John Cena is considered one of sports entertainment’s all-time greats. Cena has continued to entertain fans for well over two decades. He has been a part of some of the biggest moments and matches across WWE’s televised shows and Premium Live Events.
When it comes to WrestleMania matches, John Cena boasts an impressive record. The former Dr. of Thuganomics has competed in 16 WrestleMania events, five of which have closed out the show. Plus, he’s won six of the first seven Mania events in his storied career.
This article explores John Cena’s 5 best WrestleMania matches.
John Cena vs. Triple H vs. Randy Orton (WrestleMania XXIV)
John Cena’s road to WrestleMania XXIV featured one of the loudest pops in WWE history. The superstar made his epic return to the ring at Royal Rumble 2008. Cena would eventually win the over-the-top-rope extravaganza. The same night, Randy Orton defeated Jeff Hardy to retain his WWE Championship.
Orton would retain the title against Cena via disqualification at No Way Out 2008. The main event saw Triple H earn the right to compete for the WWE Championship inside the Elimination Chamber. All three met in the co-main event of WrestleMania XXIV.
Fans had a lot of expectations from the triple threat which, unfortunately, didn’t live up to the hype. Still, it had its bright spots and some cool exchanges to earn a place on this list of John Cena’s five best WrestleMania matches.
John Cena vs. The Rock (WrestleMania XXVIII)
A WrestleMania main event so big it was announced a year in advance!
Seeds for John Cena versus The Rock were planted after The Great One cost Cena his WWE Championship against The Miz at WrestleMania XXVII. Cena had been undefeated at WrestleMania prior to his humiliating loss to the A-Lister.
Cena and Rocky would tag against Awesome Truth in what was the People Champion’s first match in seven years at Survivor Series 2011. Rocky would deliver his signature Rock Bottom to Cena following their win against the heels.
Come April 2012, the two men finally collide to determine in front of a jam-packed Sun Life Stadium in Miami. The crowd was absolutely electric for The Rock, who would pick up the win in stunning fashion.
Was the match a technical masterclass? No. Were the crowd invested? A big yes!
John Cena vs. Triple H (WrestleMania 22)
Cena’s first defense of the WWE Championship at a WrestleMania event came in 2006. The superstar had defeated Edge to win back the title at Royal Rumble 2006. His opponent was none other than Triple H.
Both superstars got their special entrances for the grand spectacle. Triple H got his awesome “King of Kings” entrance, whereas Cena’s arrival to the ring was preceded by a cameo from several familiar names, including CM Punk.
The crowd at the Allstate Arena absolutely tore into the champion with their boos. This was one of the first major instances of the anti-Cena movement coming to light, but it didn’t stop Big Match John from conquering the Cerebral Assassin.
John Cena Vs. The Fiend (WrestleMania 36)
John Cena and Bray Wyatt had an underwhelming match at WrestleMania XXX. The duo would reignite their rivalry six years later on the road to WrestleMania 36. Wyatt had turned into The Fiend months prior to his feud with the Cenation Leader.
The WrestleMania 36 outing wasn’t a traditional wrestling match. That may explain the negative reception it got from purists. This was a Firefly Fun House Match with an emphasis on storytelling and the little nuances that made Cena and Wyatt’s rivalry so powerful.
John Cena vs. Shawn Michaels (WrestleMania 23)
Nobody has had better individual performances at WrestleMania than Shawn Michaels. The Heartbreak’s Kid performance at the grand spectacle earned him the moniker of “Mr. WrestleMania.” Michaels brought the best out of almost every opponent during his Hall of Fame career.
The Showstopper would give John Cena arguably his greatest WrestleMania match on April 1, 2007. The two former tag team partners collided for the WWE Championship in the main event. On a night that saw many memorable matches, the two men tested each other to their limits for the richest prize in the business.
Honorable Mentions
- Vs. Batista (WrestleMania XXVI)
- John Cena vs. Edge vs. The Big Show (WrestleMania XXV)
- Vs. The Rock (WrestleMania 29)
Also read: John Cena On His In-Ring Future: I’m Not Officially Done, I’m Close
