John Cena is one of the greatest WWE Superstars of all time, and is among those with the most pay-per-view main events in professional wrestling history. She was the number one face of hers during her prime at the company, which saw him last on a billboard countless times.
Over the years, he has battled many of the best in a variety of different types of contests, some of which were brilliant. Of course, for someone who has wrestled in as many main events as John Cena, his best matches will no doubt be subjective, but it’s hard to argue against the fact that all of these aforementioned matches were great final matches.
10/10 John Cena vs. Brock Lesnar, SummerSlam 2014
This was a very unique main event, being essentially a squash match. However, this was such a shocking and dominating display from Brock Lesnar that it was an impressive sight to witness.
Cena put up some fight, but was overwhelmed by Lesnar’s attack. The reason this worked so well was due to how protected Cena had been as an entertainer, especially when it came to big matches like this. It was a bold move on WWE’s part, but it was shocking.
9/10 John Cena Vs Edge, Unforgiven 2006
In 2006, Edge and John Cena squared off numerous times in what was one of the best fights of either man’s career to that point. As far as their 2006 matchups go, this was arguably their best match.
At Unforgiven 2006, they wrestled in a very fun Tables, Ladders and Chairs main event, with the crowd very involved given that it took place in Edge’s hometown. The match culminated in a massive AA from the top of a ladder and across multiple tables, with Cena outpointing Edge and winning the match to become the WWE Champion.
8/10 John Cena vs. The Rock, WrestleMania 28
From a technical point of view, this was not the best game in the world. However, from the point of view of pure entertainment, it was really special. Two of the greatest icons of all time squared off in the main event of WrestleMania, and their very presence created a sensational atmosphere.
While their rematch a year later would lessen the impact of this fight, it was still an excellent main event all things considered, with The Rock showing very little rust in the ring, managing to keep the crowd enthralled for a fight that lasted 30 minutes.
7/10 John Cena vs. Edge, Backlash 2009
John Cena and Edge resumed their feud in 2009 and met in the main event of Backlash. When the bell rang, the crowd treated this as a huge clash, going berserk before they had even met.
This was one of the best executed Last Man Standing matches of all time, with great pacing, strong psychology, and plenty of big points that were spaced out effectively. The ending saw some interference from Big Show, which was a bit disappointing, but was saved with an amazing spot where Cena was suffocated through a spotlight.
6/10 John Cena vs. RVD, One Night Stand 2006
After his transition to WWE’s top babyface, Cena never turned heel again. However, regardless of his character, he was the biggest heel in professional wrestling at One Night Stand 2006.
It played into the hostile atmosphere of RVD’s local ECW turf, which was made all the more shocking when the ECW legend won the WWE Championship, in what is still up there with the most ear-splitting bangs in history.
5/10 John Cena vs. Shawn Michaels, WrestleMania 23
The chemistry between John Cena and Shawn Michaels wasn’t explored often enough, but when WWE booked them together, they created magic. Their first big matchup came in the main event of WrestleMania 23, and it was great.
This was a long “epic” of a match, with Michaels starting to get desperate towards the end because he knew the younger competitor would get the upper hand in the later stages through better conditioning. Michaels would masterfully aim for Cena’s knee, though it wouldn’t be enough as Cena won the match and held his own to close out WWE’s biggest annual show.
4/10 John Cena vs. Brock Lesnar, Extreme Rules 2012
Brock Lesnar’s return to WWE in 2012 felt special, and his performance in his first match back, in which he mixed his pro wrestling skill with an MMA flair, made him feel like a very dangerous and legitimate competitor. .
This was a violent and brutal fight, and it was exciting to watch. Unfortunately, Cena’s victory was one of WWE’s worst booking decisions, but despite that, the match was stellar.
3/10 John Cena vs. Daniel Bryan, SummerSlam 2013
The two top WWE babyfaces squared off in the main event of SummerSlam 2013, with both putting on a phenomenal performance. It was fluid, there were great sequences, and the crowd was super hot.
The story of the match was told to perfection, all leading up to Daniel Bryan bringing out his patent knee to win the match and be crowned WWE Champion. The aftermath of the match was also iconic, as it saw the birth of The Authority, when special guest referee Triple H turned rude and allowed Randy Orton to cash in his Money in the Bank contract.
2/10 John Cena vs. JBL, Judgment Day 2005
John Cena delivered here in what was his first WWE singles PPV main event, with a stellar performance against JBL. This was an “I Quit” match for the WWE Championship, and it was brutal.
It was a heated battle between two huge enemies, and in the end it turned into a violent bloodbath. While he entered the match as the WWE Champion, this propelled Cena to even greater heights.
1/10 John Cena Vs CM Punk, Money In The Bank 2011
In terms of atmosphere, there are very few matches in WWE history that have been at this level. John Cena and CM Punk gave an absolute classic in the middle of a great storyline in which Punk’s contract expired after the match.
In a shocking conclusion, future free agent CM Punk outclassed WWE’s number one babyface to take the WWE Championship in a brilliant pay-per-view finish.