John Cena is an anomaly in a world of cookie cutters. Whether you love him, or you hate him, you know who he is and that in itself is impressive. You don't have to be a staunch WWE, or even a wrestling fan in general, to know who John Cena is.
Any Tom, Dick or Harry off the street can easily pick Cena out of a lineup. Why am I saying this?
Because, John Cena is a spectacle, he’s an attraction, he's vital to the WWE as a company and yes, he is indeed "the face that runs the place.” This is even coming from someone who is not a big Cena fan.
I do, however, have a tremendous amount of respect for his contributions to the industry and for the way he obviously loves the business. It doesn’t take a Rhodes Scholar to understand that the industry is better overall today, because of his efforts both inside the ring, and for how he has represented the sport outside of it.
One of the other facts about John Cena, is the fact that he's not getting any younger. Of course, that's a given, but it brings me to my point.
When John Cena walks away from professional wrestling, there will be a significant void, both creatively and financially and while we haven't created the technology quite yet to clone Cena, there is a need to find someone to attempt to fill that void.
This is a void that will take a special type of individual. It'll take someone with thick skin to be able to take all the criticism thrown his way and broad shoulders to carry the weight of a company.
In today's article, I'll explain to you how there’s already a process in place, in which WWE powers that be, have already started molding someone to fill those denim shorts. This is five reasons that point to Roman Reigns being John Cena version 2.0.
#5 Marketable Look
We have to face the reality that when WWE officials need someone to walk a red carpet, or make an appearance at a national or international function of some sort, they almost always call on John Cena. Reason being, he's clean cut, polished and he represents the company well.
Cena gives Vince and company a good image and that's something not everyone can pull off. After all, you don’t see Luke Harper walking a red carpet at the ESPY’s. Same thing goes for the in-ring look.
Cena is the guy with the look they can plaster on posters, video games, lunch boxes, backpacks and so on. This type of look is a financial dream for companies that rely on outward aesthetics and imaging to make money.
Like John Cena, Roman Reigns also possesses a highly marketable look. The company has already started sending him to major functions as a key representative for the WWE and apparently, it's working, because they continue to do so.
Once John Cena has made his official curtain call, Roman Reigns will already be primed, experienced and ready to step in front of anyone's camera.
#4 Company Man
A blind man can see the writing on the corporate wall. Vince McMahon and everyone with a pulse at 1241 E. Main Street is in love with Roman Reigns.
This became evident following his suspension for violating the WWE Talent Wellness Policy, when he was left in the title picture and even allowed to compete in the Battleground main event, at the conclusion of his 30 day suspension.
I’m not saying he shouldn’t have been allowed to assume his role, but I just believe had it been someone else, the aftermath of the suspension would've been handled differently. With that said, Roman didn’t kill anyone and up until that point, he had pretty much flown under the radar and kept his nose relatively clean.
But, any common fan can see that there are still big plans on the table for Roman Reigns and it also a seems as if Vince and company are dead set on doing whatever it takes to make fans accept, embrace and fall in love with Roman Reigns.
I sincerely believe they want to avoid a complete heel turn at all costs. Sound familiar?
#3 Make-A-Wish
As everyone knows, John Cena is the most requested celebrity by children involved with the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Cena recently eclipsed over 500 wishes granted through the charitable organization and there's no signs of letting up.
Don't be surprised when super-Cena surpasses 1,000 wishes. It seems like every week, John Cena is granting another wish and that's a beautiful thing. The way Cena has a platform to bring hope and happiness into a dark, grim situation, is something that everyone should be able to respect.
With the way the fan base is so split, in regards to which demographic gravitates to Roman Reigns, it's increasingly apparent that women and children love Roman.
With that said, there's a huge demand within the Make-A-Wish Foundation, for kids who sincerely want to meet Roman Reigns and he’s been fulfilling those wishes, more and more as his popularity continues to thrive amongst children. One quick YouTube search will show you countless wishes granted by Reigns and the list only keeps growing.
#2 Similar Backgrounds
While Roman Reigns grew up in a family with strong wrestling ties, he never had any real experience, prior to signing with the WWE. He had the family pedigree, he was athletic and he had the look.
Similar story out of the Cena household, as John Cena was relatively inexperienced before arriving at Ohio Valley Wrestling, which was the WWE developmental brand at the time. Cena cut his teeth under the persona known at "The Prototype," before eventually taking his real name.
Both Cena and Reigns were standout football players, both with college football experience. In fact, Roman had a cup of coffee in the NFL, but nothing ever evolved into the big time pro football career he had hoped for.
Cena and Reigns nearly mirrored one another in some of the ways in which they both evolved into top guys on the WWE main roster. Roman Reigns of course, made his main roster debut with The Shield, before breaking loose on his own, once the faction was disbanded.
Roman won his first world title, four years after his main roster debut. John Cena also won his first WWE Championship in 2005, just four years after his main roster debut.
#1 Revenue
At the end of the day, professional wrestling is a business and in this business, there is no level higher than World Wrestling Entertainment. Year after year, the WWE continues to be the standard in the industry, with financial figures that others can only dream of.
Like any business, WWE officials rely on their product selling, in order to keep this money train rolling along. With this in mind, the company must have inventory, on order to sell the product.
That inventory for the WWE, is the talent. Without quality talent, there is no product, there is no show. Without a show, there is no consumer and without that consumer, there is no cash, which is the driving force behind it all.
Sure, there's a need for all of the WWE Superstars. Bo Dallas, Titus O'Neil, Heath Slater, Dolph Ziggler and Zack Ryder. They all serve a purpose and they all have value.
However, there is a tier system in regards to who is the top revenue contributors. While there's a need for Bo Dallas, he is not now and never will draw the same money that someone like John Cena draws.
When John Cenas name is advertised for a show, his name guarantees money, because there are certain fans who make their decisions, as far as whether or not they will attend a show, based on if Cena is on the card or not.
Also, once those fans enter the venue, there’s one place they stop first, before the restroom, before the concession stand and before they locate their seats...the merchandise table. These fans will religiously stop at the merch table and they aren't just window shopping.
In 2015, Forbes released an article which stated that while John Cena continued to be the top annual merchandise seller, Roman Reigns was making significant ground on him. Despite the detractors, Reigns is a strong merch. seller and that simply equates to more dollar bills.
As he continues to hone his skills and his fanbase continues to grow, so will his sales and you can rest assured Vinny Mac is diligently watching.
