John Cena’s Greatest Matches: A Legacy of Endurance

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.

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Top 10 Goldberg Matches: A Wrestling Icon’s Best Moments

Few wrestlers in history burst onto the scene like Bill Goldberg did in WCW. After an injury ended his seven-year NFL career, the former defensive tackle shifted his athletic focus to professional wrestling. The rigorous training circuit at WCW’s Power Plant and a handful of dark matches led to Goldberg’s televised debut on September 22, 1997, against Hugh Morris, and he never looked back.

Goldberg became a worldwide sensation as the stoic and intense monster who amassed win after win with his signature maneuvers, the Spear and Jackhammer, morphing into the infamous undefeated streak of 173 victories. Nearly ten months into his career, Goldberg captured the World Heavyweight Championship. He became WCW’s top star during the industry’s peak of popularity.

Following WWE’s acquisition of WCW in 2001, Goldberg signed a one-year deal with WWE in 2003, where his run left a lot to be desired. A shocking return twelve years later led to a run that made up for the sins of his initial outing with the company, until it didn’t for a few years. Goldberg rebounded with some fun matches and closed out his career on the July 12, 2025, edition of Saturday Night’s Main Event in a losing effort to Gunther.

Goldberg faced some criticism for a lack of wrestling skills. His style was never about technical expertise. Instead, it was about fierce brutality in the ring. Goldberg looked like and wrestled like someone who could take on the world. That’s exactly what fans wanted to see, and his impact was undeniable.

Let’s take a look at the best matches of Bill Goldberg’s career.

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Top 50 WrestleMania Matches of All Time

Since 1985, WrestleMania has been WWE’s premier event—a can’t-miss phenomenon of sport and spectacle that transcends professional wrestling. The greatest moments, most heated rivalries, and biggest matches are reserved for the “Showcase of the Immortals.”

Fans often debate what the greatest WrestleMania matches are, resulting in a wide range of opinions. For many fans, the match between Hulk Hogan and Andre the Giant at WrestleMania III stands out. It is a cultural cornerstone of the industry. It is iconic for some, while others consider it unspectacular.

Every list and ranking of this nature is subjective. My list is no more important or better than anyone else’s. Fans watch wrestling for different reasons: some appreciate the athleticism, while others are drawn to the drama. Many enjoy wrestling for all it has to offer.

WrestleMania often reflects the industry at its best. The combination of pomp and pageantry creates seminal moments and legendary matches that leave a lasting impression on the hearts and souls of every wrestling fan.

With so many great matches to consider, compiling this list was a challenge. Without further ado, here are Ringside Logic’s 50 Greatest WrestleMania Matches.

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10 Best Matches of WCW Halloween Havoc

World Championship Wrestling celebrated All Hallows’ Eve with their annual pay-per-view spectacular full of tricks, treats, and body slams that go bump in the night.

1989 – 2000, Halloween Havoc was a spooktacular staple of WCW’s event calendar.

While holiday-themed wrestling shows can be hokey, there is something about Halloween that fits Pro Wrestling like a glove.

It could be the costumes!

Whether wrestlers were trapped in a cage or had to spin the wheel to make a deal, many classic moments and matches, both good and bad, were produced. It’s time to check out the 10 best matches from WCW Halloween Havoc.

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15 Wrestling Comic Book Covers

Pro Wrestling is often described as a live-action comic book. Both mediums are prime destinations for bombastic storytelling with larger-than-life characters. It’s not a surprise that the two genres often intersect.

Batista and John Cena have earned critical acclaim for their big-screen superhero roles as Drax and Peacemaker, respectively.

Marvel and DC Comics use wrestling as a vehicle to produce the next great issue, with a cover providing a peek of the body slaming goodness within its pages.

Get out your long boxes and search those spin racks. It’s time to look at 15 pro wrestling comic book covers.

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Wrestling’s Star Spangled Couture

Happy 4th of July, everyone. Before I grill up some burgers and hot dogs, I thought it would be good idea to look at some of the star spangled fashion choices made by wrestlers over the years.

Some wrestlers, like our cover model Kurt Angle is always clad in the stars and stripes. Others break out their patriotism on special occasions.

Let’s look at eight wrestlers who in one form or another, applied old glory to their in-ring aesthetic.

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Wrestlers Who Became WWE Champion The Quickest

Ric Flair said it best when he proclaimed the WWE Championship “is the only title in the wrestling world that makes you number one. When you are the king of the WWF, you rule the world.” No title is more coveted, and no belt symbolizes success more.

Many wrestlers spend years grinding it out to prove they have what it takes for WWE to put them front and center on the marquee. Bret Hart thought he’d never win the title. Eight years, one month, and fourteen days later, “The Hitman” hoisted the title up high.

However, an elect few made such an impression in a short time; tenure and inexperience were ignored to serve the bottom line. We’re going to look at the 12 wrestlers who won their first WWE Championship in the fastest time since Vincent Kennedy McMahon went all in on Hulkamania in 1984.

Bob Backlund won his first WWE Championship four months after he started working for the company exclusively under Vincent J. McMahon. The now-retired McMahon inherited Backlund when he bought the company from his father in 1982 and therefore did not make our list.

Universal and World Heavyweight Championships are not on the menu here. It’s all about the most coveted prize in the industry.

The fairest way to chart the list is to start when the wrestler made their in-ring/television debut in a match or angle. Many debut matches were filmed days, weeks, and months before they aired on television. To the audience, a character is only in play once they’re on TV.

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10 Matches for People Who Don’t Watch NJPW

Japanese professional wrestling is an enigma unto itself. While North America’s presentation primarily emphasizes spectacle over sport, Japan’s exhibition of the art accentuates the opposite. While it might look the same as the staged combat seen in the west, the eastern flavor has more kick.

While WWE is the industry leader, New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) is Japan’s most prominent and longest-running wrestling promotion. Founded in 1972, NJPW is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year.

Today, NJPW is arguably the second biggest promotion in the world and puts on great wrestling matches that have produced a global cult-like following. All Elite Wrestling (AEW) and New Japan will team up for their Forbidden Door pay-per-view event this Sunday.

There are many great matches from a multitude of events that epitomize NJPW. Consider this an introductory course for the uninitiated, citing ten matches that best illustrate the style and presentation of New Japan.

This isn’t a “best-of” list, and I won’t be teaching this class alone.

I called the Jobber Knocker Podcast’s resident NJPW expert Dennis Conway aka SSJPegasus. We’ll each pick five matches that are great introductory examples to New Japan Pro Wrestling.

If you’re watching AEW Forbidden Door this Sunday and are unfamiliar with NJPW, this one is for you.

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The Undertaker’s Greatest Non-WrestleMania Showdowns

On Friday, Mark Calaway, otherwise known as the Undertaker, will take his rightful place in the WWE Hall of Fame. Undertaker headlines the 2022 class featuring Vader, Queen Sharmell, The Steiner Brothers, and Shad Gaspard will receive the Warrior Award posthumously.

Undertaker receives so much love for his WrestleMania matches we sometimes forget about his career-defining moments outside of the grandest stage. Let’s look at the ten best non-WrestleMania matches of the Undertaker’s legendary career.

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10 Greatest ECW Tag Team Champions

Written for and published by What Culture June 2015

The design of tag team wrestling is to increase the amount of action and drama in a particular match. Four wrestlers can pull off certain moves and tell certain stories that two wrestlers alone could never do, such as blind tags and double team maneuvers. ECW revolutionized the wrestling business in the ’90s with hardcore action, mature storylines, and highly technical and competitive matches showcasing different styles.

Their tag team division was not only a pivotal part of the show, but they exuded the essence of the art by increasing the excitement in a promotion that was already extreme. The ECW Tag Team titles were originally introduced in 1992 under the promotional moniker of Eastern Championship Wrestling and an affiliate of the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA).

Seven tag teams held that incarnation of the championship until the promotion left the NWA in September 1994, when the company and the belts were rechristened Extreme Championship Wrestling. Three physical versions of the belts were fought over and defended until 2001, when the company’s original incarnation closed its doors.

Taz pupils Danny Doring and Roadkill were the final team to hold the titles and even defended them on the independent scene post-mortem. Thirty-one teams over eleven years produced many popular feuds and memorable matches with a mixture of uniformed duos and makeshift pairs that often stole the show. Some teams stood out and brought more to the table (literally) than others.

Let’s look at the 10 Greatest ECW Tag Team Champions.

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