This Sunday at WWE SummerSlam 2016, John Cena is set to go to war with AJ Styles in an exhilarating rematch from Money in the Bank in June. Cena will have his work cut out for him in his match against the leader of The Club in Brooklyn, but it will be far from the first time that Cena has been under pressure against an adverse opponent at the August extravaganza.
Since making his SummerSlam debut in 2004, Cena has faced an amazing array of competition, ranging from Booker T to Seth Rollins, with whom he has yet to have a bad match. His 4-8 record isn't the greatest, but he can always be counted on for a phenomenal performance at the event, nevertheless.
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Cena has contested classics at the biggest blockbuster of the summer over the years, and of all the matches on this year's card, his outing with Styles could continue that strong streak. Let's look back at The Champ's five best bouts from SummerSlam in preparation for Sunday night.
John Cena vs. Batista (2008)
On paper, one would automatically assume that John Cena and Batista would be bound to have a train wreck of a match. But their anticipated encounter at 2008's SummerSlam was anything but, as the two icons produced a better bout than anyone could have expected.
The bad blood had been brewing between the two for years, and they were finally able to settle their score at SummerSlam to prove who was the superior Superstar. It may not have been a mat classic, yet the crowd was engaged in everything they did during the course of the contest.
From Batista Bombs to Attitude Adjustments, seemingly nothing could earn them the victory over the other until Batista snatched Cena in mid-air with a Batista Bomb (which literally broke Cena's neck) to score the hard-fought victory. It was another year and a half before their paths crossed again at WrestleMania 26.
John Cena vs. Edge (2006)
Only in 2015 did WWE start touting John Cena as “Big Match John,” but he had been having excellent matches with seasoned veterans of the business for years by that point. To me, 2006 was the year he had some of his best bouts, specifically with Edge.
Their ruthless rivalry over the WWE Championship lasted almost the entirety of the year, and one of their most memorable matchups came at SummerSlam in Boston. Cena seemingly had the home field advantage, but that didn't phase Edge at all, who was ready for the challenge of retaining his title against the odds-on favorite to win.
As the match progressed, the near falls became more and more suspenseful, though it was a brass knuckle shot to the skull of Cena that did him in on that evening. Their remarkable main event saved what was a rather lackluster SummerSlam.
John Cena vs. CM Punk (2011)
For the first time in WWE's history, we had two WWE champions in John Cena and CM Punk going into SummerSlam 2011. Punk had left the company with the title in tow when he walked out at Money in the Bank, and Cena had won a tournament to crown a new champ in his absence.
Thus, the stakes were higher than they had ever been before, for their impending clash at SummerSlam. And with Triple H appointed the special guest referee for the bout, fans knew shenanigans would likely ensue.
Thankfully, that was hardly the case as Cena and Punk delivered yet another awesome match as only they were capable of. Aside from a convoluted conclusion that saw Cena's foot on the bottom rope when Punk pinned him for the win, their Money in the Bank rematch was every bit as exciting as fans hoped it would be.
John Cena vs. Seth Rollins (2015)
When it was initially teased, I was not at all enthralled when it came to the idea of John Cena facing Seth Rollins at SummerSlam 2015 given they had already faced off on countless occasions by that point. But when it was announced that both the WWE World Heavyweight and United States Championships would be up for grabs, I was officially intrigued.
The quality of the contest was never in doubt, however, as Cena and Rollins never produced any less than a good match when against each other. Their outing at SummerSlam was no exception with both men pulling everything out of their arsenals (and then some) in an effort to put the other away.
Rollins' death-dying aerial attempts made him an absolute star in the Barclays Center, and with Cena bringing his own little flavor to the table, the match was nothing short of sensational. It would have likely led the list had the fluky finish with Jon Stewart running into cost Cena the championships not occurred, but even that was explained the subsequent night on Raw.
John Cena vs. Daniel Bryan (2013)
Upon recapturing the WWE Championship at WrestleMania 29, John Cena had set back challenges from Ryback and Mark Henry but faced his toughest adversary to date at SummerSlam in the form of Daniel Bryan. At that point, Bryan had been riding a wave of momentum, and fans were hungry to witness him climb the mountaintop and claim the championship.
Anyone who doubted Daniel's ability to be a top-tier talent had a change of heart following his phenomenal performance at the biggest blockbuster of the summer, taking the fight to Cena and refusing to give up until he had the gold in his grasp. The two found instant in-ring chemistry with one another and contested an exceptional matchup from start to finish.
Cena came close to retaining his title at a few different points, but Bryan was resilient, ultimately nailing Cena with a running knee to secure his premier WWE Championship. It was a monumental moment in the career of WWE's resident “Yes!” man and in the history of the August extravaganza on the whole.
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