I don't like Cena's character, and I think that his move set is downright silly, yet in spite of myself, I have enjoyed a number of his matches, so he must be doing something right.

Cena knows his psychology and uses it to his advantage along with his massive heat (pro and negative), but that doesn't mean he can work. Chavo hit the nail right on the head in his comments. It's not just Cena's character that got stale. His matches have been the same for years like he's a 60 year old Hulk Hogan or Ric Flair. Cena played his role to a T last night, but there was doubt that he would and that was Chavo's point and one that I think is valid. How many comments have there been of "this is the best PPV in a long time?" John Cena has been on every other PPV and headlined them all basically and they collectively sucked critically and financially.

Cena needed Punk in this match a lot more than Punk needed Cena. There was never a time where Shawn Michaels wasn't the star of his own match. Same for Stone Cold. Cena couldn't get Sheamus over, couldn't get R-Truth over, couldn't get anyone over in his time as "The Man." That's why WWE was in so much trouble. Some of that is the booking, but Cena never hit that next gear for anyone else in recent memory.

Cena can work. His work is what made his success possible. His matches coming up against Angle and Big Show showed his intense side. How many times in Main Events is he just laughing and smiling as he runs through his finishing sequence?

He gets his due for one match. I'm looking forward to seeing if he turns it into more inspired matches, but he's not off the hook just yet to me.

Amen Kev. Wrestling fans should respect Cena's work ethic, whether they like his character or not. He's not a bad in-ring wrestler either, and has had some stellar matches in his career. The people chanting "you can't wrestle" know little-to-nothing about the industry.

Thank u for this post, I've commented on a few of ur posts where punk was the focus and said pretty much what Jericho said. Along with the guys u mentioned, cena has had several great matches with hhh, orton and swagger, and even a few good ones with Batista. For all the negative posts that are sure to follow, I'm not a little kid and cena isn't even in my "fave five" but the man deserves credit and the cena hatin is just ignorant. U can hate the booking but don't blame cena for that

I agree completely. He can do anything WWE gives him, and do it with authority.

Anyone that says John Cena has only 5 moves, they should've seen the Fujiwara armbar he did, and all those great improvisions.

Look, weather or not you like Cena you cannot dismiss a comment like that from Y2J, who is one of the best workers of all time. I'm pretty sure Jericho could have a great match against a manakin if you let him try. Even though i be believe that the Cena character is really boring and played out and that a heel turn would make the business far more interesting, it is hard to say Cena isn't a very solid worker. But if Y2J, one of the best ever, says Cena is a great worker, i don't think any of us are really qualified to say that he is wrong.

So Chavo Guerrero knows nothing about wrestling?

http://twitter.com/#!/mexwarrior

Read all of his comments before and after the match. He's not the only wrestler who feels the way many fans do.

His response to someone mentioning Jericho's comments. "well Jericho has his opinion&I respect that.Jericho in my opinion is Great workr but if u compr Jericho to Cena,theres no comparison"

I'm not saying he's horrible or anything, just saying he's not on the same level as a lot of HOFers before him. CM Punk is the first person Cena has truly elevated. Jack Swagger was left off of my list before, but he just took another look at the lights.

The bar is set so low that he hits an armbar and we're supposed to mark out? Joke's on The Undertaker if that's the case. Every WM he takes it to a level Cena only sees on a monitor. Last time Cena hit a Suicide Dive onto the floor?

RESPONSE FROM KE: There's more to being a good worker than doing suicide dives. When was the last time Ric Flair did one? When was the last time Ric Flair even did a dropkick? As for Chavo, he was always a nice guy when I worked with him in WCW, but he comes off as very bitter right now.

I remember several months back Cena got a great match out of Justin Gabriel. That feat should warrant some respect.

My complain about Cena has never been his work ethic or his devotion to the business. I don't think there's anyone who could knock Cena for that.

My problem with him has been, and continues to be that he does not play the role he should be playing at this point in his career. He should be in the ring making guys coming up stars. He can wrestle a hell of a match. And he can do it despite having a move list you could fit on a napkin. But instead of making good matches, he lets the opponent beat up on him for 10-15 minutes, and then becomes Super Cena and win. And that's fine, y'know? Every once in a while, letting the fans give you that extra boost you need is a good thing, and it's entertaining to watch. We used to love when Hogan would "Hulk out" and come back. But he didn't do it every match. He didn't go months or years without losing a match cleanly. He put younger guys over and helped pave the way for the future stars. Cena doesn't do that.

I'll give Cena his due. This CM Punk angle wouldn't have worked with a single other wrestler on the roster (aside from HHH, who I'm not counting because he isn't active). He played his role well. And aside from that groan-inducing stuff about hating Vince, he was pretty good on the mic. And he dropped the title to CM Punk. I'd imagine, as a champion, it's got to be hard to give up that prestige, even if only temporarily.

So, there. His dues.

A quick question: who is the last wrestler Cena legitimately put over? Miz? He was all but ignored in the lead up to Wrestlemania, and his popularity is due to his in-ring and promo-cutting abilities. The Nexus guys? Stuck in mid-card rut. He just doesn't put guys over. R-Truth went from damn near anonomous to main eventing a pay per view, and after he lost, he immediately retook his place in the mid-card shuffle. Who knows if he'll be back at the top again?

Can anyone even remember the last time, prior to MITB, that Cena lost a match clean? For as long as I can remember, it's been interference, numbers games, or a tag team partner taking the pinfall. If you never lose, you take any excitement away from the matches. They can be visually stunning, but if you know Cena's just going to Hulk out and win, it takes that unpredictability away. And predictability is stagnation, and stagnation kills the sport.

Cena had an "I Quit" match, and after taking 30 minutes of just brutal beating, he shook it off, went Super-Cena, and made Miz scream I Quit in less than five minutes. And the Miz, after losing his title, spent the next two months putting over a new guy, who now has a solid place to start from because he beat the former WWE Champion. Who is the last person who can say Cena did that for them?

Yes, Cena is a hell of a worker, and that's to be admired. Stone Cold was a hell of a worker too, but he still managed to put people over. He still lost. Not as much as he won, true, but even being beaten by Stone Cold was a bump because he always made his opponents look strong. Cena doesn't make his opponents look strong. He doesn't fulfil the role that a veteran of his caliber should fulfil. Until that changes, I won't be a fan.

John cena is a good wrestler if he wasn t he would haue not been a ten time champ. So chavo untill u become a maineventer yourself i suggest u don t say a thing about cena. As far as the rock goes he should follow his own advice and shut his stinking mouth.1st of all u call cena a wonderwoman transvesty? If i was u rock i would nt talk. I mean your the one always talking about sticking things up other dudes butts!rock you are no longer the most electrifying man in sports entertainment and 2 be honest with you,you really never was. Even with ya millions and millions of fans u was always 2nd best behind STONECOLD! Truth betold u do not deserve the wrestlemania mainevent u caramel retard! What does cooking have to do with wrestling? Sounds like u are the one that rode the short yello bus. John Cena isn t as popular as you but,his career as a wrestler is more impressive than yours and he will beat you at wrestlemania you satalite/Twitter warrior. And thats the verdict coming from DEPAUL 3D DIXON

Chavo sounds bitter that he was never able to elevate past the legacy of Uncle Eddie.
If the great veterans like Jericho and others are able to put up with the grinning idiot Newbury, or where ever he is from, AND give him props for constant hard work and grit, then the people who CHOOSE to spend their money and sit in seats or get a PPV should just shut it and get over their hate.
Cena is "The One" WWE has chosen to lead their product for now, so just deal with it for a few more years.

I totally agree with the 1st comment by James C.
For me Cena is just nowhere near the level of a Edge, Jericho, Punk or HBK but that´s what I expect from a WWE champ (I know I have higher standards than the WWE). I sure respect what he´s doing for the company but that´s his job, isn´t it? And I guess he gets payed pretty well.
And about his match with Punk on Sunday: the one thing that really pissed me off was his smile when Punk kicked out of the AA. His carriere is on the line, he´s about to lose his job that he loves and lives for and he´s smiling? Sorry but I didn´t get this reaction.

Time to give Cena his due? At a time when he has just received more boos than anyone in the entire history of this business, even though he's supposed to be the number one babyface of the company? People in the future will look back at the WWE in the 2000s and wonder why on earth Vince McMahon picked such an alienating figure to be the centrepiece of his company.

The only reason you think the Cena vs Khali match was good was because you had low expectations. Cena has never had a good match without the help of a good worker as his opponent. It is the likes of Punk, Michaels, Jericho and Edge that make other wrestlers like Cena look better than they really are.

You're right that there is more to being a good worker than dives and dropkicks, but there's more to being "great" than simply not sucking a couple Sundays a year. Flair also has a bit of an excuse that Cena doesn't. Everything Flair did was after surviving a deadly plane crash that broke his back.

Anyway, here we are in July talking about when Cena stepped it up as opposed to say April and we just watched Wrestlemania where you'd be hard pressed to find a good review of his work in his match with Miz. "It wasn't an epic failure" is how you put it. I'm sure mid-card bound Miz was hoping to get a little more out of his moment with Cena and The Rock than what for all intents and purposes was a dud of an effort.

As I said, Cena's "great work" has derailed about 7 pushes for his recent opponents. Not one of them got the kind of match from him that Punk did and if it wasn't all Punk this time, then why didn't Cena do it with anyone else if he had it in him the whole time?

As for Chavo's comment, I realize he's bitter, but is he wrong? Is Cena a better worker than Jericho?

RESPONSE FROM KE: Of course Cena is not a better worker than Jericho, but that doesn't mean that Cena isn't good. When a guy like Jericho -- who is a straight shooter -- praises Cena's work, I think that means something.

Glad to see this article im not a big cena fan but ive enjoyed his role in this feud it wouldnt have been as big with someone else in his place. While i was very happy to see punk win a lot of fans seem to have their head up punks ass.

Speaking of great cena matches one of my personal favorite matches ever is cena v michaels at wm 23.

Cena is a great worker no question about that...but he is not a great professional wrestler. His character is stale, his promo delivery is stale, his outfits are stale..as some one said he is a hulk hogan reborn but the hulk hogan era has ended.

My respect for Cena has grown immensely over the years. He is a solid worker in-ring and can craft a wonderful, and sometimes compelling story. Just look at the Royal Rumble (I think) match against Umaga.

His character can be tweaked some, but that doesn't equate to his skills and dedication to his craft.

His moves can be fairly predictable during matches, but the same can be said for most any wrestler who commands the spotlight.

Cena delivered. Peopel hate the top guy al lthe time. I give him his props for sure. To go 30 minutes and tell a good story in the ring is a lost art. Well done by both.

I think cena has been given much more than anyone else.11 championships and a main eventer always.He is the face of WWE.so i guess it's time he gives back some to other wrestlers.

Not just Cena, but too many wrestlers stick with the same set of moves and patterns when wrestling too long and demonstrate little creativity. Cena and Hogan are just two more predominant examples. I know its because people who pay want to see a certain product, just like those who go to a U2 concert mostly want to hear the big hits, but with wrestling this becomes stale after a while and little is done. I'm not talking major character changes, just mixing it up a bit more from time. I have this problem often even these days with one of my favorites, RVD. HE is so talented, why must he continue to do mostly the same moves and spots? Cena is just the prime example these days based on his stature.

I'll admit Cena did his part in the match but I don't think that would have been the case if his opponent was anyone else not named CM Punk. I echo the same sentiment as many of the previous commenters as well as Chavo that Cena seems to just coast through his matches.
I'll also give Cena credit for actually SELLING an injury during a match for once

RESPONSE FROM KE: There's more to being a good worker than doing suicide dives. When was the last time Ric Flair did one? When was the last time Ric Flair even did a dropkick?
----------------
Exactly, working and wrestling describe two different things. You can know every move in the book and execute them with precision, but it's meaningless if you can't tell a good story in the ring. Cena is not a technical wizard, but he can tell stories in the ring, and more often than not, his PPV matches deliver irrespective of the opponent. Cena is clearly not a great WRESTER, but Jericho is right that he is a great WORKER.

Thanks for this article, this storyline would not have nearly been the hit it was without Cena in the fold. Really, the IWC ought to be thanking Cena because the whole crowd as evidenced last night on Raw is behind him, not just the men but the women and children too. If Chris Jericho says he's a good worker, then no one can dispute that.

I think people need to look at John Cena for what he is...a good worker. I would not put him up there with the likes of a Ric Flair, Rick Steamboat, Shawn Michaels, CM Punk or Chris Jericho, but Cena is a hell of a lot better worker than the likes of Hulk Hogan, Ultimate Warrior, Great Khali, or anyone in the Nexus.

Cena may have a limited move base, but a lot of "superstars" have limited moves. Hogan, Flair, Warrior, etc. had the same stale, boring group of moves that everyone who was watching knew what was coming next just like John Cena.

Whether you love him or hate him, accept Cena for what he is.... a good worker and entertainer.

Kev, you said the line that should put all arguments to Cena's ability to rest:

"Cena getting a heck of a match out of The Great Khali of all people"

Cena MADE Khali look like a viable monster in the ring and those memories is probably what keeps him employed as a talent....

Cena took on RVD in Hammerstein Ballroom and Punk in Chicago, 2 places that I know others as champ would have shown less enthusiasm to put on a good match much less a GREAT one. The dude is all about the business and giving a great show to the fans. He even recognized the divide in the older fans BEFORE WWE Creative and used it as an angle with Kurt Angle.

They'll always be backstage politics as to who gets a push (see Kofi and Miz last night) however the thing most 'smart fans' recognize is passion in performance within the squared ring. And that's one thing no one can ever take away from John....

Viva La Punk.... and Long Live Cena...

I agree the Chavo sounds bitter. I felt for him at first, but he's going over the top.
I find it quite funny that all the people that were cheering the Hulkster or Warrior as kids are now moaning how Cena has a "limited move set" etc..
That's the great thing about wrestling to me is that people have different styles.
If there's one complaint about Cena from me, it's that I find it a bit dull how some of his matches stick to the following formula: Cena whales on opponent for two minutes; Cena makes error; opponet whales on Cena for 25 minutes; Cena hits one counter into AA then wins.
That can be boring if done too often, but, looking at the old tapes, practically all Hogan's matches were like that, him getting pounded til he "hulked up" and hit the leg drop.
Maybe you can criticise Cena for that, but none of us out here work in WWE, so we can't definitively say how much of a match's tempo or story is set by backstage people and how much is set by Cena and opponent. But I've never seen anything to suggest Cena is "lazy". I think he does give everything every night. And this wole complaint about him not doing suicide dives, roll ups, intricate counter moves etc.. Was I not of the understanding that his character was that of an urban rapper type from "the streets"? When did you last see a street fight involving backslides and sunset flips? It's not like he can't do them, because he has before (see Angle match). I think it's just part of the character that he's straight up front and doesn't do trickery.
Plus, the Cena haters cheer The Rock. Since when was he the brilliant mat technician?
Not sure what there is to hate about Cena. Maybe because he gets more female attention than the geeks that boo him.

I totally agree. There has never been anything wrong with Cena's work ethic---the "you can't wrestle" chants are not accurate, and he is capable of great things on the mic, although he is sometimes inconsistent.
There should be dues given for this that aren't---and Cena has worked some great matches with other great workers.
What I do disagree with is that the booking and the pushing of Cena as the character he is now is NOT a sidenote to be ignored. He is purposely designed to be a Hulk Hogan for the 21st century. However, he uses the same gimmicks with superifical adjustments---(hustle, loyalty, respect instead of prayers, etc.---primary colors--and most importantly--booking as a come-back superman)---and that is stale. It's NOT that John Cena the worker is stale---the character he plays and which has been pushed as the focus of the company is.
But it's not just being stale--it's representing a paradigm that is past. Evolution and change is what equals survival. John's character and booking are an old trick that doesn't work anymore. It's sad that there are less thoughtful people that attack the man himself, or extrapolate the negativity of that type of character being pushed to the top with personal attacks on work ethic and performance. These were never issues, and never should have been.
What IS an issue, which Punk proved with the massive fan reaction---is that people have desperately wanted a change from this for some time. Punk referenced it and gave it to them. Yes, Cena was the perfect opponent, and it's because the character represented the antithesis of what Punk was putting out there, and there really couldn't have BEEN another opponent.
John Cena the man, the performer---shared equal part in making a great build-up and match. The flip side is that John Cena the character needs to go, or at least change, so that the performer Cena doesn't have to deal with "love/hate"---he can simply be equally enjoyed by a greater number of fans for his talent being put in a different direction. He has not worked as the top face of the company as far as being socially relevant--to paraphrase Punk. He will never work that way as the character he is now and has been over the course of TEN titles.
WWE is referencing change itself, Mr. Eck. You haven't put a RAW review up as of yet--but for the first time in a long time, I legally tuned in and watched. This is because the WWE is promising change---and I'll be goddamned if people are going to keep saying that our opinions don't matter or that the "change" crowd is a minority. I don't like many of the decisions of WWE in the past---but nobody ever accused them of being totally stupid, and obviously they feel that there are a great number of people looking for that change and that it is affecting their ratings and otherwise, or this wouldn't all be happening. Saying otherwise is beyond not seeing the forest for the trees.
Cena deserves respect for being an outstanding worker who puts himself out there for fans---but you can't in saying that, deny that he is the symbol and face and representation, as a CHARACTER, of the poor creative directions of recent years. It's shame that people can't seperate and understand the two---because it becomes a polarized discussion in which the truth is obscured in stupid "hate" and "love" discussions. John Cena belongs in the WWE, maybe eventually at the top again---but the WWE does NOT need, and has not needed, Cena the character.
I'll counter your Flair example---Flair indeed never needed to do a suicide dive---he had his move set and his ethic---but you know what? You would be fighting an uphill battle to prove that Ric Flair would work as a character or performer today in the way that he was in 1987. He is a legend, and a great part of the past--a building block of the past---but as soon as evolution in the business happened and more bricks were laid on top, (not in small part due to your own personal fave HBK), there were improvements over Flair's model---improvements which made wrestling relevant to changing times. Cena has represented from the beginning an attempt to live in the past. That never works---you need to move into the future. Punk is the greatest right now because he knows that, and he has moved forward----thankfully the WWE has listened to reason and allowed him to run with this angle--and have admitted that they were wrong. I'm NOT looking for a return to the Attitude era--but I would like to point out that Mick Foley in his books stated that this was a genesis to the excitement and freshness of that era--that Vince and WWE looked up, looked around, and said--wow, we were wrong, and we need to allow wrestling and its performers room to breathe and change. Hopefully this newest openness results in a totally new and different era which reflects the times in which we live in 2011.
That's what I feel and see, and it seems that WWE is finally recognizing that a lot of folks feel and see that way. Again, I do agree with you that it is wrong that Cena the man and worker is belittled for what is a creative problem----but that is nothing new in wrestling, is it?

I'm not sure how this became about Chavo but here's my 2 cents...I read his Tweets & yeah, he's bitter & angry & resentful & I'd probably be the same way at this point but that doesn't mean I'm gonna take his comments as dispassionate, objective analysis. He has an ax to grind & more power to him. As to Jericho's comments, I think we all bow to his expertise & experience in the business plus you can't help but like & respect the heck out of him. That being said, I do think there's an angle to him stepping up & defending Cena if only to simply provide a counter-balance to what he sees(& I agree) as an unfair amount of criticism. While there are legitimate points to be made about Cena's shortcomings, many of his critics just will not give him any credit at all. If the match he's in is great, it was the other guy carrying him. If it sucks, it's because he sucks. That's just not fair & I believe that was part of Jericho's motivation(not to try to read his mind). This will probably cause me to lose my membership card in the IWC but, I would identify myself as one who is a fan of "Sports Entertainment" but not so much of "Wresling". For having watched almost literally all my life, at 53, I could barely tell you the difference between an armbar & a sharpshooter & that's ok. I love the people, the promos & the storylines. Once I figured things out about oh say, 40 years ago, the in-ring action kind of became passe to me. Don't get me wrong, I respect the heck out of the athletic abilities & the physicality of the people in the industry & defend them to the hilt. For me, the actual "wrestling" is just furthering the storyline & getting me to the next promo. Yes I know, I didn't discover the "missing link" here. I just think I speak for many of us when I say my eyes glaze over when I start to read the comments ripping Cena for his lack of technical skill or his weak move set or that maybe he's not the best at delivering a promo. The facts, as I see them, are: he comes of as just a really good guy. You cannot deny that he works as hard as he can & when he says he loves the WWE, I firmly believe him. That's enough to earn my respect even if I don't mark out for him. Plus, it's obvious that Vince thinks he's money so sorry guys, he ain't going anywhere(although I LOL'd when he called Vince "Brother" last night). Plus, the dead horse of Cena turning keeps getting kicked by some of you guys who are the same ones who want to only accentuate his negatives. Do you really think he could pull off the heel persona?? As my hero Clint Eastwood once said..."A man's gotta know his limitations". As much as we all criticize Creative, maybe they're getting the best they can out of him & even he knows this is where he needs to stay. He makes the turn & it's a disaster, I fear for some of you. Your heads will explode & make a mess in your Mom's basement. Lastly, I'll just say this...@DumbSmark, please don't sue me for gimmick infringement! Thanx...

I really wonder about a lot of the comments that alot of you people have about John cena he is the second coming of Hulk he is not there to make adults happy is is there to entertain your children so intern they will make you spend your money on his shirts etc, that being said Cena has a lot of moves that he very rarely uses like his drop kick. I don't see how people can say he never elevated people before Cena started his feud with Edge he was being hit with boring chants from matches with randy Orton on SummerSlam and now look at the way we look at him also you can't blame him for shaemus WWE tryed shove him down our thoats like they tryed to do with the Rock & Orton and it took years for us to finally warm up to them. One of the biggest problems especilaay with Raw is that you don't really have Jobbers so someone like a Shaemus can destroy them for 6 months then get into a feud like Kofi for 3 months then get a title shot. Even Goldberg went probably close to a year before winning the world title and look at him now.

I'll give Cena credit for MITB, but not that much. His best matches have been with better workers (and to loco, Justin Gabriel is a better worker) when he faces someone on his workrate level or lower, the matches are usually boring as hell. He does work the standard, WWE main event style well, but that's not what real wrestling fans laud. I respect his work ethic in promoting the brand, I respect his passion and love for the industry, but let's not call him a great worker just because he had a great match with the best wrestler in the world.

We are in a different time Kevin. Stuff from the Hogan/Flair era will not fly anymore. Leg drops and figure fours will not entertain the evolved wrestling fan. If you like Cena as a worker that is fine, but why argue with someone who feels the opposite. Is your opinion right and theirs wrong? Will Cena go down as one of the all time greats? Let's put it this way, Hogan, Savage, Steamboat, Flair, Sting, Austin, Rock...were there ever this many distractors to their predicted lasting appeal? The closest person he resembles to me is Hogan, but he won't even come close to the broad appeal Hogan achieved. Would love to see a heel turn before I make my final opinion on the matter though.

I'm one who has been very hard on John Cena, but not because of his wrestling ability, which I think is fine. However, I can't just make an assessment based only on his wrestling ability. His character and the way he is booked is just as important if not more than his wrestling ability. I don't recall The Rock, Steve Austin, or Hulk Hogan doing much drop kicking either. The Rock and Austin always kept an edginess to their characters, which kept them grounded and relatable. When Hulkamania lost it's edge and became too corny, Hulk Hogan turned heel and reivigorated his career as well as the pro wrestling business.

However, it does seem like they're trying to tweak Cena's character a little, by making him a little more agressive and less corny. But they were probably forced to do that with him going face to face with a complex character like CM Punk. I just think Cena needs to realize that he's an entertainer, and not a real hero.

And it should be obvious to WWE management that Cena can't simply carry the company by himself. During the PG (Cena) era, TV ratings have dropped as well as PPV buy rates. Yet for some reason Cena's character has stayed relatively the same, indicating they don't see him as a problem or a reason for this. But when your top Babyface is getting booed, I would think that should be a tell-tale sign that there is problem some where with something, and it needs to be rectified.

Also, it seems WWE has kept the top faces, as faces for a long time. Triple H one of the greatest heels of all time has been a face for a while, so has the Undertaker, and Shawn Michaels was a face for a long time right up until he retired. Maybe this is keyed in to merchandising, where Babyfaces push more product and generate more merchandising revenue. But while merchandising revenue and ticket sales have continued to be strong, the TV shows have suffered from a lack of compelling story lines and fueds.

Vince McMahon has always said that the fans determine what we see on WWE television. Well at this point i would say a majority of the fans have spoken and don't care for John Cena, and refuse to cheer for him. Yet they still trot him out there like he's everybody's all american hero. I only want WWE to give the fans what they want. Let the wrestlers put more of their real personalities into their characters. It seems almost all of the Babyfaces are in the John Cena's, goodie-two shoes mold. Kofi Kingston and Rey Mysterio for example. Yes people cheer for them, but it's the same old-same old. Their characters are stale and add virtually nothing to telling compelling stories.

I don't hate John Cena, I actually like and respect him, I always have. And as I stated I never considered him a bad wrestler. But CM Punk is a man of our times, where reality TV, and social media rule the day. A world where MMA proves that nobody is unbeatable. John Cena's character would be great for the the 70's and 80's, but in this day an age, people know that no one is a good as they portray themselves to be. CM Punk leads a straight-edge lifestyle, but yet he admits he's not a good guy. That's real. All I'm saying is it's time for a change, and I think it will be a change for the better.

Jericho is right. Cena is a very good wrestler; he was the protoype when he was just coming up but lets face it; wwe isn't that into wrestling.

Cena is a stud and has made WWE a ton of money. Most wrestlers rave about what a team player he is and how hard he works.

Vince McMahon was once quoted that if Randy Orton had Cena's attitude and work ethic, Orton could be one of the greats of all time.

Lets face it; most guys hate him because young kids and young girls especially love him.

"CM Punk seems to be everyone’s favorite wrestler these days"

I've been a Punk mark since he first came to WWE in ECW.

He is one of few wrestlers I have always looked forward to seeing in recent years. Others are Jericho and RVD and usually Sting and Christian.

I think Cena would be interesting as a heel. Kevin, has a wrestler/sports entertainer ever been only a face and never a heel in his career?

RESPONSE FROM KE: There have been some -- Ricky Steamboat and Bruno Sammartino immediately come to mind, but there are others.

Shoot, the grammar and spelling in the comments section needs some serious work.

Come on Kev, the biggest RAW of the year and still no breakdown?

RESPONSE FROM KE: Sometimes real life gets in the way of the blog.

punk desearves the praise for bringing it out of cena still. cena has also been great in his feud with rock.

but other than that he pretty much sucks, as soon as cena starts performing consistantly then i'll throw some praise his way.

"As for Chavo, he was always a nice guy when I worked with him in WCW, but he comes off as very bitter right now."

I totally agree Kevin. Chavo is completely desperate for relevancy. He's an attention seeker and that's it - he's trading off Cena's popularity in a pathetic attempt to get a bit of the spotlight.

Chavo was forgettable when he was in the WWE. Now he's a nobody. He can't handle it so he's gone after Cena. It's that simple.

It's fashionable to rag on Cena. Nobody wants to admit he's actually good at what he does.

Kevin I have many times in the past criticized what I perceive as your favoritism towards the WWE,but forget that this Punk angle has been very very good,and Cena takes far to much flak,the chants were idiotic,I am no fan but to say the man can't wrestle and to not see what he brings to these big matches is just plain stupid. And Chavo,give me a break,nice guy I am sure but to not see that he is obviously a very bitter man right now is to be totally blind,why who knows,I am sure he has many reasons that make perfect sense to him but frankly it is plain and simple bitterness and that is sad. When someone like Jericho takes notice and calls out Cena that says something,no ifs'ands'or buts. so Cena haters get off of your high horses and stop trashing the man simply because it is "cool",get over yourself the guy knows the biz and he is damn good at it,that match with Punk has to be considered one of the best of the year,add in some AJ Styles matches and that's the pool,period,end of sentence. So yes Kevin even I can sometimes come in hard on your side and this is one of those times,you and the others that have recognized this match are spot on,that was one hell of a match. Peace

Great blog subject, Kevin. I cringe when I read the generic internet geeks blasting Cena for whatever reasons. He's not a great technical wrestler, but he's good enough and he plays his part extremely well. Without him, the WWE would have struggled badly the last several years. And he's certainly a better wrestler than the Miz - who the gig's seem to love. Btw, the Miz's matches against Riley have been embarrassingly bad.

I gave John Cena his due when he got his PHD in Thuganomics.

ROTFLMFAO !!!! @ John Cena.

@Kyle

I grew up watching Hogan in the WWF/WWE and yes, he did go years without losing cleanly. Aside from one match with Ultimate Warrior, who did he ever put over?

I'm tired of Cena's gimmick also, but to say he's worse than Hogan is pretty ludicrous.

This entry has some of the most insightful comments I've witnessed in a while. Bravo people.

"""It's fashionable to rag on Cena"""....

Oh just get over yourself. I'm sorry the whole world doesn't bend down and perform falatio on Cena. This is why I never get involved in political/religous conversations. Just a waste of time, no one is really listening to other view points they are just waiting for thier turn to talk.

I'm sure John Cena is a decent guy. He's not a bad wrestler. He's decent on the mic.

The reason he is so disliked is because his character is too ridiculously heroic. He makes everything feel fake, we all know it is but it doesn't have to feel fake.

I don't think the WWE understands why CM Punk resonated. CM Punk represented a very meta critique of the current state of the WWE.

The problem isn't that John Cena is disliked, and trying to have John Cena "do the right thing" by CM Punk didn't win him any new fans and just showed what is wrong with the character, it's that the character of John Cena is so good and pure and heroic that it isn't plausible. More than being implausible it is also totally unearned. I don't see any credible bad guys for such a monolithic hero to oppose. It's just become ridiculous and it feels really fake.

CM Punk's story was successful because he literally broke free of the WWE narrative. He wasn't the WWE wrestler CM Punk that wanted to stir things up. He was able to be an outsider to the WWE and was able to oppose the meta context of the WWE. Part of that was John Cena as he's definitely one of the biggest problems with the WWE but there was a lot more going on.

I think had the WWE realized what had actually happened they could have made John Cena into an interesting heel. Instead of having him lamely oppose McMahon's hatred of CM Punk it would have been more interesting to see John Cena become the complete company man. They could even have kept up with the meta criticism and had John Cena still be heroic and boring but make a lot of the politics become more overt and vulgar.

Instead, Cena still postured as the hero and they played up the villainous McMahon to try to stir up sympathy for Cena.

Between Cena and Orton I think the WWE feels fake.

I'm sorry Al R...wha'd you say??

@ Reality Check
Are you me?
I prefer to say that I don't know an Anaconda Vice from a simple bad habit, but it was Crazy Luke Graham who made me really enjoy 'rasslin' far more than Bruno ever could have.

@ (Not So)DumbSmark
Just to play devil's advocate here, cuz I recognize and respect the validity and fairness of what you're saying:
When we read a mystery, we expect to have to figure out "whudunit" -- occasionally the mystery can be the how rather than the who, but by and large we're attracted to the traditional model.
Neither Hogan nor Vince invented the Superman Comeback match -- Bruno was the Strongest Man in the World long before Mark Henry was a twinkle in his Daddy's eye, and his finishers were the Bear Hug and Backbreaker. Now Hogan was working this routine when the curtain was drawn back as to the "reality" of the product, so naturally a stronger emphasis started to be placed on the showmanship rather than the fight itself as the promotional draw.

A babyface champion has to have some Superhuman "fighting"
quality that allows for such comebacks -- it's part of the formula (established oddly in Dashiell Hammett's and Raymond Chandler's days). Backlund and Bret Hart were just so believably polished technically to be able to sell comebacks. Even Pedro Morales, who bridges the Bruno to Backlund timeframe, was a high-flyer (for his day) and that was his comeback gimmick. It seemed Pedro was fighting in a steel cage match at the Garden about every other month for about a year and a half.

Of course part of the formula, for both wrestling and mysteries, is the swerve, and therein lies the entertaining variety. And in order to have a swerve, there needs first to be an established pattern.

I see this new "direction" -- both Punk and the new twist with Vince -- more like a room addition to your house. Exciting, but now it's got to fit in with what else you have and what you do. And in WWE, that includes Big John. (Maybe they just need to change his name -- to Nord, perhaps?)

@ Casey
Your idea for the Cena heel turn that will likely never happen is the best one I've heard. I think the thing I really like about it is that it would do something that WWE hasn't done in a long time---and that is draw allegorical reference to current social issues in a subtle and provocative way.
Punk definitely already did this himself, but WWE is dropping a huge ball as far as not weaving an idea like what you've come up with into the mix. The best stories, and the ones which bring wrestling out of its corner and into a bit of mainstream limelight have always been those that juxtapose the on-screen action and story-telling with real underlying and pressing social issues. I mean, don't we all feel that we're told how great and heroic and happy-go-lucky everything is in this country in general right now, when the cracks in the facade reveal that it is definitely not? I think a subliminal understanding of this even among those that don't consciously articulate it is what results in the large negative reactions to Cena.
I feel that Punk definitely knows this, and that is why he used his creative energy in the way he did, and this is why it was so successful, as many of us have pointed out. Punk became a "voice of the voiceless" for more than just wrestling. This is why even some of the mainstream was interested in this story.
The problem I think, is that WWE needs to take risks. Change is dynamic and is sometimes like walking a tightrope. Is it a risk to merchandising and otherwise to push Cena's character in different direction? Yeah---but worry about the potential negative impact on short-term financial concerns should not trump the potential positive impact on long-term quality and dynamic change.
There becomes a point at which if financial concerns trump quality, there eventually ceases to be a real reason to bother producing anything anymore.
I can use the example of many shoe manufacturers nowadays. The primacy of profit makes materials, labor and quality go down so much, that people born less than twenty years ago probably don't even have a context to understand that there was a time when a well-worn pair of sneakers might last you five years. If you get to the point where the shoes fall apart in one year because the drive to make profits have caused a decrease in quality, are you really even making shoes anymore? It seems more like you're making a simulcram of shoes, (or wrestling), just to make more money. The thing you're making becomes secondary, which is quite insane if you think about it.
Anyway, I'm sure we're all just gabbing to ourselves--but you make a great case for a great idea. Hopefully, this new change in WWE means that they might start putting the future of wrestling first, and taking risks at least somewhat like you describe.

Fair enough. I definitely don't discredit Jericho's opinion or yours about Cena desserving credit. I just also happen to agree with Chavo when he called his ring psychology lazy lately. Sure a lot of it is dictated by Creative, but my overall criticism is that he seems complacent as opposed to adapting.

The thing is, I think he could tear the house down if he really let loose sometime. That's why I keep thinking a heel Cena would be so huge. He could channel that aggression he flashes glimpses of now and people would hate him that much more as opposed to just thinking "oh here he goes again."

Anyway, good debate going as I always value your opinions.

I really can't see how anyone could consider HHH one of the greatest heels of all time he was the heel version of Cena unless your name was Rock, Austin, Angle, taker, you weren't gonna beat him as a matter of fact I remember when he faced JBL & Farooq in a handicap match and beat both of them. Speaking of that people talk about well Cena has never elevated anyoe that was not his running buddy (Batista & Orton) thats where the list begins and ends. As far as Hogan goes I know after about 2 years me and my friends turned on it because it was stale to us even though other people were still buying the shirts & dolls and in the end thats what it is all about for Vince. So you can love him or hate him as long as you keep buying the shirts, movies, dolls etc.for your kids Cena as a face is here to stay

Thank you, Mr Smark. This is my first post on a wrestling type website and I'm still relatively new to watching or caring about the sport.

I started watching it out of curiosity and to see how they are playing with the national zeitgeist.

Some of it is a little depressing and shameful. Of the four black wrestlers that are prominent now there are two that exist to give the "crazy eyed black man" aesthetic and two that are all smiles in a way that would make Spike Lee cringe. R-Truth, who I actually think is interesting, is playing up this peculiar conspiracy angle that seems to posit that African Americans are somehow ridiculous or crazy for asserting that there exists racist tendencies in our society.

Then everything with CM Punk started to happen and I think it really tapped into something interesting. The WWE seems to exist as a business as a plot device but CM Punk really brought out that it actually is a real business that really does fire people and that these people still exist even after the WWE fires them.

Moreover, he is fairly explicit that one's success with the WWE, and by extension the world, is not due entirely to their skill or hard work. If that was the case John Cena would surely not be where he is now.

CM Punk made explicit the reality of the real WWE and the fans ate it up. It seems to me that the fans are eager to accept a world in which the WWE that is shown on Mondays and Fridays can exist at the same time as the WWE that determines who wins and who is fired. Even though wrestling is fake it doesn't always have to feel fake (I know it didn't feel fake Sunday night and my emotions to it weren't fake either). Even when it feels real, however, people still know there's a real business and structure to what goes on and they seem eager to get in on that. It seems to me that Twitter tweets and interviews of wrestlers that go into the real drama are gobbled up by an eager public.

We can't expect them to so expertly straddle both worlds as CM Punk was able to but I think they should try to give us some of the real WWE. HHH's dismissal of McMahon on Monday wasn't real and everyone knows it. Instead, people were really interested in any real contract negotiations because that was actually real.

I think by acknowledging the entertainment product they make while also allowing more performers to blur the lines between it and the real world would really allow them to do some very interesting storylines that could have some real impact.

I think you could still allow John Cena to be the superhero who always does the right thing in the WWE product while giving some more background on the how's and why's he is allowed to play a character that is so obviously detrimental to the WWE and to fellow wrestlers and by doing so allow him to play a very interesting heel that works on multiple levels.

That's effectively what happened on Sunday. For weeks that tried to build Cena up as a hero that was standing up for what was right even when it went against his own self interests. It totally rang hollow and Sunday's Chicago crowd, and I'm guessing crowds in homes across the country, really showed how hollow that was. Instead of embracing that I feel that the WWE doesn't understand what happened.

I think there are a host of things they could do with these two worlds that could make for compelling storylines. I think they could keep playing up Alberto del Rio's character in the WWE product but let it slip that he's an incredibly hard working guy and maybe play up any charity he may do through Twitter or other outside venues. Doing so will really give a lot of interesting depth to that character, and that's saying something as I already really like his whole shtick as it's really funny to me.

One aspect that I have not seen mentioned but I think may have played a subconscious part on Sunday is this: it seems really obvious to me that John Cena has used steroids at some time in his life. He's an unnaturally big dude. CM Punk is in shape but he has a very realistic physique. I think in today's world their match had a subconscious resonance in that no matter how hard they tried to make it out to be a face versus a heel, a square jawed blonde guy versus a wiry guy with slicked back black hair, that it was still a guy who has an unnatural physique versus someone who clearly works hard but has never cheated.

I don't want to get into a huge debate about it, but it seems plausible that he has whereas I doubt Punk ever had.

I apologize for a long and rambling post. I enjoy reading everyone's comments and Mr Eck has a very great blog that has been informative and interesting to read.

Thanks!

@ Boomerang...
Ahhh...Philip Marlowe getting sapped in the back of the head thirteen times and making the comeback to resolve the case...I hear your opinion. I happen to think you're right in certain respects. The hero must always make a journey and come back with, in this case, the victory...I think this is where we stick in the wholesome All-American part, though...Marlowe and Spade especially, as I really enjoy your bringing them up as a heroic archetype, and so we'll use them, were not really a John Cena. They walked in shades of grey, (especially Spade). It took wrestling a long time to come to that sort of reality, (and in some respects it's not there yet)---and I see Cena's character as a prohibitive throwback to a model that doesn't really work, because there is no grey. Think more a Horatio Alger hero than a noir detective---the Horatio Alger model, if we want to extrapolate further, eventually ended in societal unrest and rejection of the model.
Punk I think, in this case, is more than revamping wrestling for 2011, but is an introduction of a model that wrestling has needed to be taken seriously as mainstream entertainment for a great while. He doesn't "wear a white hat", but he's doing, (in this case), the right thing. He resembles Mike Hammer or Marlowe more to me than Cena does.
@ Casey
Don't speak too loudly, or they'll crucify us, but yeah, most black models in wrestling such as R-Truth use negative social sterotypes. This is less WWE or any one comapany, than a somewhat consistent archetype of wrestling in general for a long time. Despite the artistry and creativity involved, a majority of the wrestling world and fans remain somewhat conservative and addicted to old-time and sometimes questionable values. It's an anachronism which just makes it more interesting from a sociological perspective----and it's probably one of those major changes that need to be made if wrestling is to survive in the 21st century.
@ Mr. Eck
No idea if you'll read this, but your blog is becoming quite an area of discussion of high-minded topics. I know you're somewhat annoyed with me for my strong dissension to your ratings analysis, but I stand by my view, and I hope that you recognize that some great conversations are starting to happen here as far as diessecting wrestling in all of its complexity and its place in overall culture. I also stand by my long-time view that this is a major part of moving the sport forward. You are a great writer, whether I agree with you all of the time or not, and you should consider adding more of this sort of complexity to your analysis---because you are more than capable of it. I know writing and I read a lot, and from that I can tell that you that you sometimes write far, far below your extremely far-out potential. It's a risk for a wrestling journalist to wander into the territory that some of us are getting into as commenters, but the potential positive of that risk is that you could be alone at the forefront of journalism treating wrestling as seriously as it should be treating itself industry-wise. As soon as it is more widely recognized as the important cultural art-from it is, the more interest it is bound to generate, and the more cemented it will become against rising and falling fortunes in other areas of entertainment.

You have the best wrestling blog but you should be ashamed of this to call that a match of the year candidate. Cena can't wrestle yet you kill TNA workers who actually can work. CM Punk could carry a broom to a five star match.

RESPONSE FROM KE: Can you give me an example of some TNA workers who can work that I kill?

@ (Not So)DumbSmark

There must be a it of creativity in your compositional bag of tricks -- you took my simple comparison and very cleverly built it into a metaphor. You simultaneously spurred my thinking, so to extend your metaphor:

Parker's Spenser is/was (there's one more I haven't read) a guy whose stubborn rebelliousness is grounded in an almost-too-good-to-be-true value system, which generated a very eclectic circle of acquaintances and loyalties.

While Punk can be viewed this way, I think Cena's character can be moved in this direction, which might be what they were trying to do when he had words with Vince (though that element of the storyline hasn't been so well-received, it seems).

They could address the stereotyping issue you and Casey mention by maybe in time scaling back R-Truth's character to a tweener similar to Spenser's buddy Hawk. (Avery Brooks was spot-on with his portrayal, if you can recall those old TV series.)

As far as our beloved "show" becoming a widely-accepted cultural art form? Well, JJ (the grandson) may attend Cirque de WWE one day, but alas I fear it won't be in our lifetimes, pal-o-mine.

Be well!

what i dont like about cena is the wwe portrays him as unbeatable, cena last ligit loss was at tlc against sheamus 2009 if you count back the tittle events cena has been in it will take ages. it was sumerslam 2009 thats 3 years non stop john cena where there are guys like punk, bourne, kingston,r truth and other poeple who r better performers than cena.

There is more to being a good wrestler than championships. Hogan was a many time and long running champion and he wasn't a great wrestler, he was a good character to fit the time.

Cena is not a good wrestler, sorry, he just isn't. His character was a fit for a time, he is essentially another Hogan. Hustle, Loyalty, Respect = Say your prayers, take your vitamins, and whactha gonna do? Cena is at times unstoppable no matter what he gets hit with. He can get bum rushed by a gang of people, hit with foreign objects, and he gets up and comes out on top. Hi...Hogan-ing up anyone?

Don't like his work on the mic, it is the same thing over and over and over again. Try to be funny, get nearly teary eyed sincere, then yell about how he'll never give up/take the easy way out/ do something wrong.

You're not going to convince me he can wrestle.

Vine McMahon said it best, "I can make another John Cena." And he can.

@ Boomerang...
Haven't been on this one in a bit, and I hope it's not too late to catch some interesting conversation. Yes, you are right---you caught me. Too much Socrates when I was a kid, I think. Yeah, I don't think we'll be seeing Cirque de WWE anytime soon----I do think though that with the right creative direction and use of publicity in the new complexities of the digital age, that they could start being taken more seriously than they are now. In fact, and tell me if I'm wrong, I think that CM Punk might agree with some of what we're saying, and I think the ideas that he is introducing creatively are an attempt in that direction. From his endorsement of Gregory Irons to storming a Comic-Con to everything that Casey mentioned---Punk is not only touching on some important things--I'm fairly sure he's doing it on purpose. "Best In The World" indeed. It takes a real special performer to make that claim and to legitimately back it up---and to exude such creativity and intelligence.
@ The Mythical One
I would do you one better and say that Vince McMahon, or his heir WILL make another Cena/Hogan/etc. What I think gets lost though is that Cena the man is not a bad wrestler. He's certainly not as great as his now 9 world titles and his consistent placement at the top of company would indicate--but he is very good, and works well with a lot of different people.
I also think he COULD be great if he could break out of his current stasis and play a different character and be opened up to a different style. For now though--yeah, Cena the character is detrimental--and it seems to be what Punk is telling us too.