John Cena’s Greatest Matches: Cena really is the greatest wrestler ever. It’s just an opinion, but here’s what’s true: John Cena works super hard, and he’s great at telling stories in the ring, getting the crowd going, cutting awesome promos, and keeping everyone watching.
John Cena is ending his amazing 23-year WWE career on Saturday, fighting Gunther in what could be the best match of the year.
In his almost 25 years on WWE TV, Cena has fought tons of amazing wrestlers like Shawn Michaels, Chris Jericho, Kurt Angle, Triple H, Batista, AJ Styles, CM Punk, Rey Mysterio, Eddie Guerrero, Umaga, JBL, Big Show, The Undertaker, and Edge in some crazy good matches.
But choosing John Cena’s greatest matches from his long career is a very difficult thing, I hope you will enjoy our top picks.
Top 10 John Cena’s Greatest Matches of All Time
John Cena vs. Brock Lesnar (Extreme Rules 2012)
It had been 8 years since Brock Lesnar last stint in the WWE. After WrestleMania 20 in 2004, he left the company, tried out the Minnesota Vikings for a while and became the UFC heavyweight champion. Lesnar was back in WWE, no one could match Lesnar better than Cena.
They were both in the WWE developmental system, and Cena was shining at his peak. They fought a fight that was really intense. Cena got the victory, but it was the main thing was that he helped show that Lesnar was as good as ever.
Cena vs. The Rock (WrestleMania 28)
After eight years away from the ring, the Hollywood star came back, and Cena did not let anyone down. Cena and Rock worked the crowd, playing off their energy. They pulled out all the stops, with close calls and fake endings that kept everyone on the edge of their seats.
In the end, Cena got overconfident. He tried to mock The Rock’s signature move but walked right into the Rock Bottom, costing him the match.
John Cena vs Randy Orton (TLC 2013)
A list of John Cena’s greatest matches excluding Randy Orton might not have accurately represented Cena’s career. From 2002 until 2025, Cena and Orton were WWE pillars, engaging in numerous confrontations.
We selected to highlight this match due to the large stakes. Cena (the World Heavyweight champion) while Orton (the WWE champion) squared off in a TLC match to unify their championships. Cena triumphed against Orton in this crucial phase during their rivalry. Orton pulled Cena off a ladder, throwing him into a table before retrieving the belts to win the fight.
John Cena vs AJ Styles (Royal Rumble 2017)
When these two met head-to-head, they were always explosive, and their match at the Royal Rumble in 2017 is not only a classic of all time but is also considered one of the best matches of John Cena’s career. Styles was the WWE Champion while Cena was the challenger.
It was a work of art in wrestling with the two greatest of all time, and what made it even more spectacular was their ability to stay in the ring throughout the whole match. There were quite a few times breathing close and moments of fans being at the edge of their seats.
Cena won the match, but the match was not easy for him and this match became one of the greatest matches in WWE Royal Rumble history.
John Cena vs Cody Rhodes (SummerSlam 2025)
Saying John Cena’s return for his final run didn’t exactly set the wrestling world on fire by August 2025 is putting it mildly. His heel turn didn’t go anywhere, and his matches, while mostly good, didn’t have the same energy as his best work.
Then came Cody Rhodes, ready for a rematch of their so-so WrestleMania 41 fight: a Street Fight at SummerSlam for the Undisputed WWE Championship. Now that fans were backing him again after his unsuccessful heel run was cut short, Cena and The American Nightmare put on an amazing show, thrilling fans with a tough, high-stakes pro wrestling match.
Cena was floored, and Rhodes acknowledged Cena before hitting one last Cross Rhodes to win back the Undisputed WWE Championship. After the match, Cena got up, handed Rhodes the title, and said things that got the new champion choked up.
John Cena vs CM Punk (Money in the Bank 2017)
Many people believe this to be the best match of John Cena’s professional career. The story revolved around CM Punk’s contract ending and his plan to win the WWE Championship and quit the business. It was a fascinating scenario.
Aside from the match quality (which was amazing), this storyline took Punk to the next level. Punk gave his legendary pipebomb promo a few weeks back before winning the fight in front of his passionate hometown crowd in Chicago.
John Cena lost the match via pinfall, although he played a significant role in Punk’s rise in 2011.
John Cena vs Edge (TLC 2006)
Cena was ready to do anything, even going as far as the Ultimate Opportunist’s own hometown of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, to beat him. It pair’s maniacal storytelling between the two that led to their best battle at Unforgiven.
At the pay-per-view event WWE Unforgiven 2006, John Cena triumphed over Edge in the TLC match. With the victory, Cena took the WWE Championship.
Cena vs. Shawn Michaels (Raw, April 23, 2007)
Even after about two years as top of the industry, some fans still didn’t like Cena, thinking he wasn’t a good wrestler. People saw him as just a muscular guy, a squeaky-clean good guy that Vince McMahon and WWE could sell to everyone. They didn’t think he could really deliver in the ring.
But he proved them wrong. On the April 23, 2007, episode of Raw, Cena showed everyone what he could do. He wrestled Shawn Michaels for almost an hour and proved that he could really go and that he could keep up with one of the best ever.
Cena lost after getting hit with Sweet Chin Music, and Michaels kept chasing the WWE Championship. But Cena won over his haters with what was probably the best performance of his career up to that point.
John Cena vs Umaga (Royal Rumble 2007)
Cena began the 2007 Royal Rumble PLE as being too much of a good guy for the WWE audience. Fans wanted to see him roughed up so he could toughen up and provide an appearance that reminded them he was also a badass champion.
The Samoan Bulldozer had faced Cena a few weeks prior at New Year’s Revolution, but it was a regular match. In a Last Man Standing match, Cena is going to be tested to his limits by a tremendously dominant opponent whose sole defeat to date was his first meeting with the WWE champion.
Umaga pretty much destroyed Cena and made the crowd wonder if they were seeing the last of the latter’s title reign. However, as he had done so many times in his career, he came back. He managed to get away from an exposed turnbuckle, knocked out Umaga and put a rope-assisted STF.
The photo of a wounded Cena yelling while choking out the big guy on his way to the victory was just what the fans had to see. It quieted the people who were calling his classic title run into question, and the match itself was a timeless one that still works 18 years later.
John Cena vs Big Show
This match wasn’t just the opener at Madison Square Garden; it was where John Cena started his collection of championships. He beat Big Show and grabbed his first WWE title – the United States Championship.
Near the end, Cena pulled out his custom brass knuckles and punched Big Show, which the crowd loved. Then, Cena lifted the over 400-pound Big Show and hit him with the Attitude Adjustment to win.
