What do John Cena and holidays have in widespread? They solely come round a couple of instances a yr, and each turns into increasingly more particular because the years go on.
Now positive, Cena did simply have a fairly prolonged run in WWE final fall in the course of the SAG-AFTRA strike and can inevitably do one thing for the promotion in 2024 if for no different cause than to maintain his match streak alive for an additional yr, however as he approaches his remaining run in WWE, Superstars will start lining as much as get one remaining shot at “The Champ.”
However may that line embrace stars exterior of WWE?
Discussing his wrestling targets in an interview with Matt Hardy, TNA star Joe Hendry boldly declared that he needs a crack at Cena earlier than he fingers it up, as he believes he may produce a viral second with the first-ballot Corridor of Famer.
“I’ve seen issues occur in my life that have gotten no enterprise occurring. I began novice wrestling at 26 years outdated, and I turned a two-time nationwide champion simply because I believed that I used to be going to run via the competitors. Lord is aware of how I did it, nevertheless it occurred. I’ve had this occur the place there’s issues in my life that haven’t any enterprise occurring, and there’s one thing that Dorian Yates mentioned, he mentioned, ‘Why not me?’ I’m form of in that mindset,” Joe Hendry instructed Matt Hardy through Fightful.
“So I instructed this story about John Cena, after which I simply saved seeing John Cena, saved seeing John Cena. Then I noticed one thing about, ‘Oh, he’s rumored to wrestle at subsequent [WrestleMania]. Then I believed to myself, ‘Nicely, Jordynne [Grace] did the Rumble.’ I’m wanting on the response, I’m saying, ‘The hole from the place I’m proper now to dealing with John Cena is smaller than the hole that I’ve taken to get right here.’ I’m pondering, ‘Why the h*ll not?’ My clip is WWE’s greatest clip on X this yr. So I do know I’m bringing one thing to the desk, and I’m doing nice enterprise for TNA and WWE. I actually imagine I’m being a terrific soldier for each of them proper now. So I’m gonna belief myself to be daring and say why can I not put my identify within the hat to be the subsequent individual that wrestles John Cena? Why not? As a result of issues occur within the enterprise which have by no means occurred earlier than on a regular basis, and I really feel I could make a powerful argument to do it.”
Ought to WWE give Hendry a crack at Cena? 100%, the second could be unbelievable and will set the “Prestigious One” up a pleasant transfer to RAW or SmackDown when his contract expires. Will it occur? Eh, in all probability not, because it’s laborious to think about the promotion, even down Vince McMahon, would give such a giant push to an outdoor star.
Cody Rhodes needs to remain on the John Cena babyface path.
Talking of John Cena, arguably his greatest disciple in 2024 is none aside from Cody Rhodes, the babyface champion who presently holds the WWE Title on SmackDown.
Sitting down for an interview with WWE fan Ryan Clark and his co-hosts on The Pivot, Rhodes mentioned the roles of babyfaces and heels in skilled wrestling, particularly in 2024, and let it’s recognized that if he had been to embrace his inside Homelander, it will be extra just like the “Remaining Boss” than “Hollywood” Rock.
“Being a heel in wrestling, it’s totally laborious to be a heel right now. What’s a heel? If a heel is attempting to actively take one thing away that you simply like. You will hear individuals in wrestling say there’s a mistaken sort of warmth. There’s really no such factor because the mistaken sort of warmth so long as you may handle it. So long as you may take it. In the present day, individuals get canceled for every part. Each hour, anyone is getting canceled and uncanceled. A heel’s job is to get canceled. A heel’s job is to not be cool and never promote merch. In wresting, the time period has gotten extra recognized with The Rock sorts that are not actually heels. He is simply The Rock. He is in a Disney film. He is beloved. Watching him is a chief instance. You must actually go to lengths to upset individuals and do one thing, Cody Rhodes defined on The Pivot through Fightful.
“On this case, he upset them significantly as a result of he wa taking away a spot. He was good sufficient to know, ‘that is a great place to be in.’ Most individuals are uncomfortable in that spot. Most individuals do not wish to discover being hated. John Bradshaw Layfield, you could not promote his merch. Even in his hometown. If there have been JBL shirts, he would go as much as the stands personally and ensure they weren’t there. He was meant to be hated. He needed you cheering for John (Cena) and Eddie Guerrero. That could be a laborious ask. There’s a magnificence in the event you can decide to being a nasty man. It is a distinctive area creatively. You must be actually weak and open and blood hungry by way of how you’re on the microphone.
“There’s a rising sect of followers that wish to see that occur for me sooner or later. For those who’re actually wishing for that, it is scorched earth. You then could be, ‘We do not like that.’ You must actually go scorched earth and in 2024, that’s laborious for anybody to know. You are not meant to be cool. You are not meant to be the subsequent Rock. You are meant to be a nasty man.”
Technically talking, Rhodes is right; John Cena’s profession was at all times meant to get followers excited and to promote merch for “The Face That Runs the Place.” Whereas Rhodes does have a really hellish, jock angle that runs loads of individuals the mistaken means, if he had been to really flip heel, he could be extra just like the murderous Homelander than the man coping with the ups and downs of superpowered fatherhood, and followers could not have the ability to put that again into the bottle even when they finally wish to.
