For years, many fans and critics have questioned why WWE struggled to build younger main-event stars during the late 2000s and 2010s. Now, John Cena believes he may have played a role in that himself.
His comments come as fans continue the discussion about WWE’s lack of young world champions in recent years. Bray Wyatt was the last WWE world champion under 30 years old when he won the title in 2017. Almost a decade has passed and most of WWE’s top championships have stayed around veteran stars instead of younger talent.
John Cena says his WWE generation stayed on top too long
In a recent interview with CBS Sports, Cena looked back on WWE’s changing environment. He admitted that his generation stayed on top for much longer than most wrestling eras usually do.
“I don’t think one reason points in that direction. Gosh, it could be someone like me who had an unprecedented stay of 23 years. Keep in mind, that’s not the usual career length of a WWE Champion and Superstar,” Cena said.
Cena also pointed to the famous Ohio Valley Wrestling class that produced stars like Randy Orton, Batista, and Brock Lesnar. According to him, the long success of that group hindered younger wrestlers from breaking into the main event scene.
“And alongside me, Randy Orton, side by side. Batista, a little bit of a shorter run, and Brock Lesnar in and out. But that class that you spoke of so highly, we had an anomaly of longevity and success, and that takes up time and spots,” Cena added.
From the mid-2000s through much of the 2010s, WWE heavily built the company around Cena as its top babyface. The success of his generation was massive. Unlike stars such as Stone Cold Steve Austin and The Rock, whose runs at the top were brief because of injuries or Hollywood careers, Cena, Orton and Lesnar stayed consistent main-event names for well over a decade.
However, Cena made it clear that WWE’s future now belongs to a younger generation.
“So now you’re talking about, as we wane out, certainly my chapter’s done, Batista’s chapter’s done, Brock…Randy’s kinda the only one left. Now, new performers are gonna get those spots, and those are going to go to the most seasoned performers that connect with the audience, and they just happen to be a little bit of the older scale. That doesn’t mean, I don’t think we’re ruling out the possibility of a young champion in the very near future, because we are loaded with youth, speed and talent,” Cena said.
Over the last few years, Cena has openly talked about helping WWE’s next generation. His recent appearances have mostly focused on pushing newer talents as well.
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