How will we look back on 'The John Cena Era'?
John Cena is a 16-time world champion, a multi-talented entertainer, a movie star, a philanthropist and one of the most successful pro wrestlers of all time. He's also known all around the world, and he has made hundreds of appearances worldwide for children's charities.
If there were ever someone you would want to carry the banner of your organization, it's someone like John Cena, who hasn't had brushes with the law, is well-spoken, and has a ton of charisma.
John Cena, WWE superstar, has granted more than 650 Make-a-Wish requests: more than anyone in the charity's history. https://t.co/ODABHZSp5w
That's exactly what Vince McMahon and WWE did in the mid-2000's, when they made Cena the promotion's franchise player for more than a decade.
Here's the bad news: Some people just didn't like John Cena.
Cena's saga as the face of the company was an unusual one, to say the least. Everything started out fine at first, as the WWE Universe firmly stood behind him as an ultra babyface.
But shortly thereafter, things changed, and a huge swath of the fans turned against him. At that point, he basically lived two lives in the pro wrestling world. On one hand, his adoring fans cheered for him. But at times, it felt like there were just as many fans who, quite frankly, thought he "sucks," and they let him know it.
Let's go Cena 🎶
Cena sucks 🎶
Let's go Cena 🎶
Cena SUCKS 🎶
Which side of the John Cena chants were you on? https://t.co/rxVwNHdStE
And so it went, for about 10 years. Boos and catcalls of "You Can't Wrestle" were constantly hurled in this supposed babyface's direction. It got to the point where Cena himself had to acknowledge the hate during plenty of his promos. He simply laughed it off and said that everyone had the right to their opinion.
He eventually began to fade away from the top spot by putting over the next group of WWE stars like AJ Styles and Roman Reigns. Even though he still had many detractors, fans began to soften on Super Cena. At the very least, his detractors gave him his due for his accomplishments in the promotion and his attitude outside the ring.
John Cena has now shuffled off to Hollywood full-time, with WWE only remaining a once-in-a-while side hustle. So in essence, his time is no longer "now." For the most part, it has passed, leaving his fans to look back on his remarkable legacy.
Someday, when the timing is right, John Cena will be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame and an excellent video package will highlight his numerous achievements. Cena will be hailed as a hero and a godsend. Stories will be told, and he will be held up on a pedestal as one of the best performers in WWE history.
Here's John Cena minutes after winning his first WWE Championship at Wrestlemania 21.
Do you think he or WWE had any idea how far his star would rise? https://t.co/7K3M7zmO95
At the same time, there will still be those critics who will look back at 'The John Cena Era' and say it was the downfall of the modern-day WWE. They will let you know that the Leader of Cenation was not a great technical grappler and that his promos were overrated.
In the end, it's hard to measure Cena's legacy because, at the time, it was so polarizing. While it seems as though no one literally hated him, they disliked the way WWE pushed him, so his "haters" took it out on him as a performer.
That being said, as the calendar continues to turn, more and more people seem to be warming up to what Cena's legacy truly is. This pattern is encouraging because it's hard to imagine WWE without the Cena Era. It may have been hokey at times, but it meant a lot to an entire generation of young fans.
Cena's run at the top may have been too loud and too colorful, but it was also fun for countless fans. Hopefully, in the years ahead, we will look back at that time and be able to see it for what it was truly worth.
What do you remember most about John Cena's long run at the top of WWE? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.