The term GOAT is tossed around freely, but in the case of John Cena, one could argue that he is the greatest professional wrestler of all time. It's subjective, but the following is factual: John Cena's work ethic and his ability to tell stories, elicit reactions, deliver promos on the mic and draw in an audience are elite.
As Cena completes his farewell tour, let's relive some of his most notable matches.
"SmackDown" -- June 27, 2002 -- vs. Kurt Angle
We will start at the beginning, well before John Cena was a household name.
At this point, Kurt Angle was among the most prominent names in the wrestling business. Angle issued an open challenge to anyone in the locker room. Cue the WWE television debut of John Cena.
Cena said he had "Ruthless Aggression" -- a moniker for that particular era in the WWE developed by Vince McMahon earlier that week. Cena then slapped Angle, and the match was on.
Cena lost the match, but more significantly, he received acknowledgement from The Undertaker, who shook his hand and commended his effort.
WrestleMania 20 -- March 14, 2004 -- vs. Big Show
Not only did this match open the show from Madison Square Garden, but it also kicked off Cena's championship collection. He defeated Big Show to claim his first title in the WWE -- the United States Championship.
As the match neared its closing moments, Cena used his personalized brass knuckles and punched Big Show, much to the delight of the crowd. Cena then muscled up the 400-plus-pounder and delivered an Attitude Adjustment for the win.
WrestleMania 21 -- April 3, 2005 -- vs. JBL
Though WrestleMania 20 marked John Cena's first championship in the WWE, WrestleMania 21 cranked it up another level. Cena earned a WWE Championship match opportunity as the co-winner of the 2005 Royal Rumble match (alongside Batista). Cena used that opportunity to defeat JBL and capture his first WWE Championship.
He won 16 more WWE/World Championships, the most all time.
WrestleMania 22 -- April 2, 2006 -- vs. Triple H
Firmly entrenched as a main event-level superstar at this point, Cena clashed with another legend -- Triple H -- in his first WrestleMania main event.
It was a clash of styles, featuring Triple H's technical prowess and Cena's unorthodox approach, and the Chicago crowd ate it up.
The fans booed Cena, the babyface, and cheered on the heel, Triple H. Despite the unusual response from the crowd, the match was excellent and the atmosphere was superb. Cena retained the WWE Championship in his third straight WrestleMania win.
Unforgiven -- Sept. 17, 2006 -- vs. Edge
Many consider John Cena's greatest rival to be Edge. The two displayed incredible chemistry, not just in their matches, but in all of their on-screen interactions.
This match was among the greatest on their long list of encounters. It was a TLC (Tables, Ladders & Chairs) match for the WWE Championship filled with high-risk sequences and innovation -- a match that Cena won to reclaim the WWE Championship.
"Raw" -- April 23, 2007 -- vs. Shawn Michaels
As he did in 2006, John Cena was in the main event for WrestleMania 23 in 2007, but this time against another member of D-Generation X -- the great Shawn Michaels. Though that match was highly regarded, it's not the Cena-Michaels match we're here to talk about.
The two clashed again in April 2007, a few weeks after WrestleMania, on an episode of "Raw" from London. They delivered a nearly one-hour classic considered by many to be the greatest match in "Raw" history.
Royal Rumble -- Jan. 27, 2008 -- Royal Rumble match
The only non-singles match on this list is here for good reason. In October 2007, John Cena suffered a significant injury that required surgery. He tore his pectoral muscle. The prognosis indicated about a seven-month recovery time.
In less than four months, Cena, a true Royal Rumble surprise, entered at No. 30, and the Madison Square Garden crowd erupted. Cena won the Rumble match (his second) on his way to a WWE Championship match at WrestleMania 24.
Money in the Bank -- July 17, 2011 -- vs. CM Punk
Many consider this to be the best match of John Cena's career. The story was built around CM Punk's contract expiring and his intention to win the WWE Championship and leave the company. It was a compelling scenario.
Match quality aside (and it was fantastic), this storyline truly elevated Punk to the next level. A few weeks prior, Punk delivered his memorable pipebomb promo and then won this match in front of his raucous hometown crowd in Chicago.
Cena played a major role in the elevation of Punk in 2011.
WrestleMania 28 -- April 1, 2012 / WrestleMania 29 -- April 7, 2013 -- vs. The Rock
This is a double-feature. Initially branded as "Once in a Lifetime," John Cena and The Rock headlined two consecutive WrestleManias. Though the more accurate description was "Twice in a Lifetime," it was a true battle of the leaders of their respective eras.
The Rock won in front of his hometown crowd in Miami at WrestleMania 28, but officially passed the torch to Cena, who won Round 2 the following year at MetLife Stadium
Extreme Rules -- April 29, 2012 -- vs. Brock Lesnar
It had been eight years since we had seen Brock Lesnar in the WWE. He left the company shortly after WrestleMania 20 in 2004, played a little bit with the Minnesota Vikings and won the UFC heavyweight championship.
When he returned to the WWE, there was no one better to pair Lesnar with than Cena. They came up through the WWE developmental system together, and Cena was at the top of his game.
They delivered a hard-hitting bout. Cena won the match but more importantly, he helped prove that Lesnar had not lost a step.
TLC -- Dec. 15, 2013 -- vs. Randy Orton
A list of John Cena's most notable matches without Randy Orton would not have been a proper depiction of Cena's career. From 2002 to 2025, Cena and Orton have been cornerstones of the WWE, and they've had countless battles.
We chose to highlight this match because of the magnitude of the stakes. Cena (the World Heavyweight champion) and Orton (the WWE champion) faced off in a TLC match to unify the titles.
Cena put over Orton in this important chapter of their rivalry, making Orton the newly crowned WWE world heavyweight champion.
Money in the Bank -- June 19, 2016 -- vs. AJ Styles
Speaking of rivalries, John Cena vs. AJ Styles was a terrific one -- arguably the best of 2016 and among the greatest in Cena's career.
Why was this rivalry so important? Cena and Styles had parallel careers, just in different companies. Styles signed with NWA/TNA in 2002, the same year Cena debuted on WWE TV. Each skyrocketed as the face of their respective companies in the ensuing years.
Styles made his WWE debut in January 2016, and it didn't take long for the two to collide. This was the first of three one-on-one PLE matches between the two over the next year (Money in the Bank 2016, SummerSlam 2016 and Royal Rumble 2017). Each one of them could be considered the best overall match of the year. The chemistry was palpable.
WrestleMania 36 -- April 5, 2020 -- vs. Bray Wyatt
2020 was a unique year, and the pro wrestling world was no exception. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, promotions had to react on the fly and put forth captivating content in front of zero fans in attendance. Pro wrestling is so heavily built on fan reactions, so it was certainly a challenge.
WrestleMania 36 was the only WrestleMania to take place in an empty arena, so creativity was a requirement, and boy, did John Cena and Bray Wyatt get creative with their Firefly Funhouse match on this show.
The two delivered something that fans hadn't seen before -- a match filled with dream sequences pertaining to Cena's start in the WWE, the "Ruthless Aggression" era and their first one-on-one encounter at WrestleMania 30, among other elements. It was a psychological puzzle.
The final product was innovative, artistic and among the highlights of this era in pro wrestling.
SummerSlam -- Aug. 3, 2025 -- vs. Cody Rhodes
In 2013, The Rock passed the torch to Cena at WrestleMania 29. Cena returned the favor earlier this year with Cody Rhodes.
Cena defeated Rhodes at WrestleMania 41 for his record-setting 17th WWE/World Championship reign in the midst of his heel turn. Back as a babyface to close out his retirement tour, Cena dropped the title back to Rhodes in one of the best matches of the year.
The big win firmly established Rhodes as the current face of the company.
"Raw" -- Nov. 10, 2025 -- vs. Dominik Mysterio
Cena had done it all throughout his WWE career. Well, almost. The one title he never held was the Intercontinental Championship.
Just over a month away from the end of his in-ring career, Cena received an opportunity against the champ, Dominik Mysterio.
Cena succeeded and finally obtained the one title that had eluded him throughout his career and became a Grand Slam champion in the process.
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