“The Never Seen 17” John Cena’s WWE career is coming to an end this week at Saturday Night’s Main Event on December 13, 2025. Cena will face two-time World Heavyweight Champion Gunther, and it promises to be an emotional night in the final match of his legendary wrestling career.
Nevertheless, the GOAT is one of the most recognizable world champions in WWE history. He’s a record-setting 14-time WWE Champion and a three-time World Heavyweight Champion. Some of Cena’s world title victories were memorable, and others were forgettable.
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Cena’s beaten some of the all-time greats to clinch a world championship in WWE. He’s battled in different gimmick matches to secure his 17 world title wins. Furthermore, Cena chasing a world championship is an interesting storyline to see how many times it takes Cena to get over the line.
An honorable mention goes to Cena’s first WWE Championship win over John “Bradshaw” Layfield at WrestleMania 21. While the title match itself wasn’t great, it is a significant moment that kicked it all off in Cena’s iconic career.
5. John Cena Vs. Randy Orton – Bragging Rights 2009
The WWE Championship became a yo-yo between John Cena and Randy Orton in 2009. They traded the WWE Championship three times. Cena and Orton clashed in the sixth Iron Man match in WWE history at Bragging Rights. There was a caveat, as Cena would move to SmackDown if he failed to regain the WWE Championship from Orton. Their Iron Man match was also Falls Count Anywhere.
Cena and Orton had a good match here, with both men desperate to escape with the WWE Championship in their clutches. The scores were 5-5, and the closing stages were tense. Orton attempted his devastating Punt Kick, but Cena averted trouble. Cena cinched in the STF for almost a minute, and with five seconds to spare, Cena forced Orton to submit to the STF. The leader of the Cenation became a seven-time world champion.
