John Cena, WWE’s top superstar for the past ten year’s birthday is today, April 23, 2018, and I felt as though it was appropriate to list the best moments of his career. Through 10 years of being the “The Face the Runs The Place,” John Cena has had made some very memorable moments that have resonated in the minds of his fans. Though narrowing them down to only five was hard, I felt as though these are the very best moments that had defined Cena through the years and had cemented him as the best of all time. The list will consist of a mixture of matches, programs, or just moments that John Cena was involved in.
5. Dr. of Thuganomics
First on the list is the debut of the character that put John Cena on the map. The “Dr of Thuganomics” is John Cena’s first over the top character in WWE. He first debuted as a very generic wrestler who had almost no personality that had the catchphrase “Ruthless Aggression.” This iteration of John Cena did not catch on and ultimately went nowhere. He was later given the persona of “Dr. of Thuganomics.” which was a very outrageous rapper persona in which Cena would come out every week and rap at his opponent and embarrassing them in the process. This character was so over the top which his baggy clothes, hat turned backward and would pretty much only speak in rhymes.
Even though Cena said the role wasn’t who he was, it was what got him to where he is today. Fans remember when John Cena rap battled the likes of Big Show and Kurt Angle very fondly, to this day people go back and watch it. The “Dr of Thuganomics” is what pushed Cena to his main event level. This character got over with the WWE fanbase, and they embraced him. Over time Cena eventually left the gimmick behind but not without giving fans a lot of fun memories.
4. Royal Rumble Return
In the year 2008, WWE had a roster with the very best the company had to offer, with the likes of Rey Mysterio, Randy Orton, Triple H, Batista, Edge, and Shawn Michaels. Three months before John Cena injured himself on an episode of Smackdown where he suffered a pectoral tear. The doctors stated that John needed immediate surgery and he would be out for at least six months to heal. The WWE Universe got a glimpse of what the fans would, later on, refer to as “Super Cena” that night when only three months later at the “Royal Rumble” in Madison Square Garden the clock counted down for the 30th entrant and John Cena’s music hits, initiating his return. The crowd sprung to their feet in cheers as the stadium roared when John Cena came walking out. It was a moment that caught many people off guard that night and is remembered as one of the greatest “Royal Rumble” moments of all time.
3. Winning his first WWE Title
2004 was a massive year for John Cena. Since the debut of his “Dr of Thuganomics” character. He was really gaining traction in his popularity, and the WWE officials decided it was time to give Cena his first championship. At Wrestlemania 20 John Cena had the biggest match in his career as he was facing the Big Show in the opening match for the United States Championship. It was an exciting match with the now famous moment of Cena carrying the Big Show on his shoulders to deliver the “Attitude Adjustment” for a near fall. The match eventually ended with John Cena using brass knuckles to cheat and hit Big Show keeping him down long enough for the three count. This lead to the crowd roaring with applause as Cena celebrated in the ring. The match was only the beginning of John Cena’s long career with many more title wins in the future, but it is still hard to forget the first.
2. “Money In The Bank”- 2011
In 2011 wrestler CM Punk was WWE’s rising star, he stood against the grain of what a WWE wrestler was. He was presented as the voice of the people. This ultimately culminated in a legendary feud with current WWE champion John Cena at the time. This feud was the perfect display of two opposite people with a storyline that was heating up for months. Even though the dispute was mainly about wrestler CM Punk, John Cena played a massive role in where he refused to give into the temptations of CM Punk and refused to change who he was. This feud culminated at “Money in the Bank” 2011, the CM Punk’s hometown of Chicago where he faced John Cena for the WWE Championship, the stipulation was if CM Punk won the Championship he would leave WWE with the belt. The match was a sight to behold with the crowd on their feet the whole time. Everything John Cena and CM Punk did the crowd reacted to and were on the edge of their seat. The match ended when John refused to get help from Vince McMahon, which ultimately resulted in him losing and Punk running away with the Championship. This feud is now recognized as Cenas best feud and match of his entire career because of the long drawn out story that is told between two opposite views.
1. Make-A-Wish
The best moment of John Cena’s career isn’t his wrestling at all. It his is the ability to give back to the children. As of 2018, John Cena holds the record for the most visits to Make-A-Wish foundation ever with over 500. Cena is a very busy many for the most significant wrestling company in the world but still finds a way to go and visit the sickly children who made it their dream to meet him. John Cena makes these kids so happy and is touching to watch these children meet their hero. Meeting 500 people is a huge milestone and one that many people thank John for being so generous with his him.
