Unquestionably, John Cena is one of the greatest WWE wrestlers of all time. Cena’s WWE career is iconic, and he has captivated audiences for many years. Whether wrestling fans have shown their admiration for Cena or shown their displeasure, there’s no denying Cena’s loyalty to WWE.
Nevertheless, with Cena being one of the biggest names in WWE history and the face that’s run the place for two decades strong, there’s no surprise that he’s generally featured in major WWE PLE main events.
RELATED: John Cena’s 5 Best WWE World Title Wins, Ranked
The 17-time WWE world champion featured in countless extraordinary WWE PLE main events and faced some of the all-time greats. The likes of Shawn Michaels, Triple H, The Rock, Edge, Randy Orton, and CM Punk are some iconic legends who have closed out a WWE PLE main event against Cena. Cena’s been very fortunate and earned the right to close out so many main events throughout his career.
A few honorable mentions in some of Cena’s best WWE PLE main events include his battle with JBL over the WWE Championship in an “I Quit” match at Judgment Day 2005. His clash with Shawn Michaels at WrestleMania 23 was for the World Tag Team Champions, going toe-to-toe over the WWE Championship.
John Cena’s clash with The Rock at WrestleMania 28, and recently Cena’s 17th WWE world championship reign, culminated in a Street Fight at SummerSlam 2025.
5. John Cena Vs. Brock Lesnar – Extreme Rules 2012
There was a lot to unpack on the Raw after WrestleMania 28. John Cena was reeling after losing to The Rock in the main event of WrestleMania 28. However, Cena’s nightmare was beginning as Brock Lesnar returned to WWE for the first time in eight years, and he laid out Cena with an F-5. This led to Cena and Lesnar closing out Extreme Rules 2012 in an Extreme Rules match. Cena and Lesnar knocked it out of the park in a violent encounter.
The Beast Incarnate incorporated an MMA style, with both men bleeding profusely. Many expected that Lesnar would win, considering it was Lesnar’s first match in a WWE ring in eight years. However, Cena’s victory was illogical as he defeated Lesnar with an Attitude Adjustment onto the steel steps in a match that Lesnar should have won.
