Backlash: The Rock Already Proved That Cena Doesn’t Know How To Properly Use A Phone!
I am writing this Backlash in response to the writing of Mr. Quinn Gammon and Asherology101′s reply to the article Let The L.E.W.D. Crew Speak: Does John Cena Phone In His Performances?
Let's see if I can do this in a fair manor
Phoning it in… That might be a little harsh.
Complacent… I think that is more like it.
PROTECTED!!!… I think that is what is happening.
Cena is the treasured possession of the WWE. The best thing that the WWE can do is preserve him so he doesn’t get injured where he can’t make it out to a show. Therefore, the WWE will do everything to keep him from getting hurt.
I believe it was stated in an episode of the WWE’s Legends of Wrestling series that some of the headliners (Brock Lesnar) are told not to do as much because they can’t risk being injured. They would be told such things as, “Stop going to the top rope, stop jumping to the floor, stop taking chair shots and start giving them, etc…”
I believe that is what is going on with Cena; he is protected and being protective.
Is this an excuse…HELL NO!!!
Shawn Michaels had a history of back issues and until the day he retired, he still performed the high-flying, high-risk moves that his body would allow him to do with excellence and precision. If anybody was a cash-cow, it was definitely Michaels.
Am I asking that Cena add a Springboard Shooting-Star Press to his rep… NO! Am I asking that he take bigger bumps from time to time… YES!!!
I re-watched a couple of the mentioned (by Mr. Gammon & Asherology) matches, but I muted the sound so that I could get a full grasp on the in-ring actions and psychology of John Cena, and possibly compare him to someone else.
Bret Hart was known for getting the holy hell beaten out of him during a match and somehow finding a way to win in the end. Cena does this from time to time in his matches, especially his ‘I Quit’ Matches. Cena will get beaten to what seems within an inch of his life.
What separates him from Hart? Ring psychology and the ability to sell damage from others.
If Hart had a match with Ric Flair, he knew that his left leg was going to be worked on, and if it was, Hart would favor that leg until he made his way to the back after the match. John Cena doesn’t favor any part of him within seconds of receiving a devastating blow from an opponent.
Which leads me to another point of why many fans dislike Cena, because he isn’t real. He can’t be hurt. That same logic is the reason why fans of Bret Hart are insane fans about Bret Hart. Hart can take a beating, and make you feel bad for him, I have never felt bad for the “My Time Is Now” Cena; to me, he is unapproachable.
I do think it is funny, however, that Cena is seen as a great influence on children, when all he does is get mad, yell, and fight people for no other reason besides he’s mad. That’s rather juvenalian in nature if you ask me.
Anyways, I will close with these final thoughts.
Mr. Quinn Gammon, I don’t think that Cena is phoning it in, I just think he is complacent, and can’t produce like he used to. If he were to…I don’t know, EVOLVE HIS CHARACTER, he might be able to tap into that bank and provide us with some better entertainment in both the ring, and on the mic.
Don’t forget that 2003 was 9 years ago, so to expect the exact same physically is a little much. You must approach it with the idea that Cena being the cash-cow means that he must do what the suits say, and they are equally as much of the problem as Cena is. They have watered him down, and now that he needs to turn up the heat, he can’t! What you don’t use, you lose.
Asherology101, the examples you provided were decent matches, but the problem is that Cena only provides good matches when the drama is behind the person that he is going up against. He shouldn’t have been able to beat either The Undertaker or Big Show, CM Punk was in his home town trying to win the title so he would leave the company with it and stick it to the McMahon. Orton was the young champion that put Cena out with the only major injury in Cena’s career.
What about when Cena was on top? That would cover 2008 to today.
What gives the Undertaker vs. Triple H match its drama? The fact that Taker sold the beating he took from Triple H at WM 27 (Wish you were there!!!) and had to be carried out. As well as the fact that his character has evolved once again from being the hunted to the Hunter (pun intended) for his WM opponent.
Evolution (other than just color changes) is the key to Cena getting over with the Universe. By evolution, I don’t mean to imply that he HAS TO HAVE A HEEL TURN! I just think that his character needs to move in one way or another.
Speaking of Taker and Cena, if the WWE really wanted to leave us with uncertainty, They should have had Taker vs. Cena at WrestleMania in an ‘I Quit’ Match… Who wins that one?
Fantastic response, Reverend Showtime! Your analysis makes me rethink my stance that Cena “phones in” his performances but I stand by what I said when I believe he’s capable of performing at a high level and still be safe. He’s overprotected and complacent yes, but like you cited with Shawn Michaels, the man knows what he can do. I don’t need John Cena to add 40 million new moves to his stuff. He added a dropkick just to please fans who say he has no moves and it’s horrible.
But that’s neither here nor there. The fault of the creative team is the overprotection and I would imagine, the no selling. But that still doesn’t excuse the fact that he often just appears to be going through the motions. It’s not even just me. There are casual members of the WWE Universe who answered a WWE.com question on Twitter about why they don’t like Cena. And keep in mind, that while there are smark comments mixed in there, the majority of these fans are casual at best:
Why does the WWE Universe chant #CenaSucks?
They’re Tired of His Shtick: Perhaps the most common complaint among the boobirds was that the Cenation leader has become predictable on the mic and in the ring, and would be better off if he returned to his edgier ways of the early ‘00s. Joseph Fadoir wrote on Facebook, “He’s lost his edge. He was better in 2004 when he was hungry for success. Ever since he won his first WWE title it seems he just goes through the motions and certain opponents have to bring the fight out of him … He doesn’t have to change his values. Just a few tweaks here and there. He’s missing the intensity he once had.” Fadoir finished his well-thought post with a simple “Insanity: doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.”
He’s Hulk Hogan All Over Again: In some circles this might not be a bad thing, but it seems the current crop of fans doesn’t take kindly to Cena imitating the Hulkster’s superhuman tendencies from back in the ’80s, likening Cena’s “Five Moves of Doom” to the Hulk Up-Atomic Leg Drop that would inevitably come at the end of Hogan’s matches. To wit, Mike Stewart on Facebook wrote he boos Cena, “Because one Hulk Hogan was enough!”
He Hogs the Spotlight: Alternately, Kanisha QueenBee Powell wrote on Facebook that she DOESN’T hate Cena; she just wishes he’d let other guys take the spotlight. “I understand he was the money maker for WWE and he still is because hate him or love him, you come out to see him. I just say let someone else shine because [there] are better and brighter stars.”
On Twitter, @DominicanGlory posted that Cena was “bland” and had been “shoved down [his] throat for almost a decade.” He said some other stuff too, but we can’t really print it here.
March 7, 2012 at 3:38 PM
I agree. That’s what I was aiming at. That’s what I meant when I said that WWE Creative was not an excuse.
When The Rock had fans boo him for doing what he thought the fans wanted, he said, “[Screw] You!” and evolved his character.
My point about him being older is that if he can’t do what he used to, do what he can do better! He doesn’t have to put his neck out on the line EVERY night, but from time to time would keep him from being stale.
When you look at the WWE Legends, many of them evolved multiple times. You could recount their career in stages, i.e. The Rocker – Shawn Michaels – Heart-Break Kid – IC Champ Losing His Smile – Boyhood Dreamer – DeGenerate – Sheriff – Return Underdog – Mr. WrestleMania – Born Again Shawn – Old DeGenerate II – Mr. WrestleMania II – Hall Of Famer
I’m sure I missed a few eras for Shawn, but this is off the cuff.
We can do the same for Cena!
Prototype – Ruthless Aggression – Dr. Of Thuganomics – Untouchable/My Time Is Now.
Unfortunately, the last era of Cena started about 6 years ago, and not much has changed except for his shirt and pants colors.
March 7, 2012 at 4:14 PM