John Cena will go down in history as one of the greatest wrestlers of all time. Cena is a 16-time World Champion, and he is unquestionably a sure-fire WWE Hall of Famer. However, Cena found his niche in his rapper gimmick. His mic skills improved drastically, and he roasted talent on the mic, which made fans love Cena. The Doctor of Thuganomics gimmick saw Cena win the United States Championship three times, and he customized the title.

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This gimmick lasted for two years until Cena beat JBL for his maiden WWE Championship reign at WrestleMania 21. Some of Cena's matches during this time frame are not spoken about as much, but he did have entertaining clashes, which set him on his way to becoming the face of WWE.

10 John Cena Vs. Kurt Angle Vs. Big Show - No Way Out 2004 (7.12)

The winner of the triple threat match featuring John Cena, Kurt Angle, and Big Show at No Way Out 2004 earned a WWE Championship match at WrestleMania 20. All three were desperate to compete for the WWE Title and their exchanges were superb.

Cena executed the AA on Show, and Angle attempted to sneak up on Cena with the Angle Slam but Cena countered it with a DDT. Ultimately, Cena came up short as Angle cinched in the Angle Lock, and he went on to challenge Eddie Guerrero for the WWE Championship in an instant classic.

9 John Cena Vs. The Undertaker - SmackDown 6/24/04 (7.22)

Before John Cena was at the peak of his powers, he collided with The Undertaker in an exceptional match that gets forgotten about on the June 24, 2004, edition of SmackDown. The Deadman dominated the early stages of this contest. They battled on the outside, and Undertaker's arm was cut open after Cena rammed him into the steel steps.

Cena managed to connect with the AA but the referee was knocked down. Undertaker recovered, and he hit Cena in the head with a chain and the Tombstone Piledriver was enough for the Phenom to see the job through.

8 John Cena & Brock Lesnar Vs. Kurt Angle & The Undertaker - SmackDown 10/2/03 (7.25)

A blockbuster tag team match was on the menu on the October 2, 2003, episode of SmackDown. John Cena and his former rival Brock Lesnar squared off with Kurt Angle and The Undertaker. Angle and Taker had Cena right where they wanted him as they wore him down.

The match was entertaining, and the pendulum swung in Cena and Lesnar's favor. Lesnar prevented Angle from victory as he applied the Angle Lock on Cena. The referee was distracted, and it allowed Cena to nail Angle in the skull with a chain, which resulted in Cena stealing the victory for his side.

7 15-Man Royal Rumble Match - SmackDown 1/29/04 (7.54)

Royal Rumble matches are typically reserved for the Royal Rumble event itself. However, there was a 15-man Royal Rumble match on the January 29, 2004 edition of SmackDown. The winner earned a WWE Championship match with Brock Lesnar at No Way Out.

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Cena joined the fray as the 10th entrant. He had a knee brace on his leg after he landed awkwardly at the Rumble. Cena dumped Nunzio over the top rope with the AA. Big Show ended Cena's hopes, but in retaliation, Cena helped Kurt Angle, Eddie Guerrero, and Billy Gunn amongst others to remove Show from the equation.

6 Royal Rumble Match - Royal Rumble 2003 (7.56)

The 2003 Royal Rumble match was the first one since the brand split was introduced. John Cena was the 18th entrant and he rapped whilst he made his way down the aisle. Cena didn't do anything noteworthy in the bout, but he lasted 19 minutes.

A-Train took down Cena with a Baldo Bomb. Nevertheless, Cena went on to win two Rumbles in his career, and it was The Undertaker, who finished in second place to Brock Lesnar, who eliminated Cena with a clothesline.

5 John Cena Vs. Eddie Guerrero - SmackDown 9/11/03 (7.57)

John Cena challenged Eddie Guerrero for the United States Championship in a Latino Heat Parking Lot Brawl on the September 11, 2003 edition of SmackDown. Both men sported jeans and wrestlers surrounded cars in the parking lot.

The match was physical as expected, and Eddie dashed Cena's head into a car window. Cena drew blood but he retaliated by ramming Eddie's head into a window. Cena attempted the AA on a car but Eddie countered it. Nonetheless, Eddie's nephew Chavo intervened, and Latino Heat retained the US Title with a Frog Splash on the hud of a car.

4 John Cena Vs. Kurt Angle - No Way Out 2005 (7.82)

For the second year in succession, John Cena and Kurt Angle were pitted against each other in a number one contender's match with the winner facing the reigning WWE Champion at WrestleMania 21. This time there was no Big Show, but Cena and Angle told one heck of a story.

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Angle didn't get a welcoming reception from his hometown fans in Pittsburgh. However, it was a back-and-forth contest. There were several counters between the pair. Angle was unable to get Cena to submit to the Angle Lock, but Cena prevailed after connecting the AA on Angle.

3 John Cena Vs. Kurt Angle - No Mercy 2003 (7.89)

One of John Cena's final marquee matches as a heel saw him squaring off with Kurt Angle at No Mercy 2003. Unquestionably, this was one of the best bouts in their series of matches, which understandably gets overlooked.

Cena wasn't going down without a fight, and he showed his mental toughness by kicking out of the Angle Slam. The Doctor of Thuganomics failed to beat Angle, but he gave a good account of himself here.

2 Royal Rumble Match - Royal Rumble 2005 (8.41)

John Cena was one of the favorites to emerge victorious in the 2005 Royal Rumble match. Cena joined the fray as the 25th participant, and he was desperate to book his spot in the main event of WrestleMania 21. Cena eliminated the likes of Viscera and Kane, and with a helping hand from Batista, they eliminated Edge.

The ending was memorable and chaotic. Both Cena and Batista went over the top rope simultaneously. That was unplanned and a seething Vince McMahon walked down the aisle, and he tore his quadriceps in a hilarious moment to watch. The match was restarted, and the Animal emerged victorious to win the Rumble for the first time in his career.

1 Royal Rumble Match - Royal Rumble 2004 (8.77)

The 2004 Royal Rumble match presented a huge opportunity for Cena to go far. He was the 28th entrant, but he failed to live up to the expectations with a poor Royal Rumble showing for his standards.

Surprisingly, Cena endured seven minutes, but he failed to eliminate someone which is poor for someone of Cena's caliber. He attempted to eliminate Big Show with a few other wrestlers, but Show powered his way past them. Ultimately, the World's Largest Athlete eliminated Cena with Cena falling awkwardly which caused a knee injury.