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For those wanting to elevate wrestling's proverbial "Mount Rushmore" discussion, the question then becomes: who would be labeled a "generational talent" — a wrestler so skilled and impactful during their era that they stand out as the absolute best among their peers? The gang on "Busted Open Radio" recently went down this rabbit hole, using the legendary and influential Lou Thesz as a benchmark. Pondering whether John Cena fits that description, WWE Hall of Famer Mark Henry ultimately concluded that he does.
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"The elite of the elite, that's where I put John," Henry said. "How could they not be a generational person? John Cena made as much money as anybody ever made. Over more than one decade, you put him on the card, the cards sell out. All the buildings sell out. People want to be in the arena when John Cena's music hits." "Busted Open" co-host Tommy Dreamer suggested that out of Ohio Valley Wrestling's developmental class of the early 2000s — which Henry himself was a part of — Brock Lesnar fit the label of "generational talent" more accurately. He argued that Cena, rather, became a generational talent because "the machine pushed him that way." Henry countered that whether talent is manufactured is a moot point.
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"Whether it's a manufactured champion or not — whether it's somebody that was pushed by the company, eventually, you didn't need to push him no more," Henry said. "Because he was a damn snowball, downhill, that turned into a glacier." At Money in the Bank, Cena announced that 2025 would his last year competing in the squared circle. So far, Royal Rumble, Elimination Chamber and WrestleMania have been confirmed, but Cena is expected to make additional appearances to fill out the rest of the calendar. The debate over whether he should be booked to break Ric Flair's 16-time World Championship record during this timeframe remains hotly contested within the industry.
