Who Are the All-Time Aces of WWE? (Part 2)

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🟢3rd Ace: John Cena🟢

In the mid-2000s, with both Austin and The Rock gone, WWE chose Cena as the next big star.
His character was a classic, straight-laced hero like Hogan, making him incredibly popular with children.

However, adult fans accustomed to the edge of the Attitude Era found him underwhelming,

and he was often booed despite being the ace.



Nevertheless, as a polarizing star, he remained the face of the company and eventually became known as the G.O.A.T. (Greatest of All Time). He is also dedicated to charity work, and his efforts to encourage those with serious illnesses truly make him a superhero.

His nickname is "


The Champ", which means he is a champion in the truest sense, having held the world title a record 17 times.
Like The Rock, he would go on to find great success as a Hollywood actor.

🔵4th Ace: Roman Reigns🔵

In the mid-2010s, Reigns, with his impressive physique and wrestling lineage, took the baton as the next ace after Cena.
Like Cena before him, he had many detractors, and whenever he succeeded, he was criticized for being pushed too hard and was constantly booed.

However, during the self-restraint period of the COVID-19 pandemic, he suddenly turned heel. He began unfolding an epic storyline involving his own family.


Calling himself the "

Tribal Chief", he played a villainous role while reinventing himself as a compelling character, which sent his reputation soaring.

He gradually began to receive cheers, successfully turning from a hated hero into a beloved villain, a remarkable comeback in popularity. He has reached a record 10 main event appearances at WrestleMania. He remains the undisputed ace, still carrying the WWE banner today.

[Summary]

So, I have briefly introduced who I consider to be the all-time aces of WWE.

I wrote at the beginning of Part 1 that this year is a year of many milestones, and that applies to them as well;

this year, Hogan passed away, and Cena retired from active competition. Meanwhile, Reigns turned 40.

Current World Champion Cody Rhodes is also 40. We are in an era of extreme aging where most of the mainstays in WWE are nearing or over 40.

It is time, or rather, it is long past time, for a generational change.


Who will become the 5th ace?
A few years ago, I was certain it would be Austin Theory, but now he has completely faded into the background.


Is it Bron Breakker, Dominik Mysterio, or perhaps a new face we haven't seen yet?

Starting with New Japan Pro-Wrestling and AEW, new generations are rising in promotions both domestically and abroad, but I feel WWE is quite behind in this regard.


That is exactly why I am secretly looking forward to seeing the main roster change drastically over the next few years.

By the way, this article is based on a post I wrote for a blog I used to run.



I posted it under the same title, "WWE All-Time Aces," the year before last (2023), when WWE celebrated its 60th anniversary.

At that time, the content was meant to introduce the ace of each decade, and I wrote:

1960s-70s: Bruno Sammartino, 1980s: Hulk Hogan, 1990s: Steve Austin, 2000s: The Rock, 2010s: John Cena, 2020s: Roman Reigns

.
However, this classification is quite forced.
In particular, it makes no sense to label The Rock, who stepped down from the lead role around 2002, as the ace of the 2000s.
So, focusing on the fact that this year marks the 40th anniversary of WrestleMania, I divided the time from the first event in 1985 to the present into roughly 10-year segments. Then, I found that I could divide the eras perfectly:

Late 1980s to early 1990s (WrestleMania 1-10)... The Hogan Era,
Late 1990s to early 2000s (WrestleMania 11-20)... The Austin Era,

Late 2000s to early 2010s (WrestleMania 21-30)... The Cena Era,


Early 2010s to early 2020s (WrestleMania 31-40)... The Reigns Era.

Furthermore, if I include the trivia I discovered a few years ago (which perhaps only a few people in the world have noticed),



"Only four people in WWE history have won the main event of WrestleMania for two or more consecutive years"



,

I thought I could call these four wrestlers the all-time aces, which led to this writing.


(Let's consider Bruno Sammartino, who was omitted this time, as the 0th ace, and The Rock as the 2.5th ace.) WWE's all-time aces... Who comes to mind for you?

Of course, there is no right answer, and it is natural to have differing opinions, so if you have your own thoughts, please feel free to leave them in the comments section.

(Please refrain from any criticism or slander against me or the wrestlers.)

The interesting thing about professional wrestling is that everyone can have their own ideas and principles. I would like to continue writing my own wrestling analysis in the future.



Finally, I would like to close with the phrase that plays at the opening of WWE programs. THEN, NOW, FOREVER, TOGETHER. Thank you for reading until the end.

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