I have always liked Cena. As soon as he turned rapper, I said he'd be big. Now he's the biggest thing.
But personally, I don't think WWE thinks he is.
Agreed. If you've seen the way they've used him for the last couple years, it's clear that the WWE don't respect what they have with Cena. They did great business with him running through everyone in 2007, the best since the Attitude Era, and even had the biggest Mania ever with him as the poster boy. Fast forward a year, and he's dicking around with JBL in the undercard after Mania. A year after that, it's the same story with him and Big Show. That's fine for a guy like Triple H who helped shrink the business after Rock and Austin left, but a guy who saved the business from the harm Hunter was doing it deserves more respect than that and back to back triple threat matches at WrestleManias. Steve Austin wouldn't have taken shit like that at the height of his popularity, I can tell you this right now.
I really think WWE knows that Cena isn't going to be the guy to jump wrestling into what it was before.
If you're talking about main stream cross over appeal, who cares? Not being on the Austin/Rock/Hogan level isn't a knock against Cena. He's the biggest thing that the wrestling industry has. He's a HUGE wrestling star. People don't give that the respect it deserves. They'd rather leave him to freeze to death in the shadow of Steve Austin than give him a pat on the back for a job well done.
Watching WWE use Cena nowadays, I REALLY believe that they only see Cena as the FILLER until the superstar that changes everything comes around.
Which, as you're about to say, is just how things go. Everyone is just that guy before the next guy. But yes, I think WWE has settled on Cena being just another top guy for now rather than THE guy, despite them having a prime talent and a lightning rod of appeal who's still in his prime. I'd like to speculate that political interests are what's keeping Cena marginalized, but that's a different story. I absolutely agree that WWE doesn't know what they have with Cena right now, no matter how consistently people think he's pushed.
Why don't they change them? Because there is no one to take his place if the change fails and Vince doesn't wanna take that risk. back in the day, when Austin turned heel, they had the Rock, Jericho, Benoit, Taker, RVD, so they could change him. (Even though I thought it was a mistake)
They didn't have Rock. He was a part-timer by then and was off to film movies. Benoit and Jericho weren't considered serious options for the main event. RVD wouldn't come in for a few more months and it wouldn't be until a couple months after that before they saw how over he was. Undertaker was all they really had. So obviously I agree it was a mistake.
Where is this going?
Now they have Cena, Kofi (Which isn't too reliable and that can be WWE's fault) Orton (Which is still growing as a face, and note that i love Ortons face run as of late) Rey (Which is injured most of the time, and still is a lightweight) Edge (Who doesn't sell merch like any other face) Taker (Old) the list goes on and on.
ACTUALLY, Orton alone is probably a stronger face at the moment than ANYONE the WWF had when they made the mistake of turnin Austin. Couple that with Edge, Taker, and the ultra-over and often overlooked Rey Mysterio, and you have the makings of a nice supporting cast for Cena. Follow through with building up some new stars and maybe throw Triple H at a heel Cena for a new dynamic to their matches and you have what I consider a top-notch cast for heel Cena to run through.
I'm not seeing your point.
So bottom line, In my HONEST opinion, I think WWE hasn't done anything to Cena is because they are afraid of the change failing and it causing their viewership to drop because of it.
I will agree that they're not turning Cena because they're massive *****es who fear what the change will do to their bottom-line. Probably that more than their viewership.
However, I don't think they had a stronger case for turning Austin than they would be able to find for turning Cena.
So for now, they are milking him everything he's worth.
Not quite, as I said earlier. However, I get what you're saying. They're riding it out with him as a face for as long as the money comes in.
When someone comes and rivals his popularity and ALL AROUND performing with money, matches, ratings, Cena will turn heel.
I don't think matches have anything to do with it. They'll turn him based on money and ratings alone.
But as far as now, they won't turn him. They can't... Until the next Austin or Rock comes in.
Absurd. If they wait for a mainstream star rather than someone to take the reins from Cena as the WRESTLING star, Cena will probably be dead in the ground before he turns heel.
I think the case for turning heel in the name of freshening up the product will come eventually, and if Orton grows into the face that he should, I think the time will come sooner rather than later. If TNA have their way and gain a reputation as a must-see alternative, Cena's turn could ne necessitated even sooner as it's bound to be one of the biggest things that happen in this decade of wrestling.
I think reasoning away a Cena turn at this point is going against the best interest of the business. A gimmick change, the likes of which is proposed by the original poster, may not be as extreme as the WWE will need to freshen up the product eventually.
