Will Daniel Bryan replace John Cena as the face of the WWE?

There are great WWE superstars and then there are the rare few who go beyond that status to something bigger and more recognisable. You have the Bret Harts, Triple Hs, Kanes and then you have the Hogans, Austins and the Rocks who transcend the world of wrestling into the mainstream and thereby get the company that much exposure and appeal.

After the Rock crossed over into movies, there has been only one guy who has breathed the same rarefied air and he is John Cena. To Cena ‘s credit though, he has stayed true to the WWE and didn’t walk out on the WWE when the going got tough (Chris Benoit scandal) and there were lucrative opportunities available. His drawing power, loyalty to the company and most importantly his ability to get a reaction from the crowd for as long as he has been able to, have made him the indisputable face of the WWE.

While there have been numerous others who have come close to the stardom Cena enjoys, nobody has been able to shake him off his throne really. Among the closest contenders, Punk, Orton and Batista for the longest period have run close but Cena has had the edge over all of them through one major support group of his: the kids and the adolescents, who the WWE has been majorly targeting since the PG era came into prominence.

Now, off late, Daniel Bryan has been on a roll and the talks have veered towards if the crowd support that he enjoys will finally help him usurp the long held position that Cena has had with the office. Would he be able to become the guy who Cena has built his entire career around, a role that is harder to accomplish today than it was 10 years ago – The ‘White-meat’ babyface ?

The question has quite a few different aspects to it, let’s try and look into it from a marketing standpoint. Cena, as the face of the company, has undergone various transformations in his character: from the Dr.of Thugonamics to The Marine-inspired trooper to the Superhero vanquishing all comers to the present day ‘Never Give up’ role-model. Through all of that, the one thing that has remained constant is his message of Hustle, Loyalty and Respect which has earned him the respect and adoration of fans worldwide. Quite smart on the WWE’s part if you ask me, and Cena looks the part too. While he isn’t the biggest guy on the roster, his chiselled physique and displays of freakish strength have had a huge role in him becoming this aspirational figure in a country battling with issues such as obesity, depression and beyond.

Daniel Bryan, on the other hand, is a quintessential underdog and in the land of the giants, he is a cheetah who makes up for his lack of size with his speed, hard-hitting style and intensity. He comes across as an everyday guy who is doing the thing that he is really good at and that is also the reason for his overwhelming popularity. However, pro-wrestling is a form of entertainment and not a real sport and that’s where the entire difference lies. Entertainment in it’s long history has always been dominated by characters who have a larger-than-life feel and that holds true for the WWE too. While the WWE Universe propels you to great heights because they like you, we have seen too many cases where once the superstar reaches that level and becomes the top guy, the same people turn on them and vilify them for the very same traits that they identified with earlier. Examples being many, including John Cena himself.

Daniel Bryan in his current hot run deserves a run with the championship and the people will most certainly support him. But for his title run to be successful and notable, somewhere he would have to do a switch a la Christian from 2 years prior. But does it mean he would be able to replace the likes of Cena as the poster-boy of WWE? Personally I find it highly unlikely as even if Bryan becomes the champion, it would be hard to create the aura around him like the one Cena has had for years. And if it happens, I would be the happiest screaming….Yes! Yes! Yes!