John Cena is one of the greatest performers in WWE history. He has featured in a plethora of rivalries in a career, which has spanned the best part of two decades. The leader of the Cenation is a 16-time world champion, tied with Ric Flair for the most reigns as champion. That is why Cena has been involved in some of the greatest feuds of all time.

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Whilst Cena is not the greatest in-ring worker, his worth ethic is second to none. He is one of the most loyal and dedicated superstars in WWE history. Fans have never been divided over a superstar like Cena. He is adored by many and hated by others. The 16-time World champion's career is Hall-of-Fame worthy with the amount of top talent he has worked with.

10 John Bradshaw Layfield

john-cena-jbl-wrestlemania-21

John Bradshaw Layfield has played a huge part in Cena's success to superstardom. At WrestleMania 21, the two men were unlucky not to be in the main event for the WWE Championship. Nevertheless, it did not deter Cena from claiming his first of 16 world titles, ending JBL's 280-day reign as WWE Champion.

Their matches may have not been classics but the pair did tell a good story whenever they clashed. They reignited their feud in 2008 and 2009 when JBL came out of retirement with another World title match at the 2009 Royal Rumble which Cena won. This feud set Cena on his way to the top.

9 Triple H

John Cena and Triple H battled for the WWE Championship at WrestleMania 22

In 2006, John Cena and Triple H clashed in the main event of WrestleMania 22 for the WWE Championship. This is around the time Cena was being booed despite being a face.  However, fans were backing the King of Kings to reclaim his throne. The Game did the job for Cena, which once again further cemented his spot as the top star.

The duo would cross paths a few more times as they had Randy Orton as their common enemy. Both would end up on the losing end in their high-quality triple threat encounters at WrestleMania 24 and Night of Champions in July 2009. Cena and Triple H could have had a bigger rivalry but the timing was not right and both men were faces.

8 Kurt Angle

John Cena and Kurt Angle clashed in 2005

When Cena made his on-screen debut in 2002 on Smackdown, he immediately clashed with Kurt Angle. He had the "Ruthless Aggression" that WWE chairman Vince McMahon was searching for. Cena raised eyebrows as he slapped Angle, which was a big mistake as the Olympic Gold medalist decimated Cena teaching respect to the newcomer.

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The duo would reignite their rivalry in 2005 when both men were drafted to Monday Night Raw. Angle was on the top of his game that year, which is why he was involved in a high-profile WWE Championship feud with Cena. The leader of the Cenation hugely benefitted from working with Angle as their physical matches were good to watch. They had a tremendous amount of respect for each other as Cena inducted Angle into the 2017 WWE Hall of Fame.

7 Shawn Michaels

John Cena and Shawn Michaels clashing at WrestleMania 23

Shawn Michaels is one of the greatest of all time. His feud with John Cena in 2007 elevated Cena to the next level. Despite main eventing WrestleMania 23 together for the WWE Championship, the duo held the World Tag Team Championship at the same time.

Their match on Raw in April 2007 held in London, England was arguably Cena's greatest. That's how phenomenal that match was, and it is a testament to Michaels' greatness, which helped Cena improve. Again, it's a shame that fans did not witness more battles between the two as they were both babyfaces.

6 The Rock

Cena v Rock at WrestleMania 29

John Cena and The Rock, two of the greatest in their respective eras feuded and it lasted two years. Their rivalry was personal as they both would go back and forth with insults to get the upper hand. The bout at WrestleMania 28, which was dubbed as "Once in a Lifetime," was an enticing affair that went the way of The Rock.

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Inevitably they would clash the following year on "The Grandest Stage of Them All" as Cena needed to get his win back. They fought in the main event of WrestleMania 29 this time with Rock's WWE Championship at stake. Cena was victorious with their match marginally being worst than the previous year. Nevertheless, the storytelling was good from both men, which treated fans to see two future Hall of Famers square off.

5 AJ Styles

Cena and Styles clashed at Royal Rumble 2017

Cena's time as a full-time performer started to dwindle in 2017. However, Cena still had time for one more classic rivalry with AJ Styles. The Phenomenal One made his presence felt in the WWE straightaway and was booked correctly as a main-event level superstar, and rightfully so.

The chemistry was there between the duo which is why they had three classic bouts. The former TNA stalwart would beat Cena at Money in the Bank and SummerSlam 2016. Styles would go on to win his first WWE Championship but he would lose the title to Cena at the 2017 Royal Rumble. It was Cena's 16th and most recent World title run but this feud settled Styles in the company, showing he belonged in the WWE.

4 Brock Lesnar

Cena and Lesnar clashed at SummerSlam 2014 for the WWE Championship

When people think about Brock Lesnar's rivalry with John Cena they think about Suplex City in 2014. However, their feud dated back to a brief WWE Championship match at Backlash 2003. Both were members of Smackdown at the time with Cena as a heel and Lesnar as a face.

RELATED: Brock Lesnar: 5 Best Matches He Had With Smaller Guys (& 5 He Had With Giants)

The roles were reversed when they feuded once more in 2012. Lesnar made his return to WWE after being away for eight years. However, Cena would get the shock win at Extreme Rules. The WWE Championship was in Lesnar's sights which he took away from Cena at SummerSlam 2014 with their feud culminating in an underwhelming rematch at Night of Champions but credit has to be given to Cena as he always had made Lesnar look like a beast.

3 CM Punk

John Cena and CM Punk clashed in 2011

John Cena and CM Punk had one of the greatest rivalries in the last decade. Punk was given the chance to shine in 2011 as a top heel. He had been a three-time World Heavyweight Champion but his reigns were pretty meaningless. Furthermore, his feud with Cena brought out the best in each man.

The peak of their rivalry was in the summer of 2011 which Punk came out on top at Money in the Bank in his hometown of Chicago and SummerSlam with both men recognized as WWE Champion. Cena once again showed he is all business by making the Straight Edge superstar a main-event level superstar.

2 Edge

John Cena and Edge clashed for three years

One of John Cena's most important rivals was Edge. Their feud started in 2006 when the Rated R-Superstar cashed in his Money in the Bank briefcase at New Year's Revolution, capturing his first WWE Championship in the process. Cena would regain his title three weeks later at the Royal Rumble.

Their matches were always heated as they would have plenty of showdowns for both the WWE and World Heavyweight Titles. Cena and Edge's feud would be on-and-off for three years with it finally ending at Extreme Rules 2009 with Edge coming out on top in a Last Man Standing Match for the World Heavyweight Title.

1 Randy Orton

Cena and Orton had one of the best rivalries of all time

The class of 2002 featured John Cena and Randy Orton both making their debuts on the main roster. Orton would taste World Championship gold a year before Cena but their paths would finally cross in 2007 for the WWE Championship. Cena and Orton both carried the WWE and when they were motivated, and when they were at the top of their games, the storytelling was compelling.

The height of their rivalry was in 2009 when they would trade the WWE Championship at three successive pay-per-views. Both men are sure-fire WWE Hall of Famers and had one of the greatest rivalries in not just the modern era but of all time. Both men made history together at the Tables, Ladders and Chairs event in 2013 when the Viper would defeat Cena to unify the WWE and World Heavyweight Titles into the WWE World Heavyweight Championship.

NEXT: Every Major John Cena Vs. Randy Orton Match, Ranked From Worst To Best