10 Wrestlers That Only Seemed Cool When You Were A Kid

by Walter Lyng

1. John Cena

Because he€™s basically been working the same babyface gimmick for more than a decade, there€™s probably fans out there who may have started out digging John Cena when they were younger, but who now can€™t stand the guy. Vanilla ice cream, after all, is tasty, but no one is going to like it if it€™s constantly shoved down their throats for ten years. It€™s really a question of over-exposure.

Whereas the foul-mouthed Stone Cold Steve Austin was the face of the Attitude Era, John Cena is very much the face of the kid-friendly PG era we currently find ourselves in. He wears bright colours, he espouses messages of positivity and he visits sick kids all the time. Almost always overcoming adversity, he€™s not referred to as €˜Super Cena€™ for nothing. Except, when the nickname €˜Super Cena€™ is thrown around, it€™s usually by snarky adult fans who are sick and tired of the never-ending Cena push.

While he may not be the greatest wrestler of all time, he is much better in the ring than many of the people on this list, although that doesn€™t stop legions of haters from bashing him at every turn.

Yes, there are adult fans of Cena, but at least some of that love seems to be the ironic appreciation of the smarkiest of fans who delight in being contrary to the popular opinion of the Internet Wrestling Community. And really, is there anything sadder than seeing a grown man at a live WWE event decked out from head to toe in Fruity Pebbles-themed Cena merchandise? Remember, it€™s only cute when little kids wave their hands in front of their faces.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MjVkY-XducU

Contributor

I am a writer and stand-up comedian living in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. I didn't witness the Bret Hart screw job in person, but I did watch the Breaking Point PPV live and that was terrible it its own way. I am dangerously obsessed with professional wrestling and its surrounding culture. I am the current ring announcer for a local fed called the IWS. I got to introduce Tommy Dreamer a while back. My head almost exploded. I am a mark, and proud of it. I also co-host a podcast called Go Plug Yourself, which has featured quite a few local wrestlers and even Mick Foley. Speaking of the Mickster, I once got to be his warmup act when he was in town for comiccon. My head actually exploded that time. I've recovered... sort of.