John Cena has everything wrestling promoters revere. He’s well-built, good-looking, has a ton of charisma, and delivers in big match situations. He sells a ton of merchandise, is an ambassador for the business, and goes out of his way for charity. He should be the biggest babyface in the 40-year history of World Wrestling Entertainment, but he is reviled by half of the audience. Why?
The answer is simple: John Cena is a superhero. Every month he has a new enemy to vanquish. He’ll get beaten down, but he’s never in peril. You know that even though Mark Henry or Kane is booked to be a monster, Cena will hit him with the Attitude Adjustment and move on. This goes against the most basic principle of professional wrestling.
A babyface is supposed to be a normal human being under extraordinary circumstances. He is the blank slate for the fans to project their hopes, dreams and desires. If you can’t identify with the hero, then the heel’s ultimate defeat is meaningless. Fans cannot identify with John Cena, because he has no flaws. He doesn’t get distracted by the cheers of the crowd, he never bleeds, and he has no discernable ego. There is no reason for anyone over 12 to get behind him.
Dusty Rhodes is the polar opposite of John Cena. He’s middle-aged, fat and has a speech impediment, yet he is arguably the greatest babyface in the history of the business. I’ll let him explain why.
Every young babyface should be forced to watch “Hard Times” at least once a day. Rhodes gives his entire reason for being in three and a half minutes. He is a family man that doesn’t particularly care to fight anymore, but Ric Flair and the Four Horsemen have pushed him to his breaking point. He admits that he is not perfect, but he will do his best. This line is key:
“I HAVEN’T FORGOTTEN THE LOVE THAT WAS GIVEN TO ME, AND I WILL REPAY YOU BY BECOMING THE WORLD’S HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION.”
Rhodes wants the title so he can repay the fans for their kindness. While the babyface doesn’t need to be entirely selfless, the fans are always their motivation for getting into the squared circle. For of all of Cena’s talk about his Chain Gang, he has never been able to connect with his audience on an intimate level. If he can do that, the catcalls will disappear.
The reason professional wrestling has survived for a century is because human beings have an innate need to see good conquer evil. With all the changes in the pop cultural landscape, that one trope remained constant, from Bruno Sammartino to Steve Austin. If the babyface is replaced by Superman, this American art form will cease to exist. Without conflict, there is no drama.