As the sun was setting on the reign of Stone Cold Steve Austin and The Rock in WWE with the Attitude Era came to a close, the company found itself in a predicament. It desperately needed to unearth a new superstar who would hold the mantle of these wrestling giants. Their solution, or rather, solutions, lay in the promising Ohio Valley Wrestling class of 2002, often referred to as the gold standard of WWE’s talent factory.
- Vince McMahon chose John Cena as the face of WWE over other contenders.
- Cena emerged from the Ohio Valley Wrestling class of 2002, which included Brock Lesnar and Randy Orton.
- Cena’s hip-hop street rapping persona impressed McMahon, leading to his push.
The 2002 class boasted the likes of Brock Lesnar, Randy Orton, Batista, Shelton Benjamin, and, of course, John Cena. Each of these performers would go on to achieve varying degrees of success, but it was Cena who emerged as the ‘Chosen One’, the superstar that the company decided to throw its full weight behind.
The choice was not simple. As WWE Hall of Famer and then backstage agent Arn Anderson recalled on his ARN podcast, there was a toss-up between Cena, Orton, and Batista for the coveted spot of WWE’s new flag-bearer. This internal debate reveals just how competitive the field was at the time. Randy Orton, despite his incredible talent, struggled to win over the crowd during his initial push, leading WWE to reevaluate its decision. Batista, on the other hand, despite garnering significant reactions from the crowd, was sidelined due to injuries.
And thus, it was Cena who, after impressing with his unique hip-hop street rapping persona, found himself as the potential successor to the WWE throne. Yet, there was a fair amount of apprehension and resistance in the locker room. WWE’s plan to push Cena came with its own set of challenges, as it demanded that other performers ‘put Cena over’, often in record time, a move that didn’t sit well with many.
Arn Anderson found himself at the heart of these discussions. After proving his mentorship skills by guiding Goldberg during his legendary undefeated streak at WCW, Anderson was entrusted by Vince McMahon to help Cena hone his craft and prepare him for his meteoric rise.
The direction was clear: “Okay Arn, I am giving Cena to you, teach him how to work, teach him the business,” McMahon said, as recalled by Anderson. The grooming process wasn’t easy, but Anderson’s extensive experience, coupled with his politicking skills, were instrumental in getting the locker room on board with the plan.
As Cena was being molded into the superstar that he is today, he carried WWE on his shoulders from 2006 to 2016, a time when the company was in dire need of a guiding star. Cena’s reign wasn’t without its controversies, and his ‘Super Cena’ persona drew mixed reactions from fans.
Still, it’s difficult to understate Cena’s commitment to the company and his relentless work ethic, as he’s participated in a WWE match for every year that he’s been active.
Ultimately, fans will fondly remember the Cena era as a unique chapter in the history of the WWE, where it leaned on a single superstar to keep them afloat.
Today, Cena, like The Rock, has made a successful transition to Hollywood, making his appearances inside the WWE ring infrequent yet nostalgic.
The good news is that fans won’t be missing out on Cena at all as he’s poised to be a fixture on streaming and TV platforms with big-time roles in the DC Universe as Peacemaker and as Jakob Torreto in Fast and Furious 11, among several others.
