A Cena Hater Defends John Cena

I've come to notice lately that a lot of people on the boards and some articles focus way too much on why someone doesn't have a title and why, oh let's say John Cena, constantly carries the strap.

The simple answer is...

John Cena puts butts in the seats.

Just like in the 80s Hulk Hogan constantly wore the title because it seemed that every boy under the age of 35 idolized him.

Is Cena (and was Hogan) a good wrestler?

The short answer is no, however, with a but.

Cena (and Hogan in his prime) can do some exciting moves.  Cena brings a ton of energy to the ring.  Sure his move set lacks a lot of variety, but you can't doubt the sheer excitement of one of his matches.

For most of his career I have despised Cena and the fact he constantly carries the title, but then I sat down and really watched one of his matches.

A lot of people get burned up by his Superman-like strength and invulnerability in the ring. However, that is what makes his matches, dare I say it—I dare—GREAT!

Every move he hits shakes the ring like an earthquake.  Which then proceeds to have the whole arena shake with cheers.  No wonder Vince McMahon loves to keep this guy in the main event.

Also, like Hogan, his promos are off the chart with excitement and energy.  Sure he can be a bit hokey sometimes but the crowd reaction during and after is enormous, regardless of whatever nonsense just came out of his mouth.

It pains me to say it as a die-hard Shawn Michaels fan, but Cena is more deserving of the strap than any other wrestler in the WWE.

This goes back to the old adage in the WWE: the biggest guy in the company carries the World Title while the best wrestler carries the Intercontinental Title.

Just look at a short list of guys who held the IC title but never the World Title:

Roddy Piper, Ricky Steamboat, Mr. Perfect, Razor Ramon, and Owen Hart (might have been a World Title holder had he not died) just to name a few.

All these guys and a lot more were some of the best in the company but didn't attract the most fans.  Heck during the 80s you could rail off probably 15 or more wrestlers rank by skill before you got to Hogan's name.

Cena isn't currently holding the title but none of us believe that will last much longer.  In fact when he does win it again (probably Wrestlemania) I'm no longer going to be upset by the fact that he holds it and a wrestler I believe is more deserving doesn't.

You know why? Because when you break Pro-Wrestling down to a business and not an athletic competition, the best wrestler isn't going to come out as the Champ—the most popular will.

For a good example look at the NFL.

Two of the leagues most popular teams are the Dallas Cowboys and Pittsburgh Steelers.  Even when those two teams are having down years they still get the most nationally televised games (an equivalent to main-eventing for the WWE).

They might not be the two best teams in any given year but will still get more viewers than say if the Cleveland Browns or Atlanta Falcons were in route to a Super Bowl.

Just like Cena might not be on anyone's Top 5 Wrestler's List , but it doesn't matter because odds are Cena sells more tickets and merchandise than those five wrestlers combined.

So in the end, I say give Cena and the WWE a break for The Champ constantly being on top. 

Also, look at it this way.  The more money Cena makes for the WWE the more money the WWE can invest in young and impressive talent. 

In that sense think of Cena as an an investment.  We're putting money into this guy and he isn't that great, but the money we put into him might blossom into a young talent who will blow us away in five years—hopefully.

Your favorite wrestler might not be the top guy, but it's because of Cena that your favorite wrestler might be employed.