JOHN CENA’S BEST MOMENTS : FLZ EDITORIAL

The clock is striking midnight. Time is running out.

John Cena, the WWE’s legendary superstar is ready to step into the squared circle for the last time.

GUNTHER will be Cena’s last opponent on December 13th for “WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event”. The “Ring General” earned the right to face Cena via a tournament with a mix of familiar and new faces. Their match will cap off an impressive 23 year run of opponents and memoires inside World Wrestling Entertainment.

To say Cena has left an impression is a vast understatement. From his first face-off with Kurt Angle on June 27, 2002 to now, Cena has raised the bar of not only the company, but the business itself. His crossover appeal can’t be denied. Fans have seen him in multiple TV shows and movies. They have also seen his humanitarian work with Make-A-Wish which is unmatched.

This is only a small part of how Cena has impacted pop culture. His in-ring character was the definition of the ultimate “face”. Cena stayed true to his “Never Give Up” mantra with his work. Even when the fans wanted him to turn, he didn’t. Only recently did he go that route for a few months before returning to form before bowing out.

Cena has left his mark on every fan, whether you love WWE or not. Our team at FLZ was asked about his best matches and in-ring memories. This is their responses:

Picture credit: WWE //John Cena

• COSPLAY BY SAMI (607 TWS: THE WRESTLING SHOW)

  “It’s gotta be ECW One Night Stand… 2006 is the year that he really started to come into his own and it truly showed at that event.”

• PADAWAN J (ODPH PODCAST)

  “Hands down…..Lesnar vs Cena vs Rollins at the Royal Rumble 2015”

• And your truly….KEN (FLZ PRESENTS/ODPH PODCAST)

  Three stand out to me:

  3. Cena vs. Bray Wyatt - Firefly Fun House (Wrestlemania 36). The match was everything it needed for the “cinematic era”. It showed Cena in an area completely outside of his comfort zone. Fans also saw how creative the late Wyatt was with his concepts for his character. Even crazier, Cena wrote the match out. Playing off some of the internet’s “critics” of his in-ring character, the match was more of a retrospective more than a match. Titus O’Neil’s final comments said it all. It got a reaction out of the crowd and that’s always a plus.

  2. Cena vs. CM Punk - Money In The Bank (Chicago 2011). This might have been the “Summer Of Punk” but it never would have gone down without Cena. This match was coming off the infamous “Pipebomb” promo. Punk was leaving the company. His contract was up. If Punk wins, he leaves as champion. It was an unthinkable move. The crowd was explosive. Cena entered Punk’s hometown with a target on his back. Once the bell rung, it was a special night. Perfect storytelling and a shocking ending which would catapult not one, but two superstars into new heights for pulling this story off.

  1. Cena vs. Shawn Michaels - Monday Night Raw (April 23rd, 2007). For anyone who doubted Cena could “wrestle”, this match proved them all wrong. This televised match went nearly 60 minutes. Shawn Michaels brought out the best of his opponents. There was no way Cena wasn’t going to leave it all in the ring. This night was something extra special. It had great storytelling and a hot crowd from London. The fact this match was as not on a pay-per-view was wild. It felt like a Wrestlemania main-event. That is how GOOD this match was and still stands out over the course of his career.

That’s only a few of the best memories of the G.O.A.T. We gave you our thoughts for John Cena’s best moments in WWE, but let us know yours in the comments and on FLZ socials. Remember to follow FLZ on all socials and YouTube for more wrestling content. Thanks for reading.