#3 John Cena vs Daniel Bryan | WWE Championship Match | Summerslam 2013

The real star moment in Bryan’s rise to stardom, being handpicked by Cena as his opponent for the WWE Championship with Triple H as the guest referee. The whole point of this was Bryan is a wrestler, and Cena is a sports entertainer, which gave us Cena trying to outwrestle Bryan. Both men would use their own skills to their advantage; Cena and his power, Bryan and his technical ability. The real x-factor was the audience in attendance, fully behind Bryan giving him that second wind and keeping him going to counter everything.

Bryan would punish Cena with heavy strikes, countering an STF into one of his own and the AA into the Yes Lock. Both men would pull out the big guns, slugging it out before engaging in a slap fight which Bryan would win with his feet. Eventually, Bryan hits the running knee to win his first WWE Championship. Until, Triple H turns on him, hitting a pedigree and allowing Randy Orton to cash in his Money in the Bank briefcase, walking out as the WWE Champion. Before the cash-in, a clash of styles, a clinic, and an all-around incredible match. 

#2. John Cena vs AJ Styles | WWE Championship Match | Royal Rumble 2017

A match I don’t think anyone ever expected, Mr. WWE vs Mr. TNA. AJ Styles headed into this match as the WWE Champion with Cena fighting for his 16th championship reign, their third meeting in the space of a year but with the championship on the line giving us higher stakes. Again, like his match against Bryan, he would use his power over AJ whilst AJ would use his speed and technical ability and it’s something Cena is so good at, working with a smaller man who is able to use their speed to keep Cena on the ropes.

This match felt like a do or die for Cena after his prior losses to AJ, with his nickname Big Match John, it felt very apt in this match. He brought it, as did AJ, and gave us a perfect end to the trilogy of matches they had. Both men would kick out of each other’s finishers as well as escape each other’s signature submissions. Eventually, after multiple times, Cena would hit the AA to bring himself the victory and the record-tying 16^th WWE Championship.

#1 John Cena vs CM Punk | WWE Championship Match | Money in the Bank 2011

You just knew this was going to be first, given it was the first WWE match in 14 years to be given five stars by Dave Meltzer, these two went to war and it gave us an absolutely compelling story to follow. CM Punk holding the WWE to ransom to get what he wants with Cena being the face of WWE was superb.

The match itself? Amazing. Hard-hitting, technical, compelling. Chicago was the right place to do this, the partisan CM Punk crowd with Cena being the outsider just gave it another level of superb. Most people would think the inclusion of Vince McMahon and John Laurinaitis would deter from the story, but having Cena lose the match because he wanted to do it the right way was fantastic.

Cena banged out some incredible moves in this match as well to keep up with the more indie style of Punk, springboards and a little bit of highflying. Annoyingly, the story didn’t get stretched and Punk would leave with the title but returned about two weeks later. But that doesn’t matter, this match slapped. 

These ten, plus many more, are one of many reasons why John Cena is the greatest of all time. Alongside his promo ability, star power and draw outside of the ring, you can’t deny a man from a small town in Massachusetts would become an absolute megastar. 

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