Powell's Blog Cena gets a bad rap, Orton-Michaels friction By Jason Powell Feb 12, 2008 - 12:13 PM CLICK FOR BIO Email This Article | Printer Friendly Page Send Us News & Results | Back to Main Listing TUESDAY, FEB. 12 - 12:12 P.M. Regarding the news items on Randy Orton, Shawn Michaels, and John Cena, I want to point out that the top guy in any wrestling promotion is always the subject of jealousy, and it’s certainly not unnatural for Vince McMahon to spend a significant amount of time with his top guys. Honestly, Cena must be an easy to get along with if his co-workers don’t have anything worse to say about him. I’ve always respected the fact that Cena developed a strong reputation for being the first guy to arrive at the building on most days and because he made himself available for media appearances on his supposed off days more often than not. Those traits were labeled as “ass kissing” by some people, but it also makes him a good employee, which makes it easy to understand why Vince has so much faith in him. That being said, the wrestlers certainly know better than I do whether Cena rubs people the wrong way by going overboard in turning on the charm when Vince or other high-ranking company officials are around. Meanwhile, I can’t help but wonder if Orton feels he’s somewhat untouchable because the company wasn’t more severe in their punishment for some of his past transgressions. Either way, it makes me laugh when I hear that Shawn Michaels is getting a small dose of the treatment he gave some veteran wrestlers during his younger and wilder days. I think Michaels is genuinely respected in the locker room based on the amazing career he’s had, but the younger wrestlers have also been privy to his petty side. For instance, it’s been reported that HBK threw a fit over the color of ring gear that Umaga wore to the ring during a recent match because that color is supposedly reserved for Triple H. TUESDAY, FEB. 12 - 8:00 A.M. We survived the first day here on the site. It was fun, but I've decided to to go back to covering fantasy football. Just kidding. I want to thank everyone who visited and made the launch successful beyond my wildest expectations. I received countless emails throughout the day from various people, including a number of wrestling fans that I hadn’t heard from since I stopped working full-time at PWTorch.com. It’s nice to know that you guys are doing well and still remember me. Most importantly, I hope the site has lived up to your expectations thus far. I encourage you to send me any comments you have regarding the site, particularly on the content side. Let me know what you are looking for and I’ll do my best to deliver. Several people expressed interest in writing for prowrestling.net. I appreciate your interest and enthusiasm, but the plan for now is to fly solo. Of course, I reserve the right to change plans as we go forward and I will keep your contact info just in case. I’ve also had a number of people ask what they can do to help out. I encourage you to send me news items and reports on any wrestling events you attend. Keep an eye out for feedback requests on specific topics, and feel free to ask any questions you would like to have answered here on the website. It might sound cliche, but the best way to contribute is to spread the word about prowrestling.net. If you like what you see, tell a friend. MONDAY, FEB. 11 - 8:00 A.M. Welcome to prowrestling.net. I have anxiously awaited this day and I know many of you have been counting down along at pwtorch.com for the last few weeks. It’s been fun to read the various speculation threads in the Torch forums regarding the countdown clock. I was starting to think that people forgot about me when my name wasn’t mentioned in the first wave guesses, but a few people “cracked the code” this past weekend. Congratulations. That was as close as Wade Keller and I will come to knowing what the “Lost” writers (the strike is almost over!) feel like. It was fun to sit back and watch the reaction to the various clues/teasers, yet I was also nervous that the mystery would be uncovered right away and take the fun out of the countdown. Of course, some of you are probably asking, “Who the hell is this guy?” Please check out the “About Us” for a brief rundown of my history. Don’t act like you’re not impressed. Sorry, after working with the Fanball gang for the last four years, I have a Ron Burgundy quote for every occasion. Whether you are familiar with my past work at the Torch, Fanball, or have never heard of me and consider the countdown to be the most overhyped piece of wrestling-related propaganda since the Gobbledygooker, I hope you’ll give the site a chance. Besides, it’s free, so what do you have to lose? In case you haven’t noticed, I’ve spent the last few weeks reviewing television shows and Ring of Honor DVDs. I will post live coverage of the major television shows and pay-per-view events, and my ultimate goal is to make this website your first stop for pro wrestling news on the net and provide you with analysis of every major story along the way. I would bore you with additional details regarding my plans for the site, but after nearly five years away from covering the pro wrestling industry on a full-time basis, it’s time to get back to work. BOOKMARK DOT NET AND ADD US TO YOUR RSS • HELP DOT NET: TAKE OUR ADVERTISER DEMO SURVEY CLICK TO RETURN TO MAIN LISTING OR SELECT A LINK BELOW FROM THIS CATEGORY Powell's Blog Latest Twelve Articles Powell's Blog: UFC going head-to-head with WWE Raw in January should put a rumor to rest, consistency is the key for TNA going forward, an important edition of WWE Raw tonight Powell's Blog: One key area where TNA dropped the ball during Thursday's Impact Powell's Blog: Shane McMahon announces his resignation from WWE POWELL'S BLOG: WWE Raw advertising is weak, TNA house show advertising is even worse Powell's Blog: More thoughts on the C.M. Punk vs. Undertaker finish, big Smackdown angles ignored on Raw, Hell in a Cell pay-per-view, WWE advertising Raw competition Powell's Blog: Jeff Hardy still showing up in WWE advertising, big Dot Net Weekly audio show, Eric Young's push is doing more harm than good, WWE marijuana policy, NFL kickoff VOTE IN OUR LATEST POLL What was the highlight of the TNA Turning Point pay-per-view? Amazing Red vs. Homicide for the X Division Title. ODB, Sarita, and Taylor Wilde vs. The Beautiful People. British Invasion vs. Beer Money vs. Motor City Machine Guns for the TNA Tag Titles. Tara vs. Awesome Kong in a cage match. Rhino and Team 3D vs. Hernandez, Matt Morgan, and D'Angelo Dinero. Scott Steiner vs. Bobby Lashley. Kurt Angle vs. Desmond Wolfe. A.J. Styles vs. Samoa Joe vs. Daniels for the TNA Title.