Royal Rumble legend, revenge on The Great One - Top 5 moments from John Cena's WWE career

WWE Royal Rumble is just a few days away, and the excitement is building amongst wrestling fans.

The premium live event signifies that WrestleMania season has arrived and 30 male and female superstars have the ultimate chance to make a name for themselves. The winners will go on to battle for a championship at WrestleMania 39 in Los Angeles.

One WWE Superstar known for his Royal Rumble heroics is John Cena. He returned on the final SmackDown of the year and teamed up with Kevin Owens to defeat The Bloodline's Roman Reigns and Sami Zayn. Cena may not be finished with Reigns and may want to try to win the Royal Rumble to ensure another encounter with The Tribal Chief at WrestleMania.

Listed below are the top 5 best moments of John Cena's WWE career:

#5. John Cena wins the WWE Royal Rumble in 2013

On this day in history (✖️2️⃣): @JohnCena won the #RoyalRumble Match (2008 and 2013)! https://t.co/feaaCqmdtB

John Cena became a Royal Rumble legend in 2013 after winning the match for the second time in his illustrious career. He had previously won the match in 2008 at Madison Square Garden after returning earlier than expected from an injury.

He cemented his Royal Rumble legacy in 2013 by winning it again. Cena entered the match at #19 and outlasted everyone to win the Royal Rumble match and earn a title shot at WrestleMania.

#4. Cena gets revenge on The Rock

Congrats John.. Its official: Wrestlemania 29 @WWE Heavyweight Champion The Rock vs @JohnCena Greatness vs Redemption #BringIt

John Cena lost to The Rock at WrestleMania 28 in a memorable match. While there was no shame in losing to The Most Electrifying Man on the Planet, John was determined to get his revenge. After winning the Royal Rumble in 2013, Cena went on to challenge The Rock once again at WrestleMania 29.

The Rock defended the WWE Championship against Cena in the main event of the show. The two legends went back and forth, but in the end, The Cenation Leader overcame The Great One and captured the WWE Championship for his 11th title reign.

#3. A Chicago miracle

Despite eventually losing the rivalry, John Cena is part of one of the most memorable storylines in WWE history. In 2011, CM Punk dropped his now infamous pipebomb promo. Following this, Cena put the WWE Championship on the line against Punk at Money in the Bank, despite Vince McMahon doing everything in his power to prevent the match from happening.

Vince even made an appearance during the bout and John cut him off on the entrance ramp. It was at that moment that Punk was able to regroup and hit John with a GTS as he got back into the ring for the pinfall victory. CM Punk celebrated with the Chicago faithful and blew a kiss to Mr. McMahon before exiting through the crowd.

#2. The debut of a legend

Kurt Angle recreated his iconic John Cena debut segment in honor of Cena’s 20 year anniversary with his daughter.

The wholesome content we needed.

(via Kurt’s IG) https://t.co/T1XmgAHxgm

Hall of Famer Kurt Angle got more than he bargained for when he issued an Open Challenge on the June 27, 2002 edition of SmackDown. John Cena answered the call and the Olympic gold medalist essentially laughed in his face.

Angle wondered what Cena possessed that made him think he had a shot in the match. John shouted "ruthless aggression!" and slapped Angle in the face. Cena got the better of Angle for a few minutes but the veteran eventually battled back to pick up the victory. Cena's impressive performance in the match was just a sign of things to come.

#1. The Time is Now

John Cena's return at Royal Rumble 2008 remains one of the most iconic moments in the company's history. He suffered a torn pectoral muscle just months prior and nobody expected to see him in the match.

Not only did Cena defy the odds and return as entrant #30, he went on to win the match for the first time in his career by sending Triple H over the top rope. The moment is still discussed to this day and is regarded as one of the best returns in the promotion's history.

WWE’s Royal Rumble will broadcast live from the Alamodome, San Antonio at 1 AM GMT on Sunday, January 29th 2023. Tune in on the WWE Network or on BT Sport.

If you're interested in more fascinating facts about the Royal Rumble, check out the video below!