1. John Cena’s 2008 Royal Rumble Return
The appearance of Cena in The Royal Rumble at Madison Square Garden on January 27, 2008, is seen as one of the most shocking returns in WWE history.
Cena suffered a torn pectoral muscle on October 26, 2007, during a match on Monday Night Raw against Mr. Kennedy, after which he was expected to miss 7-12 months due to the extent of the injury. Incredibly, Cena managed to come back after only three months.
Cena entered the Rumble as the 30th and final entrant for the match, where he immediately eliminated Carlito, Mark Henry, and Chavo Guerrero. He battled to stay in the match, with him and Triple H the last men standing. The back-and-forth battle between Cena and Triple H ended in Cena prevailing to win his first Royal Rumble.
The specialness of this moment wasn’t merely the fact that Cena had won his first Royal Rumble, but rather how quickly he managed to make his return to the WWE ring following injury.
John Cena’s match at Madison Square Garden on Monday Night Raw on November 17, 2025, gave fans a nostalgic bout with two of his previous allies (Sheamus and Rey Mysterio). It was these five matches, however, which should be recalled as Cena’s most noteworthy inside The World’s Most Famous Arena.
More From LWOS Pro Wrestling
Header photo – WikiMedia Creative Commons – Stay tuned to the Last Word on Pro Wrestling for more on John Cena and other stories from around the world of wrestling, as they develop. You can always count on LWOPW to be on top of the major news in the wrestling world, as well as to provide you with analysis, previews, videos, interviews, and editorials on the wrestling world.
You can check out WWE programming on Netflix (Raw), USA Network (SmackDown), The CW (NXT), Tubi (WWE Evolve), A&E (WWE Superstar Sunday – Rivals, WWE LFG, and Greatest Moments), and Peacock (WWE Main Event, as well as archives and premium live event streaming). Follow WWE on social media to relive top moments and matches on YouTube, and catch fast-paced action on X (WWE Speed).
