Since 2004, John Cena has been a part of every WrestleMania in some form or fashion. Whether he was contending for championships or taking part in dream matchups, Cena's legacy has been largely defined by his many WrestleMania moments.
Even the one WrestleMania that he was out injured for, WrestleMania 32, he came to the aid of The Rock against The Wyatt Family. This year, he will return to the ring on the grand stage for a mixed tag team match alongside Nikki Bella against The Miz and Maryse.
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While the build to the bout has far exceeded expectations, there's no telling how good the match itself will be. That said, it wouldn’t be out of the ordinary for Cena to contest a dud of a match at WrestleMania if these following five bouts are any indication.
#5 John Cena vs. The Rock (WrestleMania 29)
John Cena's initial one-on-one match with The Rock from WrestleMania 28 tends to receive its fair share of flack from fans for not being a mat classic, but it didn't need to be. There was a genuine aura of excitement surrounding the bout and the audience was electric throughout.
Unfortunately, the “Twice in a Lifetime” rematch next year didn't share the same magic. Instead, it felt like a simulation of a match in a video game with Cena and Rock constantly reversing each other's finishers, to the point where it became comical.
Also read: WWE WrestleMania 33: Top 5 most disappointing WWE WrestleMania events
Cena's first WWE Championship win in nearly two years should have been a bigger deal than it was because the ending came across as anticlimactic. One of the most heated and personal rivalries in recent years concluded with a whimper.
#4 John Cena vs. Bray Wyatt (WrestleMania 30)
After headlining WrestleMania for three straight years, John Cena was bumped down to a mid card match at WrestleMania 30 with Bray Wyatt. With no championships up for grabs and nothing on the line, it was a breath of fresh air for Cena.
The two rivals produced some fairly compelling promos and segments in the weeks leading up to the Show of Shows, unfortunately, the match left a lot to be desired and didn't match the build that it had received with Cena showing signs of succumbing to Wyatt's mind games despite saying he wouldn't do so prior to the pay-per-view.
It was a well-wrestled match, but Wyatt didn't have the star-making performance many had hoped that he would. If anything, he was worse off after working with Cena because he was unable to beat him when it mattered most.
#3 John Cena vs. The Miz (WrestleMania 27)
The idea of John Cena vs. The Miz for the WWE Championship in the main event of WrestleMania isn't entirely as terrible as it sounds, considering Miz was a main event player at that point and had been so for several months.
Plus, he and Cena had plenty of history together and it was a match that made sense on paper.
The Rock's return to WWE injected some much-needed excitement into Raw and WrestleMania 27, but he and Cena were the real focal points of the program, not Miz. With Rock not involved in the match at all (not even as a special guest referee) up until the very end, the rest of the match suffered significantly.
As a match, it was fine, but it could have taken place in the main event of Raw and no one would have questioned it. But because it closed out WWE's grandest show of the year and was for the WWE title, it left a sour taste in the mouths of fans.
#2 John Cena vs. Big Show (WrestleMania 20)
WrestleMania 20 marked the first time that the United States Championship had ever been defended on the grand stage, as well as the first time Cena was in action at the event. It was a serviceable opener to the near-five hour long show, but it paled in comparison to future 'Mania matches Cena would have.
Perhaps WWE thought that Cena “slaying” the Big Show would be seen on the same level as Hulk Hogan vs. Andre the Giant from WrestleMania 3, but Show was never once viewed as a threat to Cena, at least not at that point.
In the five years that he had been in the WWE, The World's Largest Athlete had been misused so many times that he was no longer the unstoppable monster heel he once was.
Cena's Attitude Adjustment to Show was an amazing visual, but fans often tend to forget how mediocre the rest of the matchup was. It was pretty apparent even then, though, that Cena was bound for big things in WWE.
#1 John Cena vs. JBL (WrestleMania 21)
John Cena's rise to super stardom was actually quite incredible when you think about it, starting out as an unknown before becoming a mid card act and then entering the main event scene by WrestleMania 21.
All the while, JBL had been built up as a dominant (more or less) WWE champion, escaping with his title intact at every turn.
Similar to the previous selection, the moment of Cena winning his premiere WWE Championship has been etched into the minds of fans as being a monumental milestone, and rightfully so. Again, however, the match lacked the big fight feel that world title bouts at WrestleMania typically have.
As an 11 minute match, Cena vs. JBL was extremely underwhelming, and it wasn't due to a lack of in-ring chemistry either because they would have a much better bout at Judgement Day the following month.
Thankfully, Cena would have mostly remarkable 'Mania matches from that point forward.
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