We all love to hate on John Cena. In most territories the “Cena sucks” chants greatly outweigh the “let’s go Cena” cheers. We’re quick to point out all of his flaws. His punches are usually noticeably several inches away from his opponent. He calls his spots loud enough for the fans in the cheap seats to hear. His move-set, despite being on the main card for over a decade, is limited to say the least. His over-the-top superhero gimmick is tiring, etc, etc. We’ve heard, and often said, it all.
With so many legitimate flaws, you may be wondering how I can still say, with confidence, that Cena is “awesome”. Not only do I say he’s awesome, but I say he’s one of the greatest WWE superstars of all time. Here’s why…
In professional wrestling/sports entertainment, regardless of promotion, each performer has one ultimate goal. Sure they have to be athletic and charismatic. They have to be at least decent actors. They have to sell, both in and out of the ring. They have to be able to promote and market themselves, so on and so on. But the single most important job that each performer is tasked with, is to go out to the ring, and get a reaction from the fans.
People hate John Cena, people love John Cena, but rarely are they indifferent to him.
He handles both cheers and jeers in stride. He cuts a promo and always gets the exact reaction that he’s looking for. The fans eat from the palm of his hands and they don’t even realize it. His “super-face” gimmick makes it easy for anyone playing the heel role to get both heat and merchandise sales when feuding with him. The fans that hate John Cena will buy his opponent’s gear to spite him, and the fans that love Cena will boo the heel until they’re blue in the face.
Kids love John Cena and parents are okay with that. He’s a positive male role model, and in America these days, that’s quickly becoming a rare commodity. Of course parents will buy a John Cena shirt with messages like “Never Give Up”, and “Hustle Loyalty and Respect”. I’m not a John Cena fan but you can bet your ass that those are attributes that I want instilled in my daughters.
Let me give you an example; My youngest daughter has some learning delays. She has epilepsy, microcephaly, and possibly Tourette’s syndrome. She’s happy and healthy but sometimes school can be a real challenge for her.
When she struggles with her schoolwork she gets frustrated, and often times, loses her self-confidence.
Sometimes, when it looks like things are getting too tough for her, my wife and I will remind her that as long as she tries her best and never gives up, we’ll always be proud of her.
Then she’ll look up, smile, and say “Just like John Cena says!! Never give up!!”
He’s got all the merchandise sales records. He’s got the record for the most “Make-a-Wish” wishes granted. He’s simultaneously the biggest face AND the biggest heel in wrestling, possibly of all time.
As a fan of business, I respect him. As a fan of professional wrestling, I love to hate him. But most importantly, as a father, I am thankful for John Cena and his ability to give children hope and courage in the face of adversity.
Rest assured though, come Monday nights, I’ll still be hollering “Cena sucks!!”
-Cause StunSeed said so
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