All-Out Tweeners

**Xero** · 09-30-2010, 01:09 PM

Watching Cena's entrance from Mania 25 made me think about how split the crowd can be with him. He's always had his supporters, but there's been times when the crowd was overwhelming for a period of time.

It got me thinking how they could have capitalized on it more than just calling him "the most controversial champion". Essentially making him a literal tweener. Play to both crowds. Have him feud with faces and heels and play off where they are, kind of like the Canada feuds in the 90s. Have him go up against someone like a heel Batista in a "mark" city and put him against someone like CM Punk in a "smart" city. Essentially, what I'm proposing is getting rid of the face/heel dynamic in some cases and work satisfying both crowd, as long as there is a big enough contingent of fans making noise.

This isn't only on Cena, I think this is a concept that hasn't been explored enough in wrestling. It's almost always been clear-cut faces or heels, regardless of actions. Austin was a "tweener" in the sense that he didn't care who he faced off with and really acted more like a heel, but the crowd was pretty much 100% behind him.

I think the era for this happening has past, as a lot of the fans who made these types of reactions possible have left, but I still think it's a good way to freshen things up if they could pull it off. It also opens up more possibilities for merch. I know for a fact that the anti-Cena shirt that Miz wore would have at least been a decent seller, but they let that ship sail.

Discuss.

**Dave Youell** · 09-30-2010, 01:11 PM

They inadvertantly did that with Edge in Canada in that TLC match didn't they?

**Volare** · 09-30-2010, 01:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dave Youell

They inadvertantly did that with Edge in Canada in that TLC match didn't they?

That was an awesome moment.

**Schlomey** · 09-30-2010, 01:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Volare

That was an awesome moment.

That was my favorite match in their series for sure.

**The Pope** · 09-30-2010, 01:18 PM

I would've bought an anti-cena shirt.

**BollywoodSingh** · 09-30-2010, 02:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Xero

Watching Cena's entrance from Mania 25 made me think about how split the crowd can be with him. He's always had his supporters, but there's been times when the crowd was overwhelming for a period of time.

It got me thinking how they could have capitalized on it more than just calling him "the most controversial champion". Essentially making him a literal tweener. Play to both crowds. Have him feud with faces and heels and play off where they are, kind of like the Canada feuds in the 90s. Have him go up against someone like a heel Batista in a "mark" city and put him against someone like CM Punk in a "smart" city. Essentially, what I'm proposing is getting rid of the face/heel dynamic in some cases and work satisfying both crowd, as long as there is a big enough contingent of fans making noise.

This isn't only on Cena, I think this is a concept that hasn't been explored enough in wrestling. It's almost always been clear-cut faces or heels, regardless of actions. Austin was a "tweener" in the sense that he didn't care who he faced off with and really acted more like a heel, but the crowd was pretty much 100% behind him.

I think the era for this happening has past, as a lot of the fans who made these types of reactions possible have left, but I still think it's a good way to freshen things up if they could pull it off. It also opens up more possibilities for merch. I know for a fact that the anti-Cena shirt that Miz wore would have at least been a decent seller, but they let that ship sail.

Discuss.

It might have been cool to see but the problem is that we can't really say "they should have done this" or "they should have done that" with Cena as he has turned out to be WWE's biggest draw, regardless of the live crowd reactions.

**thedamndest** · 09-30-2010, 03:59 PM

Seems like tweening is uncommon because it is hard to accomplish successfully. If the crowd cares enough about a heel to cheer for him then he will be turned face quickly.

If one tweener is a heel who is cheered by the crowd despite being booked like a heel it stands to reason that a face could be in the same position. But the key difference is that if your main guy is being booed and he's booked like a face it may mean that the crowd doesn't want to see him. The opposite is true of heel tweeners.

**Snowden** · 09-30-2010, 04:42 PM

I think at this point you can ACT like a tweener, but by in large the crowd'll choose a side for you. Look at Orton for example...he's still punting people, and especially at the start of his turn and feud with Legacy he was still acting heelish...but he got pops.

The only way to truly create a tweener, is, well, not create one. Cena is a guy who appeals greatly to one fanbase and not the other, and its these kind of gimmicks/wrestlers that can actually be tweeners. He's clearly acting like a face, but getting reactions like a tweener. Acting like a tweener'll probably get the crowd to either not react, or they'll push the wrestler definitively to one side or another.

**Tom Guycott** · 10-01-2010, 07:22 AM

Recently, Orton, Edge, and Jericho have essentially fallen into the category. Edge is the only one of the three to be a more solid "tweener", as Orton's face turn has been accepted, and Jericho teases(ed) us with numerous face turns only to go full on heel for huge heat (although, IMO, Jericho is in "danger" of reaching Ric Flair status- that is, no matter WHAT he does, he'll get face reaction because he is pretty much a living legend now).

Look at how Edge is booked. Sure, he's supposedly a heel, but his character is to do things that only benefit him. Some of those things end up being face-like in nature or just get him a big face pop (like his one fall match with the laptop).

I would have included Miz, for the whole "I don't care who I cash MITB against" and abruptly ended feuds with both Cena and Shaemus, but he's back to being booked full heel with his Super-Heel-In-Training and his "Ride of the Valkyries" hating ways.

10-01-2010, 09:16 AM

The NWO were classic tweeners. Half the audience cheered for them, and half booed, depending on the location. The West Coast loved the NWO, but in Horseman country they were booed.

**SlickyTrickyDamon** · 10-01-2010, 03:45 PM

A tweener is somebody who acts the same when he is facing heels and faces. The best tweeener was the early days of Jake the Snake Roberts in the Viper's Pit.

A tweener doesn't nessisarily mean somebody who is booed and cheered by the fans. John Cena acts the same way when he is booed and when he is cheered. John even acted the same way when he was performing at One Night Stand. He did all of his mannerisms and intros but was booed to all hell.

The only time that I can remember Cena ever really acting like a heel as a face was at Wrestlemania 26. Cena went into the first row and posed smiling like a huge asshole infront of the people who were wearing the Anti-Cena shirts. You know the blonde guy that sort of looked like Chris Jericho and what's his name ( the shitty Smackdown interviewer from 2002) had a kid.

09-30-2010, 01:09 PM	#1
Xero He's Here Posts: 60,735	All-Out Tweeners Watching Cena's entrance from Mania 25 made me think about how split the crowd can be with him. He's always had his supporters, but there's been times when the crowd was overwhelming for a period of time. It got me thinking how they could have capitalized on it more than just calling him "the most controversial champion". Essentially making him a literal tweener. Play to both crowds. Have him feud with faces and heels and play off where they are, kind of like the Canada feuds in the 90s. Have him go up against someone like a heel Batista in a "mark" city and put him against someone like CM Punk in a "smart" city. Essentially, what I'm proposing is getting rid of the face/heel dynamic in some cases and work satisfying both crowd, as long as there is a big enough contingent of fans making noise. This isn't only on Cena, I think this is a concept that hasn't been explored enough in wrestling. It's almost always been clear-cut faces or heels, regardless of actions. Austin was a "tweener" in the sense that he didn't care who he faced off with and really acted more like a heel, but the crowd was pretty much 100% behind him. I think the era for this happening has past, as a lot of the fans who made these types of reactions possible have left, but I still think it's a good way to freshen things up if they could pull it off. It also opens up more possibilities for merch. I know for a fact that the anti-Cena shirt that Miz wore would have at least been a decent seller, but they let that ship sail. Discuss.

10-01-2010, 03:45 PM	#11
SlickyTrickyDamon Quark is Less Impressed. Posts: 38,371	A tweener is somebody who acts the same when he is facing heels and faces. The best tweeener was the early days of Jake the Snake Roberts in the Viper's Pit. A tweener doesn't nessisarily mean somebody who is booed and cheered by the fans. John Cena acts the same way when he is booed and when he is cheered. John even acted the same way when he was performing at One Night Stand. He did all of his mannerisms and intros but was booed to all hell. The only time that I can remember Cena ever really acting like a heel as a face was at Wrestlemania 26. Cena went into the first row and posed smiling like a huge asshole infront of the people who were wearing the Anti-Cena shirts. You know the blonde guy that sort of looked like Chris Jericho and what's his name ( the shitty Smackdown interviewer from 2002) had a kid. Last edited by SlickyTrickyDamon; 10-01-2010 at 05:52 PM.

09-30-2010, 01:11 PM	#2
Dave Youell 1/2 Optimist 1/2 Amazing Posts: 12,427	They inadvertantly did that with Edge in Canada in that TLC match didn't they?

09-30-2010, 01:18 PM	#5
The Pope Pope Is Pimpin' Posts: 4,676	I would've bought an anti-cena shirt.

09-30-2010, 03:59 PM	#7
thedamndest A Property of Matter Posts: 25,543	Seems like tweening is uncommon because it is hard to accomplish successfully. If the crowd cares enough about a heel to cheer for him then he will be turned face quickly. If one tweener is a heel who is cheered by the crowd despite being booked like a heel it stands to reason that a face could be in the same position. But the key difference is that if your main guy is being booed and he's booked like a face it may mean that the crowd doesn't want to see him. The opposite is true of heel tweeners.

09-30-2010, 04:42 PM	#8
Snowden All Hype Posts: 2,186	I think at this point you can ACT like a tweener, but by in large the crowd'll choose a side for you. Look at Orton for example...he's still punting people, and especially at the start of his turn and feud with Legacy he was still acting heelish...but he got pops. The only way to truly create a tweener, is, well, not create one. Cena is a guy who appeals greatly to one fanbase and not the other, and its these kind of gimmicks/wrestlers that can actually be tweeners. He's clearly acting like a face, but getting reactions like a tweener. Acting like a tweener'll probably get the crowd to either not react, or they'll push the wrestler definitively to one side or another.

10-01-2010, 07:22 AM	#9
Tom Guycott Wrestling Marks Rejoice! Posts: 10,166	Recently, Orton, Edge, and Jericho have essentially fallen into the category. Edge is the only one of the three to be a more solid "tweener", as Orton's face turn has been accepted, and Jericho teases(ed) us with numerous face turns only to go full on heel for huge heat (although, IMO, Jericho is in "danger" of reaching Ric Flair status- that is, no matter WHAT he does, he'll get face reaction because he is pretty much a living legend now). Look at how Edge is booked. Sure, he's supposedly a heel, but his character is to do things that only benefit him. Some of those things end up being face-like in nature or just get him a big face pop (like his one fall match with the laptop). I would have included Miz, for the whole "I don't care who I cash MITB against" and abruptly ended feuds with both Cena and Shaemus, but he's back to being booked full heel with his Super-Heel-In-Training and his "Ride of the Valkyries" hating ways.

10-01-2010, 09:16 AM	#10
Gertner Guest Posts: n/a	The NWO were classic tweeners. Half the audience cheered for them, and half booed, depending on the location. The West Coast loved the NWO, but in Horseman country they were booed.