Who's gonna be the next Cena? It's obviously Cody right now, but they should already be cooking up a replacement. You need someone to carry the company. You NEED the 'main character of wrestling' gimmick.
>>20985037All of the current talent just seem like placeholders in the absence of talent. "This is the best we got, so roll with it".Its a great time to be midteir wrestler, youll actually get an opportunity to carry the belt like Sami.Unfortunately whats good for the wrestlers is bad for the fans and product overall.Now we got cm punk shitting himself and people clapping for it.
>>20985037>Who's gonna be the next Cena?Thinking like this is what always fucks booking up "who's going to be the next Cena" "who's going to be the next Undertaker" "who's going to be the next Stone Cold"So main guys get stuck with shitty bootleg Edge & Lita and Rey Mysterio gimmicks and we wonder why nothing is workingYou can't force a guy in to a role, you have to let them organically become the type of wrestler they're best at being.
>>20986287Wrestling has always had a 'main character', whether that's Hogan, Austin, Rock, Cena, now Cody, that's always been the case. You've always had a top guy.
>>20987009Who was it between 83 Hogan and 98 Austin again?
>>20987022Bretetty
>>20987022Hogan for 95% of that stretch, I know he fell hard especially in the 90s but he was so big before that it didn't matter, sorta like 2010s Cena, he was booed so hard by smarks but it never really mattered because he was by far the biggest merch and ticket mover.
It's not Cody. That's actually the problem. >>20986274 is right, they don't actually have anything. Cody got really lucky he switched at the perfect time, because they needed someone to play that role and didn't really have anyone. But he only worked for the Bloodline stuff. Afterwards, he kind of fell off despite actually winning. Felt like crowds were just riding the high and petering out, but the company lucked out again over Cena retiring. This is kind of the first year they have to realize they wasted three years not really doing anything because they were riding post-Covid fumes + Cena's Retirement.Everyone really does just feel like a placeholder, even Roman's empty-ass reign doesn't matter at all.
>>20987022see >>20987039Cena remained the top guy well until 2017. The actual vacant period was 2017 to 2021, when Cena barely showed up. Afterwards, Cody took up the mantle.>>20987090It has to be Cody because he's the best they got. Roman's almost a Triple H or even Undertaker. He's the heel that works with the guy, but he doesn't work in a protagonist role. He's too stuck to the whole Bloodline gimmick.
>>20985037nobodyand Cena wasn't even on the Level of Hogan, Rock, or Austin every wrestler will be less over then the last so called star.nobody can make em anymoreand modern wrestlers are too much of faggots to figure it out.
Cena fucking sucked, so yes, Cody is a worthy successor
>>20985037It’s impossible for there to be a next Cena because John was so fucking dimeless and caused so many fans to change the channel you don’t even have enough of an audience to recreate the dimelessness.
Trick, Bron, Oba, maybe Dom, Carmelo and Jevon. Its really on those first three though. Trick is great on the mic and for media appearances and despite being tall and in good shape, he can believably work from underneath when the story calls for it. His biggest failing right now is ring work. It is the least important thing though so he is good there. Bron is much more a complete package but he lacks poster boy aura, he isn't remarkable in his look. Oba is being booked super strong which is probably going to hurt him long term because the company will not be able to keep it up. Because he is the ruler, because he is an unstoppable juggernaut that limits his character a lot. Especially as Brock fucking Lesnar was his first big challenge and hurdle and Brock couldn't do shit to him.If Dom got better in every area, he'd be an absolute top guy. As it stands now his physique is too poor, his ring work isn't that good and his mic work hasn't progressed at all. So he won't be able to deliver. Carmelo and Jevon are very unlikely but they are young and have a certain something.
>>20985037Roman Reigns. Cody and Punk are like when there are two top dogs but Roman stands alone his mountain.
>>20985037Cena types kill promotions so no thanks
It's Joe Hendry without a doubt
>>20985037Long ass post: WWE shouldn't try going all in on one guy again for a long time unless it's necessary (90s-esque talent exodus or everyone injured). That's not the solution. With so few house shows, you don't NEED somebody to carry the company that hard. The business model is different.Modern WWE fans have been accustomed to an ensemble cast with a sense of hope that anyone could get their turn. One of the reasons WWE fell off in 2025 was that their fans started to lose that hope that someone like, say, LA Knight could get his "moment". And when anyone goes over consistently, even an underdog like Sami, they can attract negative Hogan comparisons.Cody was not a Super Cena or a Big Dog Roman. He was an older veteran who came back with a ready-made story that helped establish the idea of an ensemble cast where anyone can "finish their story". Tearing a pec so early into his run and taking time off after the spectacle of wrestling injured in the cell was a blessing in disguise. Cody was away for so long after a hot start that people clamored for him back. That wasn't like Cena. That wasn't like Roman until the second time around.TL;DR: Yes, they may need to find a new Cody. But not a new Cena.
Scott Steiner’s son when he inevitably joins, not Bron he’s a Jannetty like Rick
>>20988737None of those guys can be a main character. They're definitely going to be in the main event scene, yes, but none of them really work as 'the guy'. Oba is definitely your monster like Brock, Dom is a chickenshit like Eddie Guerrero, but neither of these guys are THE guy.
I think there is still a chance it could be Jungle Jack, stranger things have happened.
>>20985037They are in NXT
>>20988737Good post
>>20985037Cody is the last of his kind. 1 of 1. The death of the American Dream.
>>20989119This too. What would make it necessary?
>>20987039>but it never really mattered because he was by far the biggest merch and ticket mover.That is not saying much when the second best is not even hitting the radar. Cena had zero competition because he buried them all, and for what? Minimal gains. HUGE ratings losses and he had to exploit sick kids to bump all his numbers up.
>>20987022>Macho Man>Warrior>Bret Hart>HBK>Diesel
>>20985037If it were Cody he would be beating everybody, not jobbing to Old Man Phil
>>20986274>All of the current talent just seem like placeholders in the absence of talenOh man that's exactly the feeling. I was a bit hyped from Bron and enjoyed his IC Title run, but teaming him with Seth just killed him for me. I also find it weird that Seth has been in WWE for like 15 years or whatever and still doesn't feel like a big deal. Lots of failures in the system and the absence of bigger names just makes them seem smaller, not bigger. Randy is the last guy that feels like a big deal.
It could be someone like Drew if they got behind him. It's very strange they chose to push Damien Priest over Drew a few years back, and now Damien is teamed with a comedy guy they fired and got guilt tripped in to rehiring.
>>20989119Insightful post. And the truth. People are just waiting to get behind someone who they think will actually get pushed.
>>20990310Idk who the next Cody will be but it's probably not 41 year old Drew McIntyre
>>20985037they're not looking for a new FOTC right now when they have CAWdy and Roman. frankly with HHH's booking i don't belive WWE can make another pure babyface top guy anyway because Trips books for heels.
>>20985037The WWE logo.
>>20990411This. LA Knight is also not an option for similar reasons. he needs to shoot his shot, today, because he doesn't have long.
>>20990411Drew was over and 34 when he rejoined the Fed.
Austin Theory and Drake Maverick are their best shots at a top babyface at the moment. People might doubt Austin, but anything can happen, Ludwig became the Cena of Mexico
>>20988737>TrickPotential main event heel>BronLmao no>ObaPotential main event monster like Brock>DomLmao no>CarmeloLmao no>JevonLmao noWhat a dogshit post. Only Trick and Oba has main event potential but neither of them are the next Cena.
>>20991030*Jackson Drake
>>20988712Bullshit he is better than cody at everything
>>20990557>Trips books for heelsThere is a SEVERE shortage of main event heels right now. Gunther and.... who else? It's all face vs face shit
>>20991522The Vision? They really feel weird, though. Like, why are these guys together? Who's their leader?
