TSC Evaluation #58: John Cena
- Thread starter mrken12
- Start date
8. He's done a lot that other greats before him (and when I mean great I mean crossover top baby face level, Hogan, Rock, Austin great). He has had great feuds and bad ones. His power has helped (Owens) and hurt (Wade Barrett) other wrestlers. He's been the same for a decade plus which hurts his rating. We had Hollywood Rock and NWO Hogan, at best we've had Smarmy Cena but that doesn't really count.
He's really done everything, his championship cabinet is full and yet, he could've done more. Like that one piece that puts him up there in Wrestling Mt. Rushmore is missing. Is it a heel turn? A faction? I don't know but I'm not sure if he already missed that opportunity on it.
...
He's really done everything, his championship cabinet is full and yet, he could've done more. Like that one piece that puts him up there in Wrestling Mt. Rushmore is missing. Is it a heel turn? A faction? I don't know but I'm not sure if he already missed that opportunity on it.
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Mantis Toboggan M.D.
Drink wolf cola
Marks.
Without simply using catchphrases, do a Hulk impression.
Now do a Macho impression.
Do a Vince impression.
Okay?
Now do a Cena impression.
Get it?
2.
ManBearPig
half man half bearpig
I'm not a big John Cena fan but he definitely gets a 10
Longevity, impact, a lot of classic matches, mic skills.
Longevity, impact, a lot of classic matches, mic skills.
TheWhackMamba
The Coli's Drop Bear
Anyone who didn't put ten foh. I'm not even a Cena fan but no one can deny he's top ten all time
Mantis Toboggan M.D.
Drink wolf cola
Based off of what though? Let’s be real here. It’s not like he’s ever helped make another star. I can’t recall any promo he cut after dropping his doctor of thuganomics persona except the Y2cheap promo where he lost the crowd. All the big angles and feuds he was in after his 2006 program with edge was over all were centered around the other people in them, and I don’t exactly recall him getting real mainstream buzz for the product. He had some classic matches where he absolutely pulled his own weight, but by trying so hard to force the crowd to accept him as the top guy they really kneecapped him when he could have been up there on his own as opposed to them just giving him a million runs with the title to say to the crowd “see he’s great so you have to get behind him”. It’s the same reason it would be stupid to argue ten years from now that Roman deserves a ten. I’m comfortable with a 7 or an 8 personally. He really should have been a 9 or 10 though.
TheWhackMamba
The Coli's Drop Bear
As an overall wrestler he's nowhere close to top 10. When it comes to drawing power and merchandise money he is.
TheWhackMamba
The Coli's Drop Bear
Mike the Executioner
What went on up there? Poppers and weird sex!
Mic work: 7
Yes, he cuts the same promo every week. And yes, once you've heard one of his promos from 2006-2014, you've heard 90% of them. But he is definitely charismatic and not many people on the roster can get their point across like he can. He has the crowd in the palm of his hand almost every time he speaks, and at this point, he has to really try to have a bad promo (his promo right before the 2013 Royal Rumble and "bologna, fudge, and mustard" are examples of what happens when he has no idea what he's doing).
Personality/gimmicks: 6
He was entertaining as hell as the Doctor of Thuganomics, and you can tell he's a naturally charismatic guy because a lot of his material would become corny if you gave it to someone else. The problem is once he went to RAW, they stripped him of the qualities that made him cool and it took him a decade to at least try and do something different. It's not entirely his fault because he wanted to turn heel years ago, but Vince sabotaged it. He has way more personality than his gimmick gives him, which is why he's been more compelling over the last few years because he gives less of a fukk.
Matches: 8
Honestly, I can't remember the last time he had a bad match. Like, one that was Orton/Wyatt level. He's actually kinda underrated because the whole "You can't wrestle" thing has become a meme. He's risen to the occasion more times than I can count, and the important thing about Cena is that a lot of his matches have that big fight feel. He's never been Michaels or Bryan or Styles, but he didn't need to be. He's entertaining enough in the ring that it doesn't matter, and he has been the perfect foil for guys like Punk, Bryan, Owens, and Lesnar. Plus, he's been working a lot better over the last two years. My only problem with him is that he still struggles with selling moves. Like, the way he sold his loss to The Rock was just awful.
Overall: 7.5
Cena is what Randy Orton would be like if he gave more of a shyt and had more personality. His character has suffered for years, a lot of his title reigns after 2007 were unnecessary, and he's definitely seen as a bigger deal by the company than he actually is, but he deserves the accolades. He's the quintessential company man and I respect the fact that he's managed to maintain relevance for almost fifteen years. He went through a small evolution in 2015 where he became more interesting in the ring and his promos started shifting more to him acknowledging his longevity as the top guy. I've been following his career since I started watching wrestling. Him and The Undertaker were the first two guys I became fans of.
It's going to be a sad day when he retires. Plus, it helps that he seems like a decent guy outside the ring and he has a real passion for the business. Salute to Big Match John for holding it down all this time. 
Yes, he cuts the same promo every week. And yes, once you've heard one of his promos from 2006-2014, you've heard 90% of them. But he is definitely charismatic and not many people on the roster can get their point across like he can. He has the crowd in the palm of his hand almost every time he speaks, and at this point, he has to really try to have a bad promo (his promo right before the 2013 Royal Rumble and "bologna, fudge, and mustard" are examples of what happens when he has no idea what he's doing).
Personality/gimmicks: 6
He was entertaining as hell as the Doctor of Thuganomics, and you can tell he's a naturally charismatic guy because a lot of his material would become corny if you gave it to someone else. The problem is once he went to RAW, they stripped him of the qualities that made him cool and it took him a decade to at least try and do something different. It's not entirely his fault because he wanted to turn heel years ago, but Vince sabotaged it. He has way more personality than his gimmick gives him, which is why he's been more compelling over the last few years because he gives less of a fukk.
Matches: 8
Honestly, I can't remember the last time he had a bad match. Like, one that was Orton/Wyatt level. He's actually kinda underrated because the whole "You can't wrestle" thing has become a meme. He's risen to the occasion more times than I can count, and the important thing about Cena is that a lot of his matches have that big fight feel. He's never been Michaels or Bryan or Styles, but he didn't need to be. He's entertaining enough in the ring that it doesn't matter, and he has been the perfect foil for guys like Punk, Bryan, Owens, and Lesnar. Plus, he's been working a lot better over the last two years. My only problem with him is that he still struggles with selling moves. Like, the way he sold his loss to The Rock was just awful.
Overall: 7.5
Cena is what Randy Orton would be like if he gave more of a shyt and had more personality. His character has suffered for years, a lot of his title reigns after 2007 were unnecessary, and he's definitely seen as a bigger deal by the company than he actually is, but he deserves the accolades. He's the quintessential company man and I respect the fact that he's managed to maintain relevance for almost fifteen years. He went through a small evolution in 2015 where he became more interesting in the ring and his promos started shifting more to him acknowledging his longevity as the top guy. I've been following his career since I started watching wrestling. Him and The Undertaker were the first two guys I became fans of.
It's going to be a sad day when he retires. Plus, it helps that he seems like a decent guy outside the ring and he has a real passion for the business. Salute to Big Match John for holding it down all this time. 
I can.
Cena isn't the best at anything, not even top 30 in the most well rounded wrestlers ever and in every significant category, there are more than 5 people better than him.
He's very hard working and dedicated, but so was DDP. He's basically DDP with a better look but weaker finish to be honest. And the one lynchpin is that Cena never truly won the fans over. He's always been a tolerable evil, never a desired attraction. Notice on every fued he's ever had, its always been more about what the opponent was going to bring to the table, because we already knew what Cena would bring.
Just off top, what puts Cena over Chris Jericho, another guy on that cusp of top ten status?
John Cena had a very formulaic moveset which got old, but eventually switched up his moveset and became more unpredictable with his style of wrestling which made matches exciting and watchable.
What brings his points down is his God awful try hard promos, though he got better in the later years it's not enough to justify all the trash throughout the years
His matches have a big fight feel since CM Punk Money in the bank match
can produce classic matches with the right wrestler, but cant carry a terrible wrestler into a good match
he gets a 7 from me
What brings his points down is his God awful try hard promos, though he got better in the later years it's not enough to justify all the trash throughout the years
His matches have a big fight feel since CM Punk Money in the bank match
can produce classic matches with the right wrestler, but cant carry a terrible wrestler into a good match
he gets a 7 from me
Berniewood Hogan
IT'S BERNIE SANDERS WITH A STEEL CHAIR!
Dreamzeedream
Banned
9 to me
Dreamzeedream
Banned
Lol man the kids believe in him, I see why Vince never turned him heeloh yeah well i may get boo'd all the time but DAMN AND ASS
