6-time world champion once legitimately injured John Cena's neck at WWE SummerSlam: Remembering the incident

John Cena has inarguably the worst win-loss record in WWE SummerSlam history. The summer premium live event has also given the Cenation leader one of the worst injuries of his career in the past. Let’s look back at when Cena was legitimately injured by a six-time world champion at WWE SummerSlam.

The star in question is none other than Batista. The Animal’s match against John Cena at SummerSlam 2008 left Big Match John with a herniated disc in his neck. WWE even used this real-life injury in Cena’s 2010 feud with Batista.

The former world champion’s neck injury forced WWE to replace him with Rey Mysterio in the five-man Championship Scramble match for the World Heavyweight Championship at Unforgiven 2008. Chris Jericho won the match.

Cena returned three months later at Survivor Series to defeat Chris Jericho for the World Heavyweight Championship. He would revisit his classic rivalry with Edge, this time over the world title, in the months leading up to WrestleMania XXV.

He would successfully retain his title in a triple threat match featuring Edge and The Big Show at the April 5, 2009, pay-per-view event. He would ultimately drop the title to Edge in a Last Man Standing match at the following month’s Backlash pay-per-view event.

When was the last time John Cena wrestled at WWE SummerSlam?

John Cena has been part of 15 SummerSlam premium live events to this date, making him the second WWE star behind The Undertaker and Randy Orton with the most appearances at the Biggest Party of the Summer.

Cena’s last WWE SummerSlam match was in 2021 when he took on Roman Reigns for the Universal Championship. The Tribal Chief defeated the Cenation leader, solidifying himself as the one true face of the company.

It remains to be seen if Cena will make his 16th SummerSlam appearance on August 5, 2023.