John Cena has successfully transitioned from the WWE to mainstream movie recognition. The A-list star still has time for his roots, though, as he returned for a WrestleMania 39 matchup against Austin Theory. Cena’s time in the spotlight has been over for a while, but he was unquestionably the face of the WWE for over a decade. During this time, the wrestler engaged in some all-time classic matches.
These are entertaining because of the great storytelling involved, with Cena usually the hero who has to conquer his foes. The best matches feature entertaining spots, wrestling techniques, and chemistry between Cena and his opponents. Because of this, his best clashes are against the men who are generally considered his primary rivals. With that in mind, here are the top 10 best John Cena matches.
10) John Cena vs. Cesaro (WWE Raw)
John Cena tapped into a whole new character when he became the WWE United States Champion, ushering in the Open Challenge Era. Every match he had was an absolute banger with a variety of stars, but his bout with Cesaro remains the best. This is the clash where it seemed like Cena might actually lose.
Cesaro could go with Cena’s strength and utilize his own, forcing the latter to get defensive. Cesaror was still able to get all his maneuvers in – from the Sharpshooter, the swing, and even the Neutralizer. Cena made his opponent look like a star before roaring back with creative moves like the Rope Stunner and the Super Attitude Adjustment to finally beat Cesaro.
9) John Cena vs. Triple H (WrestleMania 22)
John Cena needed that big title defense to establish himself as the absolute franchise player for the WWE. There was no better way than to defeat Triple H on the Grandest Stage of Them All. This was when the “Smarks” started to turn on Cena and supported Triple H. But the Cenation Leader persevered to defy both his opponent and the crowd.
Cena and The Game traded hard shots throughout the match, which displayed Cena’s physical prowess. As Triple H was also known by Smarks for his supposed “Golden Shovel” reputation, there were several points where it seemed that Triple H would win. Cena never played dirty and utilized his classic moves to counter The Game’s own. In the end, it was his STF that was too great for Triple H to overcome and got him to tap out.
8) John Cena vs. The Rock (WrestleMania XXVIII)
Long before The Rock was known to mainstream audiences for his roles in blockbuster movies like Black Adam, he closed the door on his wrestling career with the John Cena feud. Their WrestleMania XXVIII clash is the biggest success in pro wrestling history, breaking records across the board. The year-long hyped paid off with a magnificent match that delivered.
Although both were babyfaces (good guys), John Cena was effectively the heel (bad guy) because of the pro-Rock crowd. The Cenation Leader played his part perfectly, even mocking The Rock with his own moves and taunts. The wrestlers are known for their power moves, and fans got to see them hit their most patented shots. The match isn’t famous for pure wrestling, but for the full-on spectacle it was. The end saw Cena lose when he tried to use Rock’s signature People’s Elbow against him, setting up the story for his redemptive win the next year.
7) John Cena vs. Randy Orton (Bragging Rights 2009)
No wrestlers have embodied the “Good Versus Evil” aspect of storytelling like John Cena and Randy Orton. The two were particularly contrasted during their legendary feud, where Bragging Rights was the conclusion. Their one-hour Iron Match has all sorts of emotional depth, ranging from Orton absolutely losing it in desperation and trying to kill Cena with pyro, as well as Cena using the crowd’s cheers to make Orton submit in the last ten seconds of the match.
It was always going to be difficult to fill a whole hour’s worth of wrestling, yet Cena and Orton went the distance. In fact, the match hung by a thread until its last moments, as Cena won 6-5 right before the timer ended. It had the brutality of their previous encounters along with the near-falls and big moments that fans wanted to see.
6) John Cena vs. Edge (Unforgiven 2006)
Edge was known as a TLC specialist before meeting John Cena for a match for the WWE Championship in this match style. Cena had never competed in a TLC match, yet he proved victorious. As another one of Cena’s archrivals, Edge brought the required intensity by getting his crowd in his favor while pulling off wild antics through tables, ladders, and chairs.
It was an instance where Cena had to defeat the odds against him since the match was an alien concept to him; he also had to fight off Lita’s constant interruptions on Edge’s behalf. With spots like the spear from the ladder and an Attitude Adjustment from the ladder onto multiple tables, the match was an absolute slugfest. Cena ultimately defeated his nemesis to once again capture the title and begin his historic one-year reign.
5) John Cena vs. CM Punk (Money in the Bank 2011)
John Cena and CM Punk’s rivalry had more twists and turns than a WWE 2K Showcase. Their two-year rivalry truly began at Money in the Bank, where Punk captured the WWE title. This was storytelling at its finest, as Cena refused to win from Vince McMahon’s distractions on his behalf, while Punk capitalized on this to escape with the title on his last night with the company.
The match blurred the lines between kayfabe and real life, featuring the presence of officials like McMahon and John Laurinaitis who made attempts like the Montreal Screwjob to prevent Punk from winning. Cena played the role of the hated hero, as Chicago was firmly behind hometown wrestler Punk. With superb wrestling and even better storytelling, this match has stood the test of time.
4) John Cena vs. Shawn Michaels (WWE Raw)
While Shawn Michaels isn’t considered among Cena’s greatest rivals, he’s arguably had the best collection of matches with him. Their WrestleMania 23 encounter was incredible, but it was the WWE Raw clash that made people gasp in awe. As it happened, the two wrestled a match that lasted almost an hour since neither could be beaten.
Cena silenced all doubters of his wrestling prowess by taking out new moves for HBK to be bamboozled by. It helped that HBK sold Cena’s moves to perfection, making the latter look even better. The progression of the match was authentic as ever, as both men showed wear and tear from the encounter until the end. Cena lost the match because of a well-timed superkick, but he’d won the crowd over by then.
3) John Cena vs. CM Punk (WWE Raw)
The end of John Cena and CM Punk’s rivalry was a match on Raw to determine who would face The Rock at WrestleMania 29. This culminated in an all-out clash where both men put everything on the line. Cena even busted out a hurricanrana in the conclusion to set the AA, showing just how desperate he was to face The Rock.
To Punk’s credit, he also used the potentially deadly Piledriver on Cena to confirm how badly he wanted the shot. The two were absolutely spent by the end of their encounter, which included multiple finishers and near-falls. It was a dream for a wrestling fan to see this happen on a Raw episode, as the match’s quality was WrestleMania-level for the emotions and grit the wrestlers displayed.
2) John Cena vs. Brock Lesnar vs. Seth Rollins (Royal Rumble 2015)
The claim for the greatest Triple Threat match is very much in favor of this one. John Cena, Seth Rollins, and Brock Lesnar tore down the house with this action-packed extravaganza. Rollins played the dastardly heel whose lackeys interfered, Lesnar was the unstoppable powerhouse, and Cena was the hero looking to vanquish the bad guys.
Cena was the balancing act, facing off against both Lesnar and Rollins at different points in the match. He was the one to take Lesnar out through his strength while battling Rollins and his goons to prevent him from stealing the win. Although Cena lost when Rollins was pinned by Lesnar, the Triple Threat match was a masterclass in how wrestling grips audiences.
1) John Cena vs. AJ Styles (Royal Rumble 2017)
Fans will get to play John Cena’s biggest matches in WWE 2K23’s Showcase, which could never have ignored his clashes with AJ Styles. Their bouts were always magic, with the Royal Rumble being the best one. It featured pure wrestling grapples, holds, and moves, as the pair never once left the ring during a match that exceeded 20 minutes.
Cena was on a mission to win his 16th world title to equal Ric Flair’s record and beat Styles for the first time. He achieved his goal after a hard-fought match where the men doled out power moves like the Super AA and the Styles Clash. It was an incredible back-and-forth encounter that had fans guessing who would win. Cena made Styles look like a surefire threat while Styles brought the best out of Cena’s wrestling ability. It was a perfect match followed by an equally perfect celebration as Cena won his last world title to date.
