bother me at all. It's weird. And I don't like it!

[Next Big Thing]

I think it's because of the fact that for the first time in a long time, he's promoing against someone he hasn't beaten by overcoming ridiculous odds, made look cartoonishly stupid with a promo or beaten using supplies from Home Depot.

[Wolfpack423]

I've always liked Cena. I personally never understood why people started hating on him in the first place. I for one think longer title reigns make the title look better and he works his ass off day in and day out for the company. He is a nice person and deserves his accolades. I am hoping he and Rock do get to have a match and I feel they should just have Cena relinquish his #1 contendorship and challenge Rock once and for all and do a mini tournament or battle royal to decide Miz's opponent for Mania. It could be Daniel Bryan or John Morrison. After seeing last night, does anybody else feel there's a possibility they might just have Miz wrestle Danielson or something.

[Eklipse]

I think it's because of the fact that for the first time in a long time, he's promoing against someone he hasn't beaten by overcoming ridiculous odds, made look cartoonishly stupid with a promo or beaten using supplies from Home Depot.

Excellent points. Plus it's been a while since he's held the championship.

[CSL]

People have never had a reason to hate him outside of him being booked as the #1 babyface (all companies in the history of wrestling have had one surprisingly) and a few flaws in his actual wrestling, which I don't see why would matter to any kind of fan. This is not so much any change in Cena himself or how he's booked and more yourself not being a 'typical BOOO CENA internet dickhead'. Or less of one anyway.

[Eklipse]

In all honesty, I think his ring-work has improved drastically.

[ooTin]

See, right now Cena is a tool portraying a good guy. So people are supposed to like him which makes it no fun for me to not like him.

Now that he will soon be billed at the heel, and go back to his, thuganomics, bad attitude persona, It will be more fun to dislike him because that is what he is going for. Cena make a good heel and he, in the following months, show this.

[Eklipse]

I really don't see WWE pushing Cena as a heel any time soon. And by "soon" I mean "ever." It would be interesting to see how it all plays out, but I don't think it will ever happen.

[Sycophant]

I've always liked Cena. I personally never understood why people started hating on him in the first place. I for one think longer title reigns make the title look better and he works his ass off day in and day out for the company. He is a nice person and deserves his accolades. I am hoping he and Rock do get to have a match and I feel they should just have Cena relinquish his #1 contendorship and challenge Rock once and for all and do a mini tournament or battle royal to decide Miz's opponent for Mania. It could be Daniel Bryan or John Morrison. After seeing last night, does anybody else feel there's a possibility they might just have Miz wrestle Danielson or something.

It's not so much that people dislike Cena as a person. People hate Cena because of the way he is booked. As said before, he always overcomes ridiculous odds. It's like he gets run over by a car, but then eats his spinach like popeye and lifts the car off of him like in a cartoon. His gimmick is stale...just like Hogan towards the end of his "say your prayers and eat your vitamins" run. He is marketed to children with the "never give up. Hustle loyalty, respect" crap. Children don't really make up the IWC and this is who we all hear from. Go ask a bunch of kids how they feel about Cena and then go ask a bunch of 18-30 year old men and see how different the answers are. Children are WWE's top target demographic now and so their top face appeals to them.

[Sycophant]

I really don't see WWE pushing Cena as a heel any time soon. And by "soon" I mean "ever." It would be interesting to see how it all plays out, but I don't think it will ever happen.

People didn't think Hogan would ever be a heel either and we see how that turned out. As long ad WWE is PG though, I agree with you because the kids would be devastated if you took their hero and made him a bad guy. Would be like dragging Superman out to the middle of the ring and snuffing him out.

[CSL]

See, right now Cena is a tool portraying a good guy

what

[jkman61494]

I'm actually the total opposite. Take his cool rap aside, the guy has shown to just be incredibly stale who does the same stupid routine no matter what feud he's in. He's their franchise guy but he's worn the same attire since the summer and the attire he has just makes him look like a grown up kid. Sadly since he's trying to earn money from tiny kids, this is what we get.

Meanwhile you're seeing other wrestlers evolve, but not Cena. And I think not only is the Rock shining over him, but so is The Miz. Watching Raw last night, until the actual main event, Miz was almost more of an underdog face than a heel, which it shouldn't be.

I just feel after 'Mania we need some sort of Cena reboot. At least make him LOOK different!

[CSL]

I hear this quite a bit about Cena. He's been wearing the same gear with bits here and there changed for 7 years. Yet Triple H has worn the same gear for 11-12 years now. Barring a few months for surgery, Rock pretty much always had the same style gear. Ditto Jericho for all his career until he switched to short trunks (which people bitched about at first) Ditto Angle. And I don't hear people moaning about these guys. It's just another excuse to cry about Cena.

[Eklipse]

I wonder if Austin would have eventually been in the same boat if he didn't have to give it up.

"He wears the same black trunks all the time. He flips people off and stunners everyone."

That's the equivalent to what that argument is.

[Rollermacka]

See, right now Cena is a tool portraying a good guy. So people are supposed to like him which makes it no fun for me to not like him.

Now that he will soon be billed at the heel, and go back to his, thuganomics, bad attitude persona, It will be more fun to dislike him because that is what he is going for. Cena make a good heel and he, in the following months, show this.


Yea, I'd like to see Cena become a heel, grow a five o'clock shadow, and start using the championship belt like a guitar :shifty:

[morgest1984]

I think Austin was stale by 2000 so he turned heel in 2001, Rock was stale between 2001 and the summer of 2002 and started getting booed like Cena so he turned heel. Triple H was stale for years until he reformed DX in 2006.

They all turned and instantly breathed new life into their character's, to me its a no brainer that Cena HAS to turn eventually. If this is the truly is the PG era why have they only got one PG poster boy? they should build someone else or a few more people to be able to take his spot when he turns.

[abec]

Listening to the same ol' rhetoric of SORRY RABBIT CENA'S FOR KIDS is about as fun as watching RAW. The product sucks, there is no story lines that are believable and I feel that I could probably beat the shit out of 90% of the roster. Tired of spot matches and 3 week feuds, tired of metrosexuals doing quadruple moonsault starship extreme backflips and then people kicking out. Shits boring.

[ron the dial]

but you've just got to stay tuned for those homoerotic undertones, huh?

[MoFo]

Dont care too much for his corny promos, but I like his matches.

[Lara Emily]

Cena's gotten worse not better. It's not all Cena the man's fault though his awful promos are on him. It's also the way he's booked, there was never a moment during the Nexus feud (after the initial beatdown) where I honestly felt he was in any real jeopardy, he was "fired" and showed up the next night, he' get beat down then run around like a jumping bean either the very next week or even later in the same show.

The WWE has absolutely failed at making anyone look like a legit threat against Cena and that makes him boring as fuck, and all this is even before we talk about his promo work or his in ring psychology.

His promos have been bland as fuck (that one decent rap aside) this week's RAW was one of his worst (don't believe me? Listen to the crowd it fucking died during his promo), he just really comes off as a juvenile prick, making fun of people with disabilities, gay people, calling women fat for 15 minutes, he just comes off as a total fucking jerk.

To make matters worse his wrestling style (which I'm sure is on orders from WWE HQ) is like a relfection of his out of ring booking, no matter how beaten down he gets he;s always able to jump right back up later in the match, his lack of selling /ring psychology absolutely ruined his match with HBK a few years ack(you know the one where HBK worked on his leg for 10 minutes and then Cena proceeded to forget about selliong it for the rest of the match). It's not that Cena wins, i's not that Cena is booked as the man, it's how he wins and how he is booked as the man that frusterates and bores me.

[Jeritron]

I love how fans are afraid to admit to liking Cena's work, even if it's here and there. It's like coming out of the closet, as a wrestling fan.
Nobody should be afraid to admit liking Cena.

And Cena can, and is, pretty awesome at times. He's way talented and can work exciting matches when the chips are down.
His style is different and the WWE has booked him a certain way, but none of that reflects on him as a talent and especially as a guy. Yet everyone makes him the Anti-Christ.
Pretty sick of hearing it.

[Lara Emily]

There are legitimate reasons to dislike Cena (the product not the person) and most people around here are pretty good at dong that. I've given him his due when I've enjoyed what he's done, his rap was pretty good I said as much.


why are pro-Cena people so intent on telling people who aren't Cena fans that they're just haters, as if there's no possible way we can have a reason for not liking him. Most people I know who aren't fans of Cena acknowledge that he can work when he's allowed to, that he can talk when he's given more freedom, most people who don't like Cena, are people who don't like Cena the character not Cena the person.

[Xero]

The Cena "he can't work" line is getting tiresome. Yes, there are problems, but it's the character he plays and the way he's booked. He CAN work, and I do enjoy some of his matches. I think he's improved over the years within his character, but really, I don't like his style and the superman push (where nobody ever gets one over on him - THAT'S where a lot of what's wrong with Cena is).

I don't LIKE Cena as a character. I am definitely on that "fuck Cena" side when it comes to me being a fan. But at the same time I have massive amounts of respect for him. I feel his character envelopes a lot about what I hate about the WWE. That's not to say I hate WWE, obviously, just the things I do hate about it are within Cena.

But I've said this all before, and will again. At the end of the day, I like Cena in WWE, I feel he's exactly in the spot he's supposed to be in, he's the absolute best PR man they've EVER had and I feel that a large portion of people who boo/hate him (not just smart fans) really believe he's the anti-Christ and is the core problem of WWE. Which is downright wrong.

[Jeritron]

I'm not saying it's not okay to dislike Cena's work. That's more than fine. Often times I do myself.
I just think it's ridiculous how some fans seem to just bash him for the sake of it, and are almost afraid to publicly praise him.

He has been part of some awesome matches, and I am fully behind his ability to cut a good promo and work a good match, when the WWE lets him.
That's really what it all comes down to. He has incredible talent. Maybe more than we even know. Sometimes I wonder what Cena and others would have amounted to in the climate of other eras. I think the cream would still rise to the top.

It's really all about how it's dictated by the creative forces. I have similar problems as many of you when it comes to how he's used, but I've really grown to enjoy certain portions of his work and his overall talent.
And I really have high hopes for where they go with it in the future. I don't think this "Superman" stuff will last forever. I think the sun is setting on it, frankly, and whatever the next step is could be awesome.

[Lara Emily]

I think knowing that he can work makes it even more frustrating because he's really not allowed to. Same with his mic work he can be so much better but it almost seems like he;s again not allowed to. Hence his character is often insufferable.

I have a lot of respect and admiration for how Cena represents the WWE outside of the ring, I respect his loyalty to the WWE and I respect his work s ethic. It's just too bad his in ring character is booked in such a frustrating manner.

[Lara Emily]

I'm not saying it's not okay to dislike Cena's work. That's more than fine. Often times I do myself.
I just think it's ridiculous how some fans seem to just bash him for the sake of it, and are almost afraid to publicly praise him.

He has been part of some awesome matches, and I am fully behind his ability to cut a good promo and work a good match, when the WWE lets him.
That's really what it all comes down to. He has incredible talent. Maybe more than we even know. Sometimes I wonder what Cena and others would have amounted to in the climate of other eras. I think the cream would still rise to the top.

It's really all about how it's dictated by the creative forces. I have similar problems as many of you when it comes to how he's used, but I've really grown to enjoy certain portions of his work and his overall talent.
And I really have high hopes for where they go with it in the future. I don't think this "Superman" stuff will last forever. I think the sun is setting on it, frankly, and whatever the next step is could be awesome.

The people who hate Cena and just think he sucks entirely are stupid. I hope you're right about the Superman era coming to an end but I don't honestly share your enthusiasm, not after the Nexus fiasco

[Jeritron]

I'm not really "Pro Cena", really. Actually, I have more or less the exact criticisms of his booking as a lot of the haters do.
He's not even in my Top 10 favorite talents on the product right now, I don't think.

I guess I'm just more Anti Anti-Cena. It's tired. Or at least the way they present and formulate themselves.
I guess I just like to stick up for the guys talents and throw it out there that I think sooner or later things can change.

[Jeritron]

Maybe I'm just a hopeless (romantic) enthusiast or a total optimist. Not just about Cena "improving", but just the whole product in general.
I don't tend to let the "bad" upset me anymore. Instead I just dwell on what I like and let the ridiculous shit that comes with wrestling roll off my shoulder.
I sorta just view the product as that type of double-edged deal. A slightly annoying disposition, I know.

Except for Orton matches. I can't stand them.

[Lara Emily]

Fair enough. That being said it makes sense that people are going to talk about Cena a lot (negatively or positively)since he's the big Main Eventer.

[DaBrasko]

I hear this quite a bit about Cena. He's been wearing the same gear with bits here and there changed for 7 years. Yet Triple H has worn the same gear for 11-12 years now. Barring a few months for surgery, Rock pretty much always had the same style gear. Ditto Jericho for all his career until he switched to short trunks (which people bitched about at first) Ditto Angle. And I don't hear people moaning about these guys. It's just another excuse to cry about Cena.

Im not defending the latter but I can see where they are coming from. Cena is ALWAYS wearing the same stuff though regardless if he is cutting a promo, wrestling, walking through the back. The other guys you mention have switched it up at least, Most of the time they would be wearing something other than their gear when they cut a promo. Rock had his $400 ugly ass shirts, HHH has his suits when in Evolution and before that he had the Leather jacket-levi vest combo when he came back from his first quad injury. Jericho pretty much the same thing he has switched up his look the most.

[Jeritron]

I've said it a million times, but what needs to happen before Cena is depushed is another mega face emerging.
Someone coming along, like Cena did, who is the type of talent who can get the super push.
That way, WWE can de-push or change Cena's role. He can become a secondary character, like Michaels and Austin eventually did, or go to Smackdown, or...turn heel.
All 3 would help his character and the product, in ascending order, I think.

WWE kept Hogan at the top until he left. Granted, he was politicing to keep himself there more than Cena, as far as any of us know. But despite the brief pushes of Savage and Warrior as "the top guy", Hogan actually always had that job.
And then came Bret and Shawn. They grappled for it.
But WWE would have kept Austin on top forever if The Rock didn't come along. And The Rock would have stayed on the top of the mountain if he didn't leave. Same with Brock.
That's the WWE. I don't think they like to change the hierarchy so dramatically until they have to, or there is an obvious shift written on the wall.

But there definitely needs to be that guy who naturally comes along that people are ready to get behind as a face.
The problem is, the most promising new faces that have come along in the past few years are tailor made heels or monsters.
The "exciting and energetic hero" crop hasn't been very exciting or energetic. No offense to Kofi Kingston and Evan Bourne.

[Lui Kang]

If it wasn't for the PG era, I think older aged demographics would have been far more accepting of John Cena's. Cena's rap against The Rock last week was excellent.

There was also a reason why the fans (regardless of age) actually enjoyed Cena between the years 2003 and 2005.

[Lara Emily]

I've said it a million times, but what needs to happen before Cena is depushed is another mega face emerging.
Someone coming along, like Cena did, who is the type of talent who can get the super push.
That way, WWE can de-push or change Cena's role. He can become a secondary character, like Michaels and Austin eventually did, or go to Smackdown, or...turn heel.
All 3 would help his character and the product, in ascending order, I think.

WWE kept Hogan at the top until he left. Granted, he was politicing to keep himself there more than Cena, as far as any of us know. But despite the brief pushes of Savage and Warrior as "the top guy", Hogan actually always had that job.
And then came Bret and Shawn. They grappled for it.
But WWE would have kept Austin on top forever if The Rock didn't come along. And The Rock would have stayed on the top of the mountain if he didn't leave. Same with Brock.
That's the WWE. I don't think they like to change the hierarchy so dramatically until they have to, or there is an obvious shift written on the wall.

But there definitely needs to be that guy who naturally comes along that people are ready to get behind as a face.
The problem is, the most promising new faces that have come along in the past few years are tailor made heels or monsters.
The "exciting and energetic hero" crop hasn't been very exciting or energetic. No offense to Kofi Kingston and Evan Bourne.


And to be fair the best build up for uber over faces is to start off as heels. Which is actually why they're fucking themselves over with the way their booking Cena, no heel really ever gets a chance to get all that over in a feud with Cena so they're quickly discarded or pushed down or sent to Smackdown.


BTW though you could make a case that Orton is (and for whatever reason I don't know) more over then Cena is.

[DaBrasko]

PG isn't the problem. Its lack of good story telling.

[XCaliber]

Don't hate him i'd say I'm neutral but he's misused a great deal.

[Next Big Thing]

If the WWE portrayed their heels better, the faces would get over even more. Nexus was hot until Cena beat like four of them in 1 minute and 30 seconds.

Sheamus went from being the guy who retired Jaime Noble, beat Cena for the championship and put HHH out, to being a cowardly heel running from Nexus/Cena/ Orton and losing to Morrison, Santino and Bourne.

Orton was working just fine as a dark, brooding sociopath, then they turned him face.

No one is going to cheer for the "good guy" when the good guy is making all the bad guys look weak and cartoonish.

Austin got over big from feuding with credible heels like McMahon, the Corporate Ministry, Rock and HHH... Steamboat/Sting had Flair... Hogan had Slaughter in the early 90's.... Dusty had the Horsemen... Goldberg had the NWO... Lita had Trish...

All of those guys made it seem like there was a glass ceiling that the face would never break through... That made fans cheer to see it happen... In Cena's case, he's the glass ceiling. No heel on that current roster, with the exception of Punk, looks like a credible threat so people resent Cena instead of cheer him.

[Volare]

I honestly wonder sometimes watching a cartoony Cena promo if he gets frustrated about some of the shit they write for him. And if he ever thought about lashing out and changing things at the last minute.

[Jordan]

I really enjoy him a lot, I have no hatred for him and I haven't since his incredible feud with Randy Orton. I like his sense of humor his promos and his matches (most of the time). So I have nothing to complain about. He is the man in WWE and he deserves it.

[Fignuts]

Given how popular Orton has gotten, I feel like they can afford to turn Cena heel now.

[Lara Emily]

If the WWE portrayed their heels better, the faces would get over even more. Nexus was hot until Cena beat like four of them in 1 minute and 30 seconds.

Sheamus went from being the guy who retired Jaime Noble, beat Cena for the championship and put HHH out, to being a cowardly heel running from Nexus/Cena/ Orton and losing to Morrison, Santino and Bourne.

Orton was working just fine as a dark, brooding sociopath, then they turned him face.

No one is going to cheer for the "good guy" when the good guy is making all the bad guys look weak and cartoonish.

Austin got over big from feuding with credible heels like McMahon, the Corporate Ministry, Rock and HHH... Steamboat/Sting had Flair... Hogan had Slaughter in the early 90's.... Dusty had the Horsemen... Goldberg had the NWO... Lita had Trish...

All of those guys made it seem like there was a glass ceiling that the face would never break through... That made fans cheer to see it happen... In Cena's case, he's the glass ceiling. No heel on that current roster, with the exception of Punk, looks like a credible threat so people resent Cena instead of cheer him.

They had to turn Orton, he was getting massive over and getting cheered. The original plan when Legacy split was for Ted and Cody (or at least for sure Ted) to be the faces but Orton was so over with the fans they had to make Orton the faces and Ted/Cody the heels

[Kane Knight]

The past few weeks have changed how I feel about Cena. I really like the angle that he's got going with The Rock, and I think the match with Miz at 'Mania should be solid.

I'm sure that if he wins the title at 'Mania I can go back to hating him again.

Anyone else feel this way? Or starting to hate him a little less?

You Sold Out!
You Sold Out!
You Sold Out!

Nah.

Haven't been watching WWE much of late, but I didn't "hate" Cena before recently. He wasn't my favourite, but he's nowhere near as bad as the IWC makes him out to be. He was able to be quite entertaining.

Err...I mean, Cena is worse than Hitler, AIDS, and Obama rolled into one!

[Kane Knight]

I honestly wonder sometimes watching a cartoony Cena promo if he gets frustrated about some of the shit they write for him. And if he ever thought about lashing out and changing things at the last minute.

He does spend a decent amoutn of time looking like he's not into it.