At a SmackDown taping in 2016, I sat next to a youngster who was fully decked out in John Cena gear. With a perplexed look on his face, he asked his mother what the audience was chanting as they voiced their disapproval of the match in progress. “They’re saying Cena sucks,” his mother replied in a cautious whisper, which brought sadness to his eyes.
I could hear the tears in his voice as he asked, “Why don’t they like him?” His mother pulled him in for a hug, shielding him from the negativity being hurled at her son’s hero. It was heartbreaking to watch. It also, however, put into perspective how, despite all the jeers, people have a special kind of love for John Cena.
From Kurt Angle in 2002 to Gunther in 2025, John Cena has left an indelible impression on the hearts and minds of wrestling fans while also being one of the industry’s most polarizing figures. Nearly fifteen years as the face of WWE, Cena traveled a road where the trip itself became as much of the story as any victory earned or title won.
The star of the show is usually not booed out of the buildings he performs in, but that was the case during John Cena’s prime on the WWE mountain top. Eventually, the tide turned, with fan support split evenly. Ultimately, the “Let’s go Cena. Cena Sucks” narrative became universal praise and admiration for the pride of West Newbury, Massachusetts.
Generations of wrestling fans went from insisting John Cena turn heel to condemning the turn that occurred in Toronto. Cena gained the respect and support of wrestling fans who used to boo him, while the children who idolized Cena grew up and are now the loudest voices in the room. John Cena’s legacy isn’t about “You Can’t See Me” or “You Can’t Wrestle.”
John Cena’s legacy is endurance. Hustle, Loyalty, and Respect all require one to endure.
”The Last Time is Now” tour’s final stop is Saturday, December 13th, in Washington D.C., for Saturday Night’s Main Event. As Cena’s swan song is upon us, it is only natural to reminisce about his greatest battles inside the squared circle. Many matches and moments come to mind, but let’s take a look at the 10 Best Matches of John Cena’s career.
10. John Cena vs. Edge @ Backlash 2009 – Providence, Rhode Island
John Cena and Edge couldn’t have a bad match with each other if they tried. While their 2006 battles are often cited as the apex of their rivalry, their 2009 Last Man Standing Match paints a more poetic picture.
2006 showcased the skill and passion of two wrestlers whose time had come to be main-event players. Three years later, Cena and Edge are firmly entrenched as top acts and put on a brutal match worthy of their station, saving the best for last.
The crowd was hot as Cena threw Edge off the commentators’ table into the front row via Attitude Adjustment. Edge was done until The Big Show provided an assist by chokeslamming Cena through an electrifying spotlight. Edge left with the World Heavyweight Championship.
9. John Cena vs. Rob Van Dam @ ECW One Night Stand 2006 – Manhattan, New York
“If Cena Wins, We Riot.”
Five words that perfectly encapsulated the atmosphere inside the Hammerstein Ballroom. Cena defended the WWE Championship in front of a hostile ECW crowd against Rob Van Dam. John Cena is the antithesis of what diehard fans love about professional wrestling, and the crowd channeled their frustration toward him.
Cena played his part perfectly and refrained from playing a heel because he didn’t need to. Cena got more with less by simply being himself. He couldn’t buy a high five or handshake. He tossed his shirt into the crowd, only to have it thrown back.
Just when it looked like he would win, Edge blindsided Cena with a Spear, allowing Van Dam to become the new WWE and ECW Champion. The finish was brilliant because Van Dam didn’t beat Cena cleanly, but the crowd was so eager to see Cena lose that they celebrated as if he had been fairly defeated.
While this night was all about Ron Van Dam and the relaunch of ECW, John Cena was the secret ingredient that made it all come together.
8. John Cena vs. Umaga @ Royal Rumble 2007 – San Antonio, Texas
It was approximately one year into the “Super Cena” era that was heavily panned by a large portion of the audience. Cena’s feud with “The Sumoan Bulldozer” Umaga culminated in a Last Man Standing Match. A lot was riding on this match, since WWE needed to find a convincing way for Cena to beat the company’s monster without leaving fans rolling their eyes.
Cena and Umage took each other to the limit in a fantastic match with two big moments. Umaga missed a running splash, crashing through the commentary table. Finally, Cena strangled Umaga unconscious with the disconnected ring rope. It’s a memorable visual that cemented Cena’s toughness as he slayed the dragon to keep his title.
7. John Cena vs. Shawn Michaels @ Raw – 4/23/2007 – London, England
Fans in London were treated to a WrestleMania rematch that became a 56-minute classic. Cena already defeated Michaels and faced him again, in a non-title bout. The length of the match seemed out of place for a two-hour edition of Monday Night Raw. However, as the match progressed, it felt more like a statement than a story.
Behind the scenes, Michaels was so upset with Cena for not selling his leg during their WrestleMania match that he went off script by refusing to shake his hand post-match. WWE had been pushing Cena as the face of the company for two years. Cena’s “You Can’t Wrestle” criticism was far from dying down, and now, one of the company’s GOATs had heat with him.
Cena needed to prove he could wrestle, and a nearly hour-long crowd-pleasing match with Shawn Michaels essentially did the trick. Some might say HBK deserves all the credit, but it takes two to tango. Cena stepped up that night and proved he could work a strong match with variety, making for one of the greatest Monday Night Raw matches.
6. John Cena vs. The Rock – WrestleMania 28 – Miami, Florida
“Once in a Lifetime” was the marketing slogan behind a match no one thought we would ever see. It was the Attitude Era versus the Ruthless Aggression Era. Cena was the current face of WWE, and The Rock was the former flagship star of the company. The difference between their respective tenures on top is that everyone loved “The Great One,” while fans’ view of Cena was mixed at best.
Many assumed Cena would win since he wrestled full-time. On that night, The Rock’s hometown crowd went bananas when he got the 1-2-3. Cena is the reason why the match came off so well. He didn’t just carry Rock, move-for-move; he perfectly executed all the emotional beats. Cena getting caught after mocking the People’s Elbow, followed by the look of shock on his face, made for superb storytelling.
5. John Cena vs. Kevin Owens @ Elimination Chamber 2015 – Corpus Christi, Texas
The most memorable aspect of John Cena’s U.S. Championship Open Challenges saw the arrival of NXT Champion Kevin Owens to the main roster. What started on Raw continued at the Elimination Chamber in a non-title bout. Owens impressed many, exhibiting the high-impact style of wrestling that was tearing up the independent scene at the time, and Cena was equally impressive.
Usually, a brash heel calling his shot against Cena ended in defeat. That goes double for a new villain on the block. In a flip of the script, Owens pinned Cena clean in the middle of the ring. Cena went out of his way to ensure Owens got over as a main character in one night. A gesture most wrestlers of Cena’s stature wouldn’t entertain, and in Owens’ in-ring debut, no less.
4. John Cena vs. Seth Rollins vs. Brock Lesnar @ Royal Rumble 2015 – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
WWE’s formula for Triple Threat matches, take out one combatant, allowing the remaining two to do their thing, worked beautifully here, because it was earned. Cena was coming off his one-sided loss to Lesnar at SummerSlam, while he was consistently embattled with Rollins. Lesnar had what they both wanted: the WWE Championship.
Lesnar’s dominance made it nearly impossible for Cena or Rollins to gain momentum. Eventually, Cena and Rollins inadvertently work together and take out Lesnar. Cena and Rollins had an excellent one-on-one outing that made you almost forget about Lesnar, until he came back from the dead and suplexed Rollins after hitting Cena with a phoenix splash.
An all-timer that showed what a Triple Threat match looks like when all three wrestlers bring what brought them to the table. Cena’s veteran presence allowed him to shepherd the action while adjusting as the match went on, contending with Lesnar and Rollins, who have different styles in the ring.
3. John Cena vs. CM Punk @ Money in the Bank 2011 – Chicago, Illinois
For a brief time in 2011, wrestling was cool again, thanks to the Summer of Punk storyline. The infamous pipe bomb promo led to a historic WWE title match in Punk’s hometown of Chicago. With Punk’s contract set to expire, Punk defeated John Cena and walked out of the company as the champion.
Cena played his role perfectly in what is arguably the greatest match of his career and one of the best moments in WWE history. It serves as a tremendous example of how wrestling matches are not about doing a lot of crazy moves but doing the right moves at the right time for maximum effect.
2. John Cena vs. AJ Styles @ Royal Rumble 2017 – San Antonio, Texas
The John Cena/AJ Styles trilogy was a horse of a different color when it comes to wrestling rivalries. Styles won their first-ever encounter with some help from The Club. Cena dared the Georgia native to do it on his own in the rematch. Styles understood the assignment and won fair and square.
For their third act, the stakes were increased like never before. Cena had a chance to win his record-tying sixteenth world title, but standing in his way was a man he’d never beaten. Cena and Styles delivered an epic battle that exceeded the highest of expectations.
Champion and challenger threw the audience through a continuous loop of action and excitement. Cena caught Styles off a Phenomenal Forearm attempt to deliver a third Attitude Adjustment. However, Cena didn’t take any chances and drilled Styles with a fourth and final Attitude Adjustment to cement his historic title win.
And to think that, at one time, it was inconceivable that AJ Styles would be seen battling John Cena in a WWE ring as they represented the polar opposite sides of the genre. In the end, a special kind of artistry and chemistry allowed two masters of their craft to put on one of WWE’s GOATED matches.
Honorable Mentions
John Cena vs. Cody Rhodes @ SummerSlam 2025
John Cena vs. Rey Mysterio @ Monday Night Raw 7/25/11
John Cena vs. Batista @ WrestleMania 26
Team Cena vs. Team Authority @ Survivor Series 2014
John Cena vs. Daniel Bryan @ SummerSlam 2013
1. John Cena vs. CM Punk – Monday Night Raw 2/25/13 – Dallas, Texas
If Money in the Bank was their best moment, Cena/Punk on the February 25th episode of Raw was the best match of their rivalry. It all came down to this one encounter. Punk goaded Cena into putting his #1 contendership on the line. The winner would face The Rock for the WWE Championship in the main event of WrestleMania 29.
Cena and Punk put on a highly competitive match where the WrestleMania main event never felt more important than it did that night. Both men wanted it badly and conveyed that sentiment in every move they executed. The crowd could feel it and got louder with each bump of the canvas.
The closing moments saw Punk deliver a piledriver, which was banned for a while, making the move even more significant. Cena came back with an unexpected huriancnarana that put everyone watching into a frenzy. It gave Cena the opening to snatch up a staggered Punk for the Attitude Adjustment and get his WrestleMania rematch with The Rock.
WWE superstars bid farewell to John Cena
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