WWE opinion: John Cena’s greatest moments - Celebrating a 23-Year WWE legacy
For over two decades, John Cena has stood at the top of WWE and earned the respect of fans and wrestlers alike.
The 17-time champion has just one more match left in a career that has spanned over 23 years, with a catalogue of moments to look back on.
Here, Sports News Blitz writer Mosaddek Abu takes a look at Cena’s greatest moments.
5. Never seen seventeen
Cena made history this year at WrestleMania as he broke Ric Flair’s record and, in doing so, set a new benchmark for the most world championships in WWE history.
While the match itself was a let-down for a WrestleMania main event, the Travis Scott interference and involvement felt unnecessary.
But it remained a milestone for Cena. No superstar was more deserving of breaking the record, especially after the last couple of years in which he has given back to the business and helped establish rising talent.
It was an earned moment in Las Vegas and one that will live on in video tributes and iconic photos for years to come.
4. The era of Thuganomics
A year after being left out of WrestleMania and relegated to the pre-show, the Doctor of Thuganomics arrived in the Big Apple and walked down the ramp at Madison Square Garden for his first WrestleMania match.
Opposite him was United States Champion Big Show. Cena wanted revenge after Big Show eliminated him from the 2004 Royal Rumble, the SmackDown Rumble, and cost him in the triple threat match at No Way Out that year.
It was a sight to behold at WrestleMania 20 as Cena lifted the seven-foot giant onto his shoulders and dropped him with his finisher, then known as the FU.
It was a moment of validation for Cena, knowing his hard work had paid off.
He had been left off WrestleMania 19. Before that, he was even at risk of being released.
But a character shift - becoming the Doctor of Thuganomics and embracing more of his real personality, started to win fans over and turned him into one of the most popular acts of the Ruthless Aggression Era.
Cena winning the United States Championship at WrestleMania 20 is a clear turning point in his career and the beginning of the legend he would become.
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3. Surprise Royal Rumble win
Cena’s US title win in 2004 would not be the last iconic moment he produced inside the World’s Most Famous Arena.
Four years later, WWE held the Royal Rumble at Madison Square Garden, with the 30-man Royal Rumble match headlining the show.
29 participants had entered and been eliminated. One entrant remained.
The countdown clock struck zero - and to the shock of everyone, Cena made a stunning return from injury.
The Garden erupted. The expectation was that Cena would be out for another four months, so his arrival at No.30 was one of the biggest surprises in Rumble history.
Cena stormed in and cleaned house.
His unexpected return turned into a surprising victory as he eliminated Triple H in the final moments, punching his ticket to WrestleMania.
For a star who was getting split reactions throughout the mid-to-late 2000s, this was a rare moment when everyone cheered, amazed by his recovery and stunned by the win.
2. The champ is here
The first world title is always the most important, and at WrestleMania 21, Cena’s time truly was now.
Cena finished runner-up at the 2005 Royal Rumble but earned his WWE Championship opportunity by winning a No.1 contender’s match at No Way Out.
For the second year running, he found himself in a title match - this time against JBL for the WWE Championship.
Cena hit the FU and won the first of many WWE titles.
From nearly being released to becoming world champion, it was the culmination of years of work and reinvention, transforming him into one of the biggest stars on a stacked 2005 roster.
He cemented himself as a top act in WWE and offered a glimpse of what he would become.
The first championship is always the one you look back on the most. For Cena, on April 3rd 2005 in Los Angeles, it was his moment in the sun - the night he finally arrived at the top.
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Sweet sixteen
The WWE Championship would become synonymous with Cena throughout his career.
But at the Royal Rumble on 29 January 2017, Cena made history again after an incredible match with AJ Styles - the best of their series.
Cena hit the AA (formerly the FU) twice to pin Styles and win his 16th world championship.
Overcome with emotion, Cena realised he had tied Ric Flair’s record - a milestone many believed would never be reached.
It remains one of the greatest matches of Cena’s career. The suspense, the near-falls, and the chemistry between the two were on another level.
Becoming the 16-time champion was a wholesome, career-defining moment and further cemented Cena’s legacy.
Cena has gone from “The Prototype” to the Doctor of Thuganomics, to the face of the company, to a legend closing out a Hall of Fame career.
After his final match on Saturday night, win or lose, these moments will sit in the minds of fans and wrestlers alike as the world celebrates and thanks John Cena for nearly 25 years of unforgettable memories.
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