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One of the fastest rising stars in Hollywood, John Cena returned to WWE on last week's SmackDown. The Cenation Leader addressed the Boston crowd and said that he would not be part of WrestleMania 36. But, in classic WWE Style, he was challenged moments later by ' The Fiend' Bray Wyatt. A match between the two was set for WrestleMania 36. This is the second time that Wyatt and Cena will be facing off against at The Grandest Stage Of Them All with their previous encounter at WrestleMania 30 ending in a victory for the 16-time World Champion.
Whether you love or hate him, one can't help but praise Cena's work ethic and his loyalty to WWE. The Cenation Leader's run as the top dog saw him equal Ric Flair's record of 16 World Championship win. His run as the company's top Superstar is second only to Hulk Hogan in the modern era. The West-Newbury native has been someone who has transcended the business and has a legacy that will be hard to replicate.
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With a career spanning almost two decades, The Cenation Leader has been able to lock horns with a wide array of opponents. But, there have been a select few who have been able to define the 16-time World Champion's career inside the squared circle. Here are five opponents who have defined the career of the Cenation Leader:
#5 John Bradshaw Layfield (JBL)
The most recent inductee to the WWE Hall of Fame, JBL was hugely instrumental in the rise of John Cena. It is safe to say without the self-proclaimed ' Wrestling God', Cena wouldn't have reached the heights that he did. The feud with JBL came at a very important juncture in the Cenation Leader's career. With top Superstars like Stone Cold Steve Austin, The Rock, Brock Lesnar and Goldberg stepping away from the company, it was time for the newer crop of talent to take the mantle and run it and Cena was one of them.
As the foul-mouthed, Jort-wearing, freestyle rapper, Cena endeared himself to the WWE Universe which would lead to him defeating The Big Show at WrestleMania 20. But, it was feud against JBL that propelled Cena to megastardom. After making it to the final two of the 2005 Royal Rumble, Cena entered the No. 1 Contender's Tournament for the WWE Championship. He defeated Kurt Angle in the final of the said tournament to earn a WWE Championship match at WrestleMania 21.
Cena would defeat JBL at WrestleMania 21 to win the WWE Championship. Following his win, The Cenation Leader would introduce the Spinner version of the WWE Championship while JBL took the original title belt. Cena and JBL faced off in a rematch for the title in an ' I Quit Match' at Judgement Day. The match saw Cena bleed profusely but he was able to overcome the insurable odds and retain the WWE Championship.
The duo would clash once again in 2008 after Cena eliminated JBL from the Fatal-4 Way Elimination Match for the WWE Championship at Backlash. Cena would defeat the Texas-native at Judgement Day and One Night Stand but JBL got the last laugh after he defeated Cena in a Parking Lot Brawl at the Great American Bash to end their feud.
The last major match between the duo took place at 2009 Royal Rumble where Cena successfully defended his World Heavyweight Championship against his arch-nemesis.
#4 AJ Styles
If someone would've told us a decade ago that not only will Styles and Cena face off against one another but they will end up having one of the most memorable feuds of the decade, we would have laughed at their face.
It was almost impossible to imagine seeing Styles inside a WWE ring. The Georgia-native was such an integral part of TNA, WWE's biggest competitor in North America, that one thought that Vince McMahon & Co would never sign him.
But following a contract dispute, Styles would leave the promotion in December 2014. The Phenomenal One would then move to New Japan Pro Wrestling where he would win the IWGP Heavyweight Championship in his debut match with the promotion. Styles would leave NJPW following Wrestle Kingdom 10. And then the unthinkable as Styles finally arrived in WWE at the 2016 Royal Rumble.
Styles and Cena were the antheses to one another which is what made their feud so memorable. The two first lock horns at Money In The Bank where Styles would come out victorious following interference by Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson. The trio would be defeated by the team of Cena, Enzo Amore and Big Cass at Battleground 2016 with Cena pinning Styles.
Cena and Styles were drafted to SmackDown in the 2016 Brand Extension Draft. They would clash once again at SummerSlam 2016 with Styles once again coming out on top. After Styles won the WWE Championship from Dean Ambrose at Backlash 2016, Cena would challenge The Phenomenal one for the title. This resulted in a Triple Threat Match for the WWE Championship between Styles, Cena and Dean Ambrose which Cena would lose after getting pinned by The Phenomenal One. The final chapter of the Cena- Styles trilogy took place at the 2017 Royal Rumble where Cena finally defeated Cena to win his 16th World Championship.
The rivalry between Cena and Styles was great due to a variety of reasons. Firstly, it helped establish Styles as a main event player in WWE. Secondly, after years of being ridiculed for his in-ring style, the series of matches against The Phenomenal One made fans realize that Cena wasn't a slouch inside the squared circle. And third and most importantly, it re-affirmed the fact that Cena and Styles were two of the best in-ring performers of our generation.
#3 Edge
Edge and John Cena had one of the best feuds in WWE during the 2000s. The Ultimate Opportunist first clashed with Cena after he successfully cashed in his Money In The Bank contract against The Cenation Leader at New Year's Revolution 2006 to win the WWE Championship. He would, however, lose the title back to Cena at the 2006 Royal Rumble. Edge would regain the WWE Championship from Rob Van Dam on the July 2006 episode of RAW in a Triple Threat Match which also had Cena, thus re-igniting the feud between the two.
After retaining the WWE Championship against Cena at SummerSlam 2006, Edge would introduce his version of the WWE Championship, with ' Rated-R' being engraved in the middle instead of the WWE logo. Edge and Cena would face off once again, this time in a TLC Match for the WWE Championship, with Cena being forced to leave RAW if he were to lose at Unforgiven 2006. Cena would defeat The Rated-R Superstar at the event to win the WWE Championship for the third time.
After being eliminated by Jeff Hardy early on in the WWE Championship Elimination Chamber Match, Edge inserted himself in the Elimination Chamber for the World Heavyweight Championship after attacking Kofi Kingston. Edge would go on to win the match by last eliminating Rey Mysterio, thereby becoming the first man to walk in and walk out of an event with two different world titles. Cena defeated Edge and The Big Show at WrestleMania 25 to win back the World Heavyweight Championship. A rematch was set between the duo at Backlash 2006 where Edge would defeat Cena following interference by The Big Show.
Edge and Cena always brought out the best in one another. Their matches against one another were some of the best of their respective careers. With Edge recently making a triumphant return to the squared circle in the 2019 Royal Rumble, there is a possibility that we might once again see these two great face off against one another.
#2 CM Punk
One of the most celebrated feuds of the past decade, the rivalry between Cena and Punk was pro wrestling at it's best. These two were the polar opposite of one another both inside and outside the squared circle. While Cena was always abhorred and ridiculed by the fans for in-ring style, Punk was regarded as one of the best in the world. Cena was always soft-spoken and diplomatic but Punk was renowned for being someone who always spoke his mind. Cena a being a WWE loyalist fed perfectly into Punk's anti-authority persona.
After becoming the leader of The New Nexus, Punk would target a plethora of Superstars on RAW which included Cena. Their match at Money In The Bank 2011 is regarded by many as one of the best matches in WWE history. Punk pinning Cena in front of a raucous crowd in Chicago is a sight that fans will remember for years to come.
The win over Cena helped solidify Punk as a main-event Superstar. After winning the WWE Championship from Rey Mysterio on the July 25, 2011, episode of RAW, Cena's championship celebration would be cut short by a returning Punk who showed up with his WWE Championship. A match between the two was set for SummerSlam. Punk would defeat Cena once again at The Biggest Party of Summer to become the Undisputed WWE Champion.
Cena would unsuccessfully challenge Punk for the WWE Championship during Punk's historic 434-day WWE Championship reign. He would unsuccessfully cash-in his Money In The Bank contract against Punk following interference by The Big Show, thereby earning Cena the distinction of being the first win to not win a championship following a MITB cash-in. Punk successfully defended the WWE Championship against Cena and The Big Show at SummerSlam 2012 and would fight Cena to a draw at Night of Championship.
The Leader of Cenation would finally get one over The Second City Savior as he defeated Punk on the February 25, 2013 episode of RAW with the No. 1 Contendership for the WWE Championship at WrestleMania 29 against The Rock at stake.
#1 Randy Orton
Two of the biggest Superstars to have come out of the Attitude Era, Orton and Cena's paths have crossed numerous times over the past decade and a half. They were a part of the famed OVW Class which also included Brock Lesnar and Batista. Cena and Orton's paths first crossed during the Summer of 2007 after Orton became the No. 1 Contender for Cena's WWE Championship. Cena successfully defended the title against Orton at SummerSlam 2007.
Orton would attack Cena's father on RAW the following night after being denied a rematch for the WWE Championship. The duo clashed once again at Unforgiven 2007 with the match ending in a disqualification after Cena refused to stop attacking Orton in the corner. The Viper would be awarded the WWE Championship at No Mercy 2007 after Cena suffered an injury following an attack by Orton which forced him to vacate the title.
After winning the 2008 Royal Rumble, Cena wouldn't wait for WrestleMania 24 and instead challenged Orton for the WWE Championship at No Way Out. The match ended in a disqualification after Orton intentionally disqualified himself to retain the championship. Cena would defeat Orton the next night on RAW thereby adding to himself to the WWE Championship match at WrestleMania 24 against Orton and Triple H.
The Viper would defeat Cena and Triple H at WrestleMania 24. Cena was also a part of the Fatal-4 Way Elimination Match for the WWE Championship at Backlash 2006 which Triple H ended up winning.
Cena and Orton would feud once again over the WWE Championship during the fall of 2019. Orton and Cena traded wins at Summerslam 2009 and Breaking Point respectively. He would regain the title at Hell in a Cell but would drop the title back to Cena in a 60-minute Ironman Match at Bragging Rights.
Cena and Orton were at loggerheads once again during the fall of 2010 when Cena was forced to join The Nexus. Cena was the referee for Orton's WWE Champion defense against Nexus leader, Wade Barett at Survivor Series 2010. Cena would turn on Barett during the match and Orton ended up defeating Barett to successfully retain the WWE Championship.
It would be another three years before Orton and Cena locked horns once again. The final chapter in this epic rivalry took place during the fall of 2013 when Orton and Cena faced off in a TLC match with their respective titles (WWE and World Heavyweight Championshi ) on the line at TLC 2013.
Orton would defeat Cena to become the first WWE World Heavyweight Champion, thereby unifying both the titles. He would retain the title against Cena at the 2014 Royal Rumble following an interference by The Wyatt Family. The last major PPV match between the two took place at Hell in a Cell 2014 where Cena would defeat Orton to become the No. 1 Contender for Brock Lesnar's WWE World Heavyweight Championship.
While some might say that feud between the two was one of the most overplayed feuds in the company's history, Cena and Orton delivered big time whenever they faced off against one another. The feud between the two was instrumental in propelling the duo to the heights that they ended up achieving. It is almost impossible to imagine their careers without the other one being a part of it.
