Why do people hate on Cena? I have heard time and again that he is considered a "controversial champion" b/c of the boos he's received, even while facing guys who would be considered "heels". Could it be the flipside of the "Attitude Era", where guys like Steve Austin and Triple H could be dirt-style but still win the accolades of fans looking for the "anti-hero"?
When Cena was a heel, he cracked me up. His "freestyles" before matches always seemed to get laughs as well, from the older matches I've seen (throwbacks and heavy chains, holla). Could it be the hatred for what could be considered as a "wigga" appeal? He did rock the Reebok Pumps, baggy shorts, blasted Rap tracks as his entrance, and seemed to be that one kid who grew up around Black people, but was never truly down. Any other White WWE superstar comes to the ring with the sounds of straight up aggro-Rock, which is all good, but the Rap and Rock crowds don't always meet in the middle. Could it be genre/racially charged?
Maybe it's what I like to call the Hogan Factor. Hulk Hogan was a big star for years, and would be #1 if he touched down in the WWE today for a title run. The thing is, when he's a face, due to whatever it is - his legacy, his seemingly limited moveset, whatever the case may be - he gets immediate hate. It seems as though Cena is living through the same kind of hate. Thing is, it doesn't help that he has held the WWE Championship for so long. He is a fighting champion, but he's no Ric Flair or Harley Race, nahmean?
At the end of the day, I gather it's probably all of these reasons, and ones I never thought of, that lead to Cena staying on the hate side of things. Until the powers that be decide to dethrone him, though, he will stay that way - unless he puts on a throwback and starts bustin' lyrics again.
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