It has been seven years since John Cena won his historic 16th world title. But since 2018, Cena’s appearances have been sporadic. His last world championship match was at SummerSlam 2021, where he lost to Roman Reigns.
Even so, the 17th title continues to be a case of when and not if. Having now earned a main event spot at WrestleMania 41 for the WWE Championship, all signs point toward that record-breaking 17th title.
However, it pays to remember the man that John Cena will be leapfrogging should he win at WrestleMania. Ric Flair accumulated his sixteen titles over nineteen years, winning championships at NWA (8), WCW (6), and WWE (2). With WrestleMania 41 just around the corner, here’s part one of the tale of the tape, comparing Ric Flair and John Cena’s respective championship reigns.
Ric Flair #1 – Dusty Rhodes, NWA house show
17th September 1981
Flair’s journey begins where Cena’s might end – with the Rhodes family. Flair exacerbated Dusty Rhodes’ injured knee with the famous figure-four leg lock – a hold that Rhodes was able to escape on this occasion.
However, the submission move would pay off as Dusty’s knee buckled while attempting a superplex, allowing Flair to get the pin. Flair’s first reign was a long one, lasting a recognized 631 days.
John Cena #1 – JBL, WrestleMania 21
3rd April 2005
Is there a sweeter way to win your first world title? Cena’s first reign is similar to his current storyline with Cody Rhodes. It was the year of the infamous Royal Rumble finish where Cena and Batista hit the floor at the same time, leading to a restart that Batista won.
Forcing Cena to find another route to WrestleMania, he earned his title shot by beating Kurt Angle at No Way Out. JBL controlled the resulting title match, looking to capitalize on his dominance with the Clothesline from Hell. Cena dodged the attack, countering into an FU to pick up his first title.
Flair #2 – Harley Race, Starrcade
24th November 1983
A special guest referee steel cage set the scene for Flair’s second title win. Overseen by former champion Gene Kiniski, Flair was looking to regain the title from Harley Race, who had won it the previous June. A battered and bloodied Flair overcame Race with a top-rope body press to reclaim the title.
Cena #2 – Edge, Royal Rumble
26th January 2006
The end of Cena’s first title reign was another historic moment in WWE. Having defended his title in an Elimination Chamber at New Year’s Resolution, Cena barely had time to catch his breath as Edge cashed in the first-ever Money in the Bank contract.
With Cena depleted, the task was very simple for the opportunistic Edge. However, his reign lasted just three weeks, as Cena reclaimed the title at the Royal Rumble via submission.
Flair #3 – Kerry Von Erich, JCP house show
24th May 1984
Kerry Von Erich won the title from Flair – a match originally intended for his late brother, David – at the 1st Von Erich Memorial Parade of Champions. Similarly to Cena’s second reign, Flair didn’t have to wait long to regain the title, reclaiming it at a house show in Japan just 18 days later.
Cena #3 – Edge, Unforgiven
17th September 2006
Cena and Edge’s feud continued deep into 2006, with Edge memorably costing Cena the title at ECW One Night Stand. The beneficiary, Rob Van Dam, then dropped the title to Edge a month later in a triple threat featuring Cena.
Still, Cena would have the last laugh, defeating Edge at Unforgiven in his specialist match – the TLC – and in his hometown of Toronto. The following reign would be Cena’s longest, lasting 380 days.
Flair #4 – Dusty Rhodes, JCP house show
9th August 1986
Flair, this time, sought to regain the title that Dusty had taken from him at the 1986 Great American Bash. This time around, the figure-four leglock was enough for Flair, beginning a reign that lasted 412 days.
Cena #4 – Chris Jericho, Survivor Series
23rd November 2008
Cena’s fourth was his first as World Heavyweight Champion. A tough match against Chris Jericho went Cena’s way, reversing an inside cradle into an FU to secure the title. Cena would go on to defeat Jericho in a rematch at Armageddon the following month.
Flair #5 – Ronnie Garvin, Starrcade
26th November 1987
The Nature Boy won his fifth world title at NWA’s first-ever PPV event. Using the cage to his advantage, Flair was able to wear down the reigning champion Garvin and get the pin. During Flair’s reign, NWA’s flagship promotion, Jim Crockett Promotions, was purchased by Ted Turner and renamed World Championship Wrestling (WCW).
Cena #5 – Big Show and Edge, WrestleMania 25
5th April 2009
John Cena’s fifth would be the first time that he won a world title in a triple threat. Pitted against his familiar rivals Edge and Big Show, the triple threat was WrestleMania 25’s penultimate match. Cena showed his incredible strength, hitting two Attitude Adjustments just seconds apart before pinning Big Show.
Flair #6 – Ricky ‘The Dragon’ Steamboat, WrestleWar
7th May 1989
The story of Flair’s sixth was one of perseverance. Flair had a point to prove against the Dragon, having lost his three previous championship matches against Steamboat. The Dragon first took the title from Flair the previous February before defending the title against him twice at a house show and at Clash of the Champions.
In a near 60-minute best-of-three falls match, Flair finally prevailed. The contest was named Match of the Year by PWI in 1989.
Cena #6 – Randy Orton, Breaking Point
3rd September 2009
Similarly to Flair’s sixth reign, John Cena had a fierce rival that he badly wanted to silence. Randy Orton had beaten Cena twice in title matches before an “I Quit” match at Breaking Point.
Cena survived an RKO and a relentless battering before forcing the champion to surrender via a handcuff-assisted STF. However, this wouldn’t be the end of their heated rivalry…
Flair #7 – Sting, WCW house show
11th January 1991
This would be Flair’s first reign as the WCW World Heavyweight Champion, defeating the man who had taken it from him – Sting. Their revived feud began when Sting challenged Flair for his NWA title, leading Flair to eject him from the Four Horsemen.
Sting then won the title from Flair at the 1990 Great American Bash. After feuding with Sting under the guise of the Black Scorpion, Flair reclaimed his title at a house show at the beginning of 1991.
Cena #7 – Randy Orton, Bragging Rights
25th October 2009
Having traded the title throughout 2009, Cena and Orton concluded their feud with a mighty curtain closer. The Anything Goes 60-minute Iron Man match once again draws parallels to Flair’s feud with Ricky Steamboat. Attempting to claim as many pinfalls as they could in the allotted time, Cena narrowly emerged the winner with a 6-5 victory.
Flair #8 – Royal Rumble winner, Royal Rumble
19th January 1992
Following a dramatic departure from WCW in 1991, Flair made history when he won his first WWE world title. Hulk Hogan had his championship stripped following a pair of controversial title changes involving The Undertaker. Following this, it was announced that the Royal Rumble match winner would crown the new WWE Champion.
Flair showed impressive grit, entering at no. 3 and lasting over an hour to win his first WWE world title. Flair eliminated five superstars en route to glory, dumping out Big Boss Man, Sid Justice (Sid Vicious), Randy Savage, The British Bulldog, and old NWA title rival The Texas Tornado (Kerry Von Erich).
This was the first time a world title was won via Royal Rumble – a feat matched only by Triple H in 2016.
Cena #8 – Elimination Chamber
21st February 2010
John Cena’s third Elimination Chamber victory secured his seventh world championship. He outlasted current champion Sheamus, Kofi Kingston, Randy Orton, and Ted DiBiase Jr., before forcing Triple H to tap out to claim victory.
Just moments after his hard-fought win, Vince McMahon forced him to defend his title against a fresh Batista. Cena’s seventh reign would last just three minutes and 33 seconds.
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