5 of John Cena's Toughest WWE Opponents
John Cena was the face of WWE from 2005 until 2016. He is a 16-time champion, a 5-time US champion and a 4-time tag team champion. Cena is a sure-fire WWE Hall of Famer and will go down as one of the greatest WWE Superstars of all time.
Along the way, Cena has headlined countless WWE pay-per-views and matched up with nearly every major WWE Superstar of the past 15 years. In that time, he’s had feuds with the likes of Batista, Shawn Michaels, Kurt Angle and Chris Jericho. While those encounters were memorable, they were not the best feuds or toughest opponents for Cena at the time.
Cena’s ring style featured power and physicality shown by few others. His style worked better with some than others. Some WWE Superstars were able to push Cena to the limit because of the perfect meshing of styles.
Here is a list of the 5 toughest opponents John Cena has faced.
#5. WWE’s champion vs. champion rivalry: Kevin Owens
#WWE #EliminationChamber tonight - can't wait for @FightOwensFight v @JohnCena Preview bit.ly/1crJ7s1 @WWEUK http://t.co/UbBYEVofw8
As the long-time face of WWE, John Cena was often criticized for not elevating up-and-coming talent. Cena’s battles with Kevin Owens should make his critics rethink this notion. Kevin Owens, the reigning NXT Champion at the time, attacked Cena on an episode of RAW. Cena would seek payback against KO at WWE’s Elimination Chamber pay-per-view.
Surprising nearly everyone, Owens went on to defeat Cena in an incredibly entertaining match at the Elimination Chamber. Owens survived Cena’s assaults, showed off his own skills and put Cena away with a powerbomb. This one victory, as decisive as it was, elevated Kevin Owens more than any title could have.
Owens and Cena would go on to complete their trilogy of matches at two more pay-per-views: Money in the Bank and Battleground. Cena would win both matches but each match was more grueling than the next. The feud would end with Cena on top but with Owens earning the respect of the entire WWE Universe.