In the 21st century, John Cena’s contribution to the WWE Universe is hard to ignore. Once referred to as the Face of WWE, Cena was a beloved Babyface superstar, admired and respected by fans worldwide.
However, now that ‘The Cenation Leader’ is 46 years old, WWE needs to find a new replacement for him. According to one pro wrestling legend, WWE is already grooming a new superstar to take Cena’s place.
Disco Inferno Offers Insights on Cody Rhodes
According to Disco Inferno, the wrestler who will replace John Cena as the top star in WWE is none other than Cody Rhodes. Inferno made this claim on “Keepin’ It 100 Official,” the podcast he co-hosts with Konnan. He went on to explain that Rhodes is following in Cena’s footsteps, from working with Make-A-Wish to handling his media obligations.
“They’re grooming the next John Cena. A super over baby face that checks all the boxes and looks great. He does the Make-A-Wish stuff, he does the appearances, he does the media. The John Cena spot. They’ve gotta replace John Cena!” said Disco Inferno.
A fan asked Inferno about Cody Rhodes’ success since returning to WWE. Disco pointed out that Rhodes has defeated top stars like Seth Rollins, taken out Brock Lesnar, won the Royal Rumble consecutively, and has never suffered a clean loss.
According to Disco Inferno, this has made him the ultimate babyface in WWE. With that in mind, it’s understandable why The American Nightmare would draw a comparison to Cena. However, they are two completely different superstars on separate paths. But the love the WWE Universe has for them is what makes them so similar.
Cody Rhodes: Rising as WWE’s Potential New Superhero to Fill the Void Left by John Cena?
Companies and sports teams often struggle to replace their once-star players. Upcoming talents may imitate their predecessors but rarely live up to their standards. However, WWE seems to have found a solution to this problem with Cody Rhodes, who has become a perfect replacement for John Cena. After joining WWE from a rival promotion, Rhodes has fit seamlessly into the company’s machinery.
Cody Rhodes has a deep passion for sports entertainment in his blood. Those who witnessed his interactions with Paul Heyman leading up to WrestleMania are well aware of this fact. As the son of legendary wrestler Dusty Rhodes, Cody was destined for greatness. Although it took him a while and a somewhat an indirect path to reach the pinnacle of WWE, he appears to be entirely at ease in the spotlight.
Rhodes’s current role in WWE seems to have been inspired by John Cena’s transition into a part-time schedule in recent years. Similar to Cena, Cody’s appearances are limited to special events where he interacts with the crowd and verbally attacks his rivals before ultimately putting them over in the ring.
John Cena’s promos had a unique ability to hype seemingly middling feuds due to his impassioned promo style. One that comes to mind is his interactions with Miz and Maryse ahead of their WrestleMania match, which also involved Nikki Bella, Cena’s real-life partner at the time. Cena can carry feuds solely based on his talking skills, as evidenced by his shoot-style promo against Roman Reigns ahead of No Mercy in 2017.
Cody Rhodes possesses a unique talent for captivating audiences with his emotional speeches, particularly when discussing his rivalries. While this is a common trait among performers, Cody stands out due to his seamless execution.
‘The American Nightmare’ has become the primary figure in the company for delivering such performances. Even when the feuds themselves lack emotional investment, Cody has a knack for linking personal stories that engage and entertain audiences.
There are certain similarities between Cody’s style of passionately staged wrestling promos with a dose of reality and Cena’s run as a part-timer. After 2015, the 16-time world champion would often break the fourth wall while talking, and Cody tends to do the same. Therefore, there is a great similarity in how the two of them self-market themselves.
Cena was a prominent wrestler during his prime in WWE. He always held a significant spot on the card, with his segments on the weekly television shows Raw and SmackDown being one of the main attractions. His matches on premium live events would often be the main events, and even if he wasn’t technically in the main event, he would still feel like one due to how important WWE made him feel.
Cody Rhodes and John Cena share a common trait. Since Cody’s return to WWE, he has been presented as a star and his position on the card reflects this. His debut entrance was grand and WWE has continued to maintain that level of grandeur. Cody was initially pushed into a feud against Seth Rollins, and although it is unclear how WWE planned to keep his momentum going, Cody’s unfortunate injury provided a perfect opportunity to revive his push upon his return.
After suffering a major injury, Cody returned to the ring and was welcomed back as a crowd favorite. His absence had made fans appreciate him more. Since then, his second run with the company has been similar to Cena’s in terms of their impact on the card.
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