4 unforgettable John Cena moments from WWE Royal Rumble

John Cena is set for a special 2025 WWE Royal Rumble entry as it will mark his final appearance in the titular match. He has had several memorable moments at the Premium Live Event, from unexpected wins to unscripted moments, and surprise returns.

John Cena's first-ever WWE Royal Rumble appearance occurred in 2003 where he entered at number 18. Although he lasted almost 20 minutes, he had no eliminations and was ultimately eliminated by The Undertaker. Despite his failed debut at the Premium Live Event, he is one of the few stars who has won the 30-man match twice.

For the upcoming 2025 show, he is set to compete for one final time before retiring from in-ring action.

For this list, we will look at four unforgettable John Cena WWE Royal Rumble moments.

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#4. The 2005 Royal Rumble ended uniquely

The 2005 Rumble match's ending is one of the most unique ones in history. The final two competitors were John Cena and Batista, but the action quickly took a turn when both men fell out of the ring simultaneously after The Animal attempted to do a Powerbomb on his opponent.

The moment wasn't supposed to happen, leading to the referees scrambling to decide who was the winner. Vince McMahon stormed in angrily and while entering the ring, tore both his quads. This is why he could only sit down while yelling at the referees and the stars what to do. The match was eventually restarted with The Animal winning.

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#3. Iconic return at the 2008 edition

The Royal Rumble has been the home to many memorable returns throughout the years. There was Edge in 2020, Rey Mysterio in 2018 and the entirety of the 2018 Women's Royal Rumble, just to name a few.

However, Cena's 2008 return is always in the discussion when it comes to the most surprising.

En route to the 2008 edition, John Cena was out of action after sustaining a torn pectoral muscle in October 2007. Doctors estimated six months to a year of rehabilitation, but he beat this by returning at the Rumble in just three months. Unsurprisingly, he received a huge ovation from the crowd and won the match by eliminating Triple H.

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#2. John Cena joins the select few in the 2013 Royal Rumble

As mentioned above, only a few stars have managed to win the Rumble more than once. There is Stone Cold Steve Austin, who won it three times. Hulk Hogan, Shawn Michaels, Triple H, Brock Lesnar, Randy Orton, Edge, and Cody Rhodes have all won the clash twice. In 2013, The Cenation Leader joined this group.

At the 2013 Premium Live Event, John entered at number 19, lasted over 26 minutes, and eliminated four people. He then eliminated Ryback to win the Rumble.

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#1. John Cena's 2017 WWE Royal Rumble landed him another record

The 2017 Rumble didn't see John join the titular 30-man elimination match, which was eventually won by Randy Orton. However, Cena appeared for another part of the card that garnered him a record as one of the best in the sport.

At the 2017 edition, he defeated AJ Styles for the WWE Championship. This was John's 16th World Championship win, tying himself with Ric Flair for the most world title wins. For his farewell tour this year, The Cenation Leader aims to break this record by winning his 17th title.