10 Ridiculous Wrestling Gimmicks That Shouldn't Have Worked (But Did)
3. Rapping John Cena
John Cena’s WWE debut saw him answer Kurt Angle’s open challenge and push the Olympic gold medalist to the limits in a hotly-contested singles match. Cena was incredibly green at the time, but he made an immediate impact on the audience, and was well on his way to establishing himself in WWE.
Four months after debuting on SmackDown, Cena came to the ring dressed as Vanilla Ice and performed a quick freestyle rap. Taking place, as it did, on a Halloween-themed episode, many assumed Cena was cosplaying and the act would be a one-off, but it grew with each passing week.
Cena became “The Doctor of Thugonomics.” The chains got bigger, the clothes baggier, and the rapped promos became more and more entertaining. Though still learning his craft between the ropes, Cena was legitimately entertaining on the microphone, and as ridiculous as the idea of aping a washed-up white rapper on WWE television seemed, the gimmick made Cena WWE’s biggest babyface.
Initially running as a comedy character, Cena became a legitimate main eventer and the rest is history. He’d eventually abandon the rapping for the “Super Cena” persona that’s provoked so much ire over the years, but the corny rapper gimmick made Cena a megastar, and his legitimate wit on the microphone put it over the top.