4 times WWE made the wrong decision by having John Cena win

John Cena's retirement announcement shook the Cenation to its core. The Champ was showered with immeasurable love and respect. However, The Doctor of Thuganomics didn't always have the same luxury.

During his prime, at the height of "The Super Cena Era," the 16-time World Champion was one of the most polarizing figures in the Stamford-based promotion. Much of the disapproval was directed at his impressive win-loss record and invincibility in must-win situations.

As The Franchise Player of the PG-Era, the usual narrative was to have the organic, morally upright Cena take down a devious and cunning villain at the top of his game. This earned the Hollywood star much flak, as his critics believed he was holding deserving talent back.

On that note, let's look at the four times WWE made the wrong decision by having John Cena win:

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#4. John Cena rolling up Umaga at New Year's Revolution 2007 was a questionable booking decision

The late Umaga was a fierce member of the prestigious Anoa'i Family that took the WWE locker room by storm upon his debut in April 2006. The deceased star embarked on an impressive undefeated streak for months that ended in January 2007 courtesy of "Super Cena."

Umaga had run through the likes of Ric Flair and Kane. With so much terror in his wake, he was naturally in line for a championship feud with WWE's Franchise Player. But the company booked the eventual feud rather controversially.

At New Year's Revolution 2007, John Cena defeated Umaga with a roll-up, ending the latter's undefeated streak in an anti-climatic fashion. This was naturally done to further their feud as the former Intercontinental Champion viciously assaulted and injured Cena.

They faced off in a Last Man Standing Match at Royal Rumble 2007, where Cena infamously choked out Umaga with the ring ropes. It fit into WWE's narrative of writing the perfect pre-Mania chapter for "Super Cena," but the New Year's Revolution win was unnecessary.

The roll-up made Umaga look weak. If WWE wanted to protect Cena in defeat, they could have booked a non-title match to build some suspicion heading into the Rumble. But rolling up the deceased star was not befitting his streak's caliber.

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#3. Brock Lesnar lost his first match after his return to John Cena at Extreme Rules 2012

The RAW after WrestleMania 28 witnessed one of the most memorable surprise returns in the flagship show's history. After eight years away from WWE, Brock Lesnar returned to a thunderous ovation and laid out John Cena with an F5.

The Beast Incarnate was being treated as a top priority. The company built the show around him for the next several weeks, and interest in Lesnar was exceptionally high.

However, WWE made the questionable booking decision of having John Cena defeat Lesnar in an Extreme Rules Match upon the latter's surprise return. The move was met with disapproval since The Beast could have used the win to build serious momentum.

Furthermore, John Cena had suffered a massive loss to The Rock at WrestleMania 28. While having him regain momentum via a win over Lesnar was an understandable decision, WWE could have added to Cena's misery by continuing his "big match" losing streak.

This would have made his eventual win over The Rock the following year more meaningful. The Champ didn't gain much from his clean victory over The Beast Incarnate. The loss hurt the former UFC star, as much repair work had to be done to restore his aura.

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#2. Bray Wyatt should have defeated the 16-time World Champion at WrestleMania 30

WrestleMania 30 is mainly remembered for the demise of The Undertaker's legendary streak and Daniel Bryan's "Miracle on Bourbon Street!" But The Show of Shows also witnessed a marquee match-up between Bray Wyatt and John Cena.

Like many others before him, Wyatt was compelling Cena to embrace his darker side. In the buildup, The Eater of Worlds had the upper hand with a strong mental advantage and the aid of his family, Luke Harper and Erick Rowan. Yet, The Cenation Leader ran through the former Universal Champion at The Showcase of The Immortals.

In hindsight, the win did nothing for Cena. But it could have catapulted Wyatt's career, still in its infancy, to great heights. The Undertaker had fallen that night, and WWE had a chance to replace the defeated legend with an equally compelling and mystical character in Wyatt.

Fortunately, WWE realized its mistake and had Wyatt convincingly defeat Cena in a Firefly Fun House Match at WrestleMania 36. However, the late star could have altered the entire trajectory of the company upon a potential win over The Champ in April 2014.

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#1. ''Super Cena'' ran through The Nexus at SummerSlam 2010

The summer of 2010 was dominated by a group of rising stars led by Wade Barrett, known as The Nexus. The eight-man faction had laid waste to the entire RAW locker room, with many of their assaults being directed toward top babyfaces like John Cena.

''Super Cena,'' in typical leader fashion, assembled an impressive team to stop The Nexus dead in its tracks. At SummerSlam 2010, Team WWE brought the fight to The Nexus, but Barrett's group had the advantage towards the end as two men remained against The Doctor of Thuganomics.

Unfortunately for Barrett, John Cena was not willing to lose. The Champ made the former Intercontinental Champion submit to the STF, crushing The Nexus' momentum while reinforcing Cena's invincibility against impossible odds.

Many, including Team WWE's Edge and Chris Jericho, were opposed to The Nexus' loss. The young crop of NXT graduates could have benefited immensely from that win over RAW's main event stars. Barrett would have become a staple in the main event scene.

The company had the opportunity to replicate the success they had with the Invasion angle in 2001, but ''Super Cena's'' perseverance won the feud.