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The Cenation leader has been the “face that runs the place” in the WWE for the last decade or so, and naturally, the list of accomplishments and titles that he has accumulated over his domineering career is vast.
Cena has imprinted his legacy in the WWE, in every conceivable sphere ranging from in-ring victories over (almost) all other Superstars to retaining considerable merchandising and creative control. Is there any stone then that John Cena left unturned in the WWE?
Unsurprisingly the list is narrow given how interwoven Cena’s success has been with that of the WWE over the past era of programming. Nonetheless, let us venture a look at 5 things in the WWE that yet remain elusive to the grasp John Cena.
An Intercontinental Title Reign
Of all the accomplishments that fail to decorate John Cena’s already loaded trophy cabinet. this one is perhaps the most glaringly obvious. Amidst an impressive array of title reigns, including a record 12 WWE Championship reigns, it is almost inconceivable to think that John Cena might not have chanced upon even one Intercontinental Championship.
However, what remains as one of the more credible and coveted titles in the WWE has remained elusive to John Cena all his career.
Considering that his US Title Open Challenge has been singularly responsible for a flurry of solid matches in the past month, it is hard to see the WWE think-tank allow Cena’s path to cross with the Intercontinental Title picture any time soon.
Wrestlemania Appearance Record
Contrary to popular belief, The Undertaker did not actually maintain his streak by appearing at 21 straight Wrestlemania events. However, the Deadman does hold the record for the most number of Wrestlemania appearances in a row, which stands at 15 currently.
John Cena is playing catch-up with 12 straight appearances at the Show of Shows but in all likelihood, barring an unlikely extension to The Phenom’s career, looks set to eclipse his record in the near future.
Owing to how well John Cena has maintained his body and physique this past decade, claiming the appearance record at Wrestlemania eventually should be little more than a formality for him.
However, Randy Orton, another Superstar whose rise in the company both temporally and metaphorically rivaled that of Cena, is also in the running with 12 consecutive Wrestlemania appearances attributed to his name.
Barring any major injuries to either of these Superstars, it is certainly intriguing, going forward, to witness how their careers will unfold. It plays to one’s poetic sensibilities to envision that the duo, whose careers shared inauguration at Ohio Valley Wrestling, may yet find coincidence in their respective swansongs. Only time will tell.
Ric Flair’s World Championship record
Although the WWE officially recognizes only 16 reigns against Ric Flair’s name, the man himself professes that he accomplished the feat 21 times. Either way, the Nature Boy has set an unprecedented record in the number of championship reigns, which only John Cena has a chance of upstaging.
Cena follows hot on Flair’s heels with a total of 15 World Title reigns to his name. The convoluted history of the pro-wrestling business may have rendered Flair’s record vulnerable to Cena by virtue of discounting 5 “unofficial” title reigns, but by no means diminishes the prolonged relevance that Ric Flair displayed in accumulating his trophy cabinet over a span of 2 decades.
However considering how John Cena has stepped away from the WWE Title picture off late, barring an inexplicable U-Turn on the part of the WWE creative team, this particular record may yet end up being the one that just slipped away.
‘King’ Cena
The King of the Ring tournament, that recently saw Bad New Barrett welcomed into the fold of WWE royalty, has traditionally been a staple in the company’s history. Despite conspicuously being absent from WWE programming for the last 5 years, its comeback fishes out memories of the infamous “King” gimmick that several wrestlers have adopted over the years after tasting victory in the tournament.
One can argue that John Cena didn’t need to win the tournament because he was “over” without the rub that it entailed anyway, while others may note a more discerning underlying dynamic in contention; The “King” persona was almost always a heel!
Harley Race, one of the earliest winners of the tournament in 1986, crowned himself and fashioned himself in royal garb after his victory and proceeded to force his opponents to kneel and grovel before him with the help of his manager, Bobby ‘The Brain’ Heenan. Anyone who saw Heenan knew he was only too inclined to lend a helping hand.
Thus ensued the genesis of the “King” persona as a cruel and oppressive ruler who imposed his will on his ‘subjects’, aka the WWE Universe – a template that has endured till present day. We can agree, however, as was its wont, that “King” Cena would have been an utter absurdity with respect to Cena’s persona, which also leads me to my next point.
Heel Turn
A John Cena heel turn - surely the holy grail of pro-wrestling, for it has been scrutinized to no end over the years, even subtly teased at times by the WWE and yet never bore fruition. A heel turn may not be an accomplishment in the classical sense, but it is certainly noteworthy that most wrestlers avow how they reveled in the heel persona than compared to being a babyface.
It is a liberty that many wrestlers crave, to express themselves with greater creative freedom and without toeing a stereotypical code of conduct that a babyface has to tailor his behaviour around. And yet one can sense that the traditional rules don’t apply to John Cena in this regard.
Will it ever happen? In the wake of Cena taking a step back from the spotlight of main event status and the plethora of fresh faces rising commendably to the plate, now would be as ripe a time as any to find out.
