John Cena: Best Matches From His Storied Career, Ranked

Cena's reign as the WWE United States Championship back in 2015 is one of the greatest periods in the title's long history. Weeks upon weeks of open challenges resulted in Cena putting on absolute bangers with the likes of Sami Zayn, Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins, and several more deserving talents. For us though, Cena's clash with Cesaro for the belt stands out as the very best defense. The "Cesaro Section" was as loud as they've ever been as they cheered their guy during this epic matchup with Cena. As Kevin Owens looked on, Cesaro and Cena put on an impressive display of power and agility. Cesaro manhandled the champ at several points here, but Cena responded in kind with his signature offense.

Cesaro's suplexes, uppercuts, and big boots certainly had the champ in jeopardy several times, plus that cool moment where he reversed Cena's STF into a Sharpshooter made it seem as if were were on the verge of watching Cena's US title reign come to an end right then and there. Cena's never-say-die attitude kept him in the fight as he used a Code Red and Swinging Facebuster to even the odds against one of his toughest opponents to date. In the end, outside interference from Owens brought this match to an end. While disappointing, we still commend this match for showcasing Cesaro's top-tier in-ring skills and Cena's penchant for having great matches with a nice variety of opponents.

Speaking of Kevin Owens, he enjoyed quite the run during his time spent competing as the NXT Champion back in 2015. Not only did he contend with the development brand's top stars, but he also showed up on Raw to make Cena's life a living hell. The first time both men came to blows was on the 2015 Elimination Chamber PPV. And they damn sure knocked it out of the park on their very first attempt as opponents! The NXT Champion and the US Champion went blow for blow as they engaged in a game of "who can outlast the other?"

Owens staggered Cena with stiff strikes, drove him into the mat with a sick DDT, and pulled out his unique array of slams to further weaken him. Cena made sure to counter Owens with his array of strikes, signature moves, and a hell of an Attitude Adjustment mere moments after Owens failed to land a top-rope Moonsault. Owens made another mistake late in the match as he mocked Cena's Five Knuckle Shuffle, only for Cena to wake up in time to lock Owens in an STF. The crowd lost their damn minds once Owens poured salt into Cena's wounds by planting him with his very own finisher! A Tornado DDT, a top rope leg drop onto the back of Owens' head, and a Springboard Stunner almost led to Cena getting the W. But to everyone's surprise, a second Pop Up Powerbomb from Owens put Cena down for the 1-2-3.

This first-time matchup turned Owens into a "made man" on the main roster and in the eyes of the WWE Universe as a whole. Plus it further proved that Cena could have an excellent match with anyone and everyone.

This next match points to just how much of a company man Cena truly is. Instead of bowing out of this match and vacating the WWE Championship due to his swollen, distended elbow, "The Champ" decided to tough it out and still compete against the people's champ at the time. With a huge groundswell of support from the fans at the time, Daniel Bryan came into this match as the one everyone wanted to see prevail. Cena's injury didn't slow him down one bit here as he showed up with his working boots on and made sure he gave the "American Dragon" the best version of himself. Bryan's technical wrestling expertise meshed so well with Cena's reliance on power moves - in the process, we got to witness an amazing clash of styles between two of WWE's very best in-ring performers.

There are so many jaw-dropping moments to mention from this match - Cena's superplex to Bryan off the top of some steel steps, Cena's vicious Sitdown Powerbomb to the challenger, Bryan's STF transition into a German Suplex, Bryan's repeated dropkick into the corner while Cena laid weakened, and Cena's sudden comeback Lariat to Bryan that cut off the challenger's final dropkick stand out among those memorable occurrences. This monumental WWE Championship match reached its epic conclusion once Bryan debuted his Busaiku Knee attack to finally keep Cena's shoulders pinned to the math long enough for him to get the win. This match showcased just how resilient Cena is and how he's still able to produce greatness, even when he's not at 100%.

You just knew this match was going to be something special when Seth Rollins hit the ring looking like the White Power Ranger! With both the WWE World Heavyweight and United States Championships on the line, the stakes were indeed high as Cena and Rollins came to blows for the umpteenth time. The chemistry between these two has always been off the charts and we got more proof of that sentiment here. Rollins got the majority of the offense at the start of this matchup - his high levels of speed tripped up Cena, as evidenced by the two Suicide Dives followed by a Tope Con Hilo Rollins pulled off. Rollins' control of the bout came to a close once Cena staggered him with a Springboard Stunner.

As this match wore on, Rollins got Cena back under control with a bevy of top-rope maneuvers and counters. Once Cena landed an Attitude Adjustment, we all witnessed this match hit that lauded second gear. Rollins landed one of the most elegant Frog Splashes he's ever done, plus he catapulted Cena into the air with an Attitude Adjustment of his own. As for Cena, he shocked the world by locking Rollins into a Figure-Four Leglock! Now it must be acknowledged how much a bummer the ending to this match is - Jon Stewart coming out to screw Cena was not on anyone's bingo card that night at the Barclay's Center. Nevertheless, Cena and Rollins produced their usual brand of in-ring excellence for the world to see.

One of Cena's greatest rivals will always be Edge. After Edge cashed in the first-ever Money in the Bank contract to capture the WWE Championship from Cena at New Year's Revolution 2006, both men's careers forever became linked to each other. Arguably their best match took place in Toronto, Ontario, Canada - with the Canadian hometown crowd behind him, Edge took on Cena in a match type he's damn near mastered. Tables, Ladders, and Charis got added to the equation for one of the most jaw-dropping bouts both men have ever competed in against each other. After some standard back-and-forth action to kick things off, Edge smashed Cena's head into the back of two chairs thanks to a Falling Inverted DDT. Soon after, Edge leaped off of the crowd barrier to dropkick a ladder smack dab in Cena's face.

Cena eventually made his comeback by swinging Edge back first onto a ladder via an arm drag, but Edge responded in kind with a Powerslam right onto a table. Steel chairs, ladders, and tables galore started getting utilized in the most brutal of ways to incapacitate both men as the match wore on. You couldn't help but cringe when the sight of Cena locking Edge in a ladder-assisted STF came across your screen! With a match-ending Attitude Adjustment to Edge through two tables, Cena overcame one of his fiercest rivals and managed to do it in the match type that defines Edge's legendary career.

So let's all be honest here - Cena vs. Umaga at WWE New Year's Revolution 2007 was meh at best. So when it was announced that both men were set to run it back at that year's Royal Rumble, expectations were pretty low for it. But to the amazement of everyone in attendance and watching at home, both men greatly surpassed their previous meeting with one of the most violent Last Man Standing Matches of all time. Umaga showed out here as he brutalized Cena to the point where the champ started donning a hell of a crimson mask. For most of the match, it seems as if Cena's days as the WWE Champion were numbered - Umaga's power assault put Cena in a very bad place numerous times throughout this bout.

But after Umaga missed a running headbutt in the corner, Cena revived himself to bring the pain in kind right back to the "Samoan Bulldozer." Everyone lost their minds when Cena moved at the very last second as Umaga crashed and burned right onto the announcer's table. Back in the ring, Armando Alejandro Estrada mistakenly cost his man the match - after cutting down the top rope for Umaga, Cena ended up using the rope for himself to lock his massive foe in an STF that knocked him unconscious. With blood still dripping from his face, Cena emerged victorious after a match that helped solidify his spot as one of the GOATs early in his career.

The energy in the Allstate Arena was palpable - Chicago's own CM Punk walked down the entrance ramp and basked in the adulation of his people as he prepared to face his biggest challenge to date. With rumors of Punk's last night in WWE spreading among all the dirtsheets, everyone nervously watched as Cena defended his WWE Championship against a man that might not be legally under contract to the fed once all was said and done. With tensions high, Cena and Punk engaged in a high-octane encounter that had the lifeblood of the company's top prize on the line. The starting moments of this all-important bout saw both men stay on equal ground as quick counters were exchanged. Cena soon got the upper hand, but he was eventually grounded with a stiff DDT from Punk followed by a jumping knee drop right onto the back of Cena's head on the ring apron.

Back inside the ring, Punk stayed on top of the champ with a focused assault. But the pendulum soon swung back in Cena's direction as he suplexed Punk right out of the ring to the protective mats on the outside. The in-ring action and crowd reactions reached a fever pitch as both men laid into each other with their signature moves. We'll never forget seeing Cena lock Punk into an STF, only for Punk to slip out and proceed to trap Cena in an Anaconda Vice. Once Vince McMahon came out to obviously screw Punk out of winning and kept the belt on his cash cow, madness ensued! John Laurinaitis's directive from Vince never came to fruition as Cena released his STF submission to knock "Johnny Ace" right on his ass. As soon as Cena got back in the ring, he was met with a final Go to Sleep that relinquished the WWE Championship to Punk.

With that result, this classic match came to an end and featured the iconic sight of Punk leaving with the belt while blowing a goodbye kiss to good old "Vinnie Mac."

When the official match graphic for the Money in the Bank dream match between Cena and AJ Styles, it felt as if wrestling fans were living in an alternative universe. One of TNA/Impact Wrestling's biggest stars was finally in WWE and set to take on the company's babyface that runs the place. That match ended up being an absolute banger and ended with the jaw-dropping sight of AJ prevailing over the man everyone expected to win. Then came WWE SummerSlam 2016 - one of the biggest and best rematches in all of wrestling history took place. To the surprise of no one, both men exceeded their previous efforts and proved their first matchup's level of quality wasn't a fluke.

Cocky and brutish AJ is always the best AJ. He damn sure embraced that heelish side of himself here as he taunted Cena and made sure he knew he could never measure up to the "Phenomenal" one's in-ring acumen. This matchup started hot, especially when AJ suplexed Cena right onto the ring apron. Back in the ring, Cena launched AJ into the air with one of the most breathtaking back-body drops we've ever laid witness to. The middle portion of this rematch put it over the top - AJ flipping out of an Attitude Adjustment to land a Pele and AJ missing a Springboard 450 Splash & being subject to a Code Red from Cena are among those highlights. We damn sure lost our minds when Cena landed a top-rope Attitude Adjustment on AJ...AND AJ STILL KICKED OUT!

The closing moments of this match left everyone's jaws on the floor as AJ slipped out of an Attitude Adjustment to land a Styles Clash and quickly followed that up with a finishing Phenomenal Elbow to "BEAT UP JOHN CENA!" for the second time in his career. It's always awesome to see dream match material be just as good as everyone imagined it would be.

Now let's have a chat about the match between Cena and AJ we consider to be their greatest in-ring contest against each other. Coming into this match, Cena certainly had to prove to himself and everyone else that he had it in him to finally put AJ down the count. AJ was running strong as the WWE Champion at the time and was at the height of his powers. Now it was finally time for Cena and AJ to lock up once again but this time, the company's biggest prize was on the line.

When the opening bell rang, AJ sprung into attack mode with some swift strikes and Cena came back with some powerful blows of his own. When Cena began his comeback sequence, AJ let the world know he had it scouted as he flipped Cena over via a Hurricanrana counter to Cena's Spinning Back Body Drop. Afterward, AJ remained in control with repeated kicks to Cena's leg and an assortment of other maneuvers. Cena finally installed a bit of hope into his fans as he dodged out of the way of an incoming Phenomenal Elbow and almost prevailed via an Attitude Adjustment to AJ. Big moves that led to near falls came in quick succession soon after and crescendoed into an exciting closing stretch.

A Styles Clash grounded Cena to the point where AJ felt comfortable enough to do the same thing he did to win at SummerSlam 2016. However, Cena got to his feet just in time to make sure that ending didn't come to pass all over again - by tripping up AJ on the top rope, Cena caught him in the position for an Attitude Adjustment. After planting AJ on the mat two times with his finisher back-to-back, Cena finally got over the hump that is AJ Styles and left with the WWE Championship in the process.

Cena and Punk's paths have crossed a bevy of times. The fiery and passionate promos have been momentous, plus the matches they've produced have all been eventful for all the right reasons. On the Road to WrestleMania 29, both men fought for the right to end up in the main event of the "Grandaddy of 'Em All" to contend with The Rock for the WWE Championship. On that fateful episode of WWE Raw on February 25, 2013, Cena and Punk delivered one of the greatest matches in the history of the weekly TV series.

The start of this contest featured a feeling-out process that saw both men remain on equal standing after some quick exchanges. A Punk Neckbreaker and a leg lock around the neck looked to secure him with a great early opening, but Cena cut that advantageous moment by lifting Punk into the air and falling backward to break out of the submission. As the match wore on, Cena launched into his signature comeback sequence but Punk ducked just in time to watch Cena launch himself right out of the ring. Punk proceeded to go for a quick flight as he landed a Suicide Dive on a weakened Cena on the outside. Back in the ring, Cena looked to pull off his comeback sequence for a second time but Punk cut him off once again with an Anaconda Vice submission hold.

The crowd began reaching a fever pitch as both men pulled out their biggest moves against each other and utilized some clever counters to constantly gain the upper hand. Then...it happened. In a moment of pure shock and awe, Punk lifted Cena and drove him head-first into the mat with a Piledriver. What makes this event so notable is the fact that the move had (and still is!) banned by the WWE powers that be. Cena and Punk didn't give a damn about that rule, which makes that maneuver being showcased once again on live TV such a mindblowing occurrence. Somehow someway, Cena survived that devastating maneuver, pulled off a Frankensteiner out of nowhere, and KO'd Punk with a final Attitude Adjustment to bring this epic encounter to a close.

Around 2007, Cena began silencing some of his doubters after putting on good-to-great matches with the likes of JBL, Edge, Triple H, Randy Orton, Chris Jericho, and several other WWE stalwarts. At WrestleMania 23, Cena came out on the winning end of the main event as he retained his WWE Championship against WWE's beloved "Heartbreak Kid" Shawn Michaels. While that match was decent and all, it's this hour-long match that did two things - it lifted Cena's stock up to monumental proportions and further proved just how much of an in-ring general Michaels has & always will be.

As this match got underway, both men played a game of one-upmanship as they exchanged several holds and continually broke each other down. Things got super tense after HBK slapped Cena as hard as humanly possible and pissed off the WWE Champion to the point where he viciously clocked Cena in response. Plenty of clotheslines, chest chops, shoulder blocks, and a host of signature moves from both men were doled out as this contest wore on. When this match made it past the 20- and 30-minute marks, the crowd started realizing they were witnessing something extra special. There's an especially hype-inducing moment where Cena tries to land a top-rope Attitude Adjustment, only for HBK to flip over him over and pull Cena off the top-rope via a Sunset Flip Powerbomb.

Cena and HBK's levels of stamina proved to be unmatched as this match started winding down - Cena locked HBK in an STF, HBK miraculously broke out of it, and a Sweet Chin Music clocked Cena soon after (but only managed to garner a two-count). The crowd came unglued at the finish when HBK flipped out of an Attitude Adjustment and came right back with yet another Sweet Chin Music to end this hour-long classic. The United Kingdom fans in attendance for this one will forever be lucky to have seen this one live and in person.

In our humble opinion, Cena's greatest match of all time happens to be a bunch of other things. It also happens to be one of the best Triple Threat Matches, one of the best bouts to have ever taken place at the Royal Rumble Event, and the sort of that also deserves accolades when anyone talks about Rollins & Brock's greatest matches. Mixing in the three elements of Cena's impressive levels of resistance, Rollins' opportunistic gameplan, and Brock's overwhelming strength was a smart move as it provided an amazing match that told a great story from start to finish.

It's pretty wild how this match kicked off - Brock went "Suplex City" mode on Cena from the jump, then did the same by landing a double back suplex on Joey Mercury & Jamie Noble when they came into the ring to interfere on Rollin's behalf. Rollins was unlucky enough to get thrown across the ring with a Release German Suplex for good measure as well. Suplex City's population remained full for a while until Rollins landed a sick flying knee on Brock while Cena held him up while locked in a Kimura submission hold. In a rare moment of teamwork, Cena and Rollins ganged up on Brock to weaken him to the point where he lay outside the ring while both aforementioned men went at it for a good while. At several points in that one-on-one exchange, Brcok interrupted the action to keep suplexing Cena and Rollins into oblivion.

Big crowd-popping moves proceeded to roll out soon after - one of the moments that popped the crowd the most was when Rollins glided through the air to smash Brock through the announcer's table with a flying elbow drop. Moments later, Cena and Rollins clobbered each other to the delight of the crowd & put on the type of mini-match that would be great as a self-contained bout on another show. After Rollins landed a Phoenix Splash, Brock finally willed himself back up to leap back in the ring and German Suplex Rollins right off of Cena! A nasty shot from Rollins' Money in the Bank briefcase looked to have Brock down for the count, but it was all for naught as Brock shook off the cobwebs and wiped Rollins out with a final F5. Cena, Brock, and Rollins put on a match that showcased the incredible levels of chemistry all three men have with each other in a big match setting.