Remember when John Cena got a Title shot at Backlash '03
 

I wish we could see more angles like that. I love seeing angles where this up and coming guy starts blasting the top guy out of nowhere. It mixes things up a little and gives those midcard guys a taste of the spotlight and it tests the waters with them

Brock and Cena's angle was fairly quick, but a nice little refresher for the moment. Then I remember Cena going on to feud with Taker, Eddie and Angle that year. He lost all those feuds, but his promos and him standing up to the veterans really got him over

You know, they really booked Cena perfectly as far as consistency goes. He gets his initial taste at the top, but comes up short. He gets to go in the ring with Eddie, Angle and Taker, but comes up short. He wins the US Title an keeps going full steam ahead from there.

Anyway, I wish they would do this with MVP or Morrison (when he goes single)

It didn't matter if Cena lost he was gold back then.

:y: exactly

I got that shit on DVD Brock Lesnar bleeds like a stuck pig.

yea, I bought the DVD just for that match. It's also got the bonus Rock/Goldberg match on there as well. good times.

Very good times....

The WWE could do this more with the brand split. Have one really big title match (for example, Triple H vs. Randy Orton), and then have John Cena defend the WWE Championship against John Morrison, or something.

Remember when John Cena was in OVW? I miss days like that.

Yeah that was back in the day where he wasnt SuperCena or being shoved down our throats on a weekly basis. But they definitely need to push the younger guys more to have them test it out. I wouldnt even mind another Fully Loaded 2000 where all 3 main events featured people that werent main eventers at the time.

I think the biggest mistake they made with Cena was pushing him so perfectly and steadily, but then putting him in a small-scale fued with JBL for the WWE title that didn't win the show.
I know Batista was over as hell then, but I think Cena would have gotten over better if they had him win the rumble and face HHH in the main event.

I love that DVD. I got it in a 'Tagged Classics' two-DVD package that included Judgment Day 03. Pretty awesome.

I also, as is the case many times, agree with Jeritron.

Cena's promos during that feud with Lesnar were epic.

Thats how I got it.

John Cena back in the day was the shit. Seriouslly. They totally ruined him when they had him win the strap the first time.

And it's just been downhill from there.

Holding a title had nothing to do with it.

He just went from being tremendous to freaking annoying when he (well, his character) went from being a rapper to a plain goody-two-shoes dork.

Wasn't that fued with Lesnar when he started doing rapping?

No, he started rapping at Armaggeddon 2002 when he walked out with B-Squared and cut a random promo on the show. It kind of went from there.

I do remember his awesome line against Brock though:

"I'll leave you hanging with no rope,
This is chain gang, Brock,
We're inmates!
You just dropped the soap!
Word Life!"

John Cena officially lost his luster with me during his subpar feud with Booker T over the US Title. I believe Cena lost the title just to win it back, which was pretty ridiculous. Cena's ring work really came into question here (those two just didn't click), and it was a breath of fresh air when Carlito win the US Title from him. But then Cena won it back and made it spin.

I still believe that JBL should have retained the WWE Title at WrestleMania 21. They literally moved Cena from mid-card to main event level, and just said "he's the WWE Champion now." A better build could have favoured Cena more.

I got to bring this thread up again because what has happened on tonight's Raw is exactly what I wanted to see and have been begging for.

First MVP stepping up to Orton. Then Miz calling out Cena. Lots of refreshing stuff.

:y: :y: :y: