Crockerinho

Wrestling Moderator

With WWE getting ready to launch a new selection of video games on the Playstation, GameCube and XBox it got me thinking about who the next iconic star of WWE is going to be that they will use on all the marketing. For so long they used Austin or Rock, then Lesnar was all over 'Here Comes the Pain' but for this load of releases they seem to be going either with Evolution (including Randy Orton) and/or John Cena.

Which got me thinking about Cena's current role in WWE. He is obviously being lined up for the monster push long term, and WWE are certainly relying on him and Orton (among others) to carry the company for the long term. So how is the best way to do this? With Cena stuck in a series of mid card feuds over the US title (a championship reign which has so far failed to elevate him in the way the IC title did with Orton - although you could say Orton's stablemates elevated him in more ways than the IC title ever did!) it got me wondering whether the way to push Cena to the next level would be to give him the belt before the end of the year and let him go with it - either that or get him to win it at Mania and go from there. This would then be a great way to rebuild the company's corporate identity around it's 2 new figurehead talents in Orton and Cena - and could possibly do more to get over the WWE brand than by using names which are more readily idenitfiable with the old WWF like Rock and HHH.

So what do you see as the pro's and cons of giving Cena the belt sometime between now and Xmas? Here are 5 of each of mine.

CONS:

1. His workrate is nothing special.
2. His finisher sucks
3. He only knows how to do a handful of moves.
4. He hasn't proved he can handle feuds with anyone other than main eventers.
5. He is too young and still very green

PROS:

1. He is over with the live crowd and is great on the mic (when allowed to be a bit more risque!)

2. Working with main event talent like Angle or Eddie would help him improve his workrate and his move set. As would some creative booking and some coaching and a development of his character. The FU could easily be remodelled to accomodate working with a different kind of worker and he could also bring in a new finisher like a submission move.

3. There aren't many other main event talents on the Smackdown roster that they can work with, so it is only a matter of time before he has to make the move up to the top of the card - why not now? Smackdown is in an obvious state of flux, why not do something positive and long term to fix it and settle it down.

4. He is the youngest upper mid carder/main eventer on Smackdown, he is clearly the future of the brand why not make him the actual figurehead of the brand. they could then tailor Smackdown's television product to suit him not vice versa.

5. They're doing it with Orton, why not Cena.

Steveo

The only way to make it work effectively is to have a Cena be a heel. I think if they do that and have him win the belt from someone like Angle or Eddy at Mania He could carry the show next year. He needs to be like a total badass and jump people and beat them down. If you get the people to boo Cena you have a virtual 3000 pound gorilla that could prove to be very profitable for WWE.

The Phantom

Didn't stop Hulk Hogan did it ;)

In all seriousness, Cena's gunna be off for a while shooting a movie, but when he get's back I would turn him heel and have him feud with a main eventer, like Eddie Gurrero. After that feud (which Cena would get the better of) I then think he should go for the WWE Title. Wrestlemania 21 would be a good time for his first title regin, altho I wouldnt mind if it was at the next PPV after that. They shouldn't rush him to the top, because hopefully he'll be around for a long time and will have many chances to take the title.