Money in the Bank had many great moments, but perhaps the most shocking of those moments was John Cena’s huge announcement. The former “Face That Runs The Place” made a surprise return and announced that next year would be his last in WWE. We all knew it was coming, just not when the clock would start. Well, it begins now.
Now that Cena has said his time is coming to an end, it’s the perfect time to look back at the career that was. A career that included some of the best matches in the history of the company. Which one, you ask? Well, let’s take a look below.
John Cena vs. CM Punk (Money in the Bank 2011)
We might as well start with the low-hanging fruit. Cena announced his retirement at Money in the Bank, which is fitting because it was the sight of one of his greatest contests.
CM Punk and Cena have been in the ring countless times, each of them being great matches, but none reached the level that this one did.
Cena was never known for his great in-ring work, but he put everyone in their place for this match. He matched Punk move for move and even busted out a few ones that we haven’t seen from the Cenation leader. It was a welcome change of pace from his usual matches.
What sets this match apart is not the wrestling, but the story told within the match. Cena’s wanting to do the right thing while still besting Punk was wonderful. The fans bought into everything the two men did, and the finish produced a truly shocking moment.
John Cena vs. AJ Styles (SummerSlam 2016)
AJ Styles turning heel on John Cena was the catalyst for what might be the best two matches of either man’s career. Their Royal Rumble encounter was a classic, but it was their SummerSlam battle that gets the edge here.
Styles will always be known as one of the best in-ring workers in wrestling history, but Cena was no slouch for this match. They had a great build that included some of the best reversals anyone has seen. It was a great match that had the fans out of their seats for the duration. Especially, during the countless false finishes, each having more drama attached to it than the last.
The false finishes were done so well that Styles going over clean was a huge shock. There wasn’t a person in the arena who believed this would happen and was overjoyed when it did.
John Cena vs. Shawn Michaels (WWE Raw, 2007)
An injury to Triple H set up Shawn Michaels as the man to try and wrestle the WWE Championship away from John Cena, at Wrestlemania. While the match was good it paled in comparison to what they put together when Raw went across the pond in 2007.
Emanating from the UK a rematch was booked between the two and they put on a banger of a match. This match went on for an astonishing 56 minutes before a winner was finally decided. The Cena haters will say that HBK carried him, but a match doesn’t last for nearly an hour unless both men are great at their jobs.
Cena was up to the task of matching HBK’s energy, and that match was all the better for it.
As a theme of this list most of Cena’s best matches ended in defeat, but that shows how great he was. Cena put HBK over on this night and gave the crowd a happy ending.
John Cena vs. Seth Rollins vs. Brock Lesnar (Royal Rumble 2015)
Great Triple Threat Matches have to include a few key points to get themselves over. This was a match that had all of them and then some.
First, there was the star power of Cena and Brock Lesnar coupled with the fledging star Seth Rollins. It was a unique combination that none of us had seen before and was chomping at the bit to see.
Second, the action never stopped. There was the interchanging of wrestlers that provided intriguing matchups and also some fantastic wrestling when all three were in the ring. The teaming up of Rollins and Cena is a particular highlight.
Lastly, there was a sense of uncertainty surrounding the match. Despite what some may think there was an “up in the air” quality to the match. Would Cena go over? Would Lesnar retain it? Would Rollins cash in his Money in the Bank? It was a great way to take us on a journey.
John Cena vs. Brock Lesnar (Extreme Rules 2012)
Brock Lesnar made his triumphant return in 2012. It got an amazing pop and one that continued when Lesnar took out John Cena. It was the logical choice for Lesnar’s first feud, and it was something they continued for years. But it was their first match that stood out from their other counters.
‘The Beast’ is a stiff worker, that is what you’re going to get with him, and you better buckle your seatbelts. Cena was more than up to the task of matching Lesnar’s hard-hitting style. There was nothing pretty during this match. It was not a pretty match but one that looked light a real fight.
The hardcore nature of the match helped to amp up the big fight feel. Any foreign object used was done so with more malice than any of us could muster. These were two men who had no interest other than beating each other down. It was the perfect way to reintroduce Lesnar to the WWE.
John Cena vs. Daniel Bryan (SummerSlam 2013)
Yes, Cena has a history of not putting the right people over, but Daniel Bryan is an example of Cena doing what’s best for business. In 2013 Bryan was handpicked by Cena to wrestle him for the WWE Championship, at SummerSlam. It was a bold move and one that was polarizing amongst the fans and the office.
As with many of John Cena’s matches, this one included some of the best false finishes in company history. It was a skill that Cena was not given enough credit for. No one could put together a finish to a match better than the ‘Doctor of Thuganomics.’
Bryan going over clean here was the biggest story, but for Cena as well. He could have chosen to have a screwy finish to protect his character, but he instead helped to create a megastar. Another reason why Cena is the greatest.
John Cena vs. Edge (Unforgiven 2006)
There may be no better feud, in Cena’s early career, that did as much for him as when he faced Edge. Edge was the perfect heel to go against the squeaky-clean persona of Cena. He was easy to hate and produced some great matches with Cena, most notably their TLC Match at Unforgiven.
One-on-one ladder matches are hard to pull off. They can lag in parts, but Edge and Cena had no problem keeping the crowd engaged. There were some great spots but also great storytelling in between. It is a blueprint for how one-on-one ladder matches should be booked.
Ladder matches were supposed to be Edge’s specialty but not on that night. Cena was right to the task and was more of a driving force for the match. He put in incredible work, especially portraying a tweener role for the pro-Edge crowd.
It showed how layered of a performer Cena was and that he was ready to take the weight of the company.
John Cena vs. Cesaro (WWE Raw, 2015)
John Cena winning the United States Championship wasn’t a great WrestleMania moment, but it did produce some greatness down the line. His ‘United States Open Challenge’ was fantastic and gave underutilized talents the chance to shine, for example, ‘The Swiss Superman’ Cesaro.
Cesaro’s challenge against Cena was one of the best matches of the year. It was a showdown of two powerhouses and a war of attrition. Both men used every ounce of their strength trying to outdo the other and it was awesome.
They also sprinkled in some great technical wrestling for the purists in us. That combined with some great uppercuts made for a great encounter.
This was a great instance of Cena getting a wrestler over. The crowd loved Cesaro, but it was Cena’s endorsement that made the office take notice. It was another feather in the cap for Cena.
John Cena vs. The Rock (WrestleMania XXVIII)
Before it became ‘Twice in a Lifetime,’ The Rock and John Cena’s rivalry was one of the best things on television. It blurred the lines of reality as everyone knew there was a ton of heat between the two icons. The build was second to none and it paid off well when Cena and The Rock stepped into the ring.
Some were nervous that The Rock was going to gas out quickly, but his conditioning held up. He and Cena defied many expectations. There was more wrestling and big spots with this match than any would have predicted. A lot of credit has to go to Cena, as he was the one calling the majority of the match. He understood the gravity of the moment and delivered the goods.
The main event of WrestleMania XXVIII could have gone either way. Even though The Rock was the returning hero Cena was the man and who knows what the office was going to do. It was a testament to the star power of both men.
John Cena vs. Kevin Owens (Elimination Chamber 2015)
Here is yet another case of ‘Big Match John’ putting on a classic match while putting over a younger star. Kevin Owens was the loudmouth champion of NXT that had no respect for Cena. He made his way out to confront the United States Champion and took a cheap shot. It set up a fantastic ‘Champion vs. Champion’ showdown at Elimination Chamber.
Both men are more agile than they are given credit for. This was just not a power move vs power move match. There was more subtlety to the contest with great wrestling and spot-on storytelling. This was a match you wanted to watch and didn’t want to end.
Of course, it did end, with what may be one of the more shocking endings in history. We all knew that Owens was going to be a star, on the main roster, but no one could have expected him to go over Cena on the first try. Once again, the Golden Shovel of John Cena boosted another star.
