> So let me get John Cena's new gimmick straight. He "steps aside" from main eventing to basically go over Rusev clean and then week in week out beat the entire mid card. He takes ALL their offense (including finishers), kicks out, is allowed to vary his moveset (like he needs to), and you guessedit, overcome the odds. They wonder why the Bay Area cheered to soviet in a tank over this guy?
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I really don't see the problem. He's in a midcard position having good matches with young guys. More power to him.
Seriously...The people objecting to Cena's current role are dumb.
ReplyDeleteReally dumb, the springboard Stunner is awesome.
ReplyDeleteYet if he was still in the title picture, he'd be "clinging" to his "spot" and not wanting to elevate anybody. Everybody complained when the secondary champions did nothing but lose but now when they are trying to make those titles matter...he's the great Satan.
ReplyDeleteExactly. They're tired of him in the main event, he is moved to the midcard, people bitch. They're tired of his moveset, he adds more moves, people bitch. They complain about how the secondary belts mean jack shit, Cena gets it and defends it every week, people bitch. I mean, for fuck's sake, the man could cure cancer, and certain people would be all like 'OMG Super Cena is holding back cancer now, wah wah wah'. Fucking ridiculous.
ReplyDeleteIs he suppose to just be a jobber? I don't get it
ReplyDeleteIt really is. The man could be like Hogan was, and be lazy as fuck (knowing that he could afford to be since the crowd would pop regardless), but he still tries to up his game regardless of what position his match is on the card. I don't care if I lose my 'smark street cred'...I respect the shit out of Cena.
ReplyDeleteyou mean the springboard Chartbuster, sir.
ReplyDeleteI'm telling ya, he's gonna bust a 450 splash someday.
ReplyDeleteAnd even if he *was* a jobber, some people would bitch that he wasn't doing a stretcher job at the end of each match.
ReplyDeleteIt would be cool if he grew a mullet and mustache, got a strap over set of tights with JC is cursive written on them and a satin jacket.
ReplyDelete>They wonder why the Bay Area cheered to soviet in a tank over this guy?
ReplyDeleteThey did? Scott really does get the dumbest e-mails.
Can Cena's current persona be considered a 'soft' heel turn? Reminds me of the shades of grey characters from the Attitude Era. This is the best utilization of the guy they've done in years.
ReplyDeleteEh...Cena doesn't execute it very well though.
ReplyDeleteEh, either way it's #cenawinslol, so at least this way, it's with fresh matchups
ReplyDeleteHe's been out of the title picture for like 3 months now and people still complain.
ReplyDeleteThe difference is Rollins/Neville from last RAW. Matches like that, where the challenger gets beat by the champion in a 10 min+ match and looks like a million bucks in doing so. That's not burial, that's strengthening your champion and making the other guys look like they deserve another crack at it down the line b/c they really took it to him.
ReplyDeleteYeah I don't mind this at al. Making it a TV title is finally giving one of the secondary titles the spotlight, and he's having competitive matches that in kayfabe he should be winning. Let's shelve the word "burial" until we get a situation that is fitting of it.
ReplyDeleteANYONE who comes down in a tank should get cheered.
ReplyDeleteDude has always been one of the hardest working men in the business.
ReplyDeleteThat has to be a candidate for GOAT wrestling entrance
ReplyDeleteYeah, can't argue with that logic.
ReplyDeleteSo people have been complaining about 5 moves of doom for years but now that he is adding to his moveset the e-mailer declares this a bad thing and says Cena doesn't even need to expand his moveset. Makes TOTAL sense.
ReplyDeleteSpringboard Ace Crusher, really.
ReplyDeletePeople also complaining that he's on top all the time; now he takes a secondary title and goes into the WM midcard instead of politicking back up (which he absolutely can with the pull he has) and making newer talent look on his level and people STILL complain.
ReplyDeleteNo pleasing some people
That's just a trick. He's using more than five moves so we'll think he knows more than five moves. He's crafty that one.
ReplyDeleteI'm no huge Cena fan but shit this is great use of him.
ReplyDeleteAnd buries the roster? He lost to Rusev before finally beating him and then has beaten exactly two guys so far.
It's interesting that this has been going on for over a year now. He was in a role like this starting with the Wyatt feud and only got the title back because Bryan got hurt and they needed a placeholder until BROCK SMASH could happen at Summerslam. It's very cool to see him drop down a bit as he's certainly the biggest star around but he's giving some other people a rub. Cena has been a made man for years so you could have him do this forever and then throw him back into the main event and he wouldn't miss a beat.
ReplyDeleteBecause it's not suppose to be him!!!#.....or something
ReplyDeleteYet if Daniel Bryan did the same thing the emailer would sploodge every week like that in the first Scary Movie
ReplyDeleteAnybody here seen Basic with travolta and Samuel L? I saw it for the first time today and that plot is so convoluted that even Russo would shake his head in disgust.
ReplyDeleteChecking out WCCW and man, Kerry was a terrible speaker.
ReplyDeleteJesse Baker? Well, I guess not since he didn't suggest a heel turn and a Stephanie rape fantasy.
ReplyDeleteIs that dude still a thing? I kinda just figured he disappeared into the wind.
ReplyDeleteHe called Brock a lazy fuck the other day.
ReplyDeleteThis feels like complaining just to complain.
ReplyDeleteAt some point he'll put someone over for the title and if done right it'll get them over in a big way - and the title will definitely have been elevated. I think this is an enjoyable time for all three singles titles. Long may it continue.
ReplyDeleteThis is ridiculous lol.
ReplyDeleteLack of Miz Bryan blood feuds
ReplyDeleteSo basically Cena should just lose every match forever. Sounds reasonable.
ReplyDeleteI don't like the modified stunner because Steve Austin. Popped when he used the Michinoku Driver
ReplyDeleteI hate NPP but they have every right to shit on this email
ReplyDeleteMeh, as long as he's not dominating the title picture and doesn't treat the challengers like a joke (which he hasn't thus far), this role his fine. His character is still stale as hell, but this is certainly the best use of a guy of his stature.
ReplyDeleteWhen he beat Ambrose, Ambrose did something I loved that you never see. He lost a championship match and he was visibly upset in the ring. Not Brock GO GRAZY upset, but you could tell that he upset at the fact that he didn't win a championship.
ReplyDeleteWow. I was not correct.
ReplyDeleteIt's how DX and most importantly HHH won the Monday Night War .
ReplyDeleteWhile we're at it, what about this Brooklyn Brawler guy? Am I right? Like, we get it. You're very good at losing. Like stop taking up time on early 90s Superstars taping!
ReplyDeleteDusty did this from time to time to keep the top of the card fresh. The more NWA, the better.
ReplyDeleteAlso, everyone cheered Rusev in the tank because it was FUCKING AWESOME.
He's a certified star who will be a HOFer one day unless he just does something deplorable. He's young enough to still go nightly, yet a veteran enough that new guys can challenge him and it seem like a big deal. And him using other moves is akin to Hogan wrestling in Japan where he would bust out an enziguri or an Stf to mix it up. I say he has been a good company man for years so let him have a little fun while the next Cena for the company is for d, whether Rollins, Reigns, or a new guy. He'll, I'd even go for him funding with Orton for the US title, as they have the star power to make that belt seem worthwhile.
ReplyDelete*modified Chartbuster
ReplyDeleteWhy would we want competitive matches? Silly!
ReplyDeleteRusev in the Tank makes me wonder if that was the greatest WM entrance ever. Up until that point I was really kind of partial to Punk getting sung out by Living Colour and Edge's entrance at Wrestlemania 24.
ReplyDeleteObviously Austin's glass shattering at Wrestlemania 13 was good but they did the same thing with Diesel two years before.
You know what really used to get my goat? That no good Andre The Giant in the late 80s. Seriously, stop wrestling Warrior, and tagging with Haku. You're taking up space on the midcard.
ReplyDeleteWelcome to the doghouse, pal... Smile when you lose
ReplyDeleteI give Rusev the nod because it was picture perfect. Lana in the white with the fur carrying the belt, the soldiers, the tank coming in, perfect all the way.
ReplyDeleteTaker at 14
ReplyDeleteI guess sometimes some people wake up and say, "You know what? I'm gonna send Scott the stupidest fucking e-mail I can possibly think of."
ReplyDeleteIt's got a strong case. He got the A-List Treatment.
ReplyDeleteCena's Mustang entrance at Ford Field was pretty awesome.
ReplyDeleteYou'll all rue the day when I wake up and say that. Rue it!
ReplyDeletehis match with cody wasn't that good and he spent a great deal of it looking ticked off about something maybe about his eye injury
ReplyDeleteI like the open challenge. Imagine someone like Cesaro or Neville comes in the end and beats Cena? Or what if in the meantime someone like Randy Orton, Triple H, Brock Lesnar or so answers the challenge? We could have a Wrestlemania main event in the middle of RAW! :)
ReplyDeleteThat one was pretty cool.
ReplyDeleteDidn't JBL have a pretty cool one at Wrestlemania 21?
I'm with Masked Man on this one: I think it's more of a face turn for him.
ReplyDeleteI can see it both ways: we don't necessarily want to see Cena main eventing every card anymore, but we also don't want him beating the whole mid-card. I think his current role is perfectly fine. It will still be a big deal when a mid-carder beats him. He will still have good matches with a lot of people without constantly "overcoming the odds" in the main event. Personally, I think the guy should move toward more of a part-time role while he's still relatively young and healthy. It would be a bigger deal when he wrestles, plus he can stay as dedicated to the off-screen ambassador duties without having as much of a full-time wrestling schedule. But, if he still wants all that on his plate, more power to him
ReplyDeleteExactly. It will mean a lot when someone Overcomes the Cena eventually. It makes no sense for Cena to start jobbing to everyone on the roster and it would mean very little in no time. Keep him "John Cena" so that it's a big deal when someone beats him.
ReplyDeleteHe dropped JBL bills on the crowd, Joker-style. Minus the poison gas after.
ReplyDeleteit will be big show
ReplyDeleteYes. People will support the strong dude every time. A burly, no-nonsense, unbeatable dude who rolls on a TANK and smashes hot ass......yeah, that's gonna get cheered against anyone.
ReplyDeleteLove little post-match stuff like that. Like on one of the first ever Nitros, Eddie beats Malenko on a roll up after a tight match, Malenko goes up immediately for a handshake and says, "I want a rematch!" Really sold knowing how close he was to beating him, just not on that night
ReplyDeleteExcept it wasn't a tank. It was a jeep with a painted pipe on it.
ReplyDeleteIt's a big fucking mess.
ReplyDeleteWe?
ReplyDeleteIt's kind of fun, if completely nonsensical
ReplyDeleteWe the people, pal!
ReplyDeleteThe apathy has to be witnessed in person to be fully appreciated
ReplyDeleteYOU SHUT YOUR WHORE MOUTH! IT WAS A TANK, THE BIGGEST TANK EVER SEEN! AND IT CHANGED THE HISTORY OF SPORTS ENTERTAINMENT FOREVER!
ReplyDeleteThis emailer is missing the point. The idea is to rehab the US title to make it mean something again so when Cena DOES ultimately drop it both his opponent and the title will look extremely good. This benefits the young guys in the long run.
ReplyDeleteI saw that in my marathon and it was one of the silliest entrance I've ever seen
ReplyDeleteI think you're missing the point.
ReplyDeleteUS title - most interesting it's been in ages.
Cena - most interesting he's been in ages.
That's win-win. This open challenge thing allows us to see midcarders having a meaningful match, with someone meaningful, and by proxy for a slowly more meaningful title.
Plus, we see Cena facing people we'd never normally see, and the crowd's in to it cos Cena's their biggest star.
I just don't see the problem. Sometimes people are never happy, I guess.
Greatest Dueling Entrances was HBK/Taker at WM25.
ReplyDeleteIf you want Cena to elevate the entire midcard, it's not going to happen.
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand, the next person that does win the US Title will have really accomplished something.
This was such an awesome match.
ReplyDeleteFelt really fresh and everyone loved it. Didn't even matter that the finish wasn't particularly tidy.
And you're right - so awesome to see him visibly frustrated at losing. Why don't people do this?!
This was probably our old friend VJ trying to bait someone into saying something he can ridicule.
ReplyDeleteI like him in this role but it's going to get old if he's doing this every Monday for 6 months.
ReplyDeleteAhh yeah the heaven and hell thing was pretty good.
ReplyDeleteFunny how people ridiculed me for saying a main eventer like Cena winning a secondary title was stupid. Now it's a great idea.
ReplyDeleteI will reward myself with an 8 piece and waffle fries from Chik-fil-A.
He can still defend the US title in an open challenge. But he needs to reduce his schedule or start a feud with someone. I'd like to see Cena feud wiith Barrett again.
ReplyDeleteAnd let's make things out of clay!
ReplyDeleteThere was no need for Smilex gas. His matches have the same effect.
ReplyDeleteMost of the major players in the NWA frequently went after secondary titles. it made them seem more important.
ReplyDeleteCENALOSESLOL???
ReplyDeleteYep.
ReplyDeleteFuck. Now I'm hungry for Chick-Fil-A.
ReplyDeleteYou want him to be Magnum TA or Scott Hall?
ReplyDeletePolynesian sauce is the sauce of champions.
ReplyDeleteWhere it gets tricky, of course, is the payoff: will anybody who Cena beats actually get anything out of it? Because WWE has a bad habit of booking as if their running a sim and a program with Cena will get them auto-momentum and then proceed to book them like any other loser. And will he lose clean to a new guy, or will he just lose to a heel through shenanigans, beat him in a non-title match, the end?
ReplyDeleteDoes he defend it on Smackdwn as well? If he has it's become the defacto TV title and I'm happy about it.
ReplyDeleteThey can't go back to jobbing the US champ after they win the title.
ReplyDeleteI want the next heel that beats Cena to do the old "TV champ escapes with the title" thing every week.
Michaels repelling down to face Bret Hart was my fave.
ReplyDeleteI would love there to be an ass-kicking heel built parallel to Cena's open challenge. Bring in someone like Owens or maybe just get someone on a tear. If we want to go full HTM/TV champ as Jef suggests there are plenty of goobers ready to start winning on horseshit.
ReplyDeleteMan, if they brought in Joe (or Owens) and they replicated his X division title run he would get a major rub.
ReplyDeleteI loved with Flair would occasionally say he wanted the World TV title just so he could have two World Championships.
ReplyDeleteThis comment makes me want to play TEW again.
ReplyDeleteExactly. The rub from beating Cena will be wasted b/c they'll go straight back to jobbing whoever the new champ is in non-title matches. I can only hope Triple H uses his influence and love for the NWA to convince Vince to make the champ look strong at all times.
ReplyDeleteThat would be perfect for Bo Dallas.
ReplyDeleteI want to think they're building Cena to lose to a debuting NXT guy that he never saw coming. That's where you debut a guy like Finn Balor.
ReplyDeleteThat's what people forget. Sometimes it's ok to have a top guy win a secondary title. Even Flair won the U.S. title in 1996. Hell, HHH won the IC title in 2003!
ReplyDeleteOwens at Summerslam
ReplyDeleteIt's also cool because this how Cena debuted
ReplyDeleteCena is basically Hulk Hogan in 1992 but instead he wants to put young guys over.
ReplyDeleteDevitt, Steen, Itami, or Sami Zayn. Although Zayn seems the least likely of those options.
ReplyDeleteOH NOO!!! LOOKATTHAT!!!! YEAH!!
ReplyDeleteThey are too busy crying about how worthless the ic title is and how bryan is being wasted with it to get upset about cena
ReplyDeleteHivemind speaks through all of us for our better good
ReplyDeleteIt's fine, I guess, so long as Cena keeps having good matches, but let's not be under any illusions that this does anything for anyone--except to cement that John Cena is better than the entire midcard. I'd be impressed if somebody eventually beats Cena clean and goes on to defeat other opponents in decent matches, but we all know the chances of any of that happening.
ReplyDeleteIf only Austin had thought of that.
ReplyDeleteCena started getting hated waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay sooner than Hogan though.
ReplyDeleteThat's my pick. However I'd keep it on Cena longer than that.
ReplyDeleteWell, you'd never see HHH doing what Cena is. Heck, he even made them bring back the world title for him.
ReplyDeleteCena is doing a lot to lead by example right now. If I'm a newbie I'd be giving major props to the guy.
I actually hope they don't do that. Throwing a major win and title on a debuting (or recently debuting) Superstar rarely seems to work. Think about Sheamus or Carlito and many others. I'd rather see somebody go on a roll and ultimately decide to challenge Cena for the title and win. Somebody like Cesaro (or at his level).
ReplyDeleteWhen I play TEW and I have a main event guy have competitive matches with a midcard guy, it gets them even more over.
ReplyDeleteHe doesn't need to get pinned by every midcarder though. All he has to do is get fans to believe that his opponent is a threat.
ReplyDeleteIt doesn't have to"do anything for anyone" except entertain me, and John Cena having good matches against surprise opponents he'd normally never work with is entertaining the hell out of me so far.
ReplyDeleteI kinda like when they use Cena to salvage something. Perfect example is Money in the Bank -- having him be the first person to cash in the briefcase and ultimately lose eliminated the stink. If virtually any other Superstar did that, they'd be done. Yes, that did ultimately happen to Sandow, but that's because of how they pushed him afterwards....it wasn't because he failed.
ReplyDeleteI'd rather Balor than Owens. Owens has the sadistic bully/monster thing going, which he could still pull off against a guy like Cena where he isn't bigger in any meaningful way because he's not a size-based monster. BUT, I feel like Cena just did something close enough to that with Lesnar. Balor could be the guy who's just that fucking good. Closer to Bryan circa Summerslam '13.
ReplyDeleteI loathe Cena, mostly because I never saw the appeal of a guy in a t-shirt to his knees waving his hand in his face and yacking on about respect and hustle, since that describes every moron from my hometown....but I don't really mind this. It makes the US title temporarily important and him beating guys doesn't really bury them - in sports some teams win some and down loses some. Red Sox beat the Yabkees today, doesn't bury the Yankees, they can win the next one. It's not like he's turning them into a Toronto Blue Jay-like loser nobody cares about.
ReplyDeleteKansas City Royals. They went to the World Series and took at 2 time champion to 7 games and 1 run - they're not losers.
ReplyDelete"You just can't appreciate just how MUCH of him there is to not give a shit about unless you're bored live and in person!"
ReplyDeleteFalse
ReplyDeleteThere's always the chance that he's booked to say "hey, fuck this belt; I'm back in the world title hunt again" and it's chosen by a battle royal again, but it looks like someone will beat him for it eventually and when it happens, it's going to instantly make that person matter.
ReplyDeleteDifferent animal today. Also, while Balor may get victimized by being a HHH project in the land of Vince's World of Giants, Christian got, what, a 15-year career off his debut Cruiserweight win?
ReplyDeletePlus, I'm guessing working with Cena at the house shows pays a whole bunch of bills.
ReplyDeleteBut he was Captain Charisma. That goes a long way.
ReplyDeleteTHATS A HUNDRED FEET IN THE AIR!!!!!
ReplyDeleteIndeed. Like I said, he's a made man so you could have him do a program with Hornswoggle and people wouldn't care about a week later.
ReplyDeleteBut before that they didn't make the playoffs since 85
ReplyDeleteThe only thing I hate about this Cena run is that they gave him the Stunner off the 2nd rope and it's not his finisher and he didn't hit it very well either of the 2 times I saw him do it. I wish they had given it to Neville or Rollins because at least they would make it look great.
ReplyDeleteHogan wanted to put over the young guys like Papa Shango too. Uh, I mean that's why he got to interfere in that match with Sid, right?
ReplyDeleteHopefully this sets up Hogan vs. Cena for Mania 32.
ReplyDeleteI want to book a backyard again, but I would need unlimited money for it to last three months.
ReplyDeleteIf the renamed Joe -- Jeremy Brett - we could have a Brett/Owens cage match at SummerSlam (rimshot).
ReplyDeleteI'm surprised Bo isn't JBL's limo driver - being his last name is Dallas.
ReplyDeleteThey would've done a springboard off the middle rope, do a moonsault in the air, and then execute the stunner.
ReplyDeleteI mean, they cheered the dude in the tank because
ReplyDeleteA) Rusev is actually a pretty damn good worker who plays his role well.
B) Lana is a goddess.
C) He was in a fucking tank.
Balor/Cena would be a fucking AWESOME match.
ReplyDeleteI honestly feel that Cena's best matches are against more Japanese influenced guys (Punk/Bryan) than the traditional Indy worker (Owens).
Why did you call them Devitt and Steen if you're sticking with Zayn and Itami for the other two?
ReplyDelete2001!
ReplyDeleteCena gets booed because his character remains as stale as can possibly be. No amount of good matches with midcarders for little belts is going to change that.
ReplyDeleteI do think that Balor should debut sans makeup so people don't expect the Carnage cosplay every time he shows up. But I also think that they should have him start out doing something really cool/impressive. Balor is a true talent, but I think that having him show up backstage and stare down Bryan would be a waste of their time.
ReplyDeleteBalor isn't a "normal" dude, he's a ridiculous cartoon character with loads of charisma and awesome wrestling. He's also not an exceptional mic worker so limiting his verbal encounters is probably for the best.
If you're going to do anything, have some mysterious vignette videos before he shows up as a person without the bodypaint, kicks a ton of ass and then promises to "bring the demon" at the PPV.
It's gotta be right up there. Total mark-out moment.
ReplyDeleteI did love Bray's scarecrows, but I can see where many people felt that the lack of darkness hurt it. Loved his entrance last year, too, with Crozer playing live.
Interesting that you say that he has "loads of charisma", but also say that he's not great on the mic.
ReplyDeleteHe really has that Jeff Hardy (or RVD) vibe to him.
Is that really what you remember him for though? He didn't even blip the taser for me until E&C and the tag team matches.
ReplyDeleteEh, I disagree.
ReplyDeleteWrestling characters being dynamic is clearly not something that the fans care about (see the Rock doing the same bit for a decade plus now). Nostalgia is probably the strongest force in wrestling.
I think the issue is that Cena's a huge hypocrite, he's supposed to be this Ricky Steamboat meets Surfer!Sting guy, right? He's honest, hardworking, dedicated and kind and filled with INTENSITY and he cares about YOU PEOPLE! Having him actually show that he really does "love wrestling" like he talks about all the time and not be a spiteful jerk who brutally punishes his opponents past the point of reason would be good for him.
Cena can keep the "Hustle, Loyalty and Respect" character if he actually displays those attributes (Which long, competitive-ish matches with popular and underutilized dudes is doing).
So the 15 time World Champion being pushed to the limit by mid card guys does nothing but bury those guys because they lose? Didn't Misawa lose a few time to Tsuruta before finally being able to beat him? Sting didn't beat Ric Flair at the first Clash. Hell I remember when Bob Holly wrestled Triple H in a long, competitive match on Heat and was more over afterward even though he still lost.
ReplyDeleteI think charisma and mic skills are very, very different.
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, there's in-ring charisma (which Goldberg exemplified) and out of ring charisma (which was the Rock's oeuvre). Finn is very much the in-ring charisma guy, as everything he does looks important. He 'pops'.
Mic skills on the other hand are the ability to cut promos that make sense, add to a feud, and develop character. To me a great promo is content based.
Like, Cena/Hogan aren't good mic workers because their promos actually don't make a whole lot of sense, people love them, but its mostly hot air and bullshit.
These things are combined in a variety of ways.
Miz is a guy with great mic skills, tons of out-of-ring charisma, but nothing between the ropes. He's not even a bad worker, its just that nothing he does while wrestling seems important.
Bryan is a guy with in-ring charisma and plenty of mic skills, it's just that when he's not wrestling he comes across as just a guy. It reminds me of Triple H in a way. Trips can v;rstu talk and his matches seem like Main-Events, but he doesn't have the "Stand around and get everybody to pay attention to you without talking" aura that other main eventer have.
But onto Balor, I think he's definitely got charisma, both in and out of the ring (that ring entrance is INSANE) but I've never heard him cut a promo that transcends "serviceable".
Maybe on the indies...
ReplyDeleteThey've calmed down a lot from the excesses of RoH (Jay Lethal's handspring cutter, anyone?) which has been entirely to their benefit.
Cena doing mid aughts wrestling moves has a certain novelty value, but I'm vine with Rollins and Neville trimming down their moveset.
Like, when Rollins did the Phoenix Splash at the Rumble it was fucking awesome because its not the shit you normally get to see.
Oh, I totally agree. That was actually the point of my post. There are different ways that people can be engaging to an audience.
ReplyDeleteIt totally does. I'm not talking about an instaneous title win holding a guy back. I'm saying that whatever you or I thought at the time, he made a huge career off that win.
ReplyDelete