John Cena is one of the greatest WWE superstars of all time, with him being among those with the most PPV main events in professional wrestling history. He was the number one face during his prime in the company, which saw him in the final spot of a card on countless occasions.
Over the years, he has battled many of the best in an array of different types of contests, some of which were brilliant. Of course, for someone who has wrestled as many main events as John Cena, his best matches will no doubt be subjective, but it is hard to argue against the fact that all of these mentioned matches were each great closing bouts.
10 John Cena Vs Brock Lesnar, SummerSlam 2014
This was a very unique main event, with it essentially being a squash match. However, this was such a shocking and dominant display from Brock Lesnar that it was a stunning thing to witness.
Cena put up some fight, but was overwhelmed by Lesnar’s onslaught. The reason why this worked so well, was due to how protected of a performer Cena had been, especially when it came to big time matches like this one. It was a bold move by WWE, but it was impactful.
9 John Cena Vs Edge, Unforgiven 2006
In 2006, Edge and John Cena did battle on numerous occasions in what was one of the best feuds of either man’s career to that point. As far as their 2006 clashes go, this one was arguably their top match.
At Unforgiven 2006, they battled in a very fun Tables, Ladders, and Chairs main event, with the crowd hugely invested given that it took place in Edge’s hometown. The match was capped off with a huge AA from atop a ladder and through multiple tables, with Cena overcoming Edge and winning the match to become WWE Champion.
8 John Cena vs The Rock, WrestleMania 28
From a technical standpoint, this wasn’t the best match in the world. However, from a sheer spectacle standpoint, it was truly special. Two of the biggest icons of all time faced-off in the main event of WrestleMania, and their presence alone made for a sensational atmosphere.
Whilst their rematch one year later would lessen the impact of this bout, it was still a terrific main event all things considered, with The Rock showing very little ring rust, managing to keep the crowd captivated for a match which lasted for 30 minutes.
7 John Cena Vs Edge, Backlash 2009
John Cena and Edge revisited their feud in 2009, finding themselves in the main event of Backlash. When the bell rang, the crowd treated this like a big time clash, going crazy before they had even locked horns.
This was one of the better executed Last Man Standing matches ever, with great pacing, strong psychology, and plenty of big spots which were spaced out effectively. The ending saw a Big Show interference, which was a little underwhelming, but it was saved with a jaw-dropping spot in which Cena was chokeslammed through a spotlight.
6 John Cena Vs RVD, One Night Stand 2006
Following his transition into WWE’s top babyface, Cena never turned heel again. However, regardless of his character, he was the biggest heel in professional wrestling at One Night Stand 2006.
He played up to the hostile atmosphere of RVD’s home ECW ground, which made it even more impactful when the ECW legend won the WWE Championship, in what is still up there with the most deafening pops in history.
5 John Cena Vs Shawn Michaels, WrestleMania 23
The chemistry between John Cena and Shawn Michaels wasn’t explored often enough, but when WWE did book them together, they created magic. Their first major encounter came in the main event of WrestleMania 23, and it was great.
This was a long “epic” of a match, in which Michaels began getting desperate towards the end as he knew the younger competitor would have the advantage in the later stages through better conditioning. Michaels would masterfully target Cena’s knee, although it wouldn’t be enough as Cena won the match and stood tall to close WWE’s biggest yearly show.
4 John Cena Vs Brock Lesnar, Extreme Rules 2012
Brock Lesnar’s return to WWE in 2012 felt special, and his performance in his first match back, in which he mixed his professional wrestling ability with an MMA style, and it made him feel like a very dangerous and legitimate competitor.
This was a violent and brutal fight, and it was thrilling to witness. Unfortunately, Cena’s win was one of WWE’s worst ever booking decisions, but despite that, the match was still stellar.
3 John Cena Vs Daniel Bryan, SummerSlam 2013
WWE’s two top babyfaces did battle in the main event of SummerSlam 2013, with the pair putting in a phenomenal performance. It was fluid, there were great sequences, and the crowd was super hot.
The story of the match was told perfectly, and it all led up to Daniel Bryan pulling out his patented knee finisher to win the match, being crowned WWE Champion. The aftermath of the match was iconic too, as it saw the birth of The Authority, as Special Guest Referee, Triple H, turned heel and allowed Randy Orton to cash in his Money in the Bank contract.
2 John Cena Vs JBL, Judgment Day 2005
John Cena delivered here in what was his very first singles PPV main event in WWE, with a star-making performance against JBL. This was an “I Quit” match for the WWE Championship, and it was brutal.
It was a heated battle between two huge enemies, with it delving into a violent bloodbath by the end of it. Whilst he walked into the match as WWE Champion, this propelled Cena to even bigger heights.
1 John Cena Vs CM Punk, Money In The Bank 2011
In terms of atmosphere, there are very few matches in WWE history that have been on the level of this one. John Cena and CM Punk put on an absolute classic amidst a great story where Punk’s contract was set to expire after the match.
In a shocking conclusion, the soon-to-be free agent, CM Punk, overcame WWE’s number one babyface and ran away with the WWE Championship in a brilliant PPV ending.