John Cena Greatest Rivalries: The Key Word Here
John Cena’s Greatest Rivalries
Commentators: Jim Cornette, Dean Hill, Michael Cole, Tazz, Jim Ross, Jerry Lawler, John Bradshaw Layfield
Another case where the name kind of sums up the whole thing and there isn’t much else to say. Cena has faced pretty much everyone in the modern era and we’re getting a look at some of his bigger ones here. That could cover quite a few different people and I’m not sure who all to expect. Let’s get to it.
Note that this is the WWE Vault version and the VERY slimmed down edition, running just shy of two hours rather than the full seven and a half hour full version. Also note that this was released in October 2014 so some names won’t be included.
We start with Batista, with Cena talking about how important his time in OVW was for his early days. There has not been an influx of talent like that in a long time (true) and they all wanted to have THE spot.
From OVW TV, February 23, 2002.
OVW Title: Prototype vs. Leviathan
Leviathan (naturally Batista), with Synn, is defending and commentary points out that Cena lost his first match in OVW last week….to David Flair? Cena is pretty worried to start and gets kicked down before Leviathan works on the arm. Leviathan is dropped across the top rope as this is dominance thus far. An elbow to the face drops Cena again and an elbow drop gets two. The full nelson slam (Leviathan’s finisher) is loaded up but Cena’s manager Kenny Bolin offers a distraction, allowing Cena to get in a low blow.
Three straight belly to back suplexes give Cena two and he whips Leviathan hard into the corner. A Russian legsweep stays on the bad back but Leviathan blocks another attempt. The comeback is on and now the full nelson slam connects, only for Leviathan to miss…something we don’t see due to a replay. Synn and Bolin get in a fight on the floor as Leviathan hits a powerbomb. Some other guy named Brody gets in the ring with an ether rag to knock Leviathan out. What’s left of Cena gets the pin and the title at 7:11.
Rating: C+. This is a match where you have to keep the words “it’s developmental” in mind. The match was in front of a few hundred people and a single major television market so yeah, it was designed to be very simple. It was clear that they saw something in both guys though, which is why they would both be doing house shows in a few months and then get called up shortly thereafter.
Next up is JBL, who Cena compares to a hard nosed coach who pushed him hard and beat him up even harder.
From Wrestlemania XXI.
Smackdown World Title: John Bradshaw Layfield vs. John Cena
JBL is defending and his entrance (which came first) is cut off here but it’s not his DVD. Cena starts fast with a leapfrog but charges into a boot in the corner. The running shoulder staggers Cena again and a swinging neckbreaker gives JBL two. Some choking on the ropes has Cena in more trouble and a catapult into the rope keeps him in that general area. Another neckbreaker drops Cena for two and JBL grabs the sleeper, which goes as you might expect.
Back up and Cena manages a double clothesline but gets sent outside for another neckbreaker. A superplex drops Cena again but JBL can’t follow up due to the whole crashing down onto the mat as well. The delayed cover gets two so JBL goes up (that can’t be a good idea) and dives into a powerslam to leave both of them down. Cena is able to make the comeback and hits a backdrop, allowing him to initiate the finishing sequence. The Clothesline From JBL misses and the FU gives Cena the pin and the title at 11:28.
Rating: C. This has never been that good of a match and that was clear again here. JBL beats him up, Cena shrugs it off, makes the comeback and wins. It didn’t help that the result was the most obvious imaginable, but dang this would have been better suited as a wild brawl to build the slightest bit of tension (like they did with the rematch, which was outstanding and would have been a much better choice).
We’re not wasting time in getting to the big one as Randy Orton is next up. Cena wants to prove that he’s the best so he faces Orton, who is one of the smoothest wrestlers he’s ever seen (fair). Cena praises Orton’s natural ability, comparing it to Shawn Michaels, saying that it’s not something he himself can do.
From Summerslam 2007.
Raw World Title: John Cena vs. Randy Orton
Cena is defending. We get an old school weapons check and the staredown before the big lockup (they’re definitely going for the big fight feel here). Cena grabs a headlock, allowing him to YELL REALLY LOUDLY IN ORTON’S EAR (he’s an all time great but he can’t hide his spot calling to save his life).
Orton reverses into a shoulder and headlock of his own to a ROAR as this is a very anti-Cena crowd. Back up and it’s too early for the STFU, with Orton bailing straight to the ropes. Orton stomps away but gets taken down with a bulldog for two. Cena’s crossbody misses though and Orton is rather happy at the misfire. A running shoulder sends Cena off the apron and into the announcers’ table for the nasty crash.
Back in and the chinlock goes on, followed by some shots to the head to scramble the brains even more. The big knee drop misses but Orton is right back with another chinlock. That’s switched into a sleeper but this time Cena powers up and starts the comeback. The Shuffle connects but the FU is countered into the backbreaker to put Cena on the apron. Orton hits the hanging DDT and loads up the RKO, which Cena breaks up without much effort.
Cena’s charge sends him crashing out to the floor though and Orton is rather pleased again. Back in Cena grabs a swinging neckbreaker for a breather, followed by the top rope Fameasser. It’s still too early for the FU though as Orton slips out and gets in a neck snap over the top. Orton tries the Punt but gets pulled into the STF, with the long crawl getting him over to the ropes. The RKO gets two but Cena pops back up with the FU to retain at 21:21.
Rating: B-. This was one of (if not the very) their first big time matches against each other and Orton just wasn’t quite there yet. Cena has been the king for a few years now and Orton was an up and coming villain but he needed some more main event seasoning. That would come in time, but for now, it’s really more of a footnote than anything else.
We get to HHH, with Cena talking about how big of a star he is and how important it is to face him at some point.
From Monday Night Raw, October 19, 2009.
John Cena vs. HHH
Points for not doing the Wrestlemania match. Cena grabs some headlock takeovers to start and then takes HHH down again for an early one. HHH bails into the ropes and sneers as only he can. Back in and they fight over a top wristlock until HHH knocks him into the corner. Another whip into a different corner has Cena down but he sends HHH crashing over the corner as we take a break.
We come back with Cena fighting back and hitting a quick suplex. A Pedigree attempt is countered into the STF but Cena pulls him away from the ropes, allowing HHH to make it to the rope (of course). The Pedigree gives HHH two and we take another break. We come back with HHH still hammering away and hitting another Pedigree for another two. An AA gives Cena the same and they’re both down for a needed breather. Back up and Cena tries another AA but gets reversed into the Pedigree to give HHH the clean pin at 20:17.
Rating: B. Of course it was good as these two almost always are, and it’s nice to see a match that might fly underneath the radar a bit. HHH was still one of the biggest names around at this point and having him face Cena was a big deal. You could put these two together and it would automatically feel big, which is what they had going on here. Good match too.
Naturally we get the Rock, with Cena referring to it as Rocky (as Apollo Creed) vs. Cena (as Rocky Balboa). Ehh……not exactly but it’s his DVD.
From Wrestlemania XXIX.
Raw World Title: John Cena vs. The Rock
Rock is defending. Cena shoulders him for an early knockdown but gets caught in a headlock. That’s broken up and Cena is knocked outside for the breather as they’re clearly playing the slow game here. Back in and Rock wins a slugout, allowing him to hit some elbows to the chest on the floor. Cena fights back and grabs the chinlock/headlock, which is reversed into a sleeper.
That’s broken up as well and Rock hits a Samoan drop into the Sharpshooter. Cena powers out again as we’re somehow more than ten minutes into this ridiculously slow match. The ProtoBomb connects but, believe it or not, Cena takes too much time and the Shuffle is broken up. A Rock Bottom attempt is countered into…well it’s a crossface but Cena’s arm is nowhere near the right place (and Cole calls it the STF despite Cena not touching Rock’s legs).
Either way it’s broken up so Rock can take him down again, only to get pulled into the actual STF. Rock powers out and hits a Rock Bottom for two more. The AA gives Cena two more but the top rope Fameasser misses. The spinebuster and the People’s Elbow get two and Cena bails out to the floor. Back in and another Rock Bottom connects for another two and, believe it or not, they’re both down again.
Rock tries the People’s Elbow (with You Can’t See Me) but charges into the AA for two more. Back up and Cena hits his own Rock Bottom for two so he tries the Shuffle. This time though he holds onto the ropes to avoid a Rock Bottom (smart) but the AA is countered into a Rock Bottom for another near fall. They both miss finisher attempts and Rock hits a DDT. Cena gets back up, escapes the Rock Bottom, and hits another AA for the pin and the title at 23:58.
Rating: C. If there was a wrestling textbook, this would be the perfect example of a match that did not need the title. Rock wasn’t sticking around so why in the world would you think he was holding onto the thing? The other problem is this stopped being a match and turned into a collection of finishers and stealing taunts. It makes sense to run the match back at Wrestlemania, but this did NOT need to be for the title.
Post match they talk a lot and Cena gives Rock the ring for the show of respect. Rock takes his sweet time leaving and then endorses Cena to wrap it up.
Cena praises his rivals to end the show.
Overall Rating: C. The key thing to remember here is that this is NOT the complete version. As it is, this would barely make the discount bin at Wal-Mart. However, when you consider that this was about a fourth of the whole version, which featured several more rivals (as the main screen is set up like a fighting game select screen) and matches involving these people, there is a lot of potential here. Cena has had several other great rivalries over his career and a look back at them is a fine idea. What we got here was a pretty lame use of two hours, though I’d be curious to see the whole thing.
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