{"id":130535,"date":"2025-02-06T10:45:36","date_gmt":"2025-02-06T15:45:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/?p=130535"},"modified":"2025-02-06T10:45:36","modified_gmt":"2025-02-06T15:45:36","slug":"how-john-cena-embodies-wwe-as-a-business","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/2025\/02\/06\/how-john-cena-embodies-wwe-as-a-business\/","title":{"rendered":"How John Cena Embodies WWE as a Business"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>When John Cena repeated that he was doing \u201cwhat is best for business\u201d during the Royal Rumble press conference and in announcing his automatic entry into the Elimination Chamber, to some that may have felt like a shocking, potential heel turn. But the Authority&#8217;s old catchphrase, which has become a bit of a calling card in WWE, didn&#8217;t sound unnatural coming out of the mouth of a man who has spent decades doing just that. John Cena as a person, and more importantly as a character, has been unarguably what is best for WWE&#8217;s business for the better part of his career.<\/p>\n<p>Although The Authority was the last in a revolving door of villainous management figures who tried to replace Cena as the company\u2019s centerpiece, the irony was clear to long-time and \u201csmart\u201d fans. Cena was the corporate choice and at times, the fan&#8217;s choice. It wasn\u2019t the worker vs. boss dynamic of Steve Austin vs. Vince McMahon of the late 90s. Besides a lack of attitude and edge, the PG money-making strategy was see-through.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"John Cena calls his shot with Elimination Chamber guarantee: Royal Rumble 2025 Post-Show highlights\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/v2NpQdtvEok?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Dropping his Ph.D. in Thuganomics, you might say that like Wu-Tang, Cena was for the children. Cena provided them with a message of empowerment and sporting history. Hustle, loyalty and respect. It wasn&#8217;t just a catchphrase, it was a way of life. Yet cynically, unlike Wu-Tang, Cena sold a rainbow of colorful shirts, cereal, and garden gnomes! More marketing than man, some fans (and at times, most fans) rejected Cena. It was never uncommon to hear dueling &#8220;Let&#8217;s Go Cena, Cena Sucks!&#8221; chants through arenas worldwide.<\/p>\n<p>Cena\u2019s press conference words highlight how normal and accepted it\u2019s become for business to bleed into storylines. Previously, the words &#8220;what&#8217;s best for business,&#8221; were often viewed sarcastically and certainly ironically. They were said to spite and laugh off disaffected fans. But coming from Cena, it feels different. What fans once had contempt for is now accepted, embraced, and celebrated. No wrestler embodies this change in attitude and mood more than John Cena who now, then, and, forever seems to personify WWE as a business.<\/p>\n<h2>John Cena and the Literal Business of Wrestling<\/h2>\n<p><strong>WWE is All About the Numbers<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"John Cena discusses the impact and expectations of hosting &quot;Saturday Night Live&quot;\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/3JtiawCKnpI?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Discussion of WWE today online, in the press, and at events, focuses on business. Repeatedly fans cheer when they\u2019re part of record-breaking gates. Fans online tout all kinds of metrics alongside or above their own personal satisfaction with WWE\u2019s creativity and wrestling. There\u2019s an entire cottage industry dedicated to WWE business analytics that likewise feeds into the discord of AEW and other promotions. We compare every rating, attendance figure, or available number to predict the competition\u2019s downfall or to justify why WWE is still the best wrestling company even if week in, that isn&#8217;t always the case. Creative decisions are discussed like gains or losses on the stock market. And much like that market, fans are heavily invested and want to see their investment rewarded on the screen.<\/p>\n<p>This attention to detail of the financial aspects of wrestling in our fandom started after the last boom, the post-Attitude Era. Fixations on WWE\u2019s declining ratings, PPV buys, and attendance had many saying the company\u2019s death was imminent. As discussed this week in an article on <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/2025\/02\/03\/wrestling-with-outrage-part-2-limits-of-fan-pressure\/\" target=\"_self\">wrestling fan outrage<\/a>, fan investment is no longer as important to top wrestling companies as it once was. The reality has led to a steady rise in record profits despite some older fans\u2019 disengagement. When it comes down to it, WWE is a business, and as much as it focuses on entertainment and fan experience, it&#8217;s driven by the same thing all businesses are: its bottom line (and not just because Stone Cold said so).<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"A look back at John Cena\u2019s 500 wishes with Make-A-Wish\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/rAC_4BvX9Eo?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>For years, John Cena was the easy scapegoat for fans\u2019 creative dissatisfaction. Especially as the character for those fans lost its edge. Commercial interests were blatant. Like Hulk Hogan, Cena had a broader appeal, superficially to children and women. WWE took advantage. Cena\u2019s character\u2019s \u201cnever give up\u201d moniker went untested by challenges that rarely pushed him to that point. Metaphorically, Cena was like WWE post-WCW. The competition never had the long-term creative or corporate machinery to be an alternative.<\/p>\n<p>It was easy to say Cena \u201csold out&#8221; but as Seth Rollins famously said after betraying the Shield, he didn&#8217;t sell out, he bought in. And that&#8217;s exactly what Cena did. He bought into his character and his character&#8217;s motivations. &#8220;Corporate&#8221; Cena led WWE into The PG Era with childish (sometimes toilet) humor that alienated hardcore fans but all the while, created a new generation of fans who can continually be seen sporting his merch and buying tickets to see him wrestle. And behind the scenes, his character continued doing what was &#8220;best for business,&#8221; <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/2024\/07\/15\/john-cena-how-the-man-you-cant-see-became-the-face-of-wwe\/\" target=\"_self\">granting more dreams for Make-A-Wish than any other single person ever has<\/a>. During 20-minute SNL-style monologues, Cena playfully batted away booing in a sanitized and PR-friendly version of the perceived disinterest of management. In doing so, Cena contributed towards the shift in drawing power, with it moving away from the star to the company.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Redefining What it Means to Be \u201cThe Company\u2019s Man\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"John Cena\u2019s U.S. Open Challenge bangers: WWE Playlist\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/QxTLT0BPjHg?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>More coincidental than purposeful, John Cena\u2019s rise redefined what it means to be a WWE company man. This concept defined Cena\u2019s character. \u00a0Compared to the past, Cena\u2019s time on top has seen a shift in how on screen, in storylines, and, in fan discussion, world champions have been evaluated based on how well they represent the WWE\u2019s corporate ideas and values.<\/p>\n<p>All prior era-defining world champions were company men also. The process of corporate characterization started with Triple H\u2019s \u201cReign of Terror.&#8221; The Game\u2019s promos reinforced his status as the best representative of WWE. Plus, fan knowledge of his marital connections to the boss made his position seem nepotistic. However, Triple H\u2019s character was a heel. He was supposed to be despised. He was supposed to blatantly flaunt his relationship with the Boss&#8217; daughter to get favorable treatment. Again, unlike Cena and like previous era-defining champions, Triple H\u2019s identity was, at times separate and, at other times contrasting to the company\u2019s corporate direction.<\/p>\n<p>While \u201cCena wins lol\u201d felt reflective of\u00a0 &#8220;Hogan must pose,&#8221; Cena never called WWE\u2019s top prize a toy belt or spoke ill of the company despite its flaws and faults. Cena didn\u2019t require his wins back. He was a babyface company man, which enabled him to remain true to the character children had come to love, while also working the circuits in character outside of the wrestling ring. Unlike The Hitman, Cena was willing to play the fool. Cena never lost his smile. He never took his ball home. Even in going to Hollywood, the process was gradual. It started under the WWE Studios banner. The company came first.<\/p>\n<p>Unlike his predecessors, Cena headlined longer and never had a significant conflict with Vince McMahon. On and off screen, Cena\u2019s character and actions were in step with the company\u2019s image. The tippy-top guy is now a reflection of those three letters.<\/p>\n<p><strong>The Lasting Ripple Effects<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"John Cena&#039;s 16 World Championship victories: WWE Milestones\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/8ubWi1XuPTc?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>CM Punk verbalized many fans&#8217; feelings with his infamous pipe bomb. Yet, even \u201cThe Voice of the Voiceless\u201d highlighted rather than prophesized, that WWE was making bank despite declining fan interest. Ironically, it was the anti-establishment Punk that blew the doors open for business talk in WWE to take center stage. This is all the more ironic now that Punk is all about praising corporate synergy.<\/p>\n<p>Yet afterward, it was made clear to fans and wrestlers on screen who was truly a WWE guy. Punk, Daniel Bryan, and Kofi Kingston were all addressed on screen by Vince McMahon, the character and boss, and were told they were representative of his WWE vision. Granted, they won the big one, but were their reigns meaningful? The Authority and Cena remained WWE\u2019s main characters and focus.<\/p>\n<p>Cena\u2019s successors squirmed in his mold. Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns\u2019 attempts to make Cena-like quips, like \u201csparkle-crotch\u201d and \u201csuffering succotash,\u201d faced rejection. Even Cody Rhodes\u2019 current reign has felt Cena-like or perhaps Cena-lite for some with a diluted character that emphasizes style over substance. Out of the ring, Rhodes\u2019 neutral and measured talking abilities match the company\u2019s requirements for what they want in a &#8220;corporate&#8221; champion.<\/p>\n<p>Creative has drastically improved. The framing of what\u2019s best for business has changed into a net positive. Once storylines presented the organization itself as a heel. Now the company is good, Cena a legend and appreciated after a decade of being serenaded and told he sucked.<\/p>\n<p><strong>The Time is Still Now, the Legacy is Still Building<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"A debuting John Cena accepts Kurt Angle&#039;s open challenge: SmackDown, June 27, 2002\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/10ivQ3ogO1M?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>This year, if John Cena wins one more world championship, his legacy will again reflect that of the WWE. Like WWE, Cena can cement his legacy in the positive, by rewriting and wiping away those years of dissatisfaction and disillusion. At some point, some fans of that era might romanticize that time with hindsight, like those fans who grew up in the New Generation Era. Both Cena and WWE are enjoying a cultural resurgence. Their success runs in parallel.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s only fitting during a time of record-breaking that WWE\u2019s most decorated world champion smashes wrestling\u2019s greatest record. Ric Flair\u2019s total world championship reigns encompass the wrestling world beyond WWE. In smashing it, Cena brings that history under the WWE umbrella where the mindset remains that everything outside is secondary.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s serendipity, good booking, and corporate synergy. It\u2019s best for business.<\/p>\n<p><strong>More From LWOS Pro Wrestling<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><em><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Header photo \u2013 WWE <\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>Stay tuned to the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\">Last Word on Pro Wrestling<\/a>\u00a0for more on this and other stories from around the world of wrestling, as they develop. You can always count on LWOPW to be on top of the major news in the wrestling world, as well as to provide you with analysis, previews, videos, interviews, and editorials on the wrestling world. You can check out WWE programming on\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.netflix.com\/title\/81788927\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Netflix<\/a>\u00a0(Raw),\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.usanetwork.com\/wwe-friday-night-smackdown\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">USA Network<\/a>\u00a0(SmackDown),\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.cwtv.com\/shows\/wwe-nxt\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">The CW<\/a>\u00a0(NXT), and\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.peacocktv.com\/watch\/home\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Peacock<\/a>\u00a0(archives and premium live event streaming). You can follow WWE on social media and relive top moments on\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/@WWE\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">YouTube<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>When John Cena repeated that he was doing \u201cwhat is best for business\u201d during the Royal Rumble press conference and in announcing his automatic entry into the Elimination Chamber, to some that may have felt like a shocking, potential heel turn. But the Authority&#8217;s old catchphrase, which has become a bit of a calling card [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4960,"featured_media":125574,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2,2192,4,3],"tags":[9090,140,505,165,9001,2728,8907,146],"class_list":["post-130535","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-featured","category-wrestling","category-wwe","category-wwe-universe","tag-2025-royal-rumble","tag-cm-punk","tag-elimination-chamber","tag-john-cena","tag-john-cena-retirement","tag-the-authority","tag-wrestlemania-41","tag-wwe-world-champion"],"modified_by":"Marilee Gallagher, Manager","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/130535","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4960"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=130535"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/130535\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":130539,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/130535\/revisions\/130539"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/125574"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=130535"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=130535"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=130535"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}