10 WWE Main Eventers Fans Rejected

7. John Cena

Roman Reigns The Rock
WWE.com

When John Cena eventually retires, he’ll go down as one of the most divisive performers in WWE history. He has been pushed as the company’s franchise player for well over a decade, and the 15 years since his debut have been wrought with arguments over his push, character, wrestling ability, and unfortunate propensity to bury every rising star he does battle with.

Roman Reigns has since inherited Cena’s role as WWE’s most detested babyface, but the 16-time World Champion’s stubborn detractors remain. In fairness, his rap sheet is too long to ignore. Bray Wyatt, Wade Barrett, and countless others have seen their momentum squashed by the unstoppable Cena juggernaut, and the “never give up” shtick is trite and nauseating. This has more to do with the way John has been booked than any fault of the man himself, of course, but the backlash is understandable.

Cena’s heat diminishes with every passing year, as increasing numbers of fans grow to appreciate what he brings to the business. He has always had a huge following among younger fans, but Cena was one of the most hated men in the company at the peak of his Superman push, which can’t be disregarded.

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Andy has been with WhatCulture for eight years and is currently WhatCulture's Wrestling Channel Manager. A writer, presenter, and editor with 10+ years of experience in online media, he has been a sponge for all wrestling knowledge since playing an old Royal Rumble 1992 VHS to ruin in his childhood. Having previously worked for Bleacher Report, Andy specialises in short and long-form writing, video presenting, voiceover acting, and editing, all characterised by expert wrestling knowledge and commentary. Andy is as much a fan of 1985 Jim Crockett Promotions as he is present-day AEW and WWE - just don't make him choose between the two.