The Complete History of the WWE Championship - Part 20

John Cena (January 29, 2017 - February 12, 2017)

John Cena: Pointlessly won a 16th World title at the 2017 Royal Rumble

John Cena challenged frequent foe, AJ Styles for the WWE Championship at the 2017 Royal Rumble event. The pair had had electric chemistry in their previous battles and their 'Rumble collision was their best yet. Full of thrilling big moves and near falls, the finish came when Cena vanquished Styles with the Attitude Adjustment to win a joint record 16th World Championship.

The original plan called for fellow 16-time World Champion, Ric Flair to present new champion, Cena with the title post-match. Plans changed however and Cena celebrated alone.

Perhaps, WWE has been saving that moment for when Cena wins a record-breaking 17th title. However, with Cena now a special attraction only due to his burgeoning Hollywood career, it seems likely that Cena will retire as a 16-time champion only.

Where Cena stands alone, however, is his 13 WWE Championship victories. That is four more than the nearest rival, Triple H who has won nine titles. That record is one that will likely stand for longer than Flair's World title record did before he shared it with Cena.