4 times John Cena lost by submission in WWE
John Cena was WWE’s franchise player for nearly a decade. Given his status as the face of the company, Cena was heavily protected in matches, especially against some of the biggest names at the time. There were only a handful of names that managed to beat The Cenation Leader during the prime of his career.
Cena rarely got pinned clean for the three count, let alone suffered a submission loss, from 2005 to 2014. With that said, Cena’s career prior to his main event stardom saw him lose a few matches to submission.
Here are the opponents who forced John Cena to tap out in WWE:
#1. Chris Jericho was the first person who forced John Cena to tap out
Chris Jericho was one of John Cena’s first opponents following his main roster debut against Kurt Angle in June 2002. The self-proclaimed King of the World was also the first to force Cena into submission, though that transpired after Cena won the match via DQ.
The two squared off against each other on the July 16, 2002, SmackDown taping. Y2J hit Cena with a low blow, and that got him disqualified.
The first-ever Undisputed Champion then applied the Walls of Jericho on the rookie Cena, who helplessly tapped while officials tried to get Y2J to release the hold.
#2. Chris Benoit gave Cena his first televised loss via submission
Chris Benoit’s legacy will forever remain tainted by the horrific double murder-suicide that shocked the pro wrestling world in 2007. Having said that, few could match the intensity of the Rabid Wolverine inside the ring.
Benoit also happens to be the first person that handed Cena his first submission loss on television. Chris made Cena tap out to his patented crippler crossface submission maneuver on the December 2, 2003, SmackDown taping.
#3. Kurt Angle made Cena submit at No Mercy 2003
Kurt Angle was never to be messed with in the first place. Angle was an entirely different beast in 2003. The Olympic Gold Medalist carried the main event scene of SmackDown alongside Brock Lesnar and The Undertaker.
Angle went up against the Dr. of Thuganomics version of John Cena at No Mercy 2003. Despite Cena’s initial offense and dirty tactics, the Olympic Hero proved to be too much for Cena and made him tap out with the Ankle Lock.
#4. No Way Out 2004 witnessed the same outcome
Cena had started to display babyface tendencies in mid-2003, though his full-blown face turn won’t happen until the buildup to Survivor Series later that year.
By 2004, Cena had solidified his status as one of the top babyfaces on SmackDown, though that didn’t stop WWE from booking him into a submission loss against Kurt Angle.
The two met in a triple threat match that also involved The Big Show at No Way Out 2004. Angle sent Big Show out of the ring and caught Cena in the Ankle Lock towards the end of the match. The Olympic Hero got the submission win and the opportunity to fight for the WWE Championship at WrestleMania XX.
Did we forget to mention other John Cena’s submission losses in WWE? Let us know in the comments section below!