{"id":146267,"date":"2025-11-16T07:00:16","date_gmt":"2025-11-16T12:00:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/?p=146267"},"modified":"2025-11-15T20:08:51","modified_gmt":"2025-11-16T01:08:51","slug":"the-greatest-rivals-of-john-cena-in-wwe-based-on-total-matches","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/2025\/11\/16\/the-greatest-rivals-of-john-cena-in-wwe-based-on-total-matches\/","title":{"rendered":"The Greatest Rivals of John Cena in WWE, Based on Total Matches"},"content":{"rendered":"

The 23-year career of the Greatest of All Time is coming to an end. Since 2002, John Cena has lived World Wrestling Entertainment. He has become one of the most recognizable wrestlers on the planet and has helped WWE to achieve unprecedented levels of success. He was The Face That Runs The Place, and there may never be another like John Cena.<\/p>\n

Throughout his storied career, John Cena has had the privilege of standing across from some of the greats of WWE. Together with those men, Cena has produced some of the most captivating rivalries in WWE history. Those men have grown with Cena and competed against him more than any other wrestler has. They have become the greatest rivals in the lengthy career of the G.O.A.T.<\/a>, and they are listed below.<\/p>\n

(For this article, we will be looking at those men who have compiled the most matches, single or otherwise, against John Cena.) All figures are taken from Cagematch.net<\/p>\n

7. CM Punk \u2013 110 Matches\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/strong><\/h2>\n

Being the face of the company, John Cena was always going to draw attention from those who went against the grain. CM Punk is the biggest example of that. Punk hated the idea of John Cena being called the best and thus campaigned against the leader of Cenation for the duration of his initial run. They gave us some of the greatest promo battles in WWE history, and who can forget the infamous pipe bomb with John Cena lying in the ring?<\/p>\n

There have been so many classic battles between these two men that it\u2019s hard to zero in on just one. Their Money in the Bank clash will forever be considered one of their best. It epitomized the story that made their battles so successful. Outside of that, we have countless battles over the WWE Championship or the right to wrestle for it. These matches showcased the tremendous chemistry between the two. Matches that would have been in greater numbers had CM Punk\u2019s hiatus not occurred.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

6. Kane \u2013 129 Matches <\/strong><\/h2>\n

Kane’s high ranking on the list was a bit of a surprise. He and John Cena don\u2019t have many major programs against one another. But when we consider the length of both men\u2019s careers and the fact that they run at the same time, it makes sense. For the sheer reason that both men were huge stars, it naturally follows that they would end up facing one another from time to time.<\/p>\n

When examining Kane and John Cena\u2019s history, their most popular angle was the Embrace the Hate campaign. It features a returning Masked Kane, attempting to convince Cena to turn to the dark side. Kane looked fantastic during his return, and it provided a fresher matchup for both men. The issues led to some fun contests culminating in a vicious Ambulance Match. The number of matches they have been in together should have received more love, considering how great everything they did was.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

5. Seth Rollins \u2013 145 Matches <\/strong><\/h2>\n

Kane being so high on the list was a shock, but Seth Rollins even cracking the top 8 is a bigger story. Looking back, it doesn\u2019t seem as if John Cena and Seth Rollins spent that much time in the ring. They were both in the company for only a few years before Cena started taking long breaks from the company. However, that didn\u2019t stop either man from competing in over 140 matches against one another and producing some truly memorable moments in the process.<\/p>\n

John Cena was one of the first targets of The Shield, so they were able to get in the ring a lot. Usually, this was in multi-man matches, but the televised ones were fantastic and showed a great future for the young stars.<\/p>\n

Seth Rollins and John Cena were not just great in multi-man matches, producing a great Summerslam match for the WWE & United States Championship. It was a compelling Winner Take All contest that served as a passing of the torch moment for Seth Rollins.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

4. Big Show \u2013 171 Matches <\/strong><\/h2>\n

Every hero needs their monster to conquer\u2014a beast who provides an imposing physical presence that makes the hero’s eventual victory all the sweeter. There have been various iterations of this character in John Cena\u2019s career, but none have held the stature that The Big Show has. He has been a thorn in the side of John Cena for the duration of his WWE run. A monster that has stood in the way of Cena\u2019s advancement into the annals of WWE lore.<\/p>\n

Nearly 200 times John Cena and The Big Show faced off. It\u2019s a number only surpassed by three men, and it includes some of the biggest matches of John Cena\u2019s career. A historic clash over the United States Championship at WrestleMania 20 marked the beginning of John Cena\u2019s WrestleMania dominance.<\/p>\n

That was not the end of their WrestleMania legacy as they clashed over the World Heavyweight Championship at the 25th<\/sup> Anniversary of WWE\u2019s biggest show. The story of John Cena cannot be told without mentioning the long-standing rivalry between him and The Big Show.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

3. The Miz \u2013 172 Matches <\/strong><\/h2>\n

The Miz\u2019s role in the career of John Cena has been the perfect foil. There was nothing fancy about The Miz\u2019s heel character. He was an arrogant man who would stoop to any level to get his hands raised in victory. A heel that was very easy to hate, and one that was perfect to stand across from John Cena. He provided the perfect vessel for John Cena\u2019s expertly delivered promos.<\/p>\n

The fans loved to see John Cena cut down The Miz at every opportunity, both in and out of the ring. This is why WWE decided to pair these men up at every chance.<\/p>\n

As much as they faced off against one another, there are only a few matches that will be remembered. The most important of which was their WrestleMania 27 main event. A main event that saw The Rock take center stage and is heralded as one of the worst main events of all time. Not a promising accolade, but one that will follow both men around forever.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

2. Edge \u2013 180 Matches <\/strong><\/h2>\n

The story of John Cena cannot be told without mentioning one of his greatest rivals. The Rated R Superstar made his singles career battling John Cena all over the world. Edge and John Cena were the preeminent feud of the Ruthless Aggression Era.<\/p>\n

It started with the first-ever Money in the Bank cash-in and weaved its way through a litany of World Championship and gimmick matches. Their issues leaked into every part of World Wrestling Entertainment and will hopefully be wonderfully bookended in December.<\/p>\n

With 180 matches between the two men, it’s hard to focus on just a few, but there are some important ones. Edge\u2019s Money in the Bank cash-in was a short yet incredibly impactful contest that led to a summer of bangers between the two men.<\/p>\n

\"A
Photo Credit: By http:\/\/www.marines.mil\/unit\/hqmc\/PublishingImages\/Raw_09112006rf_430.JPG<\/a>, Public Domain, https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/w\/index.php?curid=22995078<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Culminating in one of the best singles TLC matches in WWE history. Outside of that, there wasn\u2019t a time in either man\u2019s career when they were put across from one another. Edge and John Cena will always be a huge part of one another’s stories.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

1. Randy Orton \u2013 260 Matches <\/strong><\/h2>\n

It should come as no shock that Randy Orton is going to be at the top of this list. When anyone talks about the matches of John Cena\u2019s career, this man is the first that comes to mind. Frankly, it makes sense as John Cena and Randy Orton have been in 260 matches against each other. It\u2019s a staggering number that eclipses even the second-place man on the list. These two were the main event program for years in WWE, to the point where people were sick of seeing them face off.<\/p>\n

There isn\u2019t a match between these two that the world hasn\u2019t seen. They competed in every gimmick match imaginable and over every major championship WWE has to offer. Randy Orton and John Cena stole each other’s finishes, climbed steel cages, went into hell, and tried to make the other one quit. The legacy of John Cena will forever be connected with Randy Orton. One wouldn\u2019t exist without the other.<\/p>\n

More From LWOS Pro Wrestling<\/b><\/strong><\/p>\n

Header photo \u2013\u00a0WikiMedia Creative Commons<\/a>\u00a0\u2013 Stay tuned to the\u00a0<\/i><\/em>Last Word on Pro Wrestling<\/i><\/u><\/em><\/a>\u00a0for more on the best WWE Rivals of 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.<\/i><\/em><\/p>\n

You can check out WWE programming on\u00a0<\/i><\/em>Netflix<\/i><\/u><\/em><\/a>\u00a0(Raw),\u00a0<\/i><\/em>USA Network<\/i><\/u><\/em><\/a>\u00a0(SmackDown),\u00a0<\/i><\/em>The CW<\/i><\/u><\/em><\/a>\u00a0(NXT),\u00a0<\/i><\/em>Tubi<\/i><\/u><\/em><\/a>\u00a0(WWE Evolve),\u00a0<\/i><\/em>A&E<\/i><\/u><\/em><\/a>\u00a0(WWE Superstar Sunday \u2013 Rivals, WWE LFG, and Greatest Moments), and\u00a0<\/i><\/em>Peacock<\/i><\/u><\/em><\/a>\u00a0(WWE Main Event, as well as archives and premium live event streaming). Follow WWE on social media to relive top moments and matches on\u00a0<\/i><\/em>YouTube<\/i><\/u><\/em><\/a>, and catch fast-paced action on X (<\/i><\/em>WWE Speed<\/i><\/u><\/em><\/a>).<\/i><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The 23-year career of the Greatest of All Time is coming to an end. Since 2002, John Cena has lived World Wrestling Entertainment. He has become one of the most recognizable wrestlers on the planet and has helped WWE to achieve unprecedented levels of success. He was The Face That Runs The Place, and there […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4518,"featured_media":146275,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2,7205,2192,4,3],"tags":[165],"class_list":["post-146267","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-featured","category-history","category-wrestling","category-wwe","category-wwe-universe","tag-john-cena"],"modified_by":"Michael Joseph Sugue, Manager","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/146267","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4518"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=146267"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/146267\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":146276,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/146267\/revisions\/146276"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/146275"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=146267"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=146267"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=146267"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}