Hulk Hogan and John Cena: Similarities and Differences

When you think of two guys who have been synonymous with the WWE during their heyday, the name of Hulk Hogan and John Cena instantly come up. In fact, many have argued that Cena is the Hulk Hogan of this generation with his stay as the top star of the company, only equalling Hogan. Hogan and Cena have become mainstream superstars and have unparalleled success inside a WWE ring.

They are trailblazers in their own right and inspired millions all around the world. They have been an inspiration to young wrestlers trying to break into the business. Cena and Hogan's legacy and the kind of impact they have left on the business is unparalleled.

While Hogan helped usher in the era of sports entertainment in the WWE in the early to late '80s, Cena has led the company to become a global giant in the entertainment as well as sports industry. While the Hulkster told the masses to say their prayers and take their vitamins, Cena brought with the message of staying resilient in adverse times, something which connected with the fans in a big way.

Such has been their impact on the company that is impossible to imagine WWE without Cena and Hogan in it. While Hogan helped Vince McMahon take his company to a nationwide audience, Cena was the driving force behind the company becoming a worldwide phenomenon.

But, with that being said, Hogan and Cena couldn't have been more different, personality wise. While Cena is widely praised for his work ethic and us well-respected among his peers, Hogan was renowned for being a backstage politician and has had to face to the wrath of a lot of his colleagues. Here are some similarities and difference between Cena and Hulk Hogan:

# 5 Similarities: Backstage Pull

Hogan and Cena are renowned for being backstage politicians

Being the poster boys of the WWE for as long as they were, it is only natural that both Cena and Hogan shared a very good rapport with Vince McMahon and are very close to the chairman of the WWE. This meant that both these superstars had a considerable amount of pull backstage due to their relationship with Vince and used their position to hold back younger talent from reaching the top during their heyday. Cena has time and time again been criticized for his role in burying younger talent and is known to be a backstage politician.

Superstars like Mr. Kennedy, Tyler Reks and Alex Riley have openly spoken about how the 16-time World Champion ensured that they never got the spotlight they deserved. Cena seems to have redeemed himself in the latter part of his career putting over a younger superstar like Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins, Kevin Owens, and Dean Ambrose, although the stigma of burying younger talent will always be attached to Mr. Hustle, Loyalty and Respect.

Hogan was notorious for being the biggest power-broker in the business during his time in WWE, WCW, and TNA. The Hulkster was known to be a backstage politician who would use his influence to hold back talent with whom he didn't get along. A plethora of Hogan's peers and colleagues have spoken about Hogan bullying them backstage, using his influence to hold them back and ruining their careers.

Hogan was known to throw tantrums during his heyday, refusing to lose to a particular talent and ensuring that only people close to him got pushed. A classic example of this is WrestleMania IX where Hogan put himself in an impromptu match against Yokozuna to capture the WWF Championship.

# 4 Difference: Different Era

Cena was heavily booed during his run as the top star of the WWE

For as long as one can remember, Cena and Hogan have been at the top of the WWE. Barring the Attitude Era, Cena and Hogan have been at the mountaintop ever since Vince McMahon took the company from being a territorial promotion to a worldwide leader in the industry. Hogan had a long run as the top star lasted for the entirety of the '80s to the early '90s before the Hulkster jumped ship to the WCW. But the fact that they ruled the roost during different eras had an enormous effect on their respective careers.

When Hogan was at the top of the game, pro wrestling was perceived to competitive sports and the illusion behind sports entertainment was still intact to a certain degree. People hardly had any source of wrestling news and scoops from the business, unlike today where they are numerous wrestling news sites. People were not aware of the backstage process and went along with what the promoter/booker presented to them. It is almost impossible to imagine Hogan during his heyday but if the Hogan would've been an active superstar, we are pretty sure that he would get the Roman Reigns treatment by the fans.

When Cena began his run as the top star of the company, the internet had already blown-up and fans were up to date with the nitty-gritty of the business and therefore rejected the Doctor of Thugannomics, in spite of him being a babyface. Fans wanted other superstars to be given the opportunities that Cena got and when the company decided to stick with its plan, the fans revolted and expressed their displeasure against the company. Fans in the '90s and early 2000s never cared about backstage scoops and how the business operated and were just there for the ride. Had internet been there in the '90s, who knows even Hulk Hogan would've got booed out of the building.

# 3 Similarities: Real Life Problems

Cena and Hogan's personal life has seen them make all the wrong headlines

In spite of being one of the respected and renowned WWE superstars of all time, John Cena has always made headlines as his tumultuous personal life has led to the Cenation Leader courting a barrage of controversies. It all started in the mid-2000s where Cena found himself in the midst of an alleged affair with Mickie James while still being married. Although neither Cena not James have officially confirmed it, the general consensus backstage was that Cena was having an affair with James when the duo was involved in a storyline. This was confirmed by Kenny Dykstra, who was James fiance at that time. This news created a buzz and ultimately led to Cena divorcing his wife, Elizabeth Huberdeau.

Hulk Hogan has been in the news for the past few years, which has severely damaged his legacy in the business. In April 2012, a sex tape featuring Hogan was released. This lead to Hogan filling a lawsuit against a company called 'Gawker', who released the tape on the public. In addition to that, Hogan has been tapped several times making racial remarks against the African-American community. Hogan was unceremoniously fired from the WWE in 2015 and his profile was removed from the company's website.

Hogan was recently reinstated in the Hall of Fame and made his return to the company at WWE Crown Jewel, fans and some of the superstars backstage aren't very thrilled to see the Hulkster back in the company. Hogan's personal life has been as tumultuous as it can get and while he has tried to make amends for his mistakes, fans aren't very high on giving Hogan a second chance.

# 2 Similarities: Not the Best in the Business

Hogan and Cena aren't known to be in-ring technicians

Although they are two of the most popular superstars in WWE history, Cena and Hogan aren't exactly known to be the best in the world when it comes to in-ring acumen. In fact, both of them had to face a lot of criticism due to the lack of in-ring skills and having only a handful of moves in their arsenal. Fans have always mocked Cena for his lack of in-ring skills and dubbed his move set as 'The 5 moves of doom'.

Chants of ' Cena Sucks' 'You Can't Wrestle' and ' Same Old S****' were a constant throughout Cena's career up until a few years ago. While his in-ring style hasn't changed over the years, Cena is now regarded as one of the most well-rounded superstars in the WWE. Cena has been able to prove his critics wrong by having classic matches against the likes of CM Punk, AJ Styles, Daniel Bryan, and Seth Rollins.

Hogan, on the other hand, was a below average worker as far as in-ring skills are concerned. The Guy only knew a handful of moves. Be it his trademark leg drop or body slam, Hogan moves were never really something out-of-the-box or catchy. What drew people to Hogan was his charisma and personality and the fans never paid attention to what he did inside the ring as long as he beat up the heels and sent the crowd home happy.

None of Hogan's matches are all-time classics as they did little offer in terms of in-ring action. But what made Hogan Immortal was the fact that he was part of some of the biggest moments in WWE history. Whether be it his match against The Rock at WrestleMania 18 or him body slamming Andre The Giant, Hogan has always been associated with creating memorable moments in lieu of having a five-star match.

#1 Difference: Character Progression

Hogan reinvented himself as part of the NWO

One of the biggest criticisms about John Cena's character over the past one and half decade has been the company's inability to have Cena turn heel. Cena has spent the majority of his time in the WWE as a babyface in spite of the fact that he was a great heel during his initial run in the company. Although the idea of a Cena heel turn was reportedly in the works, things never really got the greenlight as Vince McMahon never got behind the idea of seeing his top star as a heel.

In hindsight, Hulk Hogan's career wouldn't have turned out the way it did had he not turned heel and joined the nWo. It is safe to say Hogan's heel prolonged his in-ring career and without nWo, the Hulkster's career would've been finished by the time he came to WCW. Hogan turning heel was one of the most pivotal moments in wrestling history and led to the 'Monday Night Wars'. This was the most successful period in the business and is something which most likely won't be repeated ever again.

We aren't likely to see Cena turn heel anytime soon as the man himself has admitted multiple times that he isn't very keen on going to the dark side. But, it is safe to say to the Cenation Leader's heel turn would've been one for the ages, but for now, we can only assume what would've been the landscape of the company had it actually happened.