You have to see him now!
John Cena stands as one of the most iconic figures in WWE history. Despite early doubts about his in-ring skills, Cena consistently delivered standout performances, even managing to elevate limited competitors like The Great Khali to some of their best matches. "Big Match John" faced nearly every top name in WWE during that time, from his debut in the Ruthless Aggression Era to his dominance in the PG Era. While not every encounter was groundbreaking, Cena participated in numerous unforgettable bouts. Let’s revisit some of John Cena's most definitive and memorable matches in WWE.
Just one month after his iconic showdown with The Rock, John Cena found himself in another instant classic, this time against the returning Brock Lesnar. Though they had faced off before, including a WWE Championship match at Backlash 2003, this was a completely different Lesnar. Fresh off a dominant UFC career, "The Beast" delivered a brutal beating. Lesnar demolished Cena from the start, busting him open within the first minute. In one of the most punishing matches of Cena’s career, he somehow endured and managed to secure a victory. While the outcome was debatable, the match itself was a brutal masterpiece.
John Cena, one of the greatest entertainers from the world of WWE
John Cena suffered the most devastating loss of his career to Brock Lesnar at Summer Slam 2014. In their rematch at Night of Champions the following month, Seth Rollins interfered, attempting to cash in his Money in the Bank contract, leading to a disqualification. Though Rollins failed to win the title, he became a key player in the feud. The rivalry culminated in one of the greatest triple-threat matches ever at the 2015 Royal Rumble. Cena and Rollins temporarily neutralised Lesnar and went head-to-head, but "The Beast" returned, eventually retaining the title after an F5 on Rollins, following a jaw-dropping Phoenix Splash by Rollins on Cena.
At SummerSlam 2013, John Cena chose Daniel Bryan as his opponent for the WWE Championship. Bryan, riding high after a successful tag team run with Kane, sought his first WWE title. Despite wrestling with a severe elbow injury, Cena delivered a strong performance. Bryan expertly targeted the injury, showing off smart in-ring psychology. He shocked fans by debuting his running knee finisher and defeating Cena clean. However, Bryan's reign was short-lived as Triple H hit him with a pedigree, allowing Randy Orton to cash in Money in the Bank and win the title.
CM Punk’s historic 434-day WWE Championship reign ended at Royal Rumble 2013, thanks to The Rock. That same night, John Cena won his second Royal Rumble, setting up a potential WrestleMania 29 rematch with The Rock. However, Punk wasn’t ready to step aside and challenged Cena for his title shot on Raw. While fans didn’t realise it then, this marked the end of Cena and Punk’s rivalry. Technically, it was their best match, with both delivering their finest moves over 27 minutes, including a rare piledriver from Punk. Ultimately, Cena secured the win with a hurricanrana into an AA.
John Cena’s greatest match came against one of his fiercest rivals, CM Punk. In Punk’s hometown of Chicago, emotions ran high as it was the last day of Punk’s WWE contract, with management determined to prevent his victory. The crowd rallied behind Punk, giving him a massive ovation, while Cena faced deafening boos. Though Cena and Punk had technically superior matches, like their 2013 Raw encounter or Night of Champions 2012, the compelling story makes this one stand out. In a historic moment, Punk escaped Money in the Bank 2011 with the WWE title after landing the Go To Sleep.
John Cena is one of those legends in the WWE who made it far and beyond the arena and made a leap into movies and TV shows; this was only possible due to his legendary status in the WWE!
