By 2005, John Cena was a main eventer and featured in plenty of World Championship matches. The leader of the chain gang's popularity grew immensely during his time on Smackdown. It was evident that John Cena was going to be the new face of the company..
However, WWE did not rush Cena's rise to the top. He had to contend with many adversaries who wanted to take the WWE Championship away from him. Furthermore, he had some incredible opponents who deserve a lot of credit for taking Cena to the next level.
10 Vs John Bradshaw Layfield (WrestleMania 21)
At No Way Out 2005, John Cena defeated Kurt Angle to earn the right to face John Bradshaw Layfield for the WWE Championship at WrestleMania 21. JBL was in the midst of the longest WWE Championship reign in a decade.
Once WrestleMania 21 rolled around at the Staples Center, Cena was chasing his first WWE Championship. Both Cena and JBL lacked chemistry in the ring together but they could tell a good story. Cena countered JBL's Clothesline from Hell and performed an Attitude Adjustment, ending Layfield's 280-day reign as WWE Champion, winning his first of 16 World championships.
9 Vs Chris Jericho (Raw, August 22, 2005)
Cena defeated Chris Jericho in an incredible match at SummerSlam 2005 to retain the WWE Championship. Unhappy with the outcome, General Manager Eric Bischoff made a rematch but this time the stakes were higher as it was a You're Fired Match the following night on Monday Night Raw.
The two put on a great match with Jericho scoring some near falls. However, Cena overcame repeated interference from Bischoff and managed to repeat his victory from the night before. In reality, Jericho wanted to take a two-year hiatus from the WWE to focus on his band Fozzy. The Canadian wanted to put Cena over on his way, which is a testament to his professionalism.
8 Vs John Bradshaw Layfield (Judgment Day 2005)
John Cena's first WWE Championship title defense was a rematch from WrestleMania 21. Cena defended the title against John Bradshaw Layfield at Judgment Day 2005 in an I Quit match. JBL dominated the opening proceedings of the match as he busted Cena wide open, and used vicious chair shots.
The WWE Champion's reign was in serious jeopardy as he took a lot of physical punishment from JBL. This I Quit match is often overlooked but it is one of the best matches between the two. Inevitably, Cena made Layfield utter the words "I Quit" putting an end to their feud and moving to Raw a month later.
7 Vs Christian & Chris Jericho (Vengeance 2005)
On Chris Jericho's Highlight Reel, John Cena was revealed as the first draft pick for Raw in the 2005 draft lottery. The reception was brilliant but Cena quickly found himself unwelcome on Raw. Christian wanted to prove himself and wanted a shot as Cena's WWE title.
Cena had his hands full as Jericho turned heel on Cena with intentions of becoming WWE Champion also. The Cenation's leader first PPV as a Raw superstar was at Vengeance. He defended the WWE Championship against Christian and Jericho. Inevitably, the two Canadians allied but Cena managed to overcome the odds, walking out still WWE Champion in an outstanding triple threat match.
6 Vs Carlito Vs Chris Masters Vs Kane Vs Kurt Angle Vs Shawn Michaels (New Year's Revolution 2006)
It is never easy to defend a WWE Championship inside an Elimination Chamber, especially when it's your first time in the match. The deck was stacked against John Cena at New Year's Revolution 2006. His nine-month reign as WWE Champion was under serious threat, as Cena was up against five of the best that Raw had to offer.
Cena was in store for a long night as he was the first man in the match alongside Shawn Michaels but Kurt Angle, Carlito, and Chris Masters all inflicted punishment on him. Nevertheless, Cena rolled up Carlito to retain his title. He'd be wrong to think his night was over as Edge preyed on a wounded Cena to cash in Money in the Bank and win the WWE Championship for the first time.
5 Vs Kurt Angle & Shawn Michaels (Taboo Tuesday 2005)
John Cena and Kurt Angle were both penciled in for the WWE Championship Triple Threat match at Taboo Tuesday 2005. Shawn Michaels, Kane, and Big Show were the other three candidates looking to enter the fray. Of course, Michaels was going to be the third participant and it proved to be the right choice.
Cena, Michaels, and Angle all had bright spells in this match with Angle's physical style imposed on both of his opponents. The Olympic Gold medalist was closing in another WWE Championship but those plans were thwarted. Cena once again retained the title after nailing an Attitude Adjustment on HBK, which was smart booking as it preserved his feud with Angle.
4 Vs Chris Jericho (SummerSlam 2005)
Cena entered SummerSlam 2005 as the WWE Champion for the first time in his career. His challenger Chris Jericho became a thorn in his side, throughout the summer ever since he joined the Raw brand on June 6th. It was another stern test for Cena against the first-ever Undisputed Champion.
This WWE Championship match was notable for fans booing Cena and cheering Jericho despite the veteran being the heel. Nevertheless, the former Doctor of Thuganomics passed another test with flying colors, walking out of SummerSlam with the WWE Championship in tow.
3 Vs Edge (Royal Rumble 2006)
John Cena lost his WWE Championship to Edge at New Year's Revolution. Three weeks later the two clashed once more at the 2006 Royal Rumble. Cena and Edge would meet four times on pay-per-view in 2006 over the WWE Championship.
This match easily and should have closed out the show but this bout is often overlooked as they had better matches in their rivalry. It was a war of attrition for 15 minutes as Cena capitalized on a mix-up between Edge and Lita as he nailed Edge with an AA and forced him to tap out to the STF thus becoming a two-time WWE Champion.
2 Vs Kurt Angle (Survivor Series 2005)
In 2005, Kurt Angle was revitalized and was one of the standout performers of the year. Angle's reward was a feud with John Cena over the WWE Championship in the fall. Their final one-on-one match at Survivor Series at the Joe Louis Arena was the setting.
Daivari was the special guest referee in this match. He was supposed to give Angle the advantage, whilst the heels would work in tandem at every chance given, Cena fought back. Angle's plans were thwarted as Cena overcame the adversity he faced, landing an AA on the wrestling machine to end their three-month feud.
1 Vs Kurt Angle (Unforgiven 2005)
Cena sent Chris Jericho packing from the WWE in August 2005, but after the match, Kurt Angle brutally assaulted Cena. The Cenation leader had his work cut out for him as he defended the WWE Championship against Angle at Unforgiven. Angle brought legitimacy to this rivalry and made Cena a better all-around worker. Eric Bischoff made his presence felt but Cena grabbed the WWE Championship from the Raw GM.
Cena retained the title, after intentionally getting himself disqualified by nailing Angle with the title. The Olympic Gold medalist tried to gain the upper hand on Cena but Cena had the last laugh as he put Angle through the Spanish announce table at ringside with an Attitude Adjustment. It was a good finish as it protected the two men who dominated the fall of 2005.