Hate It Or Love It: Cena Is On Top and Thats Okay With Me

So for my second article, I wondered, how can I follow up my first article, for which I received so many nice words and warm fuzzies? Write an article that will probably get stones cast my way? Sounds like a plan!

I've been around the site and the consensus I have found thus far seems to be people hate the PG era and moreover, really hate John Cena.  Wait for it, wait for it...I like both! Commence stone throwing.

Now don't get me wrong.  John Cena is not my favorite wrestler of all time and I do not think the PG era is perfect.  Did I love the Attitude Era? Of course! It was a great time to be a wrestling fan. 

I guess my problem is it was not the blood, the guts, and the antics that I loved as much as it was the wrestlers themselves.  I feel that era worked because at the time, WWE was at war with WCW and the wrestlers themselves were really giving it their all.  It was do or die, and it was that passion that makes me fondly look back on that era. 

Sure, at the time, I was a 14-year-old girl who thought it was awesome seeing Stone Cold drive that beer truck in to the arena and spray down the McMahon's and The Rock.  The bit with the "Bang 3:16" gun? Hilarious.  I was 14. I also thought Dude Where's My Car was quality entertainment as well. 

As I got older, I found myself watching for the in-ring action, you know, the wrestling, more than I was watching anything else.  When my nephews started watching it with me, my sister did not want them watching it.  I had to convince her that I would be responsible in what I let them see and not see. 

The blood and guts, I did not worry so much about but it was the "Suck It", live sex celebrations, Ashley Massaro's outfit consisting of Playboy bunny pasties and underwear, etc that kept me sending them out of the room or covering their eyes. 

Some people feel that WWE should not cater to the younger crowd but how is it fair to only focus on the mature audience? When I was a kid, wrestling was definitely geared towards a broad audience and it was a great time in wrestling for fans of all ages.  I don't think Hulk Hogan really thought all his Hulkamaniacs were going to be 18-35 year-old men, so it isn't like this whole kid friendly business is a new concept.

I, personally, am happy that my nephews have a hero in John Cena.  Do I miss his unedited trash talk? Sometimes.  Do I miss him being a rapper? No, I always thought that was a bit ridiculous.  He might be the cookie-cut, franchise friendly, "sell out", 3-move pony, angry face on the poster man you all have described in your articles, but he is entertaining to watch, to me and my boys.

Kids need someone to look up to, and he is a good role model.  My nephew always liked Cena but he loved, loved, LOVED Jeff Hardy.  Everytime there was a show here in San Diego, I took him to see it and he was just in awe of Jeff.  I was really surprised when he chose to buy Jeff Hardy gloves instead of a Cena shirt, the next time a Hardy shirt instead of a Cena shirt.  Can't say I blame him, I have been a long time Jeff Hardy fan.

When Jeff Hardy was released from WWE and had the run in with the drug charges, I did not tell my nephew.  He asked about Jeff Hardy, I played dumb.  However, older kids at his school had no problem talking about it and the next time I saw my nephew, his Jeff Hardy gloves were in the trash. 

At nine-years-old, he couldn't fathom how his favorite wrestler, his hero, could use drugs and he lost all respect for him.  I thought I felt sucker-punched watching The Undertaker buried alive but that feeling was nothing compared to how it felt watching his heartache over losing his hero.

Naturally he rebounded, and has a new hero in John Cena.  I am happy my nephew has that larger than life, super character to believe in as I had in The Undertaker and I enjoy watching Cena wrestle.  Maybe that makes me less credible as a wrestling fan, I could care less.  I don't love this business to make friends, I love it because it has been one of the few constant things in my life since birth and watching it makes me happy.   

Wrestling has changed, I am not arguing that. Instead of Hulk Hogan, we have Cena, instead of innovation we are getting regurgitation.  That is the problem.  Not Cena, not the PG era.

Feel free to disagree, this is my opinion, I am open to hearing yours =)