4 ways John Cena is like Roman Reigns - Comparing two of WWE's aces

WWE Friday Night SmackDown recently aired, and all eyes were on the blue brand. Perhaps the biggest reason fans tuned into this week's show was the return of John Cena.

Big Match John is back with the company for the next few months, which is exciting news. Upon his return, he cut a promo in the ring, thanking the fans and promising them his best, only for Jimmy Uso to interrupt.

During their promo battle, Jimmy mentioned how he didn't want Jey to become like Roman Reigns. Interestingly, he then fired shots at Cena by saying they both were alike, except that John did what Roman did with a smile on his face instead of a scowl.

Fans were naturally curious by this comment. There are many similarities between Roman Reigns and John Cena, even if their characters on-screen seem so opposite. This article will take a look at a handful of ways the two are alike.

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#4. WWE selected both men to be the faces of the company

Being the face of WWE often means being the face of professional wrestling. While other promotions have succeeded and even, at times, were seemingly larger than life, none have had the footprint in the industry nationally or globally that the Sports Entertainment juggernaut has.

Bruno Sammartino was once the face of the promotion. Later, Hulk Hogan filled the role. The Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin also held the spot. Notably, John Cena was the face of WWE for around a decade or even 15 years.

Roman Reigns is the face of the company now. Whether the promotion always saw it in them or not, officials put all their energy into making both men the irrefutable faces of the promotion in their respective eras. Thankfully, it has paid off both times.

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#3. John Cena and Roman Reigns are both WrestleMania headliners

WrestleMania is an epic event. It has been called The Showcase of The Immortals, The Grandest Stage of Them All, and even pro wrestling's Superbowl. Regardless of the nickname, WrestleMania is WWE's biggest event every year and, thus, the biggest and most important wrestling show.

So far, there have been 39 WrestleManias. Of those, John Cena has impressively main evented five. That is more than almost anybody in history, although Hulk Hogan has him edged out with eight.

Just like Cena has been a staple in the main event of WWE's biggest show, so has Roman Reigns. The Tribal Chief has main evented seven of the events. If he headlines WrestleMania 40, he'll tie Hogan's record. Being a top WrestleMania draw and consistent headliner is something only a few men share. Cena and Reigns are two of very few.

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#2. Both men are multi-time world champions

Roman Reigns with Solo Sikoa and Paul Heyman

Another commonality shared between Roman Reigns and John Cena is that both men have been world champions in WWE on numerous occasions. Not only that, but both have set records as the world title holders.

For a long time, Ric Flair was known as the person who had the most world title reigns at 16. While he hasn't been knocked off his perch, he now shares it. Cena joined Flair and co-holds the record for the most world title reigns.

Roman Reigns is a six-time world champion. While that may pale compared to 16, he's also the longest-reigning Universal Champion ever. He is also the longest reigning world champion in around four decades. Cena had a long title reign, another similarity the two share.

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#1. The two men are actual needle movers

John Cena at Money in the Bank

This article examined world title wins, WWE WrestleMania main events, and the company's support. While those accolades are all special and important, none would be possible if not for one key factor: John Cena and Roman Reigns are needle movers.

A needle mover in wrestling is somebody who has an evident impact on business. When John Cena and Roman Reigns are announced for a show, ratings typically rise. Ticket sales increase considerably. Both men move a lot of merchandise.

There are thousands of pro wrestlers. There are a lot of superstars in WWE. Very few can proclaim themselves to be true needle movers, however. Roman and John are the only men in the industry today who can share that title.