Against the Grain #3: It's a Bird! It's a Plane! It's....

Hello everyone and welcome to yet another edition of “Against the Grain with Anthony Cain”. Last week I took a look at CM Punk and the small, yet vocal group of fans in the IWC that are critical of his rise to stardom. This week I’ll look at the other side of the coin; I’m going to cover some ground that I’m sure is going to get me heat from some readers. While there seems to be more of a cohesive opinion about my next subject, I know that there are a few that don’t feel exactly the same as the rest of the IWC, myself included. So let’s jump right into it.

 The “Superman of the WWE”, John Cena is loved by many yet utterly despised by the IWC. He is Vince McMahon’s golden goose. He’s seen as bland, untalented, and extremely overrated. He has a nation of loyal fans that buy his merchandise and cheer for him at every live event. He has legions of detractors that spend an inordinate amount of time scouring the internet for a place to bash every aspect of his character.

Yes, I’m aware that all my previous statements completely contradict each other. But that just goes to show the dichotomy among wrestling fans based on their opinion of Cena. John Cena has been with WWE since 2002. Since then he has risen to superstardom at a rate that very few in the business have. He is a twelve time world champion, which includes ten reigns as WWE Champion. He is also, along with CM Punk, one of the leaders in merchandise sales. He is among one of the most popular superstars in the history of the industry. Despite all of this, the internet community jumps at every opportunity to rip the man to shreds.

                I’m sure you’ve all heard the complaints before. Actually, I’m willing to bet the pink slip to my car that many of you have complained about him yourselves. Cena’s gimmick is stale and repetitive. He can’t wrestle; every match consists of the same “5 Moves of Doom”. His popularity is a direct result of Vince McMahon’s pandering to little kids and the parents that buy his T-shirts and wristbands. He is responsible for the “PG Era”. The list of grievances goes on and on…

                Does the man’s character have faults? Yes. Is he the most technically adept wrestler ever to grace the ring? Not even close. Do I feel like slamming Cena every chance I get? Actually, no I don’t.

                While John Cena may not be appealing to the IWC, one must keep in mind that this community only represents a small fraction of wrestling fans. While there are many people that make up this very opinionated group, they don’t make up the majority of people buying merchandise or event tickets. Many casual fans like Cena. Women love him because he’s good looking. Kids look up to him because he’s a good role model. He’s a modern day Hulk Hogan (sans the male pattern baldness…)

                So what if a huge portion of his fan base is made up of kids? Let me ask you all a question. How old were you when you first put up posters of The Rock or The Undertaker up on your wall? A large portion of the WWE’s audience has always consisted of children and before the Attitude Era the product had been family friendly. So I don’t think it’s fair to blame Cena for the “PG Era” or the kids in the audience.

                As far as his wrestling ability goes, I’ll admit that he’s not the best. But that doesn’t mean he’s a talentless hack either. If you watch some of his earlier matches, particularly his debut match against Kurt Angle in 2002, you’ll see what I mean. The guy can wrestle. That match with Angle was impressive and while it was Angle’s job to make Cena look good, it takes two guys to put on a good show. Granted, his style has been simplified since then, but he still has skill in the ring and any claims that he doesn’t is unwarranted.

                The only thing that would seem to please the IWC is if John Cena were to do the unthinkable and turn heel. While he’s already proven in the past that he can play a great bad guy, the prospect of a Cena heel turn at the moment is very small. It may look good on paper, but there’s no guarantee that the angle would be a success. Hogan’s heel turn was massively successful and was arguably the only reason he stayed relevant throughout the 90s. The idea of turning your mega-face into a mega-heel worked for WCW, but I don’t think Vince or anyone else on the WWE creative team is confident in lightning striking twice with Cena. Also, his merchandise sales would be at risk of taking a hit, especially if the angle were to turn out to be a flop. I doubt anyone would want to take responsibility for costing McMahon some profit.

                The fact of the matter is that professional wrestling is, first and foremost, a business.  It’s a show and as talented and athletic as these performers are, not a competitive sport. The mantle of WWE Champion isn’t necessarily bestowed on the man with the most athletic ability; it’s given to the guy who puts the most butts in the seats. At the moment that man is John Cena. Cena is the poster boy of the current era of wrestling, like Hogan and Austin have been in the past. But not to worry internet fans, as it turns out this may not be the case for long. The way things have been going it seems like the company has finally found a few new faces to put their confidence in. The current roster holds some promising talent and it will be interesting to see how things turn out in the future.

                That wraps it up for this article. As always, thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed it. I’ll be back with more next week.

Comments

1. Comment #1

   I think many people wouldn't have so much of a problem with Cena if he didn't get so much airtime. He really isn't terrible-- he actually perfectly average for the wrestlers who have gotten into the WWE.
   
   But because he eats up so much airtime, a lot of more talented wrestlers with more interesting gimmicks and better mic skills get "buried".
   
   So those who say that Cena is really, really bad probably aren't being honest with themselves I think. His flaws are just exaggerated in their eyes due to the fact that for half a decade he's barely ever left the main event picture. So many others who have lasted for a long time take turns in the spotlight and then drop to the undercard repeatedly through their careers.

   Posted by Zarachiel Wraith on Saturday, November 05, 2011

2. Comment #2

   I completely agree with you... Lot of people just hate Cena to act cool. I was never a fan of Cena, but seeing the hatred this guy gets, i can't but feel sorry for him. The fact is, he CAN wrestle, he has AMAZING mic skills. He just needs to get out the "i never lose cleanly" thing. Other than that, he really doesn't deserve all this hatred.....

   Posted by Annoying Orange on Saturday, October 29, 2011

3. Comment #3

   finally someone who isn't bitching about how bad cena is, I must say, i agree to everything u say, finally someone who shares my opinion

   Posted by rodrik on Saturday, October 29, 2011

4. Comment #4

   I REALLY GET WAT YR SAYIN & YOU SHOULD DO MORE OF IT TOO MAN!! GUD JOB!!

   Posted by MAXIMILLION on Wednesday, November 09, 2011

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