Royal Rumble is undoubtedly the most action-packed, exciting WWE format in the calendar, and is renowned for setting the tone for the year in the WWE universe. The pre-event excitement is palpable – who will leave the pay-per-view as champions and how will this impact WrestleMania?
But the illustrious format would not be quite as addictive if it wasn’t for the legendary names that grace the ring at Royal Rumble. One Superstar, in particular, is well-known for his multiple eliminations, and his ability to ‘rumble’ with the best of the WWE Superstars. And it just so happens that he has recently announced his return to WWE…
Let’s take a look back at the Legendary John Cena’s Top 5 Best WWE Moments.
The Ultimate Payback (2013)
WrestleMania 28 saw one of WWE’s most outrageous matches in history take place, as The Rock returned from Hollywood to face John Cena. The Rock was victorious and Cena vowed he would exact his revenge at WrestleMania 29 when they were scheduled to have a rematch. The match arrived following the long-standing rivalry between the two WWE titans, with Cena accusing the Rock of working ‘part-time’ as a wrestler and The Rock belittling Cena, stating that despite his leave, Cena still had not been able to fill his shoes. Although the Wrestlemania 28 brawl was described as the ‘once in a lifetime’ match, the comeback match between WWE’s two biggest stars was legendary, and gave many fans the answer to one of the longest-standing fan debates in WWE History – who is the better wrestler, The Rock or John Cena?
Royal Rumble Champion (2013)
John Cena had a difficult 2012 and vowed to make 2013 his comeback year. Royal Rumble started with the epic return of Jericho, followed by an onslaught of top-tier, ground-breaking WWE Superstar returns, including Rey Mysterio and Goldust. Cena entered the ring at number 19, with a long battle ahead of him and a number of tough competitors still going strong. Cena was able to eliminate two Superstars in quick succession and outlasted 29 other Superstars to win the Royal Rumble match and a World Title opportunity against the champion of his choosing. Cena had four eliminations in total during this match and was the fourth Superstar in history to win a Royal Rumble match twice.
Show Me The Money (2011)
Despite being a WWE Championship loss for Cena, the Money In The Bank 2011 storyline is one that is still considered one of the most gripping and shocking in WWE history. Cena faced CM Punk in his final match at Money In The Bank, with Punk due to retire from WWE, leaving Cena as the Champion. However, CM Punk’s famous ‘Pipebomb’ promo turned the tide and left fans rooting for Punk and wanting the demise of Cena. Against all odds, CM Punk ended up defeating Cena, ending his Money In The Bank victory by running through the crowd into the streets of Chicago.
The Legacy Begins (2002)
It is hard to forget Cena’s first WWE debut, especially as it was in response to an open challenge from the renowned Kurt Angle. The historic moment initiated the career of one of WWE’s greatest and most renowned Superstars. Angle challenged any of the WWE Superstars to take him on at the end of SmackDown15 and Cena answered the call. Entering the ring and announcing his name, Cena went on to state that his ‘ruthless aggression’ would leave him victorious before he finished Kurt Angle and became the new face of WWE.
The Time Is Now (2008)
Probably one of Cena’s most notorious moments in his WWE career was his comeback match in 2008. Cena had suffered a pectoral injury, and due to the severity of the injury, was not set to compete for an extended period of time. Despite this, having made a remarkably quick recovery, Cena made his dramatic return six months early, in the final round of Royal Rumble. Fans, wrestlers (and medical professionals) were surprised to hear the ‘The Time is Now’ walkout song sound around the arena, as Cena entered the WWE arena. Triple H, the last man standing in the ring, was astounded and had his Royal Rumble Champion dreams stripped away from him as Cena finished him with his signature AA move. Some call it the greatest return in WWE history.
WWE’s Royal Rumble will broadcast live from the Alamodome, San Antonio at 1 AM GMT on Sunday, January 29th, 2023… Tune in on the WWE Network or on BT Sport.