John Cena’s run in WWE has lasted nearly two decades and defined an era. He went toe-to-toe with some of the biggest stars to ever lace up boots. Now, with retirement on the horizon and 2025 likely marking his final chapter, it’s the right time to look back—not just at the titles or the catchphrases, but at the rivalries that shaped him.
Randy Orton – Bragging Rights 2009
By the time Bragging Rights 2009 came around, Cena and Orton had already clashed many times, but this particular match was a 60-minute Iron Man match with the WWE Championship on the line—no disqualifications, anything goes. It featured everything from pyrotechnic stunts to handcuffs, and while the pace slowed at times, the storytelling was deliberate. Cena walked away with the title, but more importantly, this match marked the end of a long chapter between two competitors who were always being compared—and who always brought out something extra in each other.
Edge – Unforgiven 2006
Their feud had personal stakes from the start. Edge cashed in his Money in the Bank briefcase earlier that year to beat Cena, and the two had been trading wins ever since. At Unforgiven 2006, they faced off in a TLC match—Edge’s specialty—inside his hometown of Toronto. The crowd was firmly behind Edge, which added pressure on Cena, who wasn’t used to being the outsider. Despite not having Edge’s experience with ladders and chairs, Cena adapted and delivered an Attitude Adjustment off a ladder through two tables, ending the match and the title reign.
The Rock – WrestleMania 28
Cena vs. The Rock at WrestleMania 28 was all about pride and recognition. The buildup spanned a full year, with weekly exchanges that sometimes felt too personal for scripted television. The match itself was deliberate and didn’t rely on spectacle. The Rock got the win, but for Cena, the loss helped shape his character over the following year.
CM Punk – Money in the Bank 2011
Few matches have carried the kind of real-world tension that Cena vs. Punk had at Money in the Bank 2011. Punk was days away from his contract expiring and threatened to leave with the title. Cena, playing the role of company figurehead, was caught in the middle of an evolving story about control, respect, and independence. The match ended with Punk escaping through the crowd after Vince McMahon’s last-ditch interference backfired. It was a turning point in modern WWE and a rare moment when fiction and reality blurred convincingly.
AJ Styles – Royal Rumble 2017
Styles had established himself as a top name quickly after arriving in WWE, and Cena was looking to tie Ric Flair’s record with a 16th world title. What followed ...
