[quote name='Bivensra']I have been a wrestling fan for more years than some of you guys have been alive. Please explain why so many fans hate Cena. He is not the most technically sound wrestler b/ neither were Stone Cold or the Rock. I was at the Arnold Classic this year and Cena, Batista and HHH seemed to be nice guys walking amongst everyone, shaking hands and kissing babies.[/QUOTE]
FWIW, Austin was an outstanding technical wrestler until his neck was broken by Owen Hart.
Cena is a merchandise machine who is unconvincing in his "overcoming the odds" style of matches. Hulk Hogan and Steve Austin were believable, but Cena can't hold a candle to how their matches came off.
His promos are unrelated to feuds, far too frequently (less so recently, thankfully) delve into childish and homophobic taunts and catchphrases. It's disconcerting to watch a grown adult, on television and in public, say things roughly akin to a 2nd grader yelling "nyah, nyah, you're gay!" Well, it's not disconcerting, but (1) it certainly doesn't get me behind him, (2) it doesn't make me care about his opponent or view him as a threat, and (3) pushes my interest away from the feud.
Cena is also kind of a forced character. When HHH was "Hunter Hearst Helmsley," he was a "Connecticut blueblood." A member of the upper-crust, a privileged brat who knew it and exploted it. To me, Cena comes across, realistically, as just that. If they packaged Cena the way they did the "Mean Street Posse" or "Kerwin White," I'd be all about it, because he's *clearly* an upper-middle-class brat who faced zero hardship his whole life. Cena as the street-smart thuggish character is contrary to who he is. It's hard to believe someone always has the odds stacked against them when their whole life seems to have come about as a result of the odds benefiting them time and time again.
Cena is, for lack of a better phrase, a "poseur." Now, many wrestlers are, as they are playing characters. However, to be an ultra-hot babyface or heel, the fans have to *believe*. I believed in "Hulkamania," and I believed Steve Austin was a big dumb hick. Cena? That guy is more forced than the Gobbledy$$$$er.
Now, there is one very interesting thing about John Cena: that is, who will the WWE put up against him to fight and defeat next? They love the merchandise money he brings in, so they have to fight the split crowd and push him as a mega babyface akin to Austin or Hogan. So they have him beat everyone on the

ing planet week after week, thinking "oh, boy, if he beats 45 wrestlers in one night, the crowd will respect him!" And, of course, it makes those who like him continue to like him, and those who dislike him have greater reason to see him as being forced down our throats. Nevertheless, seeing the extent to which WWE will bury every one of their talents to get Cena over (a fool's errand) is really damned funny and entertaining, IMO. I hear they're in negotiations with Megalon to take on Cena at Survivor Series.
