{"id":147641,"date":"2025-12-03T09:00:17","date_gmt":"2025-12-03T14:00:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/?p=147641"},"modified":"2025-12-03T08:03:41","modified_gmt":"2025-12-03T13:03:41","slug":"john-cenas-top-5-matches-that-cemented-his-wwe-legacy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/2025\/12\/03\/john-cenas-top-5-matches-that-cemented-his-wwe-legacy\/","title":{"rendered":"John Cena&#8217;s Top 5 Matches That Cemented His WWE Legacy"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Unquestionably, John Cena is one of the greatest WWE wrestlers of all time. He&#8217;s already dubbed as the GOAT. Nevertheless, fans will witness Cena wrestle for the final time on the December 13, 2025, edition of Saturday Night&#8217;s Main Event. Two-time World Heavyweight Champion Gunther or two-time United States Champion LA Knight will be waiting in the wings for Cena. Furthermore, Cena&#8217;s catalog of matches has been nothing short of extraordinary.<\/p>\n<p>RELATED: <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/2025\/12\/02\/john-cenas-3-longest-and-3-shortest-wwe-championship-reigns\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">John Cena&#8217;s 3 Longest And 3 Shortest WWE Championship Reigns<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p>An honorable mention goes out to Cena becoming the &#8220;Never Seen 17&#8221; when he defeated Cody Rhodes for his record-breaking 17th WWE world championship reign at WrestleMania 41. For sure, it wasn&#8217;t a great match, but Cena cemented his legacy as a GOAT with his 17th world title win.<\/p>\n<p>Everyone knows that Cena isn&#8217;t one of the all-time greats when it comes down to technical wrestling, but he has captivated audiences for many years. The Never Seen 17 has featured in some iconic wrestling matches, which have cemented his legacy as a legend in the professional wrestling business.<\/p>\n<p><!--nextpage--><\/p>\n<h2>5. John Cena Vs. Edge &#8211; Unforgiven 2006<\/h2>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"FULL MATCH: Edge vs. John Cena | WWE Title TLC Match: WWE Unforgiven 2006\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/xu4jZEP-fpc?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Arguably, John Cena&#8217;s biggest rival is Edge. The pair traded the WWE Championship multiple times in 2006, and their matches were fascinating to watch. Cena was the babyface, and the Rated-R Superstar was cast as a dastardly heel. Their TLC match at Unforgiven 2006 for Edge&#8217;s WWE Championship had Cena as the underdog. The match was in Edge&#8217;s backyard in Toronto, Canada, and TLC matches are the Ultimate Opportunist&#8217;s bread and butter.<\/p>\n<p>There was a caveat as Cena would leave Raw and rejoin SmackDown if he failed to recapture the WWE Championship. For sure, the crowd was backing their hometown hero, and the bout didn&#8217;t fail to disappoint.<\/p>\n<p>In the closing stages, Cena hoisted Edge on his shoulders and dumped him through a couple of tables set up in the ring with his patented Attitude Adjustment. <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/2025\/11\/18\/john-cenas-17-wwe-world-title-reigns-ranked\/7\/\" target=\"_self\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">Big Match John clinched his third WWE Championship<\/span><\/a>, and the win was significant, as he went on to hold it for 380 days.<\/p>\n<p><!--nextpage--><\/p>\n<h2>4. John Cena Vs. Randy Orton Vs. Shawn Michaels Vs. Edge &#8211; Backlash 2007<\/h2>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"FULL MATCH: John Cena vs. Shawn Michaels vs. Edge vs. Randy Orton | WWE Title Match: Backlash 2007\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/NfAjFX-VG3c?start=465&#038;feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Seven months after winning the WWE Championship for the third time, John Cena was still the WWE Champion. Cena ended Umaga&#8217;s unbeaten streak in two excellent matches at New Year&#8217;s Revolution 2007 and the 2007 Royal Rumble. He beat Shawn Michaels in the main event of WrestleMania 23 to retain the WWE Championship. However, one of Cena&#8217;s toughest title defenses was against Edge, Michaels, and Randy Orton in a high-caliber fatal-4-way match at Backlash 2007.<\/p>\n<p>Unsurprisingly, the four former world champions put on an instant classic that is still spoken about to this day. Cena proved that he was the Face that Runs the Place with his efforts in this WWE Title match. There was a flurry of finishers to bring this match to a halt. The Heartbreak Kid clocked Cena with Sweet Chin Music, but the momentum carried Cena down as Cena fell onto the Legend Killer to remain as the top dog on Raw.<\/p>\n<p><!--nextpage--><\/p>\n<h2>3. John Cena Vs. CM Punk &#8211; Raw (2\/25\/13)<\/h2>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"FULL MATCH: John Cena vs. CM Punk: Raw, Feb. 25, 2013\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/sGbfeCUJXfs?start=649&#038;feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>John Cena and his rival CM Punk had contrasting nights at the 2013 Royal Rumble. Cena won his second Royal Rumble match, punching his ticket to a world championship match at WrestleMania 29. CM Punk&#8217;s dreams of headlining WrestleMania 29 were dashed as The Rock curtailed his 434-day WWE Championship reign.<\/p>\n<p>Punk once again failed to beat The Rock as he lost his title rematch at Elimination Chamber 2013. Nevertheless, Cena and Punk reignited their feud by clashing on Raw&#8217;s February 25, 2013, with Cena&#8217;s WWE Title opportunity at &#8216;Mania on the line.<\/p>\n<p>The Second City Saint and Cena put on an instant classic in one of the greatest matches in the history of Raw. Punk didn&#8217;t make it easy for Cena, as there was no secret that Punk was desperate to main event WrestleMania. Punk pushed Cena to his limit, and Cena sealed the all-important victory with his patented AA.<\/p>\n<p><!--nextpage--><\/p>\n<h2>2. John Cena Vs. AJ Styles &#8211; Royal Rumble 2017<\/h2>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"FULL MATCH - AJ Styles vs. John Cena - WWE Championship Match: Royal Rumble 2017\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/MLylfh3atzA?start=1457&#038;feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>The 2017 iteration of the Royal Rumble was going to be a massive night in John Cena&#8217;s legendary career. <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/2022\/06\/26\/john-cenas-best-feuds\/\" target=\"_self\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">He challenged AJ Styles for the WWE Championship<\/span><\/a>, and he was looking to end several droughts. He was aiming to win his 16th WWE world championship, and he was looking to beat the Phenomenal One for the first time in one-on-one action, as he lost to him at Money in the Bank 2016 and SummerSlam 2016.<\/p>\n<p>Unquestionably, their WWE Championship match stole the show, and Cena and Styles knocked it out of the park in one of the greatest WWE Title matches in the history of the Royal Rumble.<\/p>\n<p>Cena hadn&#8217;t held a world championship for over two years, and he was looking to put that to rest. Styles had the muscle memory of his two victories over Cena, and Styles kicked out of Cena&#8217;s avalanche AA. Big Match John wasn&#8217;t going to throw in the towel, as winning the WWE Championship again was important to him.<\/p>\n<p>A couple more AA&#8217;s done the job for Cena as he won a record-tying 16th world championship. Even if Cena didn&#8217;t win a 17th world championship in 2025, his legacy was cemented for sure with a 16th world title run.<\/p>\n<p><!--nextpage--><\/p>\n<h2>1. John Cena Vs. Shawn Michaels &#8211; WrestleMania 23<\/h2>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"FULL MATCH: John Cena vs. Shawn Michaels \u2013 WWE Title Match: WrestleMania 23\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/qu3h46bmrkA?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>2007 belonged to John Cena as he held the WWE Championship for almost the entire calendar year. A feat last achieved by Hulk Hogan two decades prior. Cena was the man to beat, but at WrestleMania, to knock off Shawn Michaels is a big deal.<\/p>\n<p>Cena and Michaels were reigning World Tag Team Champions, but those titles were an afterthought. They headlined WrestleMania 23 with Cena&#8217;s WWE Championship at stake. Michaels, seeking his fifth world championship reign, demonstrated why he is &#8220;Mr. WrestleMania.&#8221;<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_147685\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-147685\" style=\"width: 945px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-147685 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2025\/12\/22.jpg\" alt=\"A WWE graphic featuring John Cena and matches that cemented his legacy.\" width=\"945\" height=\"720\" srcset=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2025\/12\/22.jpg 945w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2025\/12\/22-300x229.jpg 300w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2025\/12\/22-768x585.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 945px) 100vw, 945px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-147685\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo Credit: WWE<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Cena and Michaels had a back-and-forth affair, treating the crowd jam-packed inside Ford Field with a high-level WWE Championship match. Fans were hooked on their match, and Michaels had some chances to win the WWE Championship. However, Cena showed his resilience and refusal to stay down.<\/p>\n<p>Cena passed the test at WrestleMania 22 by beating Michaels&#8217; DX tag team partner Triple H to retain the WWE Championship. Michaels was looking to prevent the same fate, but it was to no avail, with Cena cinching in the STF, leaving Michaels with no choice but to tap out. Cena proved the naysayers wrong by defeating Michaels in a hard-fought battle.<\/p>\n<p><strong>More From LWOS Pro Wrestling<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><em><i>Header photo \u2013 WWE \u2013 Stay tuned to the\u00a0<\/i><\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/\" target=\"_self\"><em><u><i>Last Word on Pro Wrestling<\/i><\/u><\/em><\/a><em><i> 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.<\/i><\/em><\/p>\n<p><em><i>You can check out WWE programming on\u00a0<\/i><\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.netflix.com\/title\/81788927\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><em><u><i>Netflix<\/i><\/u><\/em><\/a><em><i>\u00a0(Raw),\u00a0<\/i><\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.usanetwork.com\/wwe-friday-night-smackdown\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><em><u><i>USA Network<\/i><\/u><\/em><\/a><em><i>\u00a0(SmackDown),\u00a0<\/i><\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cwtv.com\/shows\/wwe-nxt\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><em><u><i>The CW<\/i><\/u><\/em><\/a><em><i>\u00a0(NXT),\u00a0<\/i><\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/tubitv.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><em><u><i>Tubi<\/i><\/u><\/em><\/a><em><i>\u00a0(WWE Evolve),\u00a0<\/i><\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.aetv.com\/wwe\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><em><u><i>A&amp;E<\/i><\/u><\/em><\/a><em><i>\u00a0(WWE Superstar Sunday \u2013 Rivals, WWE LFG, and Greatest Moments), and\u00a0<\/i><\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.peacocktv.com\/watch\/home\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><em><u><i>Peacock<\/i><\/u><\/em><\/a><em><i>\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><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/wwe\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><em><u><i>YouTube<\/i><\/u><\/em><\/a><em><i>, and catch fast-paced action on X (<\/i><\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/i\/events\/1773457579022155776?lang=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><em><u><i>WWE Speed<\/i><\/u><\/em><\/a><em><i>).<\/i><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Unquestionably, John Cena is one of the greatest WWE wrestlers of all time. He&#8217;s already dubbed as the GOAT. Nevertheless, fans will witness Cena wrestle for the final time on the December 13, 2025, edition of Saturday Night&#8217;s Main Event. Two-time World Heavyweight Champion Gunther or two-time United States Champion LA Knight will be waiting [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5695,"featured_media":147684,"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":[2,4,3],"tags":[165],"class_list":["post-147641","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-featured","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\/147641","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\/5695"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=147641"}],"version-history":[{"count":22,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/147641\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":147710,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/147641\/revisions\/147710"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/147684"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=147641"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=147641"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=147641"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}