So can we tell who the future of the WWE is yet?

[The Mandarin 0]

It's been about two years now since they made it to TV and they've been both pushed to the moon.

 

Personally, I'm going with Cena over Orton. Cena's wrestling is more limited, but he has much more charisma, isn't as injury-prone as Orton, and it didn't take nearly as much time to get over as it did for Orton. And hey, I'll dare say Cena had the better match with Benoit. It's just unfortunate Cena's on the wrong show.

 

It's not looking like Cena will be the one to carry them to the promised land, though. But he's obviously a bigger draw/more talented than Orton.

[Kahran Ramsus 0]

Cena definitely. I don't see Orton ever flying personally. He's like Lex Luger a decade ago. Getting a monster push while everyone is screaming for Bret.

[Guest webmasterofwrestlegame]

Both.

 

I think Orton is ahead slightly at the moment, but if Cena had some of Orton's opponents (HHH, Flair) then Cena would probably have benefitted as much.

 

I think Orton is set up to fall though - the only way is down from where he is now. With Cena being a real slow burner rising to the top, more people will want it and be interested.

 

Brock Lesnar's rise took over a year to be fully accepted and for him to entrench himself as a 'proper' main eventer - and that is with a shedload of ability and a monster look. Orton has it much tougher with less ability.

 

The best main eventers from the past 10 years have always been those who have had a slow rise to the top.

[Just John 0]

I'd say Cena has the best shot, despite WWE's hard-on for Orton. Though, if Shelton Benjamin is given a real push, he could do it too.

[natey2k4 0]

Both could be.

 

-- Orton is more over now, but being built so fast, he could fall easier.

 

-- Cena is insanely over for a upper midcarder, but his building towards the ME is slow, and will be accepted and have more people interested.

 

Both to me will be huge parts of the future, Orton is the better wrestler, while Cena (as heel) is better on the mic. Although Orton has REALLY improved on the microphone.

[Guest Coffey]

I say neither. They're trying too hard with Orton when they should just let things happen normally. Cena I've never seen anything in and still don't. Crappy gimmick, crappy finisher and he's already stale.

 

I'd say Carlito Cool before either of those two.

[Guest Fook_Theta]

Orton bumps huge ala Shawn Michaels singles push.

 

Cena bumps like he has had his body parts worked over by twenty stiff submissions all match. Does a good Hulk-up.

 

My bet would be on Cena, unless they keep the US title on him any longer.

[razazteca 0]

Neither......It's all about Benjamin's future.

[Brett Favre 0]

and they've been both pushed to the moon.

I wouldn't say Cena was pushed to the moon.

 

But I say Cena. He just needs better opponents. He connects with the crowd much better than Orton, has a different gimmick (Unlike Orton, who has some cocky whatever #2456), and like posters have mentioned, is getting a slowburn push.

 

Orton's getting there though, in terms of popularity.

[Guest Phenom]

The real future of the WWE.

[tbondrage99 0]

I think Orton has another year or two left in him until the higer ups decide that the title is best if it stays around Trips waist.

 

Cena is gonna be the only future Smackdown has, unless hes moved to Raw obviously.

 

Other guys who could be the future of Raw are Shelton Benjiman, Batista and of corse....Triple H.

 

On Smackdown the future is Carlito, Charlie Haas, and if he ever decides to return again Brock Lesnar.

[Guest Coffey]

The real future of the WWE.

I can definitely see that. Him and Conway both if Conway could get away from Grenier.

 

Rene Dupree has "the look" moreso than anyone else on either roster to me.

[AndrewTS 0]

Cena's wrestling more limited? Orton's matches are often boring as hell, but quality-wise they're usually better than Cena's.

 

However, Cena overall, I'd say. If Orton "makes it" he'll just be a "transitional" main eventer. He's not going to be leading a new "boom period." He's not going to set the world on fire. He's not going to sell boatloads of merchandise. He's not going to be a strong draw by himself, and his legacy will pale in comparison to guys like Rock, Austin, etc. That is, in my opinion.

 

This is, assuming, that Cena works hard on his character and WWE gives the big push that he'll need to be cemented as a main event. Cena right now seems too midcard, and I don't think his character, in this form, will be the Cena that eventually becomes a top star.

[Guest Anglesault]

For all Orton's many, many faults, he still goes out there and tries every week.

 

Cena has mailed it in in every respect for well over a year.

Edited November 21, 2004 by Anglesault

[Guest Salacious Crumb]

I think they've blown it with both due to their face turns.

[Hunter's Torn Quad 0]

Orton won't be the future of anything until he stops doing that stupid pose, or at least only does it once or twice a match. At the moment, he does it so often, and at the wrong times, that he looks like a complete idiot, and people don't get behind idiots as top stars.

 

Cena really needs to be a heel, because he's flat as a babyface.

[Guest Tjhe CyNick]

Out of the two, Cena by about a mile.

 

Look at who Cena has worked with over the last year (Show, Dupree, RVD (sorta) BT and Carlito) vs who Orton has had to work with (Foley, Benjamin, Edge, Benoit, HHH and Flair).

 

Orotn's list is much stronger, and as a result you would think he would be more over than Cena, but he's not. Cena has been consistantly the most over face in the company and he hasn't been put in the World title mix, let alone win it, or get the "chosen one" push that orton is currently getting.

 

I think Orton will have a better chance of getting over when they come to their senses and turn him back heel. I think thats where Orton will shine.

 

People who diss Cena's workrate need to understand that not everyone needs to work like Kurt Angle in the ring in order to get over. In fact, most of the guys ion the history of the WWE who made a ton of money were either average wrestlers (compared to their peers) or they had a very limited move set that they used over and over to perfection. I think Cena is heading that way, he's got some moves that work, the fans pop for them, so why change? We've also seen him wrestle good matches when he's in there with the right guy, so its not like he's untalented in the ring or anything.

[Kahran Ramsus 0]

I think Orton will have a better chance of getting over when they come to their senses and turn him back heel. I think thats where Orton will shine.

 

Even then he's not as good as Cena is.

[HollywoodSpikeJenkins 0]

The future of the WWE is HHH.

[humongous2002 0]

Neither Cena or Orton are the future of WWE, I guess we still have to wait and see.

[King Cucaracha 0]

I echo AS's statement. Orton has shown marked improvement and he seems to be trying damn hard in whatever role he's put in. The reason he's doing the pose so much is because he's trying to get it both recognised and over. Key word being 'trying'. I don't see Cena trying all that much recently. Cena's got the charisma enough not to try. He can just come up with some tired catchphrase or stupid movement for a signature move (5 Knuckle Shuffle anyone?)

 

I prefer Orton to Cena on effort, if nothing else.

[Guest LooneyTune]

I'd rather see Dupree and Benjamin as the next generation stars. Orton is not Main Event quality, and that horrible posing like he's feeling for Shakespeares sack makes me hate him as a babyface, and like mentioned earlier, Cena has been phoning it in for well over a year now.

 

Cena is this generations Luger: Has potential, but refuses to improve in the ring and sticks to the same, boring style he's wrestled since he started. Also his rap gimmick needs to go. The dick jokes were funny the first 2 or 3 times...in the Winter of 2002-2003. It's been nearly 2 years, and he's beaten the gimmick into the ground so far it came out in China.

[Hunter's Torn Quad 0]

Cena should keep the thug persona, but get rid of the rap aspect. Make him like Public Enemy, but with talent and ability.

[Guest LooneyTune]

I've seen more threatening looking thugs than Cena in the form of Barney The Dinosaur.

[RavishingRickRudo 0]

Dupree is fucking horrid in the ring. I'd take Grenier over Dupree, and Grenier fucking sucks.

 

They're noticably trying to push Benjamin, which is bad. JR cannot sell Benjamin like he could with HHH or Austin. It sounds terribly forced and he sounds so lame doing it "Oh that Benjamin, he's so ATHLETIC!" - no one wants to hear about how athletic someone is. They want to hear if he can kill a man with his bare hands. Athletic is meaningless, Dangerous is something else. If Benjamin can run fast, tie that into how it affects his opponent and his wrestling. If Benjamin is a great amateur wrestler, who fucking cares if 90% of what he does is brawl? Benjamin does a good enough job showcasing himself in the ring to make up for JR's half-hearted, shitty praise, but it won't be enough to put him over. Benjamin needs a nickname, a better finisher, a name for his finisher, and needs to match his out-of-ring personality with his in-ring personality (he has great facial expressions and one particular look makes me go "ooooh yeah! He's gonna fuck him up!" - they need to play that up).

[Guest JstnCrdbl4]

I've heard it argued that Cena will be able to crossover into mainstream because his rapping gimmick can connect with a younger audience. Newsflash: No it can't. Every time I've been around friends when an ad with Cena rapping on it has come on, such as the Stacker 2 commercial, he's been laughed at. He's a goofy white rapping wrestler, anyone outside of wrestling is going to laugh at him. That's not to say Orton has anything that can make him connect with the mainstream either, because he doesn't.

[Enigma 0]

The future of WWE is obviously Triple H.

[Art Sandusky 0]

Orton poses so much because it's a fucking awesome pose.

[Brett Favre 0]

Cena hasn't been trying because they haven't done shit with him. Orton is getting a godly push while Cena is feuding with Carlito Cool. Go figure.

[Guest Anglesault]

Cena hasn't been trying because they haven't done shit with him.

Please. Cena hasn't been trying because he realized he doesn't have to. He can go out, cut his stale as shit, god awful promo, wrestle his ridiculous, basic matches and still be hugely over. There's no reason for him to put any effort in anymore. And he doesn't.