10 Secrets To Vince McMahon's Success
3. John Cena
John Cena was the perfect choice to lead WWE into the lucrative PG Era.
Yes, he represented a reversion to type. In his garish colour scheme, comeback routine and triumvirate of moral mantras, Cena was very much the modern Hulk Hogan - but can you blame McMahon? Despite nightly showers of abuse from the older set wise to the trick, Cena was a super-charismatic and super-dedicated workhorse whose immense popularity secured a new generation of fans - and cosy arrangements with several sponsors, the likes of which would not have touched WWE, had Cena's beaming, child-friendly visage not acted as a lure. Cena was similarly PR-friendly; his work with the Make-A-Wish Foundation in particular was fundamental in scrubbing the company's public image, post-Chris Benoit.
That garish, ever-evolving colour scheme also helped WWE shift a ludicrous amount of merchandise - helpful in determining the scope of Cena's enduring appeal in an age in which traditional metrics started to fall by the wayside.
Cena is a hero to kids, and a big match worker even to those reluctant to outwardly praise him - and his house show pull hasn't yet been picked up.