JigsawKrueger

Hulk Hogan's Hulkamania
Perfect for Regan's 1980's and the craze for musclebound tough guys (e.g Arnie, Sly etc). Patriotic, clean living and larger than life. Suited an era filled with action shows such as the A-Team and bigger is better - MTV music videos, increasingly SFX ladded movies.

Steve Austin's Austin 3.16
Freely encouraging profanity, drinking alcohol and kicking ass. Violent and anti-authority. Perfect for the edgy late 90's, with edgy being the thing and it being cool to be bad. The Rock became on par, but it was Austin that exemplified the late 90's.

John Cena's CeNation
Started as a cocky rap/hip hop act - perfect for the early to mid 2000's when that pretty much ruled the music charts with Jay Z, 50 Cent, Snoop etc. The wigga factor fit with Eminem, who was perhaps the biggest artist in the world at that time. Morphed into a PC version, which fit with increasingly PC post 9/11 world. But still very 'urban' with the hustle, loyalty, respect schtick which suits the many middle class kids who like to think they're from the street!

So what do we have now?
Sheamus - Smiling Irish guy
Ryback - Tough HGH guy with one line
Del Rio - Rich mexican import
Orton - slow moving viper
Punk - pipe bomb maestro (easily the closest to having a cool 'gimmick')


Nah, has to have more depth relevant to pop culture if he's to genuinely replace CeNation

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Bob Lincoln

They'll force something until someone comes along, not necessarily any of the guys there now. The next "big guy" probably isn't currently employed by the company, truth be told.

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Not Taking This Out Until
I Get Sick Of Looking At It

xdoomsayerx

Only guy I can see replacing cena right now is seth rollins. He's got babyface written all over him, but I even doubt he will replace cena.

Definitely won't be guys like ryback, sheamus, punk, Orton, Bryan ect.

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Fav 5:

Dolph ziggler
Randy Orton
John Cena
Kane
The Shield

Ruckus

Yeah, Rollins is a definite babyface. No replacement for Cena though, more like the Jeff Hardy of this era. Fangirls unite.

As for Cena's replacement, don't worry guys, Vince just won't let him retire.

Cookie Monster

With the era we live in, the top guy no matter how talented will probably never get over to that level of even John Cena, it seems like the ones who get over are ones who will never be the face of the company, the ones with talent, the likes of CM Punk, Daniel Bryan etc. We seem to hate everything new, especially at the beginning as shown by the unveiling of the WWE Title.

thekingg

Sheamus is old, other guys don't stick to the model. I can't see such guy for now but i am positive that WWE can build one.

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once in a lifetime, twice in a year, maybe occasionaly when we need money.

promoter2003

These things can't be forced and it actually usually the STAR who molds the company more than vice versa.

Hulk Hogan was already getting mainstream attention before returning to the WWF in late 1983. The company just struck while the iron was hot with Hogan. To keep him hot the company used current events/reality based stories that fans could relate to at the time, while exploiting celebrities to crossover.

It is a reason why the company tried to copy the same formula with the likes of Warrior, Hart, Luger, Diesel, and so on it failed. You can't manufacture that kind of heat Hogan had.

Austin is another guy who wasn't originally chosen to be the top dog either. He was really being held down and the fans started to get behind him because of his talent. The fans at the time didn't buy into the type of 80's champion Hogan was for various reasons(the whole scandal in the early 90's) and he was the anti-hero to Hogan in that he didn't conform his ways especially against the boss(whom the audience now knew for sure ran the whole shebang on television unlike before). Again it was the opposite of the 80's due to the court procedures in the early 90's due to the steroid scandal and so on.

However, it can be argued easily that Hogan became an opposite composite of himself in the nWo and the fans reacted greatly due to the stuff I mentioned above. It wasn't that the company forced the issue, but it was more just awareness of the times changing towards its attitude toward Hogan due to the early 90's.


Cena again originally lucked out as well being the rapper that Stephanie Mcmahon just heard outside the ring. He really was a fan of the genre and the fanfare resonated with audiences who also listened to the same music(Randy Savage even became a rapper because the art was so popular at the time). I think Cena morphed more out of necessity to keep him hot with the audiences because the rapper only gimmick would have ran out of steam.

When the fans started to give mix reactions the company ran with it since the more adult audience was rebelling that Cena was the new babyface of the company in comparison to what Austin and Rock were. The kids liked him and the company being stubborn stuck with Cena despite the split and made a PG Era.

All these things were really more about the top draw/star persona forming the direction of the company more than the company forming the star into what it wanted to be to lead the company. I think it should be that way too as there needs to be synergy with the audience.

As for who? It could be someone in the company or not even around right now. It depends on something a wrestler does that makes the fans see them as a star and the company just jumps on it to shoot him to the stars.

Berlo

I would say CM Punk is definitely the definition of this generation. I'm only 21 years old, but he is a smart ass, speaks his mind, he is up to date with today's modern social networking and media. The internet is filled with trolls and I personally think he fits the modern era nicely.

promoter2003

I think he does too actually, but the ship has passed. Cena was still pushed over him and it seems Cena will be here longer than him anyways. Punk doesn't seem to be sticking around too much longer after his next contract supposedly.

Pervythemilkman

Cena and Punk are easily the Rock and Austin of this era. As for who will take the torch after them? There's nobody in the company that stands out. it would have to be someone with charisma with a rebellious attitude. I think the fans are sick of the generic muscular babyface role. But there's nobody currently on the roster who could ever make it to that level. We'll just have to wait a few years.

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Not removing until:
[] Cena breaks Undertaker's streak
[] Cena turns heel and becomes interesting again
[] CM Punk Becomes WWE Champion again
[] Vince McMahon gives the company to HHH
[] WWE stops hiring soap opera writers
[] The PG era ends
[] WWE stops force feeding us boring ass faces like Shaemus and Rybotch
[] I actually care about the midcard again (read: fire Cesaro)