Rating The Champ: John Cena

Welcome to a new series on the website, called Rating The Champ. This will follow my prior World Title Series, where I reviewed each and every WWE Heavyweight Champion in history from Hulk Hogan’s first title win in 1984 all the way to the current days. Money in the Bank cash-ins will not be included for obvious reasons, unless it was a proper match (ie: Rob Van Dam at One Night Stand 2006). Royal Rumble and battle royales won’t be included as well.

In this new series, I will rate all the PPV matches from each and every WWF/E Heavyweight Champion in history. To be fair, since this is the WWF/E title, I’ll only rate their PPV matches in the WWF/E. In this edition, we’ll be looking back at the PPV career of the one and only, former WWE & World Heavyweight Champion, John Cena.

2002

• Vs. Chris Jericho (Vengeance) **

2003

• Vs. Brock Lesnar – WWE Championship (Backlash) **3/4
• W/ FBI vs. Chris Benoit, Rhyno & Spanky (Judgment Day) *1/2
• Vs. The Undertaker (Vengeance) ***1/2
• Vs. Kurt Angle (No Mercy) ****1/4
• W/ Team Angle vs. Team Lesnar (Survivor Series) ***

2004

• Vs. Kurt Angle vs. Big Show (No Way Out) ***
• Vs. Big Show – WWE United States Championship (WrestleMania XX) **
• Vs. René Duprée – WWE United States Championship (Judgment Day) **3/4
• Elimination: Vs. Booker vs. RVD vs. Duprée – WWE United States Championship (The Great American Bash) **
• Vs. Booker T (SummerSlam) 3/4*
• Vs. Booker T – WWE United States Championship (No Mercy) **
• W/ Team Eddie vs. Team Angle (Survivor Series) **
• Street Fight: Vs. Jesús – WWE United States Championship (Armageddon) **1/2

2005

• Vs. Kurt Angle (No Way Out) ****
• Vs. JBL – WWE Championship (WrestleMania 21) **
• I Quit: Vs. JBL – WWE Championship (Judgment Day) ****1/4
• Vs. Chris Jericho vs. Christian – WWE Championship (Vengeance) ****
• Vs. Chris Jericho – WWE Championship (SummerSlam) ***1/2
• Vs. Kurt Angle – WWE Championship (Unforgiven) ***1/4
• Vs. Kurt Angle vs. Shawn Michaels – WWE Championship (Taboo Tuesday) ***
• Vs. Kurt Angle – WWE Championship (Survivor Series) ***1/4

2006

• Elimination Chamber Match – WWE Championship (New Year’s Revolution) ***
• Vs. Triple H – WWE Championship (WrestleMania 22) ***3/4
• Vs. Triple H vs. Edge – WWE Championship (Backlash) ****1/2
• Hardcore: Vs. Rob Van Dam – WWE Championship (ECW One Night Stand) ****
• Extreme Lumberjack: Vs. Sabu (Vengeance) ***
• Vs. Edge – WWE Championship (SummerSlam) ***1/2
• TLC: Vs. Edge – WWE Championship (Unforgiven) ****1/2
• Vs. King Booker vs. Big Show – World Heavyweight Championship (Cyber Sunday) ***
• W/ Team Cena vs. Team Show (Survivor Series) **1/2
• W/ Batista vs. King Booker & Finlay (Armageddon) **

2007

• Vs. Umaga – WWE Championship (New Year’s Revolution) ***
• Last Man Standing: Vs. Umaga – WWE Championship (Royal Rumble) ****
• W/ Shawn Michaels vs. Batista & The Undertaker (No Way Out) ***1/2
• Vs. Shawn Michaels – WWE Championship (WrestleMania 23) ****
• Vs. HBK vs. Edge vs. Orton – WWE Championship (Backlash) ****1/4
• Vs. The Great Khali – WWE Championship (Judgment Day) *1/2
• Falls Count Anywhere: Vs. The Great Khali – WWE Championship (One Night Stand) ***
• Vs. Orton vs. Lashley vs. Booker vs. Foley – WWE Championship (Vengeance: Night of Champions) ***1/2
• Vs. Bobby Lashley – WWE Championship (The Great American Bash) ****
• Vs. Randy Orton – WWE Championship (SummerSlam) ****1/4
• Vs. Randy Orton – WWE Championship (Unforgiven) *

2008

• Vs. Randy Orton – WWE Championship (No Way Out) **
• Vs. Randy Orton vs. Triple H – WWE Championship (WrestleMania XXIV) ***1/4
• Elimination: Vs. Orton vs. Triple H vs. JBL – WWE Championship (Backlash) ***
• Vs. JBL (Judgment Day) *3/4
• First Blood: Vs. JBL (One Night Stand) **1/2
• Vs. Triple H – WWE Championship (Night of Champions) ***1/2
• NY Parking Lot Brawl: Vs. JBL (The Great American Bash) *1/2
• Vs. Batista (SummerSlam) ****
• Vs. Chris Jericho – World Heavyweight Championship (Survivor Series) ***
• Vs. Chris Jericho – World Heavyweight Championship (Armageddon) ***1/4

2009

• Vs. JBL – World Heavyweight Championship (Royal Rumble) **
• Elimination Chamber Match – World Heavyweight Championship (No Way Out) ****1/4
• Vs. Edge vs. Big Show – World Heavyweight Championship (WrestleMania XXV) ***1/4
• Last Man Standing: Vs. Edge – World Heavyweight Championship (Backlash) ****1/2
• Vs. Big Show (Judgment Day) *1/2
• Submission: Vs. Big Show (Extreme Rules) **
• Vs. The Miz (The Bash) 1/2*
• Vs. Randy Orton vs. Triple H – WWE Championship (Night of Champions) ***1/4
• Vs. Randy Orton – WWE Championship (SummerSlam) **
• I Quit: Vs. Randy Orton – WWE Championship (Breaking Point) ***1/2
• HIAC: Vs. Randy Orton – WWE Championship (Hell in a Cell) **3/4
• Iron Man: Vs. Randy Orton – WWE Championship (Bragging Rights) ****
• Vs. Triple H vs. Shawn Michaels – WWE Championship (Survivor Series) ***3/4
• Tables: Vs. Sheamus – WWE Championship (TLC) ***

2010

• Elimination Chamber Match – WWE Championship (Elimination Chamber) ***1/4
• Vs. Batista – WWE Championship (WrestleMania XXVI) ****
• Last Man Standing: Vs. Batista – WWE Championship (Extreme Rules) ****1/4
• I Quit: Vs. Batista – WWE Championship (Over the Limit) ***1/2
• Vs. Edge vs. Randy Orton vs. Sheamus – WWE Championship (Fatal 4 Way) ***
• Steel Cage: Vs. Sheamus – WWE Championship (Money in the Bank) ***1/4
• W/ Team Cena vs. Team Nexus (SummerSlam) ***1/2
• Six Pack Challenge – WWE Championship (Night of Champions) ***1/4
• Vs. Wade Barrett (Hell in a Cell) ***1/2
• W/ David Otunga vs. Cody Rhodes & Drew McIntyre – WWE Tag Team Championship (Bragging Rights) *
• Chairs: Vs. Wade Barrett (TLC) ***1/2

2011

• RAW’s Elimination Chamber Match (Elimination Chamber) ***1/2
• Vs. The Miz – WWE Championship (WrestleMania XXVII) *1/4
• Steel Cage: Vs. The Miz vs. John Morrison – WWE Championship (Extreme Rules) ****
• I Quit: Vs. The Miz – WWE Championship (Over the Limit) ***
• Vs. R-Truth – WWE Championship (Capitol Punishment) ***
• Vs. CM Punk – WWE Championship (Money in the Bank) *****
• Vs. CM Punk – WWE Championship (SummerSlam) ***3/4
• Vs. Alberto Del Rio – WWE Championship (Night of Champions) ***1/2
• HIAC: Vs. Alberto Del Rio vs. CM Punk – WWE Championship (Hell in a Cell) ***
• Last Man Standing: Vs. Alberto Del Rio – WWE Championship (Vengeance) ****
• W/ The Rock vs. The Miz & R-Truth (Survivor Series) **1/2

2012

• Vs. Kane (Royal Rumble) **
• Ambulance: Vs. Kane (Elimination Chamber) **1/2
• Vs. The Rock (WrestleMania XXVIII) ****1/2
• Extreme Rules: Vs. Brock Lesnar (Extreme Rules) ****3/4
• Vs. John Laurinaitis (Over the Limit) DUD
• Steel Cage: Vs. Big Show (No Way Out) **1/2
• RAW’s Money in the Bank Ladder Match (Money in the Bank) ***1/2
• Vs. CM Punk vs. Big Show – WWE Championship (SummerSlam) ***1/2
• Vs. CM Punk – WWE Championship (Night of Champions) ****3/4
• Vs. CM Punk vs. Ryback – WWE Championship (Survivor Series) ***
• MITB Ladder: Vs. Dolph Ziggler (TLC) ****

2013

• W/ Ryback & Sheamus vs. The Shield (Elimination Chamber) ***3/4
• Vs. The Rock – WWE Championship (WrestleMania 29) ***
• Last Man Standing: Vs. Ryback – WWE Championship (Extreme Rules) ***1/2
• 3 Stages of Hell: Vs. Ryback – WWE Championship (Payback) ***1/2
• Vs. Mark Henry – WWE Championship (Money in the Bank) ***1/4
• Vs. Daniel Bryan – WWE Championship (SummerSlam) *****
• Vs. Alberto Del Rio – World Heavyweight Championship (Hell in a Cell) ***
• Vs. Alberto Del Rio – World Heavyweight Chamionship (Survivor Series) **3/4
• TLC: Vs. Randy Orton – WWE World Heavyweight Championship (TLC) ***

2014

• Vs. Randy Orton – WWE World Heavyweight Championship (Royal Rumble) **1/2
• Elimination Chamber Match – WWE World Heavyweight Championship (Elimination Chamber) ***1/2
• Vs. Bray Wyatt (WrestleMania XXX) ***1/2
• Steel Cage: Vs. Bray Wyatt (Extreme Rules) *1/2
• Last Man Standing: Vs. Bray Wyatt (Payback) ****
• Ladder Match – WWE World Heavyweight Championship (Money in the Bank) ***3/4
• Vs. Randy Orton vs. Roman Reigns vs. Kane – WWE World Heavyweight Championship (Battleground) ***1/4
• Vs. Brock Lesnar – WWE World Heavyweight Championship (SummerSlam) ****1/4
• Vs. Brock Lesnar – WWE World Heavyweight Championship (Night of Champions) ***3/4
• HIAC: Vs. Randy Orton (Hell in a Cell) ***1/4
• W/ Team Cena vs. Team Authority (Survivor Series) ****1/4
• Tables: Vs. John Cena (TLC) ***1/4

2015

• Vs. Brock Lesnar vs. Seth Rollins – WWE World Heavyweight Championship (Royal Rumble) ****3/4
• Vs. Rusev – WWE United States Championship (Fastlane) ***1/4
• Vs. Rusev – WWE United States Championship (WrestleMania 31) ***1/2
• Russian Chain: Vs. Rusev – WWE United States Championship (Extreme Rules) **
• I Quit: Vs. Rusev – WWE United States Championshp (Payback) ***
• Vs. Kevin Owens (Elimination Chamber) ****3/4
• Vs. Kevin Owens (Money in the Bank) ****1/2
• Vs. Kevin Owens – WWE United States Championship (Battleground) ****1/4
• Vs. Seth Rollins – WWE World & US Championships (SummerSlam) ****1/4
• Vs. Seth Rollins – WWE United States Championship (Night of Champions) ****
• Vs. Alberto Del Rio – WWE United States Championship (Hell in a Cell) **

2016

• Vs. AJ Styles (Money in the Bank) ***3/4
• W/ Enzo & Cass vs. The Club (Battleground) ***1/4
• Vs. AJ Styles (SummerSlam) *****
• Vs. AJ Styles vs. Dean Ambrose – WWE World Championship (No Mercy) ****

2017

• Vs. AJ Styles – WWE Championship (Royal Rumble) *****
• Elimination Chamber Match – WWE Championship (Elimination Chamber) ****1/2
• W/ Nikki Bella vs. The Miz & Maryse (WrestleMania 33) *1/2
• Flag: Vs. Rusev (Battleground) **3/4
• Vs. Baron Corbin (SummerSlam) **
• Vs. Roman Reigns (No Mercy) ***1/2
• W/ Team SmackDown vs. Team RAW (Survivor Series) **1/4

2018

• Elimination Chamber Match (Elimination Chamber) ***1/2
• Six Pack Challenge – WWE Championship (Fastlane) ****1/4
• Vs. The Undertaker (WrestleMania 34) **3/4
• Vs. Triple H (Greatest Royal Rumble) ***1/4
• W/ Bobby Lashley vs. Kevin Owens & Elias (Super ShowDown) **

2020

• Firefly Fun House: Vs. The Fiend (WrestleMania 36) N/R (not rated)

TOP FIVE

5. Brock Lesnar (Extreme Rules 2012)

4. Kevin Owens (Elimination Chamber 2015)

3. AJ Styles (Royal Rumble 2017)

2. AJ Styles (SummerSlam 2016)

1. CM Punk (Money in the Bank 2011)

Average rating per year

• 2002 – 2
• 2003 – 3
• 2004 – 2.13
• 2005 – 3.41
• 2006 – 3.38
• 2007 – 3.28
• 2008 – 2.78
• 2009 – 2.88
• 2010 – 3.28
• 2011 – 3.32
• 2012 – 3.18
• 2013 – 3.42
• 2014 – 3.40
• 2015 – 3.66
• 2016 – 4
• 2017 – 3.07
• 2018 – 3.15

Overall average rating

3.14/5

Don’t miss the next article here on Rating The Champ, where we’ll be looking back at former WWE Champion, Dean Ambrose.