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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WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event Review: CM Punk Wins World Title

Saturday Night’s Main Event – November 1, 2025 – Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah

Cody Rhodes pinned Drew McIntyre to retain the WWE Championship:

Rhodes being able to lose the title on a countout or disqualification was the big stipulation. McIntyre attempted to trick Rhodes into getting himself disqualified. In the end, Rhodes delivered a DDT to McIntyre on the title belt to beat him. Forcing Rhodes’ back against the wall with the stipulation should have given him a clean win. Yes, McIntyre brought the belt into the ring, which is another case of the “Scottish Warrior” being his own worst enemy. Not a bad match, but I’d had my fill of this pairing.

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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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2025 Men’s Royal Rumble Preview & Predictions

Thirty men will battle in the most anticipated match of the year. The thirty-eighth edition of the Royal Rumble emanates from the “Cross Roads of America.” Sixty-five thousand fans will descend upon Lucas Oil Stadium with the WrestleMania hopes of their favorite WWE superstars hanging in the balance.

Two Rumble matches and two championship showdowns boast a less-is-more lineup. Cody Rhodes will likely retain the WWE Championship in his ladder match against Kevin Owens. Although the outcome seems predictable, the storytelling has made the journey worthwhile.

This year’s Men’s Royal Rumble is the most unpredictable of all time, a far cry from years past. Vince McMahon’s booking style focused on one main star while everyone else was a rung below. Triple H has reinvigorated WWE storytelling by making every character as important as possible.

Eighteen entrants have declared for the Rumble. The remaining spots will be wrestlers from Raw, SmackDown, NXT and a couple of surprises from perhaps TNA or the independent scene. The wrestlers already in the Rumble all have a story going into the match in one form or another.

Will John Cena win his last Royal Rumble? A winning lottery ticket on his farewell tour could earn him a shot of breaking the record for most world championships. Now that Bloodline business is settled, Roman Reigns looks to reclaim the throne following his record-setting title reign. Seth Rollins’ road to WrestleMania is intriguing regardless of which champion he faces. One of the titles is held by a man Rollins has never beaten, while the dominant Gunther holds the belt he made famous.

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WWE Survivor Series 2024 Results: OG Bloodline Reigns Supreme

WWE held the 38th edition of its second-longest-running PLE event on Saturday at the Rogers Arena in Vancouver, British Columbia. Three title matches were bookended with the women’s and men’s WarGames matches. Due to increased ticket prices, Survivor Series marked Canada’s highest-grossing WWE event.

Women’s WarGames Match: Bianca Belair, Rhea Ripley, Naomi, Iyo Sky, and Bayley defeated Liv Morgan, Raquel Rodriguez, Nia Jax, Tiffany Stratton, and Candice LaRae. Rhea Ripley hit Liv Morgan with Riptide off the top rope through a table to pin the Women’s World Champion and secure the win for her team.

United States Championship: Shinsuke Nakamura defeated LA Knight to become the new champion. On one hand, Nakamura’s win was a surprise since he only returned to television nearly three weeks ago. On the other hand, it was almost expected since WWE put a lot into Nakamura’s new wayward samurai character.

The closing moments of the bout saw Nakamura counter a vertical suplex from Knight and hit a Scorpion Death Drop on the steel plate between the two rings. Knight was rocked, and Nakamura drilled him in the back of the head with a Kinshasa for the win.

Intercontinental Championship: Bron Breakker defeated Sheamus and Ludwig Kaiser in a Triple Threat Match to retain the title. Would Shaemus finally capture the one title that has alluded him throughout his career was the story that all three wrestlers served well. Kaiser is highly underrated and deserves his flowers here for a standout performance.

World Heavyweight Championship: Gunther choked out Damian Priest to retain the title. In a repeat of SummerSlam, Finn Balor cost Priest the match when he hit the Coup de Grâce off the ring steps. Gunther kicked Balor in the face for the interference and applied the choke that ended Priest’s night. It was hard for me to get into this match because I never bought the storyline of Gunther being intimidated by Priest.

It’s easy to understand why Gunther was hesitant to fight Sami Zayn since he ended Gunther’s record-breaking IC Title reign. With Priest, there was nothing to be afraid of since he beat him to become the world champion. Commentary making a big deal of Gunther wanting to win the match without Balor’s help makes me wonder if a babyface turn is in store for the “Ring General.”

Men’s WarGames Match: (OG Bloodline) Roman Reigns, Sami Zayn, Jey Uso, Jimmy Uso & CM Punk defeated (The New Bloodline) Solo Sikoa, Jacob Fatu, Bronson Reed, Tama Tonga, & Tonga Loa. Action drama and suspense all led to Sikoa being alone with The OG Bloodline. Double Superkicks from The Usos and a Helluva Super Kick from Sami Zayn rocked Sikoa. CM Punk was next with a GTS before Roman Reigns finished Sikoa with the Spear. The natural tension between the two Bloodlines while wondering if Punk or Reigns would throw the first punch at the other kept fans on their toes in the best possible way.

WWE 2024 Bad Blood (Review)

Twenty-seven years ago, at WWE’s inaugural Bad Blood event, not only did the first Hell in Cell Match take place, but the most memorable debut in wrestling history changed WWE forever. Undertaker battered and bloodied Shawn Michaels in the climax of their historic matchup. Then the lights fall, the arena turns red, and a large crimson figure storms toward the ring.

“IT’S GOT TO BE KANE!” McMahon infamously yelled as the masked man ripped the door off the Cell and tombstoned his older brother, allowing Shawn Michaels to pin the Undertaker. After two decades, WWE presents the 4th edition of Bad Blood, emanating from the State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia.

CM Punk and Drew McIntyre will complete their hellacious trilogy inside Hell in a Cell and perhaps the most star-studded tag team since the Mega Powers take center stage as Cody Rhodes teams with the returning Roman Reigns to take on Solo Sikoa and Jacob Fatu.

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Stepping Away for a Bit

Hello everyone!

I hope you are all having a safe, healthy, and happy New Year. 2024 hasn’t been kind, which is unusual for even-numbered years that are typically fantastic!

I have been in and out of the hospital since New Year’s Day. Along the way, I simultaneously got COVID-19 and the flu.

I’m taking some time off to focus on my health as I feel exhausted and unable to think clearly at times.

Surgery is scheduled for the end of March, but the doctor says the flare-ups I’ve been experiencing will continue until the procedure.

I love writing and it’s the one thing I wanted to keep on my plate. However, that not thinking clearly thing answered that question for me.

There are a few blog posts already in the can that I will either publish during my absence or hold off until I’m back into the swing of things.

Ringside Logic will return. Until then, be well and be excellent to each other.

PS:

Cody Rhodes winning the Royal Rumble was perfect. I loved the finish where CM Punk shouted, “I’m not losing to Dusty’s kid,” only for Cody to reply, “I’m not that kid anymore,” before throwing him out for the win.

CM Punk Signs w/ Raw and Declares for WWE Royal Rumble

After a weeklong trek across WWE’s three brands, CM Punk has officially planted his flag on Monday Night Raw. Punk signed the contract in the ring, presented by general manager Adam Pearce. Punk stated despite reasonable offers from Nick Aldis (SmackDown) and Shawn Micheals (NXT), the offer from RAW was head and shoulders above the rest.

Punk exclusively on Raw could significantly impact the pro wrestling landscape. Many Television deals expire next year, and everyone wants to extend their current deal or find a new network to call home. Punk could be the key for WWE.

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CM Punk Cuts Return Promo on WWE Raw

CM Punk made his first appearance on Monday Night Raw in almost ten years (1/20/14) and cut a highly anticipated promo to close out the show. The first hour of Raw was commercial-free as WWE pushed Punk’s promo hard throughout the show.

Thanks to timing issues in the Randy Orton/Dominick Mysterio match, Punk didn’t appear until two hours and fifty-two minutes into the three-hour broadcast. Depending on who you talk to, some felt his words hit the mark, while others believe the transition to “PG Punk” is complete.

“Looks like hell froze over,” proclaimed Punk, saying he’s felt more like himself since his return at Survivor Series on Saturday and everyone is happy to see him back.

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CM Punk Returns to WWE at Survivor Series

In one fell swoop, WWE took Chicago from AEW. CM Punk made his earth-shattering return to WWE at Survivor Series on Saturday in Chicago. Rumors of Punk’s arrival started from the moment AEW fired him in August due to a backstage fight with Jack Perry at All In.

WWE trolled the audience all evening with whether Randy Orton would show up for his team in the WarGames main event. Some wondered if Orton would not show up due to teaming up with the man who injured him in Jey Uso.

After a brief delay, Orton arrived for his team, disappointing those who thought Punk would be the surprise partner.

Orton’s Team celebrated their victory as the show was about to go off the air. The copyright graphic appears on the screen, signaling an inevitable fade to black. After all, there is no way WWE would overshadow Orton’s return…It was all a ruse.

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