If you’re not a wrestling fan, odds are you still know who John Cena is. And if you are a wrestling fan, odds are you hate him as much as this guy does. 

Cena debuted in the WWE in 2002 as a bad boy rapper from Massachusetts (à la Marky Mark). He sported baggy shorts, spoke in watered-down Ebonics, and threw bags of peanuts (AKA “his nuts”) at his opponents’ faces. Obviously, back then, no one would have believed he would someday become the face of the company. Of course, that’s exactly what happened, and fans have hated him ever since.

They chant “John Cena sucks!” along with his theme music, and when he throws a souvenir shirt to the audience they often throw it back. 

But why so much vitriol for Cena? Is it because he’s not that good of a wrestler? Or is it due to his unwavering good guy persona that hasn’t toed the heel line in a decade? Or is it because he’s held the championship a record 12 times, twice as many times as Hulk Hogan?

Honestly, fans hate Cena for all these reasons and more, but they’re wrong in doing so. Here are five reasons why.

1. He Pays Your Favorite Wrestler's Salary

The WWE has almost always had a Cena-esque person in their stable of talent, and understandably so. The truth is they need a SuperStar who appeals to children and, in turn, sells a shitload of merchandise. 

Okay, so you don’t like Cena. Who do you like? Dean Ambrose? Bray Wyatt? El Torito? I’ve got news for you, the tsunami of cash that Cena’s merch brings into the company pays the salaries of all those guys and then some. More money into the company means more new talent, which increases the odds of the company finding its next Daniel Bryan, Dolph Ziggler, and Damien Sandow. 

But just how much merch can Cena sell? A ton. This fan made a video of the Cena merch she bought from 2004 to 2010. It’s five- and-a-half minutes long.

So at the very least, embrace the cash cow that is John Cena. Because as the Authority says, “It’s what’s best for business.”

2. He Seems To Be A Genuinely Good Guy

Over the years, some wrestlers have become known for not being very nice outside the ring (Dynamite Kid, Shawn Michaels, CM Punk, etc.), but Cena appears to be a man committed to living up to the expectations of his young fans, and appreciative of the opportunities he’s been given.

He’s deeply involved in the Make-A-Wish Foundation and as of April 2014 had fulfilled the wishes of over 400 sick children.

He’s also an ardent supporter of the armed forces and veterans, served as Grand Marshal for the Susan G. Komen Global Race for the Cure last year, and came in third on the International Business Times’ list of 10 Most Charitable Celebrities of 2014.

To be read: He’s doing more good in the world than most people. At least more than me, that’s for sure.

3. He Expands the Audience

Cena wears his love of wrestling on his bicep band, and when he appears outside the ring he takes that love with him. In doing so, he helps spread the WWE gospel, placing it in front of people who might not yet be fans.

He’s shown up on almost every talk show (both daytime and late-night), made cameos on shows like Parks and Recreation, and will appear in two film comedies later this year: the Tina Fey-produced Sisters, and Amy Schumer’s Trainwreck.

Of course, contrarians will hate this. But if those same people watch wrestling from the comfort of their couches while the show is beamed live into their living rooms, I’m calling bullshit. If you don’t want your wrestling to be in the mainstream you better be watching matches strictly in the basement of an old VFW Post.

4. He Takes The Hate In Stride

All of this hate seems to have little effect on Cena. Maybe it’s because he’s in better shape than anyone reading (or writing) this. Maybe it’s because he’s doing what he loves for a living and is richer than all of us combined because of it. Or maybe it’s because he’s decided to take the high road and live by the words he wears on his chest: RISE ABOVE HATE.

Nah, it’s probably because of the money. Regardless, if the boos, signs, and trolls honestly don’t bother him, that leaves us with just one question:

5. Why Be A Dick?

So what if he’s not that good of a wrestler who always wins with a checklist of finishing moves. So what if his perpetual good-guy persona lacks depth, color, and substance. So what if he’s become the undeserving face of the company. All of that is meaningless because kids fucking love him.

And something tells me that back in the day, long before they all became jaded wrestling purists, these same haters gleefully cheered on a guy who possessed those same qualities: Hulk Hogan. Did these haters’ dads boo Hogan when they took them to matches back in the Eighties? My guess would be no. Know why? Because only narcissists revel in being a dick in front of kids!

Narcissists like this guy:

So let the kids have their hero for now because someday they’re gonna grow up... and hate John Cena.