5 moments that cemented John Cena's place in WWE history
During his last run, John Cena unsuccessfully challenged Roman Reigns for the Universal title in the main event of SummerSlam. The return of the West Newbury native was a massive success for WWE, resulting in a significant increase in TV viewership and attendance.
With the success of his latest TV show, Peacemaker, Cena has become an even bigger mainstream star. The more successful he becomes in Hollywood, the less involved he will be with professional wrestling. There might even be a chance that the 16-time World Champion will never have another match.
With that being said, here's a lookback at five moments that cemented John Cena's place in WWE history:
#5 Owning the stage at WrestleMania 20
WWE went back to Madison Square Garden — the Mecca of professional wrestling — for WrestleMania 20 with a stacked card. The opener saw John Cena challenge Big Show for the United States Championship. As soon as Cena made his entrance and cut a promo, it was evident that he was a force to be reckoned with.
The Doctor of Thuganomics received one of the largest ovations of the night and had the hardcore audience eating out of his hand. The moment Cena pinned Big Show to win the US title, fans knew that they had witnessed the birth of the next star.
#4 Overcoming JBL at Judgment Day 2005
WWE started to move away from the Attitude Era in 2005 and established two top babyfaces in John Cena and Batista. After a meteoric rise to the top, The Doctor of Thuganomics had his first coronation at WrestleMania 21 when he defeated JBL to win the WWE Championship.
While the fans were still behind him at this point, Cena still hadn't proven that he could be a bad*ss. At Judgment Day 2005, the West Newbury native put the WWE title on the line against JBL in an "I Quit" match. The two superstars beat each other bloody before Cena came out on top in an enthralling encounter.
After the bout, he attacked JBL with an exhaust pipe, sending the Texan through a glass panel on the stage.
#3 Defeating Edge in a TLC match
John Cena challenged Edge for the WWE Championship at Unforgiven 2006. However, the odds were stacked against the West Newbury native as the show took place in the Rated-R Superstar's hometown of Toronto.
The bout was also stipulated to be a TLC Match, Edge's specialty. If Cena lost, he would have been forced to leave RAW and join SmackDown.
The two stars tore the house down and put on one of the best matches of the year. Cena managed to overcome interference from Lita and put Edge through two tables to win the WWE title for the third time in his career.
#2 Stealing the show at Night of Champions 2015
After being booed by the hardcore section of the fanbase for several years, John Cena started to win them back during his run with the United States title in 2015.
The 16-time World Champion regularly defended the strap in open challenges against some of the most underrated performers on the roster, elevating them in the process. The matches were usually among the highlights of WWE programming.
After dropping the US Championship to Seth Rollins at SummerSlam 2015, Cena challenged The Architect in a rematch at the Night of Champions. The Suicide Squad star put on an outstanding performance to regain the title in one of the best matches of his career.
#1 John Cena wins his 16th world title
AJ Styles has been one of WWE's best acquisitions in recent years. The former NJPW star has had programs with some of the biggest names in the promotion, including John Cena, Daniel Bryan and The Undertaker.
Cena and Style stole the show in 2016 with amazing matches at Money in the Bank and SummerSlam. However, The Phenomenal One came out on top on both occasions.
The West Newbury native received a shot at redemption at Royal Rumble 2017. Styles was the WWE Champion at the time.
Cena and Styles had the best match of their rivalry and pulled out all the stops. The Suicide Squad star won his 16th world title after pinning Styles following a fourth Attitude Adjustment. The bout won PWI's "Match of the Year" award. Not bad for a man once subjected to "You can't wrestle" chants!