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John Cena has been one of the most iconic personalities in WWE. A 16-time world champion, he has given fans many blockbuster matches and has been influential in the making of megastars such as CM Punk and Randy Orton, among others. Big Match John was last seen at WrestleMania 39, putting over Austin Theory by taking the pinfall.
Cena recently stated that he never looked to undermine a superstar's push. However, his history states otherwise. The legend has unknowingly halted the momentum of certain superstars by defeating them in crucial matches. Most of them were able to recover but it took a herculean effort to do so.
Here are five WWE Superstars who lost their push after facing John Cena.
#5. Damien Sandow lost momentum in WWE after facing John Cena
Debuting as a part of the Rhodes Scholars, Damien Sandow proved himself a capable in-ring worker and an impressive mouthpiece. He featured in notable segments alongside Sheamus and even The Rock. The WWE Universe expected big things from Damien Sandow after he betrayed Cody Rhodes and retrieved the Money in the Bank briefcase in 2013, even though he didn't have main-event experience.
As it turns out, WWE was planning a title unification match. The Intellectual Savior of the Masses had the opportunity to become a megastar early in his career. It all came crashing down when, during the October 28 episode of RAW, Sandow failed his MITB cash-in to a John Cena selling a broken arm. He then started teaming up with his rival rather than attempting a rematch.
Damien Sandow's slump on the main roster continued as he embarked on a losing streak. He also ditched his intellectual persona to become a comedic act in what seemed to be a downgrade. Fortunately, an alliance with The Miz rejuvenated his career as he bagged a tag team championship and chants of "Damien Mizdow" echoed in the stands.
#4. Wade Barrett and the Nexus
The Nexus' stay on the main roster spanned just a year but it gave exposure to the legends of today. One of the standout stars was the leader of Nexus himself. Wade Barrett was continuously a thorn in Cena's side, having forced him to join the stable in 2010 after defeating him at Hell in a Cell.
WWE has always been hesitant about John Cena's heel turn. Nonetheless, Wade Barrett shouldn't have lost to Big Match John at TLC. It hurt his momentum and caused him to be banished from his own faction, highlighting Nexus' vulnerabilities in its early phases. While CM Punk launched The New Nexus, Barrett consistently lost matches to John Cena.
The Barrett Barrage still had a remarkable career. A five-time Intercontinental Champion, he debuted the role of Bad News Barret which became a hit in the WWE Universe. The Bullhammer Elbow added to the craze but Vince McMahon never backed him as a top contender.
#3. Baron Corbin
When The Lone Wolf debuted on the main roster, fans expected his carnage to transition him to the top card. He won the Andre The Giant Battle Royal at WrestleMania 32 and won feuds against Dolph Ziggler and Kalisto. He regularly featured in premium live events and even shared the ring with The Undertaker.
It is believed that Baron Corbin's horrible Money in the Bank cash-in scenario in August 2017 was due to backstage heat. Yet, WWE still had the opportunity to make things right at SummerSlam. John Cena has also often vouched for some stars to be put over. Except, that summer was different.
The Cenation Leader dominated Corbin throughout the match. It was a solid blow to his prestige as an up-and-coming heel and he slowly shifted down the card. Baron Corbin was handed different gimmicks over the years but the main event push had subsided. To put him over without any proper build-up, the company chose him to retire Kurt Angle but it didn't work.
#2. The Miz
It's safe to say that John Cena destroyed The A-Lister's push countless times. Their rivalry, dating back to 2009, started for the United States Championship but shifted focus to the WWE Title. Big Match John almost never put over the younger star.
The first instance was when John defeated The Miz consecutively after the latter was in the beginning stages of establishing himself as a singles star. He got him banned from RAW and SummerSlam. Later, he forced the words 'I Quit' out of his mouth at Over the Limit 2011. The Miz did defeat Cena but only due to interference from The Rock.
At Extreme Rules 2011, The Miz lost the WWE Championship to John Cena. The end of his 160-day title reign led to a downward spiral. John Cena and The Rock were busy with a feud of their own. Daniel Bryan and Roman Reigns got added to the world title programs eventually while the A-Lister ruled the mid-card.
#1. Bray Wyatt
By the time 2014 rolled out, the Wyatt Family had developed a reputation for being one of the most dominant stables on the main roster. Bray Wyatt, Eric Rowan, and Luke Harper were fresh off a victory against The Shield at Elimination Chamber. Their next feud was against the company's poster boy, John Cena, after having cost him the WWE World Heavyweight Championship against Randy Orton.
The feud between Bray Wyatt and John Cena was set up perfectly. The Eater of Worlds denounced Cena's heroic facade and believed there was a monster lurking within him. Their promos got more cryptic, and John almost turned into a monster had it not been for his 'willpower.' He defeated Wyatt at WrestleMania 30 despite interference from Eric and Luke.
That wasn't the only roadblock to Bray Wyatt's momentum though. After the Eater of Worlds won at Extreme Rules due to a demonic child, John Cena 'buried' him under random WWE equipment at Payback. He also thwarted his world title goals by winning the Six-Man Ladder Match at Money in the Bank 2014.
The WWE creative usually struggled to portray the Wyatt Family's supernatural characters. That changed during the Thunderdome Era, when they got the license to go berserk with their ideas, and The Fiend debuted on the main roster.
