[The Lady Killer]

To be honest I don't see anyone approaching Cena's level for a really long time.

It's crazy to think that a few years ago we had a roster consisting of 7-8 full-time Cena's (HBK, HHH, Taker, Rock, Austin, Angle, etc).

Also, I'd still say Orton is a bigger draw atm than Punk (not saying much either way).

[Starbuck]

It's crazy to think that the message still hasn't got through that they need more than 1 Cena to build a fucking show around.

[The Lady Killer]

Yeah I've gave up on that message being delivered long ago.

[Starbuck]

You're going to start shit with that Orton comment lol. His peak trumps Punk's peak by a considerable distance but at the same time, Orton had a much more established supporting cast. As for the whole SD thing, if the roles were reversed and Punk was on SD as the sole 'star' I don't think the ratings there would be any better with him at the helm. The problem on SD is much worse than on Raw.

[NearFall]

I know Starbuck, but I was just replying to it. As for only having 1 Cena? Well, that message will seldom be read by them, and even more seldom be taken to heart. Outta interest, when did Cena last lose clean before The Rock? I know Punk came close to "clean" at MITB 2011(some actually consider it clean, but that is BS), but still, I am curious. I think they will ride out the wave that is Cena as long as they can. And when he goes, then they will realise, "Fuck, we need new guys".

As for Orton/Punk debate. Well, Orton drew and had more success in his big run rather than Punk that is just a fact, but it is too much for me to get into now as to my full opinion.(Supporting wrestlers for feuds, timeframe, averages, overall aftermath etc) lol

[The Lady Killer]

Yeah, I figured that'd be a fire starter but fuck it, it's true. The difference is that nobody cares about SD! Results are posted ahead of time and it's always painfully obvious that it's the B-level show. It'd be interesting to see what would happen to Raw's ratings if they swapped Punk for Orton, or even moved Orton to Raw to shake the main event scene up a bit. Punk/Orton is something we've seen before but Punk was nowhere near the level he's at now when they faced each other previously.

[Pro Royka]

Originally Posted by The Lady Killer

To be honest I don't see anyone approaching Cena's level for a really long time.

It's crazy to think that a few years ago we had a roster consisting of 7-8 full-time Cena's (HBK, HHH, Taker, Rock, Austin, Angle, etc).

That's the problem with wrestling today. Nowadays everyone gets limited opportunities, and Cena gets unlimited opportunities.

[The Lady Killer]

They're afraid of taking Cena out of the main event for fear of a drop in revenue/ratings/merch sales/etc, but at the same time it's extremely dangerous to put all your eggs in one basket. In reality, it's killing their product. They're fortunate that Cena has remained this healthy over the last 8 years.

[PHX]

Originally Posted by The Lady Killer

Basically, the only full time member of the roster who can draw a dime is Cena. That should be common sense to anyone. All of this TV ratings analysis is futile.

I don't like this misconception as it comes off as people think T.V ratings in 2012 is a indication of how much money a guy is pulling in. Not saying you're doing that with your post but I've seen others with this outlook. Obviously Punk is bringing in some money for Vince or else they would have took the belt off of him long ago. He's still a top merch seller (which seems to be a very underminded aspect on this site), the house shows are doing fine and at one point had to put Punk on the Smackdown shows to help attendance when Orton got suspended. Apparently does better than Cena in regards to people showing up for comic con which there is money there. And of course when it comes to using the hometown factor to pack a house that seems to be a strength they have in Punk since there isn't anyone on the roster who is more loved in their hometown than he is. So Punk is obviously putting money in the companies pocket. Then you got a guy like Rey who always sells merch and is very important to the latin market same with Sin Cara to a lesser extent. I'm sure Orton helps them sell live event tickets for the Smackdown brand, and merch too.

So I don't agree with this assumption that only Cena makes money for the company and everyone else doesn't contribute at all. He of course makes them the most money but not ALL of it is all I'm saying.

[The Lady Killer]

Well look at PPV buyrates. I think the only ones that saw a significant increase from last year were the ones that featured Taker/Rock/Brock/HHH.