John Cena's 5 greatest World Title victories

John Cena
Cena has an outstanding legacy when it comes to world class matches

John Cena is now officially a 16-time World Champion and whether you love or hate him, you can't deny what a phenomenal achievement that is. No pun intended, AJ - we apologise. Big Match John has had some great matches over the years, with many of them coming in World Title matches, and those individual moments when he won those championships are all as special as the next.

There are of course a few that stand out above the rest in terms of what comes to your mind first, but that's natural given the number of magnificent matches that Cena has had. For all of the comments about how he can't wrestle, he's proven time and time again over the last decade that he's one of the best in the world.

So what shall we do to celebrate his triumphs? Rank the greatest of them all, of course. It seems only fitting to praise a man who doesn't get nearly enough recognition for the work he's done for the WWE, and given that he's once again the WWE Champion there is no better time to do it. After all, he could end up losing it again at the Chamber.

With that said, let's take a look at John Cena's five greatest World Title victories.

#5 The Rock vs. John Cena (WrestleMania 29)

Rock Cena
Rock vs Cena 2 was certainly iconic

WrestleMania 28 turned out to be just another chapter in the story of the Rock vs Cena rivalry. The two rivals met once more at WrestleMania 29, this time for the WWE Championship with pretty much everyone expecting Cena to walk away with the title.

He did just that, as The Great One passed the torch to the former Doctor of Thuganomics as the MetLife Stadium show went off the air.

It was a cool moment, to say the least, and it definitely belongs on this top five, if only for the magnitude of the situation. This was a bout between two guys that carried the business for a long time, facing off in a match we never thought we'd see.

Sure some people wanted WWE to stick to Once in a Lifetime, but the second instalment was enjoyable enough to the point where the fans in attendance were thoroughly invested in the match.

We go back a few years now for another of Cena's biggest challenges.

#4 Batista vs. John Cena (WrestleMania 26)

Batista
Two future Hall of Famers squaring off for the title = fantastic

The build towards WrestleMania 26 in Phoenix was certainly an interesting one. After more than five years of leading the company as the two biggest stars since the Attitude Era, Batista and Cena were set to square off at the showcase of the immortals for the very first time.

It was a big deal, to say the least, and the fact it wasn't the main event only shows you just how important HBK vs. Taker was.

It was always going to live up to the hype no matter what the result was because people genuinely believed Cena couldn't beat Batista as he mentioned so many times in the weeks leading up to the event. Was it the greatest technical match of all time - no.

It was Batista and John Cena fighting for the WWE Championship at the biggest event of the year. What more could you ask for?

Back into the past once more to where it all began.

#3 John Bradshaw Layfield vs. John Cena (WrestleMania 21)

JBL Cena
The start of a legacy for John Cena

John Cena vs. JBL wasn't a great match in terms of in-ring ability, but that wasn't what this was about. This was about Cena finally claiming his spot as one of the top guys in the company and it was a great moment to see. The feud was built brilliantly with The Cabinet constantly thwarting Cena, and JBL is one of the best heels you could have had in this role.

The length of his title reign prior to this made it feel all the more special, and that night in Los Angeles the business truly changed as we know it. It may not have been pretty, but it launched Cena into that level of superstardom that only comes along once every so often. Now, twelve years on, we can see what a huge impact that night had on his career.

We move on to one of the best blow offs to a feud in the history of WWE.

#2 Edge vs. John Cena (Unforgiven 2006)

Edge Cena
Cena’s feud with Edge was one of his greatest

Edge and John Cena have traded victories for months when it came to the WWE Championship, to the point where Cena was desperate to finally bid his long-term rival farewell. Edge offered Cena one last chance to win the title back - in a TLC match in Edge's hometown of Toronto, Canada.

In other words, you couldn't have stacked the deck much higher against Big Match John.

But somehow, some way - he pulled it off. It was one of the greatest TLC matches in the history of the company and it truly did solidify Cena as a main event player at the top of the company. Some people feel that Edge should've walked away with the strap, but this ending to the story just made sense.

When Cena hit Edge with an Attitude Adjustment through the tables, you knew it was a moment that would be replayed for years to come. We conclude with the most recent and most impactful title change of them all.

#1 AJ Styles vs. John Cena (Royal Rumble 2017)

AJCena
One decade later – Cena still has what it takes to hang with the best in the world

After Cena lost to AJ Styles at SummerSlam, the WWE Universe was in a state of shock. They couldn't believe that a main eventer like Cena lost to a brilliant performer like AJ Styles, but alas that's what happened and it seemed like the tide was shifting in favour of The Phenomenal One.

However, one more match between the two at the Royal Rumble proved that wasn't to be the case.

When Cena hit a multitude of Attitude Adjustments to finally put Styles away and claim his 16th World Championship, it was a great moment. Even those of you who hate the guy can't deny the historical significance it had, as he equalled Ric Flair's tally heading into WrestleMania 33.

His next triumph will probably be even more important, but for now, let's revel in the glory of this outstanding match between two elite Superstars.


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