What Are The Best John Cena WrestleMania Matches? Every Match Ranked From Worst To Best a6j4e

As he prepares for his final WrestleMania match against Cody Rhodes, we rank all John Cena WrestleMania matches and determine his best.

John Cena is synonymous with WrestleMania. With a career that spans over two decades, his legacy is etched in some of WWE’s most unforgettable moments.

From debuting as a brash rookie to facing the biggest names in sports entertainment, Cena’s WrestleMania matches have been a central part of his journey.

With that being said, it’s time to look back and rank the best John Cena WrestleMania matches.

John Cena WrestleMania Matches Ranked 3n5do

16. John Cena vs The Undertaker – WrestleMania 34 (2018) 4p136x

A lot of build-up for a match that could’ve been a real classic, but instead, it ended up feeling more like an afterthought.

Cena called out Undertaker for weeks, but the Dean didn’t answer until ‘Mania itself. The match itself was a quick, surprising squash in favor of Taker. There was so much potential for a classic John Cena Wrestlemania match, but instead, it was over before anyone could blink.

Cena took a decisive loss in what was easily his most lopsided defeat on the big stage, and while it was somewhat memorable, it felt like a huge missed opportunity.

15. John Cena vs The Miz – WrestleMania 27 (2011) 3w5o63

An average TV-level match in the main event of WrestleMania, with absolutely deplorable booking to close the show. Miz already felt like he didn’t belong in that spot, and this ended up only emphasising that. The whole thing existed to set up Rock vs Cena a year in advance — and felt secondary because of it.

The fans didn’t care, the match was sluggish, and the finish was a mess. A bad end to a bad show, and one of the weakest ‘Mania main events of all time.

A fun spectacle, but ultimately forgettable. Cena and Miz had their beef, and the mixed tag match was a fitting way to wrap it up, with Nikki and Maryse getting involved to spice things up.

Cena and Nikki won, and the moment of Cena proposing afterward was memorable, even if it didn’t save the match from being mostly filler. A fun but forgettable entry in Cena’s ‘Mania catalog.

13. John Cena vs Big Show – WrestleMania XX (2004) 2q1t4w

Cena’s first WrestleMania match was a pretty significant one for his career, as he defeated the Big Show for the United States Championship.

The match told a fine underdog story but was nothing special, and featured some controversy as Cena used brass knuckles to assist the win.

Nonetheless, Cena’s victory marked the beginning of his climb to superstardom, and the moment of him hitting the FU on Big Show was a memorable sight.

12. John Cena vs Austin Theory – WrestleMania 39 (2023) 2k445g

The return of Cena at WrestleMania 39 wasn’t the blockbuster everyone hoped for. Austin Theory, brimming with confidence, put his United States Championship on the line against Cena, but the match felt flat.

Theory cheated his way to victory, pulling off a low blow and securing a big win to retain his title. A disappointing bout for Cena’s first ‘Mania match in five years.

11. John Cena vs JBL – WrestleMania 21 (2005) 4z1l1y

This was a painfully standard, TV-level match with almost no heat — but it did what it needed to do. Cena had the crowd, JBL had the belt, and the result was inevitable.

Nothing about the match itself stood out, but the moment mattered. The longest-reigning WWE Champion in nearly a decade got knocked off by a rising star who’d spent the past year earning his spot. A mediocre match, but a milestone win — and the official start of the Cena era.

10. John Cena vs Edge vs Big Show – WrestleMania 25 (2009) b4r5p

A messy build, an even messier love triangle, and a match that mostly coasted on the always-reliable chemistry between Cena and Edge. Big Show was the third wheel here, but he served a purpose — namely, to be hoisted up in one of Cena’s signature feats of strength.

This was the weaker of Cena’s back-to-back triple threat ‘Mania matches but still entertaining in a Greatest Hits sort of way. The Double FU spot was cool, the finish predictable, and it was all over quickly enough to not overstay its welcome.

Solid mid-tier Cena ‘Mania action — just not one of his most memorable.

9. John Cena vs “The Fiend” Bray Wyatt – WrestleMania 36 (2020) 2v1450

Not really a match — and all the better for it. Set in the eerie, crowdless atmosphere of early pandemic-era WWE, this surreal fever dream of a bout turned Cena’s career into a meta-narrative playground.

Creative, innovative, and undeniably fun, the Firefly Funhouse match embraced the chaos of the time and delivered something genuinely different. The callbacks, weirdness, and self-aware storytelling hit way harder than they had any right to.

A bold choice that worked — and one of the few bright spots of a very strange WrestleMania.

8. John Cena vs Rusev – WrestleMania 31 (2015) 3y4924

This was a pretty good match — big, clean, and exactly the kind of mid-card title bout WWE often struggles to nail at WrestleMania. Cena was in full big-match mode, and Rusev, riding in on a tank, came off like a legit monster.

The build leaned on familiar ground: Cena playing patriot, Rusev the undefeated foreign heel. They delivered a strong, back-and-forth bout that helped legitimise the US Title again — even if the outcome felt a little too predictable.

Rusev looked great but–like Bray Wyatt the year prior–was ultimately fed to the Cena machine. A solid match, but also the start of Rusev’s momentum slowly unravelling.

7. John Cena vs Bray Wyatt – WrestleMania XXX (2014) 62vi

John Cena is really good — but the match’s muddled storytelling and questionable finish drag this one down. The “Is John Truly A Monster?” theme was laid on way too thick, and Cena winning undercut everything Bray Wyatt had built up to that point.

That said, the match itself ended up being pretty entertaining. Cena was fired up, Wyatt played the cult leader role to perfection, and the New Orleans crowd was hot throughout. The Wyatt Family added drama from ringside, but it still couldn’t save what felt like the wrong result.

Wyatt needed this win. Cena didn’t — and it showed in the years that followed.

6. John Cena vs The Rock – WrestleMania 29 (2013) 1z2gi

A hollow rematch built on shaky narrative ground. One year after their electrifying “Once in a Lifetime” clash, John Cena and The Rock ran it back — only this time, the magic was gone.

WWE framed the match as Cena’s heroic redemption arc, claiming he’d had a rough 2012 and needed this win to reclaim his spot. But the crowd weren’t buying it — Cena had never stopped being the guy. The fans saw through the angle, and the buzz that made WrestleMania 28 feel monumental was missing in action.

The build lacked authenticity, the atmosphere was flatter, and fan apathy loomed large. CM Punk, who had the night’s best match, arguably should’ve headlined. But instead, Rock vs Cena II closed a lacklustre show with a match that felt more like a marketing mandate than a true main-event moment.

Still, both men are pros at the big-match formula, and they managed to inject the closing stretch with real drama through a barrage of traded finishers. The extended final sequence brought the crowd back to life — briefly — and helped salvage an otherwise uninspired affair.

Entertaining in execution but empty in essence, this match symbolised WWE’s disconnect with its audience at the time.

5. John Cena vs Triple H vs Randy Orton – WrestleMania XXIV (2008) 4t6y3s

A strong title match that showcased genuine chemistry between Cena and Triple H – and the kind of big-spot triple threat layout that was pure WWE in the late 2000s.

Cena entered the match having used his Royal Rumble title shot early at No Way Out, coming up short against Orton thanks to a DQ finish. Triple H earned his spot by winning the Elimination Chamber, while Cena muscled his way back in after pinning Orton with Triple H as guest referee.

That gave us a unique babyface vs babyface vs heel setup, with Orton’s title on the line and real tension simmering under the surface.

When it was just Cena and Triple H mixing it up, the match clicked. Their one-on-one exchanges were crisp and intense, revealing an underrated in-ring connection.

Some of the structure felt house show-like, but the action picked up late. A clever finish saw Triple H hit the Pedigree, only for Orton to steal the pin on Cena and retain – marking Cena’s first WrestleMania loss.

4. John Cena vs Batista – WrestleMania XXVI (2010) 4c58h

A heated, high-impact showdown between WWE’s two biggest homegrown stars of the 2000s. This match felt like the final chapter of the Ruthless Aggression Era — a battle between powerhouses, each embodying different sides of the WWE machine.

Batista had turned heel and taken the WWE Title from Cena weeks earlier, setting up a dream match rematch on the biggest stage. The story was classic Cena: dominated early, brutalised by a vicious Animal, then clawing back with grit and heart.

The two traded bombs in a tight, well-paced bout, filled with intensity and urgency. Cena locked in the STF for the win, adding another WrestleMania victory to his resume and bringing their rivalry full circle.

A true big-fight feel, and one of the last great main events of the PG Era before WWE’s next evolution began.

3. John Cena vs Triple H – WrestleMania 22 (2006) 265f64

A surprisingly great slow-burn main event in front of a red-hot, hostile Chicago crowd. By 2006, Cena was firmly established as WWE’s top star — and just as firmly rejected by large portions of the hardcore fanbase. This match captured that divide perfectly.

Despite questionable narrative framing (Triple H as the traditionalist vs Cena the underdog outsider), the atmosphere was electric.

Triple H leaned into his inner Flair, controlling the pace with poise, while Cena responded with energy, tenacity, and crisp timing. His selling kept him active and present at all times, helping the match steadily build into a heated climax.

WWE’s gradual embrace of Cena’s polarising status started here — and this was the first true glimpse of Cena as a big-match main-event player.

2. John Cena vs The Rock – WrestleMania XXVIII (2012) 5f2ek

A returning Rock. A peak-era Cena. Two masters of the WWE blockbuster style collided in a match that was loud, long, messy… and undeniably fun.

The build was a full year in the making, after Rock cost Cena the WWE Championship at WrestleMania 27.

From there, the company leaned fully into the dream match narrative, pitting the face of the Attitude Era against the face of the PG Era. They even teamed up at Survivor Series 2011, but the real heat was saved for this Miami showdown.

The match itself? Overbooked, overlong, and occasionally silly — but also magnetic. The Miami crowd was rabidly pro-Rock, and despite Cena’s attempts to frame himself as the loyal workhorse defending WWE’s present, the fans hadn’t forgiven his success. And yet, that polarisation added juice to every near fall and reversal.

It wasn’t a technical classic, but it didn’t need to be. Both men knew exactly what they were doing: delivering spectacle. And for all its flaws, it worked. Rock picked up the win in a result that shocked some, delighted others, and guaranteed the rivalry would continue.

Too charming to hate — a flawed epic that ranks among Cena’s most iconic WrestleMania moments.

John Cena Best WrestleMania Match a2643

1. John Cena vs Shawn Michaels – WrestleMania 23 (2007) 2547w

John Cena’s best WrestleMania match is against Shawn Michaels for the WWE Championship at WrestleMania 23.

The match showcased Cena’s growing reputation as WWE’s ultimate big-match performer and highlighted Michaels’ unmatched ability to elevate any contest with his storytelling, selling, and drama.

HBK controlled the early going, outwrestling Cena and setting a deliberate pace. A vicious piledriver on the steel steps left Cena bleeding, but he powered back with signature offense.

The Detroit crowd came alive for the dramatic closing stretch filled with near-falls, reversals, and a thunderous atmosphere before Cena finally made Michaels tap to the STFU.

While a slightly tighter runtime might have made it even sharper, this match set the blueprint for Cena’s future WrestleMania classics.

The duo would top this performance weeks later on Raw, but as a WrestleMania main event, it remains a definitive moment in both careers.

John Cena First WrestleMania r2a6s

John Cena made his WrestleMania debut at WrestleMania XX (2004) at Madison Square Garden.

Facing the Big Show for the United States Championship, Cena captured his first title on WWE’s grandest stage, instantly marking himself as a rising star.

John Cena WrestleMania Record 3j3d4e

• WrestleMania Appearances: 16 (as of 2024)

• Wins: 10

• Losses: 6

• Championship Matches: 11

• Main Events: 5