Cena or JBL?

[rising up out of the back seat-nuh 0]

Okay, so it looks as though Cena will be taking JBL's belt at Wrestlemania. And rightly so. He's the most over star on the show, and he needs the title to see if he can breakthrough.

 

But who would you rather see with the belt? JBL has, for my money, been a great champion. He's great out of the ring, and can get through a match without embarassing himself. With the WWE title, where does Cena go? He runs the risk of overexposure and outside of the "me wanty belt" fued with JBL, it could all go crap comedy fueds for the belt. Promo-wise, Cena relies on being all cool and playing to the crowd, which is great if you're there, but sucks if you're watching TV.

 

So what I'm asking is, does anybody else want JBL to retain? Not for the good of the company or because it makes sense, but simply because you'd rather see JBL with the belt than Cena.

[Guest Trivia247]

Im just afraid of what Cena will do with the belt once he gets it.

 

he already turned the US title into a Rim

[MillenniumMan831 0]

Personally, I want to see JBL reign as WWE Champion for 5+ years just to see the reactions of the fans every month when he wins whatever ridiculous gimmick match they throw at him. Obviously, business would tank but I don't mind him as champion and there's really no one on SD (other than Eddy) that I actively want to see w/ the WWE Title so JBL is as good as anyone I suppose.

 

If I never saw John Cena again, I'd barely care . . . but him winning at WM21 and his subsequent reign is definitely an opportunity to see if this guy does indeed = dolla dolla bills . . . I think he can draw quite well in the short term but the rapping/throwback gimmick is too trendy and faddy (if that's a word) to draw in the long term.

[Guest INXS]

If Cena does go over, (i'm not convinced that JBL will drop the title at Mania) he won't have it long anyway, the money is always in the face chasing the heel. Where could Cena go if he beats JBL, who could he feud with?

[hhh6294 0]

I'd Take JBL over Cena any day. His gimmick is getting rather stale.

[cawthon777 0]

the money is always in the face chasing the heel.

Hogan pretty much killed that theory.

 

And no, I don't see John Cena as the next Hulk Hogan, just making a point.

[MillenniumMan831 0]

There's really not much money in sending the fans home pissed every night.

[Gary Floyd 0]

JBL. I think we really need a new champion, but please, anyone but Cena.

[Ultra Violence 0]

Heel RVD should take Cena's title.

[Guest Tjhe CyNick]

The Cena bashing is so hilarious to me. The guy is over, the WWE needs a new babyface to carry the company (brand), since they aint gonna with Eddie, Cena is the next best option. Watch an episode of SD one day, look how many fans have Cena merch/signs on. Thats reason enough to put the belt on him.

 

I also like JBL as champion, there I said it. He's really really grown on me, and I dont even care that he has bad matches. Still, they need a babyface champion for a while. But I definately think JBL (if he stays on SD) should be kept in the top mix. Maybe even have him and Cena trade it back and forth liek Trips and Rock did in 2000.

 

Because as has been said, as it stands right now, Cena has nobody ready to work with outside of JBL (unless Eddie does the heel turn).

[USC Wuz Robbed! 0]

Wasn't Eddie supposed to turn heel sometime soon? He is a perfect candidate for a Cena title feud. And you have to remember JBL will likely exercise the rematch clause, so I dont think JBL would be done right after Mania, title scene-wise. And TSM advocating a longer JBL reign? Who knew?

 

On a semi-related note, I was running some EWR, and I converted Bradshaw into the businessman JBL, and he is now the most over heel on my game.

[tominator89 0]

Never thought I'd say it, but I'd take JBL over Cena.

[DrVenkman PhD 0]

I think it would be neat if Cena replaces the WWE title with a "throwback" world title, specifically the 1988-1988 title belt.

[claydude14 0]

Yea the Winged Eagle. I've thrown it out there before, it'd definitly be a good fit. If the problem is the belt is a little smaller than a World title should be, then they could just enlarge it a little. The classic WWF belt that came with Yokozuna in the Classic Series of action figures wasn't on scale with the (regular figures besides Yoko) and looks a little bigger on the regular sized action figures.

[Jingus 0]

I'm one of the few who really doesn't mind Bradshaw; unfortunately, he's not exactly Stone Cold when it comes to drawing money. That being said, Cena's not much better. His "rap" act is already getting kinda stale, and will not improve with age.

 

If JBL wins, the fans might just riot. In this smarky day & age of faster-than-light gratification, the HonkyTonk Man push ain't gonna work for too long. The marks will only watch their heroes get screwed for so long before they lose interest. WCW proved that with the endless nWo run-ins and nonfinishes.

 

But if Cena wins, who the hell does he fight next? Angle's on the way to being a ful-fledged cripple. Booker T is getting older and slower with every passing day. Eddie still has some fire, but he can't carry Smackdown all by himself. Big Show is Side Show and a proven non-draw. And all the generic interchangable OVW steroids fucks are... well... generic interchangable OVW steroid fucks. They sure as hell ain't gonna draw the crowds back.

 

Vince has booked himself into a corner on Smackdown.

[DrVenkman PhD 0]

With Batista, they've already begun building to a title defense against Edge at Backlash then possibly heel Orton and eventually HHH again.

 

I think Cena will actually continue fueding with JBL, perhaps with JBL even winning the belt back at the Great American Bash again. Cena can then re-win it at SummerSlam or something.

[Guest Brian]

Just sacrifice Bradshaw to Big Dave and unify the brands. That's their best option, as Cena doesn't have any edge to his character anymore and will suffer from the overexposure of being champion, and they can't just have JBL steam-roll and expect it to pay-off. We're talking about Cena's opponents, but look at the flip-side and what does JBL have left?

[rising up out of the back seat-nuh 0]

I can see Edge jumping to Smackdown and taking Cena's title. Otherwise, JBL should be able to hold Cena till Carlito comes back.

 

But once Cena gets the title, it'll be interesting to see how they book him. So far, his gimmick has been painfully mid-card. It'll be interesting to see how it works as the focus of the show.

[Kurt Angle Mark 0]

the money is always in the face chasing the heel.

Really????

 

That's funny because since WM 17 that is all the WWE faces have been doing and business has gone down the toilet.

 

A face chases a heel, wins the belt and loses it the next PPV. IMO that is why nobody watches wrestling anymore, they don't have faith in any of the faces. Cena and Batista need to win the titles and hold them until at least Surivor Series while destroying everything in their path. That way when they do lose the belts fans will actually believe that they will someday win the belts back.

[Guest Brian]

Money is in good booking. It doesn't matter whether it's a face or a heel on top, it's how you handle him and his challengers.

[Si82 0]

Cena.

 

I don't really care for the guy much but I'll take him over JBL. Sure, JBL has grown on me a little bit but I really don't like him as champion. Besides, Cena is the most over guy on the Smackdown brand right now so why not? I mean, if he's that popular then he can't get lower buy-rates than Bradshaw can he?

[UseTheSledgehammerUh 0]

They gave Benoit the title. He beat HHH/HBK clean at WM. He beat Rhyno. He beat Conway. He beat HHH/HBK clean again on PPV. He won the tag titles. He defended them the next week and won. He kept winning. He beat Kane clean on PPV. He beat him weeks later BY SUBMISSION clean. He still kept winning tag team matches in six man tags. He was the sole survivor of the elimination match that seemingly went for 45 minutes. He went on and defeated Triple H *again* on PPV. He then beat Triple H *again* in an Iron Man Match.

 

I'd say that's putting the champion over. And he drew shit. And the ratings went nowhere.

[Kurt Angle Mark 0]

They gave Benoit the title.  He beat HHH/HBK clean at WM.  He beat Rhyno.  He beat Conway.  He beat HHH/HBK clean again on PPV.  He won the tag titles.  He defended them the next week and won.  He kept winning.  He beat Kane clean on PPV.  He beat him weeks later BY SUBMISSION clean.  He still kept winning tag team matches in six man tags.  He was the sole survivor of the elimination match that seemingly went for 45 minutes.  He went on and defeated Triple H *again* on PPV.  He then beat Triple H *again* in an Iron Man Match.

 

I'd say that's putting the champion over.  And he drew shit.  And the ratings went nowhere.

Yeah he was the ONLY one that was made to look strong as champ, but unfortunately he doesn't have the charisma to carry the company.

 

However more than the winning WWE needs to revolve their shows around a face and not a heel, which has not happened since HHH's reign of terror began.

[Hunter's Torn Quad 0]

They gave Benoit the title. He beat HHH/HBK clean at WM. He beat Rhyno. He beat Conway. He beat HHH/HBK clean again on PPV. He won the tag titles. He defended them the next week and won. He kept winning. He beat Kane clean on PPV. He beat him weeks later BY SUBMISSION clean. He still kept winning tag team matches in six man tags. He was the sole survivor of the elimination match that seemingly went for 45 minutes. He went on and defeated Triple H *again* on PPV. He then beat Triple H *again* in an Iron Man Match.

 

I'd say that's putting the champion over. And he drew shit. And the ratings went nowhere.

Unfortunately, he was portrayed from May onwards as playing second fiddle to Hunter and Shawn. That doesn’t make a supposed World Champion look like the top guy; it makes him look, well, secondary, and nobody takes seriously a World Champion portrayed as not the top man. For the last 4 months of Benoit’s reign, the top guys on Raw were Hunter, Shawn, and, to a lesser extent, Eugene, with Randy Orton getting look in near the end. Benoit was treated as secondary, which is definitely not putting their World Champion over.

[USC Wuz Robbed! 0]

It amazes me that some people just don't understand the ridiculously easy concept of "being put over" (looks at UTSU)

[Guest Phenom]

I would give my right testicle to keep JBL as champion.

 

Wait, no I wouldn't. Either way, fuck John Cena.

[Youth N Asia 0]

I really like JBL, but Smackdown needs to try something new, the show is just awful and they just don't seem to have enough top guys. I'm all for something new right now.

[Adam 0]

Even though The Rap proved to me this week that he is nothing more than Rock-lite, I'd take Repo Man over JBL. Fuck anyone that tries to justify his title reign. I hate him. I change the channel when he comes on. That isn't a great heel, that's X-Pac. I know people who have stopped watching for good since he won the belt.

 

I'm not Cena's biggest fan either (although I did enjoy his heel run), but he's the next big marketable figure for Vince. He's over everywhere he goes, and he's seen by the fans as the top star of the company, so why not make him the top star? How would you keep the belt with him and make him look like a good champion? Well thats easy. Do the same thing ECW did with Mike Awesome, you carry him through it. Have a feud with Eddie. Have Orton and Jericho jump to SmackDown. Then you can feed a heel Orton to Cena, and have either Jericho or a returning heel RVD take the belt from him at SummerSlam or No Mercy.

 

Make Cena the man. Dave's great, and they are going to have to do the exact same thing with him on RAW, except in a different way. Put Cena on all the posters, all the television appearances, all the mainstream crap leading up to his movie. He has to be known as the Figurehead of the brand, even though he will be stinking it up in the ring.

[Youth N Asia 0]

I think Cena's just been completly boring since he turned face. I know the fans love him and everything.

 

The white guy rap thing is already stale, funny how it started as a gag at the Halloween show. On top of that he doesn't say anything worth listening to anymore. He was over as a heel and managed to keep his "edge," but now he's just dull. And in the ring he's nothing more than a decient at best brawler with a weak finish.

[Hunter's Torn Quad 0]

Cena needs to be a Public Enemy-type heel. Serious promo's with a comedic edge, and a brawling style to cover up for his weaknesses in the ring. And a new finisher. The FU either needs to go, or be turned into a proper DVD.