*Official* Pro-Wrestling Thread II

[Spikey]

Cena heel turn a failure, lol what even is this nonsense

Given he was turning heel at WM, I don't see how the earlier turn could be considered as anything but a failure tbh. At a simple level, it happened so close to WM and their European tour that it seems unlikely to have had any influence on ticket sales. Their Netflix ratings are nearly impossible to judge. But the actual response from the fans is telling: people didn't like the build to the match, and Cena was getting cheers. It was a panic move to push the turn up by 6 weeks which in the end hasn't really done anything except cost them one of their fav things, a "Wrestlemania moment"

Now that they've ended up at their original location, I'm sure the heel turn will go better from here out, and that's all fine. But changing the plan to turn heel earlier? Its a flop

 

[GIMH]

So basically you don’t like it. Noted

 

[honestbharani]

I mean, I think Spikey may well be right about it being preponed and a bit of a panic move and the fact that the storyline lost steam after the initial momentum, but its also true it was an absolute classic zeitgeist moment when the turn happened. It was literally everywhere and even people who had no idea or interest in wrestling were talking about it. It became a moment in culture, as they say.

 

[Jarquis]

I am kinda sad that we lost Cena’s last proper entrance at WM and the build to this being his absolute last chance and how dramatic the turn would’ve been to close a WM main event.

would’ve been wilddddddd

 

[sledger]

The build to the match and the match itself were perhaps unideal. But the turn itself will go down in history as one of the most notable/significant ever. It was great imo.

 

[GIMH]

Cena’s promos in the build up were all cooking, and Cody’s too. Anyway each to their own but there is no actual tangible metric via which it can be called a failure.

 

[Niall]

Not a shock.We dont have much footage but repirts that the Hinchcliffe roast got very wild

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1914703368166981727

 

[Spikey]

So basically you don’t like it. Noted

oh I'm having a great time laughing about it, so I like it in that respect. The Rock going on the ****'s podcast to basically say "yeah well HHH ****ed up the booking but that ain't nothing to do with me" was a delightful addition.

I mean, I think Spikey may well be right about it being preponed and a bit of a panic move and the fact that the storyline lost steam after the initial momentum, but its also true it was an absolute classic zeitgeist moment when the turn happened. It was literally everywhere and even people who had no idea or interest in wrestling were talking about it. It became a moment in culture, as they say.

All of these things would have happened if they did the turn at WM as intended, except it probably would have likely been even bigger. Like, "crowd is shocked by a John Cena heel turn" is not an emotion that could have only been captured in the weeks after the last PPV and before WM. Turning Cena itself is not the criticism. Changing their plans is the problem. It's not like it wasn't known that the Cena turn was a change of plans. Meltzer reported on it straight away (https://www.f4wonline.com/news/wwe/...n-cenas-heel-turn-at-wwe-elimination-chamber/)

And now that, as it turns out, all this happened simply because Ari Emanuel thought ticket sales for the Elimination Chamber PPV were slow (a somewhat dubious claim) and he wanted the Rock on the PPV.

 

[Athlai]

I think it was fine but absolutely would've been better if they did the turn at Mania

 

[honestbharani]

I think it was fine but absolutely would've been better if they did the turn at Mania

Yeah that is where I am at too. And I agree with GIMH that the promos were pretty good for the most part, but somehow the build up has just felt flat the whole time. Maybe not having the other guys involved has been the miss.

 

[Jarquis]

The build to the match and the match itself were perhaps unideal. But the turn itself will go down in history as one of the most notable/significant ever. It was great imo.

No disagreement, but imagine it being ‘the’ moment for him to win 17.

Babyface vs baby face build and then Cena just kicks Cody in the nuts. Would’ve been insane.

 

[sledger]

No disagreement, but imagine it being ‘the’ moment for him to win 17.

Babyface vs baby face build and then Cena just kicks Cody in the nuts. Would’ve been insane.

Ah I see what you mean. The only reservation I'd have about that is that it's a finish that would have had Rock/Austin WM 17 vibes. A face v face build would also have been a lot less interesting than what we actually got (faults with it notwithstanding) as well, for me personally.

 

[Heboric]

Come on WWE at Wrestlemania 42 start adding sponsors to finishing moves. "That curb stomp was brought to you by Cadbury Chocolate"
Come on I know you want to, most inane things have sponsors already - why not go all in

 

[GIMH]

t's not like it wasn't known that the Cena turn was a change of plans. Meltzer reported on it straight away

 

[GIMH]

Don’t get me wrong I think carrying the heel turn off at Mania would have been awesome. But the way it went down was awesome. If it had gone down at Mania, no doubt the online marks who think they’re smart fans would have bitched and moaned about The Rock making Cena’s 17th all about them. Just like they’ve been crying about Joe Hendry for days even though the bloke just had a career highlight that he’ll be buzzing off for years.

 

[Spikey]

Good thing Cena's 17th title isn't all about the Rock then. It's all about *checks notes* why it wasn't about the Rock

 

[Arachnödouche2.0]

I am kinda sad that we lost Cena’s last proper entrance at WM and the build to this being his absolute last chance and how dramatic the turn would’ve been to close a WM main event.

would’ve been wilddddddd

I was hoping he'd start coming out to "Bad, Bad Man" for this run but I guess even that's too upbeat for the vibe they're going for.

 

[sledger]

Don’t get me wrong I think carrying the heel turn off at Mania would have been awesome. But the way it went down was awesome. If it had gone down at Mania, no doubt the online marks who think they’re smart fans would have bitched and moaned about The Rock making Cena’s 17th all about them. Just like they’ve been crying about Joe Hendry for days even though the bloke just had a career highlight that he’ll be buzzing off for years.

Lol the crying about Joe Hendry is great. And Joe Hendry himself is great too tbh. But the idea that he should have, or was ever going to, go over Randy Orton (i.e., a WWE legend who is about to enter a feud for the company's top belt with another legend) is ****ing crackers.

 

[Athlai]

Hendry is a guy that is miles away from being damaged by losing. When the meme of him appearing stops being novel is when that would become dangerous.

 

[GIMH]

Good thing Cena's 17th title isn't all about the Rock then. It's all about *checks notes* why it wasn't about the Rock

Yep they didn’t stop mentioning it on Raw…