{"id":147847,"date":"2025-12-05T09:00:35","date_gmt":"2025-12-05T14:00:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/?p=147847"},"modified":"2025-12-05T05:34:40","modified_gmt":"2025-12-05T10:34:40","slug":"every-wwe-wrestler-who-beat-john-cena-for-a-world-championship-ranked","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/2025\/12\/05\/every-wwe-wrestler-who-beat-john-cena-for-a-world-championship-ranked\/","title":{"rendered":"Every WWE Wrestler Who Beat John Cena For A World Championship, Ranked"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Unquestionably, John Cena, the GOAT, the Never Seen 17, the leader of the Cenation, is one of the most polarizing wrestlers in WWE history. Cena captivated audiences with his personality, but when Cena started to rack up multiple world championship reigns, fans began to turn on him. They grew tired of Cena&#8217;s dominance and seeing Cena win world championships at some of their favorites&#8217; expense.<\/p>\n<p>Cena has defeated some of the greatest WWE wrestlers of all time to score his record-breaking 17 world championship wins. He&#8217;s a record 14-time WWE Champion, and three reigns as World Heavyweight Champion to boot.<\/p>\n<p><strong>RELATED:<\/strong> <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/2025\/12\/04\/john-cena-underrated-wwe-matches\/\" target=\"_self\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">5 John Cena WWE Matches That Don&#8217;t Get Enough Love<\/span><\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>While Cena has beaten some legends to secure some of his world championship reigns, he&#8217;s also been on the receiving end of dropping world titles to major names. He&#8217;s also lost a world title to some wrestlers who won their first world championship, which is a big deal.<\/p>\n<p>Furthermore, some wrestlers are fortunate to have beaten Cena more than once to win the WWE Championship\/World Heavyweight Championship. 11 men have had the privilege of ending Cena&#8217;s 17 world title reigns, with some title wins more memorable than others.<\/p>\n<h2>11. Bray Wyatt<\/h2>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Bray Wyatt wins first WWE Title: WWE Elimination Chamber 2017\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/1jzcWBJyeDw?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>Bray Wyatt made his main roster debut in 2013, and the leader of the Wyatt Family had inconsistent booking throughout his WWE career. Sadly, <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/2025\/03\/24\/the-psychology-behind-bray-wyatts-mind-games\/\" target=\"_self\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">Wyatt passed away in August 2023 at just 36<\/span><\/a>. Nevertheless, his legacy remains, and fans were pleased when he finally won the WWE Championship at Elimination Chamber 2017. Wyatt eliminated the reigning WWE Champion John Cena, who won a record-equaling 16th world championship at the 2017 Royal Rumble.<\/p>\n<p>Wyatt lastly eliminated AJ Styles to win the WWE Championship. However, Wyatt&#8217;s WWE Championship reign failed to catch fire. His reign lasted until WrestleMania 33, when he dropped the gold to his former SmackDown Tag Team Championship partner, Randy Orton.<\/p>\n<p><!--nextpage--><\/p>\n<h2>10. Alberto Del Rio<\/h2>\n<p>Alberto Del Rio was on cloud nine in the summer of 2011. He won the Money in the Bank ladder match for a future WWE Championship opportunity. The Mexican Aristocrat converted his Money in the Bank triumph by defeating CM Punk to become the WWE Champion for the first time in his career. However, Del Rio&#8217;s joy was short-lived as he dropped the title to John Cena, a month later at Night of Champions 2011.<\/p>\n<p>Del Rio sought revenge when he competed in the first-ever triple threat Hell in a Cell match for the WWE Championship. Punk was also involved in the proceedings. Del Rio didn&#8217;t have to wait long to regain the WWE Championship, ending Cena&#8217;s landmark 10th WWE Championship reign.<\/p>\n<p><!--nextpage--><\/p>\n<h2>9. Sheamus<\/h2>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"FULL MATCH - John Cena vs. Sheamus \u2013 WWE Championship Tables Match: WWE TLC 2009\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/XldG3zRhoVM?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>Sheamus debuted on ECW in June 2009, but his run on the land of extreme was short-lived, as he moved to Raw a few months later. The Celtic Warrior challenged John Cena for the WWE Championship in a tables match. Shockingly, Sheamus beat Cena to become the first Irish-born WWE Champion.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/2025\/11\/21\/sheamus-out-of-john-cena-last-time-is-now-tournament\/\" target=\"_self\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">No one expected Sheamus to get the job done<\/span><\/a>. However, Sheamus&#8217; WWE Championship reign lasted a couple of months, with Cena regaining the title in an Elimination Chamber match. Once again, Sheamus had become a thorn in Cena&#8217;s side as he ended another one of Cena&#8217;s WWE Championship reigns in a fatal-4-way match.<\/p>\n<p><!--nextpage--><\/p>\n<h2>8. Rob Van Dam<\/h2>\n<p>John Cena was no stranger to entering hostile environments as he rocked up to the Hammerstein Ballroom as the reigning WWE Champion. Cena defended the title against Rob Van Dam, who, admirably ahead of time, announced that he&#8217;d cash in his Money in the Bank briefcase and face Cena for the WWE Championship at ECW One Night Stand 2006.<\/p>\n<p>For sure, there was outside interference from Edge, but that takes nothing away from RVD winning the WWE Championship. RVD&#8217;s victory over Cena was a highlight in his WWE career, but unfortunately, his WWE Championship reign was curtailed prematurely as he was caught in possession of illicit substances.<\/p>\n<p><!--nextpage--><\/p>\n<h2>7. Batista<\/h2>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"John Cena vs. Batista - WWE Championship Match: Elimination Chamber 2010\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/aFQZWt9keA4?start=78&#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>Two of the biggest stars, Batista and John Cena, locked horns at Elimination Chamber 2010. It was an impromptu match for Cena&#8217;s WWE Championship. <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/2025\/12\/02\/john-cenas-3-longest-and-3-shortest-wwe-championship-reigns\/\" target=\"_self\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">Cena won his eighth WWE Championship<\/span> <\/a>in the Elimination Chamber match, but the Animal was awarded a WWE Championship match.<\/p>\n<p>The Animal is synonymous with his World Heavyweight Championship runs, but he got his hands on the spinner belt for the second time. Batista overpowered Cena in an abrupt match, but his WWE Championship run lasted until WrestleMania 26, with Cena getting his title back.<\/p>\n<p><!--nextpage--><\/p>\n<h2>6. Brock Lesnar<\/h2>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"FULL MATCH - John Cena vs. Brock Lesnar - WWE Title Match: SummerSlam 2014\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/7tVUA3DzhF4?start=6&#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>2014 belonged to Brock Lesnar as he ended The Undertaker&#8217;s legendary 21-0 unbeaten streak at WrestleMania 30. The Beast Incarnate wasn&#8217;t resting on his laurels as he was looking to win the WWE Championship from John Cena.<a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/2025\/08\/08\/the-history-of-john-cena-and-brock-lesnar-in-wwe\/\" target=\"_self\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"> Cena and Lesnar had a storied rivalry<\/span><\/a>, and Lesnar took Cena to Suplex City in the main event of SummerSlam.<\/p>\n<p>The Beast Incarnate&#8217;s performance was dominant, and he destroyed Cena en route to becoming the WWE Champion for the first time in 11 years. Cena attempted to regain the title from Lesnar multiple times, but that failed to materialize, with Lesnar going on to hold the title until WrestleMania 31.<\/p>\n<p><!--nextpage--><\/p>\n<h2>5. Cody Rhodes<\/h2>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"John Cena vs. Cody Rhodes | WWE Title Street Fight: SummerSlam 2025 highlights\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/CDOCyYSqOR4?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 became The Never Seen 17 when he dethroned Cody Rhodes for the Undisputed WWE Championship in the main event of WrestleMania 41 Night Two. Cena was a heel for the majority of his final world championship run. However, Cena turned face once again when he defended the Undisputed WWE Championship against the American Nightmare in a Street Fight in the main event of night two of SummerSlam 2025.<\/p>\n<p>Cena and Rhodes hit a home run in a much-improved rematch. The Never Seen 17&#8217;s four-month reign as the Undisputed WWE Champion was over with <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/2025\/08\/03\/cody-rhodes-is-undisputed-at-wwe-summerslam-2025-winning-title-over-john-cena\/\" target=\"_self\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">Rhodes regaining the title<\/span><\/a>. Afterward, Cena shifted his attention toward a returning Brock Lesnar at the end of the show.<\/p>\n<p><!--nextpage--><\/p>\n<h2>4. CM Punk<\/h2>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"FULL MATCH \u2014 CM Punk vs. John Cena \u2013 WWE Championship Match: WWE Money in the Bank 2011\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/QZb3dfX3cQA?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>2011 was all about the Summer of Punk. CM Punk challenged John Cena for the WWE Championship in front of his hometown fans in Chicago, Illinois, at Money in the Bank 2011. The Second City Saint&#8217;s contract was set to expire, but he dethroned Cena, kickstarting his first WWE Championship reign.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_147887\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-147887\" style=\"width: 640px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-147887 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2025\/12\/22-1.jpg\" alt=\"A WWE PLE graphic featuring John Cena.\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" srcset=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2025\/12\/22-1.jpg 640w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2025\/12\/22-1-300x169.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-147887\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo Credit: WWE<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Punk and Cena were both recognized as WWE Champions when Cena beat Rey Mysterio for the title in a tournament final on Raw&#8217;s July 25, 2011 episode. A month later, they clashed for the Undisputed WWE Championship at SummerSlam 2011. <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/2024\/06\/24\/greatest-wwe-rivals-of-cm-punk\/\" target=\"_self\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">Punk curtailed Cena&#8217;s ninth WWE Championship reign<\/span><\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><!--nextpage--><\/p>\n<h2>3. Randy Orton<\/h2>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"FULL MATCH - John Cena vs. Randy Orton \u2013 WWE World Heavyweight Title TLC Match: WWE TLC 2013\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/tCGGeZ1IbpU?start=1511&#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 rivalry between John Cena and Randy Orton is one of the most fascinating in WWE history. Cena and Orton&#8217;s feud dominated the summer and fall of 2009, with the pair trading the WWE Championship several times. History was made at Hell in a Cell 2009 when the Viper dethroned Cena for the WWE Championship.<\/p>\n<p>Orton became the first man to win the WWE Championship inside Hell in a Cell, which is a crazy stat considering how many world title Hell in a Cell matches there were prior.<\/p>\n<p>Four years later, at TLC 2013, Orton and Cena clashed in one of their biggest matches. The winner in their TLC match would be crowned as the WWE World Heavyweight Champion.<\/p>\n<p>Cena entered as the World Heavyweight Champion, and Orton was the reigning WWE Champion. Furthermore, Orton got one over on his old rival to become the WWE World Heavyweight Champion, with Cena&#8217;s World Heavyweight Championship officially retired and absorbed into Orton&#8217;s WWE Championship.<\/p>\n<p><!--nextpage--><\/p>\n<h2>2. Daniel Bryan<\/h2>\n<p>Daniel Bryan became one of the most popular WWE wrestlers for a couple of years in 2013 and 2014. Fans hijacked segments, desperately wanting to see Bryan. Bryan became irresistible, and he squared off with John Cena in a rare all-babyface showdown bout in the main event of SummerSlam 2013 for Cena&#8217;s WWE Championship.<\/p>\n<p>Bryan beat Cena cleanly to win the WWE Championship for the first time. However, the special guest referee, Triple H, turned heel for the first time in seven years by attacking Bryan after the match. Enter, Mr. Money in the Bank, Randy Orton, who successfully cashed in his Money in the Bank contract, ending Bryan&#8217;s WWE Championship reign.<\/p>\n<p><!--nextpage--><\/p>\n<h2>1. Edge<\/h2>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Edge Spears John Cena - New Year&#039;s Revolution 2006\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/MBoT5QUGqQQ?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 legendary feud between John Cena and Edge kickstarted in 2006 when the Rated-R Superstar cashed in his Money in the Bank briefcase on a battered and bruised Cena at New Year&#8217;s Revolution 2006. Edge&#8217;s maiden WWE Championship reign lasted just three weeks, with Cena regaining the title at the 2006 Royal Rumble.<\/p>\n<p>That wasn&#8217;t the only time that Edge unseated John Cena for a world championship. He ended two further World Heavyweight Championship reigns of Cena&#8217;s. At No Way Out 2009, as a surprise entrant, he removed Kofi Kingston from the equation. Edge went on to eliminate Rey Mysterio to become the new World Heavyweight Champion.<\/p>\n<p>Lastly, <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/2025\/12\/03\/john-cenas-top-5-matches-that-cemented-his-wwe-legacy\/\" target=\"_self\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">Cena dropped the World Heavyweight Championship to the Rated-R Superstar<\/span> <\/a>in a Last Man Standing match at Backlash 2009. Edge became the first man in history to beat Cena for a world championship three times.<\/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>\u00a0for 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, the GOAT, the Never Seen 17, the leader of the Cenation, is one of the most polarizing wrestlers in WWE history. Cena captivated audiences with his personality, but when Cena started to rack up multiple world championship reigns, fans began to turn on him. They grew tired of Cena&#8217;s dominance and seeing [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5695,"featured_media":138675,"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":[1432,224,57,1634,140,98,56,328,58,1734,399],"class_list":["post-147847","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-featured","category-wwe","category-wwe-universe","tag-batista","tag-bray-wyatt","tag-brock-lesnar","tag-bryan-danielson","tag-cm-punk","tag-cody-rhodes","tag-daniel-bryan","tag-edge","tag-randy-orton","tag-rob-van-dam","tag-sheamus"],"modified_by":"Michael Joseph Sugue, Manager","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/147847","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=147847"}],"version-history":[{"count":28,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/147847\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":147888,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/147847\/revisions\/147888"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/138675"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=147847"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=147847"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=147847"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}