Column: Cena or Batista?
John Cena, you either love him or you hate him, with the majority over the age of 12 hating him. He has been described as the most overrated wrestler ever, that’s unlikely, the worst wrestler ever, impossible, the most annoying, possibly. But whatever your opinion on him there’s no doubt that he works extremely hard both in and out of the ring to promote the company, because at the end of the day he is a company man. He goes out and does what he’s told, reads the script he is given and responds to the hundreds of interviews he takes per year. So in my mind, although not being the most talented man to step in a ring he still works extremely hard and essentially does nothing over than what he is told.
However this article is not about the controversial lighting rod known as John Cena, no today I’m looking at another who is considered overrated, over hyped and overvalued by most, however this someone receives a fraction of the abuse and criticism Cena does. This man is Dave Bautista.
Batista’s history in WWE is common knowledge to most, as he was practically hand groomed by both Ric Flair and Triple H as part of Evolution. In Evolution he was quite good as the muscle in the group and his turn on Triple H leading up to Wrestlemania 21 was done well allowing him to be viewed as a main event level star. Since then injuries have plagued him and he has had few noticeable feuds apart from with The Undertaker. So let us go through Cena’s so called bad points and compare with Batista.
Move Set:
One main thing people say when criticizing Cena is his lack of moves, however I find this to be untrue as I can name at least ten off the top of my head. Batista on the other hand is far more limited and with clotheslines taking up most of his match’s there is no doubt that he is far more restricted in the ring.
Matches:
Cena’s matches are certainly not the best with many people disliking his “Superman” like comebacks however consider what he is working with he is not producing bad matches. In the past he has been given wrestlers such as The Great Khali, Umaga and more recently Big Show who are all fairly restricted performers in their own right. Compare these to those who Batista has worked with Orton, Undertaker, HBK, Chris Jericho and Edge then you should see a dramatic difference in match quality however Batista has, the majority of the time failed to produce consistently good matches with them.
Vocal Skills;
On the microphone Batista is often cheesy, basic and boring and although this may be all he has been given his promos often come across as quite lazy. While people may dislike some of Cena’s promos there is no doubt that he puts effort in and although irritating at times he certainly gets a reaction.
Now while neither of them are perfect and I am by no means John Cena’s biggest fan, I feel that the stick which he gets is more deserved for someone like Batista. If you consider the fact that Batista was groomed by Ric Flair and Triple H and has been given feuds with so many of the top wrestlers, he rarely delivers main event performances. A major reason why I dislike Batista is his arrogance, an arrogance I believe he has not earned. It is well known that he has in the past, bashed his own company and openly criticized wrestlers who in many eyes are much better than him. His injuries have grown ridiculous as every time he comes back he has put on more weight and muscle and thus quickly means he is back on the shelf with some tear on a bicep or triceps.
[Remember you can follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/wrestlingnews]
SUBSCRIBE TO WRESTLING NEWS FEED!
Categories: Columns and Editorials
Back To: Wrestling News
I must say for the most part everything you said is true. Even I, whom is totally disgusted by John Cena, have to give him some kind of bone. But Batista is just disgusting. If WWE had any sense they’d just make him a heel so his arrogance would be halfway tolerable.
batista is ok in my view, i just have a feeling he’s on the juice cause of the kind of injuries he keeps on getting. Don’t even get me started on cena. he’s like hogan with hair and shitty rap skills. both made horrid movies.
I agree with you one hundred percent. Thanks for the article.
CENA IS WAY BETTER THAN BATISTA.
their both as bad as each other in my point.
At times ill stick up for Cena when necessary but i still detest the man. WWE could/would be worst without him. Without a doubt no matter how much you hate him he facianates you more. You will always have something to say about him, a opinion and even in Cena unrealted even wrestling unrelated convosations, you will always find someway to add him in.
As hor Botc… Batista, once upon a time i did like the “Animal” which he isnt anymore so they can stop calling him that, but now when i see him i…
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
i disagree batista not boring and he is very good and he not had that many injury only his thrid time out in seven years his right arm his hamstring and left arm do to orton. he worked though alot of his injurys unlike cena who couldnt wrestle after backlash for a month, batista went seven months on a torn hsmstring last year becaue cena was out with so called broken neck.
im my view batista ten time the wrestler cena is and has alot more movves and is himself in the ring all times
that why cena only has one wwe title and two whc title on tag title
wehere batista has four whc title and one wwe title and five tag team title two with ric flair two with mysterio and one with cena last year ten titles in four year four whc title in four whc title in threee years os batista is way better in ring and out of the ring with only three time out of action. he is not injury porned or is he putting on wieght or muscle he looks the same cena the one gaining weight and trying to gain muscle. dave baitsta is just being himself stay in shape and healthy last injury was a bull shit injury becaue orton was a asshole over lossing his title.
Im glad they call it world wrestling entertainment now, even though they should take wrestling out of the name also. Truthfully professional wrestling has always been “worked” so why does in ring ability have much to do with it? If a performer trains hard,learns the bumps and the moves, learns how to fall and act, and they put on a good show they are good in my book, just some personalities make better champions Batista is a good face his arrogance is natural but as a heel with his size his would be nothing less than someone to pushover smaller guys. Hes reminds me of The Ultimate Warrior in many ways he would have been a lousy heel. John Cena a great talker and gets the crowed worked up thats what the busisness is all about. Get the fans worked up one way or another. Where would wrestling be without storylines? It would be extinct
i was a fan of cenas when he started and when he was on smackdown, that said i was a fan of batistas when he was on smackdown. The one thing they have most in common is they were better there. Since leaving smackdown cena has turned from a smart ass rapper to a to a wannabe gangsta/soilder. Batista was an animal with the title on smackdown and now is just a big bloke with roid rage. but cena still has the drive, batista just looks like hes well bored and doesnt know what to do to get people to yell for him
Griff is right, when they took cenas freestyle away he went from ebarrasing his oppents and whoever he wanted to being a kids chump. as for batista the animal has been tamed caged and trained for a zoo.
I really like Cena compared to a lot of the WWE main eventers
But Batista i absolutely dispise (Read his bio on this website and try to think differently). His moves are sloppy, matches slow.
Batista interviews worse than Khali and has the wrestling skills of the blue meanie whereas Cena talks like the Rock and wrestles like Rocky Johnson
and leviathen cenas title history is this:
World Heavyweight Championship 2 times
World Tag Team Championship 2 times – with Shawn Michaels 1 and Batista 1
WWE Championship 3 times
WWE United States Championship 3 times
Royal Rumble Winner 2008
Wheras batistas is:
World Heavyweight Championship 4 times
World Tag Team Championship 3 times – with Ric Flair 2 and John Cena 1
WWE Championship 1 time
WWE Tag Team Championship 1 time – with Rey Mysterio
Royal Rumble Winner 2005
they both suck
Cena has the uncanny ability to make anyone famous from his battle with Umaga and Khali. To he unforgetable feets at Wrestlemania against Triple H and Shawn Michaels. John cena is without a doubt a wrestlers wrestler. I believe the age old saying is “That dawm good”
I’m with you on this. I’m not really a big John Cena or Batista fan as far as their on-screen characters and wrestling skills go, but they both seem to be nice, stand-up guys. Cena has done HEAPS for the WWE, and he is definitely the new Steve Austin in terms of mainstream exposure. But I too am frustrated that whenever I bring up something about Batista’s lack of wrestling skills, charisma and formidable mic work in a column, I am quickly shot down by the responses, saying Batista is great, he deserves his spot, and yada, yada, yada. While I’m not saying he should be fired or given a lesser role on-screen, I’m agreeing that he doesn’t get enough criticism, or at least as much as Cena does.
Batista is a more of a ‘meh’ than a ‘you suck’
Cena, on the other hand is ‘I hope you quit wrestling’ type of
guy.
You have to understand that by no means am I saying Cena is god’s gift to wrestling. I feel, however that he is better than Batista.
The fact is if Batista didn’t look like he ate gyms in his spare time he wouldn’t have any sort of job in WWE.
Really can’t stand John Cena I just hate how he is always getting a push and he is the modern day “superman”. Batista is old fashion, which i like, just his presence is enough!!!
Batista rules john Cena thinks he is all that becuase he has more fans
John cena makes me snore when i see him fight
Vote for me John cena
John cana sucks ass
just face it batista won the match at summerslam vs john cena so nobody has to be fighting over a match beside i’m a fan of BATISTA
I WALK ALONE
True. But neither of them are that special.
Another great and concise colomn,
I totally agree with all that you have said.
Cena is nothing more than a manufactored WWE merchandising selling phenom, with at least one move more than Hulk Hogan.
But he one ability that Batista, doesnot. Cena is not affraid of the mic!!!
Allthough Cena cuts a promo full of cheese, he delieveres it which such conviction, that puts him over with the crowd.
I totally cringe when Batista, comes to the ring with a mic, and does his nervous clear his throat laugh, before attempting to cut a lame ass promo.
Batista’s move set is just as boring as Cena’s.Turn buckle shoulder charges, boring, rope revesal into clothes line, seen it, spear, shades of goldberg, then takes us home with a spine buster, followed by his finisher a modifed seated powerbomb.
A typical Batista match= yawn fest.
So having said all that Batista, should be getting some heat for his wrestling and mic abilities. If it wasn’t for Triple H and Flair mentoring him and giving him the “rub” he certainly wouldn’t be a main event player today.
I can only think of maybe two matches that Batista shined,
Wrestlemania 23 vs Undertaker, and Backlash Steel cage match with HHH.
Sounds like Batista is thinking about retiring when in the next 5 years, to follow a direct to DVD B movie career.
Cena will continue to draw money for the WWE.