{"id":148105,"date":"2025-12-09T08:00:52","date_gmt":"2025-12-09T13:00:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/?p=148105"},"modified":"2025-12-08T21:50:12","modified_gmt":"2025-12-09T02:50:12","slug":"4-of-john-cenas-most-underrated-wwe-rivals","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/2025\/12\/09\/4-of-john-cenas-most-underrated-wwe-rivals\/","title":{"rendered":"4 of John Cena&#8217;s Most Underrated WWE Rivals"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The Cenation braces itself for an emotional ride as we get set for John Cena&#8217;s final match this Saturday. Cena will battle Gunther at Saturday Night&#8217;s Main Event. While the Ring General will be his last battle, the Champ has had many fierce rivals in the previous 23 years.<\/p>\n<p>Ruthless Aggression Era fans will recall John Cena&#8217;s iconic rivalries against Kurt Angle, Big Show, and Edge. The PG Era saw Cena tussle with prominent names like Randy Orton, Batista, Triple H, The Miz, and CM Punk. In the latter part of his career, the 17-time World Champion crossed paths with AJ Styles, Seth Rollins, and Roman Reigns.<\/p>\n<p>While several of these programs have received considerable attention, fans seem to have overlooked a few gems. On that note, let&#8217;s look at four of John Cena&#8217;s most underrated rivals.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>#4. Masked Kane<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>The 2011 to 2012 period is primarily remembered for the Summer of Punk (which featured John Cena&#8217;s iconic feud with CM Punk) and the Once in a Lifetime match between The Rock and John Cena. However, several important storylines got lost in the shuffle.<\/p>\n<p>One such storyline was Cena versus the Big Red Machine Kane, who returned with a new attitude and mask. This demonic monster had only one goal in mind: to force Cena to embrace the hate.\u00a0 Their matches were nothing spectacular, and Kane was a placeholder rival to build towards Cena&#8217;s match with The Rock.<\/p>\n<p>Nonetheless, it was pretty cool to see Kane back with a mask. WWE was also acknowledging the adverse reactions against Cena, who was showing minor heelish tendencies. This feud is also notorious for outrageous moments like the Big Red Machine almost murdering a wheelchair bound Zack Ryder.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"FULL MATCH - John Cena vs. Kane: Royal Rumble 2012\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/kE0xMf4q4MU?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><!--nextpage--><\/p>\n<h2>#3. Mark Henry<\/h2>\n<p>Filler feuds often lead to something bigger, but sometimes, they can provide memories that can last decades. In the buildup to Money in the Bank 2013, Mark Henry, having seemingly dropped his Hall of Pain gimmick, feigned retirement to goad John Cena into a WWE Championship match.<\/p>\n<p>This was a creative masterpiece as it caught everyone off guard. The segment aged like fine wine as AJ Styles did something similar with Cody Rhodes 11 years later in May 2024. Henry&#8217;s fake retirement angle was sufficient to build intrigue. Nonetheless, their title match at MITB 2013 was also a surprisingly decent and entertaining bout.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Mark Henry surprises John Cena with a World&#039;s Strongest Slam: Raw, June 17, 2013\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/gxm5c2XBcXo?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><!--nextpage--><\/p>\n<h2><strong>#2. Daniel Bryan<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>When one thinks of Daniel Bryan&#8217;s rise to the top of the WWE mountain, his era-defining feud with The Authority comes to mind. The foundation for the storyline was laid at SummerSlam 2013, when Triple H turned on Bryan and helped Randy Orton win the WWE Championship. However, fans often forget the prelude, which sets the stage.<\/p>\n<p>Aside from their brilliant match at SummerSlam 2013, Cena and Bryan told an incredible story heading into the wrestler. It was the underdog, technical &#8220;wrestler&#8221; in Bryan vs. the prototypical WWE Superstar in Cena. Vince McMahon getting involved to groom Bryan for such a role, along with the promo battles, further enhanced the contrasting dynamics.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_148155\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-148155\" style=\"width: 736px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-148155 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2025\/12\/22-8.jpg\" alt=\"A graphic for the most underrated WWE rivals of John Cena.\" width=\"736\" height=\"416\" srcset=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2025\/12\/22-8.jpg 736w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2025\/12\/22-8-300x170.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 736px) 100vw, 736px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-148155\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo Credit: WWE<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>It was a short and crisp feud, but one that fans should rewatch. It&#8217;s a shame that fans never got to see another rerun of John Cena vs. Daniel Bryan.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"FULL MATCH - John Cena vs. Daniel Bryan \u2013 WWE Title Match: SummerSlam 2013\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/2oR_1WBmkHM?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><!--nextpage--><\/p>\n<h2><strong>#1. Kevin Owens<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>John Cena was operating on another level in 2015 with his weekly US Open Challenges that elevated the mid-card championship. However, in the midst of his week-to-week endeavors, Cena was writing a masterpiece with the upstart Kevin Owens.<\/p>\n<p>KO and Cena had a long feud, which had its fair share of moments. From the Prizefighter disrespecting Cena on his first RAW appearance to the Ring Apron Powerbomb that nearly broke Cena&#8217;s back, Owens took the Champ to the limit. However, the biggest moment of the feud was KO&#8217;s shock clean win over the 17-time World Champion at Elimination Chamber 2015.<\/p>\n<p>Cena and Owens had tremendous chemistry in the ring. The Champ was known for destroying his competitors on the mic, but the Prizefighter got the better of their verbal exchanges a few times too.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"FULL MATCH - John Cena vs. Kevin Owens: WWE Elimination Chamber 2015\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/WV7ZVMbzNAk?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><strong><b>More From LWOS Pro Wrestling<\/b><\/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>The Cenation braces itself for an emotional ride as we get set for John Cena&#8217;s final match this Saturday. Cena will battle Gunther at Saturday Night&#8217;s Main Event. While the Ring General will be his last battle, the Champ has had many fierce rivals in the previous 23 years. Ruthless Aggression Era fans will recall [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5689,"featured_media":148156,"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":[7205,4,3],"tags":[165],"class_list":["post-148105","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-history","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\/148105","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\/5689"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=148105"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/148105\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":148157,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/148105\/revisions\/148157"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/148156"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=148105"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=148105"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=148105"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}