Ultimate Pro Wrestling (1999–2001) at an
Ultimate Pro Wrestling (UPW) show in 2000 In 1998, Cena moved to California to train for
professional wrestling at
Ultimate Pro Wrestling's (UPW) Ultimate University, operated by
Rick Bassman. wrestling at local events and holding the UPW Heavyweight Championship in 2000. His early career was partially featured in the
Discovery Channel documentary
Inside Pro Wrestling School. Cena remained with UPW until March 2001.
World Wrestling Federation/Entertainment/WWE (2000–present) Ohio Valley Wrestling (2000–2002) On October 10, 2000, Cena made his unofficial
World Wrestling Federation (WWF) debut in a
dark match on
WWE SmackDown! as the Prototype. He signed a developmental contract in 2001 and was assigned to
Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW), He continued to appear in OVW until September and made a final appearance there in November under the name Mr. P.
Doctor of Thuganomics (2002–2004) Cena made his official WWE television debut on June 27, 2002, answering
Kurt Angle's open challenge on
SmackDown! and declaring he possessed "
ruthless aggression". Even though he lost the match against Angle, Cena was praised for his efforts in the match. After the heel turn, Cena adopted a
rapper persona inspired by a backstage freestyle overheard by
Stephanie McMahon and
Paul Heyman. Debuting the "Doctor of Thuganomics" character, Cena began performing freestyle raps in promos and wore jerseys and hats as part of his gimmick, along with the slogan "Word Life". Cena was briefly paired with enforcer
B-2 and then
Red Dogg until Red Dogg was sent to the
Raw brand in February. Cena then entered a number-one contender tournament for the
WWE Championship, defeating
Eddie Guerrero, the Undertaker, and
Chris Benoit before losing to champion
Brock Lesnar at
Backlash on April 27. Cena continued high-profile feuds with the Undertaker, losing to him at
Vengeance on July 27, and Angle, losing to him at
No Mercy on October 19. He eventually turned
face on the November 6 episode of
SmackDown!, joining Angle's team at
Survivor Series on November 16, where Team Angle defeated Team Lesnar (
Brock Lesnar,
A-Train,
Big Show,
Matt Morgan, and
Nathan Jones). belt in 2005 At the
Royal Rumble on January 25, 2004, Cena participated in the Royal Rumble match and was eliminated by
Big Show, and then lost a Triple Threat match to determine the number one contender to the WWE Championship to Angle (also involving Big Show)
No Way Out on February 15. At
WrestleMania XX on March 14, Cena defeated Big Show to win the
United States Championship, his first singles title in WWE. Cena retained the title at
Judgment Day on May 16 against
René Duprée, and then at
The Great American Bash on June 27 against
Booker T, Réne Duprée, and
Rob Van Dam, before being stripped of it on the July 8 of
SmackDown! after accidentally knocking over Angle, who had become General Manager, during his title defense against Booker T. Cena regained the title by defeating
Booker T in a
best of five series that began at
SummerSlam on August 15, and concluded at
No Mercy on October 3, but Cena lost the United States Championship days later to
Carlito Caribbean Cool on the October 7 episode of
SmackDown!. Their storyline escalated when Cena was (kayfabe) stabbed in a nightclub by Carlito's bodyguard
Jesús, an angle used to explain his absence while filming
The Marine. and regained the title on the November 18 episode of
SmackDown!, then defeated Jesús in a street fight at
Armageddon on December 12.
WWE Champion (2005–2007) At the
Royal Rumble on January 30, 2005, Cena and
Bautista were the final two participants and were eliminated simultaneously by one-another. After a restart, Bautista won. Cena defeated Kurt Angle at
No Way Out on February 20 in the finals of a tournament to determine the number one contender for the
WWE Championship at
WrestleMania 21 on April 3, beginning a feud with champion
John "Bradshaw" Layfield (JBL). Although Cena lost his United States Championship to
Orlando Jordan on the March 3 episode of
SmackDown!, Cena defeated JBL at WrestleMania to win his first WWE Championship. Cena introduced a customized spinner belt and defeated JBL again in an
"I Quit" match at
Judgment Day on May 22. As part of the
2005 WWE Draft Lottery on the June 6 episode of
WWE Raw, Cena was drafted to the Raw brand by becoming the first pick. Cena began a feud with General Manager
Eric Bischoff, who opposed Cena's refusal to participate in fighting the
ECW roster at
ECW One Night Stand on June 12. At
Vengeance on June 26, Cena retained his title in a
triple threat match against
Christian and Chris Jericho. Bischoff backed Jericho as his chosen challenger, but Cena retained his championship against Jericho at
SummerSlam on August 21, and defeated Jericho again in a "You're Fired" match on the August 22 episode of
Raw. Angle subsequently replaced Jericho as Bischoff's hand-picked contender. Over the next few months, Cena lost to Angle by disqualification at
Unforgiven on September 18, pinned
Shawn Michaels at
Taboo Tuesday on November 1 in a triple threat match involving Angle, and pinned Angle at
Survivor Series on November 27. During this feud, Cena added a
submission finisher, the
STF, in preparation for a triple threat submission match for the WWE Championship against Angle and
Chris Masters on the November 28 episode of
Raw. at a
house show in 2006 Cena retained the WWE Championship in an
Elimination Chamber match against
Carlito,
Chris Masters,
Shawn Michaels,
Kane, and Angle at
New Year's Revolution on January 8, 2006, but immediately lost it to
Edge, who cashed in his
Money in the Bank contract. Cena regained the title by defeating Edge at the
Royal Rumble on January 29, Cena lost the title a few months later to
Rob Van Dam at
ECW One Night Stand on June 11 due to Edge's interference, in a match where the crowd was notably hostile to Cena. Edge later won the title from Van Dam in a Triple Threat match involving Cena on the July 3 episode of
Raw, leading to a lengthy feud that ended with Cena defeating Edge in a
Tables, Ladders and Chairs match at
Unforgiven on September 17 to reclaim the championship. Cena returned with his version of the spinner title belt on the next night's
Raw. Cena was involved in a Champion of Champions match at
Cyber Sunday on November 5 against
Big Show and
King Booker.
Kevin Federline interfered and cost Cena the match, leading to the duo feuding. In the new year, Federline pinned Cena on the January 1, 2007 episode of
Raw with an assist from
Umaga. Cena then defended his championship against Umaga twice at
New Year's Revolution on January 7, and in a
Last Man Standing match at the
Royal Rumble on January 28. The night afterwards on
Raw, Cena teamed with Shawn Michaels to win the
World Tag Team Championship from
Rated-RKO (Edge and
Randy Orton) before defeating Michaels at
WrestleMania 23 on April 1 to retain the WWE Championship. Michaels would turn on Cena the night after, costing the pair the World Tag Team Championship in a battle royal. In the summer, Cena also defeated
The Great Khali at
Judgment Day on May 20 by submission, and then at
One Night Stand on June 3 by pinfall, defeated
Bobby Lashley, King Booker,
Mick Foley, and
Randy Orton in a five-pack challenge at
Vengeance: Night of Champions on June 24, and successfully defended his title against Lashley at
The Great American Bash on July 22. He then began a feud with Randy Orton, retaining the title against Orton at
SummerSlam on August 26, followed by another win at
Unforgiven on September 16. On the October 1 episode of
Raw, Cena suffered a legitimate torn
pectoral muscle during a match against
Mr. Kennedy and was sidelined indefinitely. Cena was stripped of the WWE Championship the following night on
ECW, ending his 380-day reign. Cena underwent surgery for his injury at St. Vincent's Hospital in
Birmingham, Alabama.
World Heavyweight Champion (2008–2010) At the
Royal Rumble on January 27, 2008, Cena made a surprise return as the final participant of the Royal Rumble match, which he won by last eliminating Triple H. Rather than wait for
WrestleMania XXIV on March 30, Cena used his title shot against WWE Champion Randy Orton at
No Way Out on February 17 but won by disqualification, thus not capturing the title. Despite this, Cena was later added to the title match at WrestleMania XXIV, making it a triple threat, but was pinned by Orton. Following WrestleMania, Cena would feud with JBL, defeating JBL at
Judgment Day on May 18, and at
One Night Stand on June 1 in a
First Blood match. Cena later unsuccessfully challenged Triple H for the WWE Championship at
Night of Champions on June 29, before losing to JBL in a New York City
Parking Lot Brawl at
The Great American Bash on July 20. in 2010 On the August 4 episode of
Raw, Cena and
Bautista won the World Tag Team Championship by defeating
Cody Rhodes and
Ted DiBiase. Cena and Batista lost the titles back to Rhodes and DiBiase on the August 11 episode of
Raw. At
SummerSlam on August 17, in a loss to Batista, Cena suffered a legitimate neck injury, which sidelined him until his return at
Survivor Series on November 23 following surgery, where he defeated Chris Jericho to win his first
World Heavyweight Championship. While retaining the title first against Jericho at
Armageddon on December 14, and then against JBL at the
Royal Rumble on January 25, 2009, Cena lost the title to Edge at
No Way Out in an Elimination Chamber match. Cena regained the title at
WrestleMania 25 on April 5 in a triple threat match involving Big Show but lost it back to Edge at
Backlash on April 26 in a Last Man Standing match after Big Show chokeslammed Cena through a spotlight. Cena then began a feud with Big Show, first defeating him at
Judgment Day on May 17, and then at
Extreme Rules on June 7 in a Submission match, and ended a brief feud with
The Miz, which began on the April 27 episode of
Raw, at
The Bash on June 28. Cena competed against Randy Orton and Triple H in a Triple Threat match for the WWE Championship at
Night of Champions on July 26, but lost. On the July 27 episode of
Raw, Cena became the number one contender for Orton's WWE Championship at
SummerSlam on August 23, where he was again unsuccessful, but captured the title at
Breaking Point on September 13 by defeating Orton in an "I Quit" match. Cena would further trade the championship with Orton several times over the year, losing it to Orton a month later at
Hell in a Cell on October 4, and regaining it at
Bragging Rights on October 25 in a 60-minute
iron man match under
Anything Goes rules. Cena would successfully defend the title against Shawn Michaels and Triple H in a Triple Threat match at
Survivor Series on November 22, before losing it to
Sheamus at
TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs on December 13 in a
tables match. After being eliminated by a surprise-returning Edge at the
Royal Rumble on January 31, 2010, Cena regained the WWE Championship by defeating
Triple H,
Sheamus,
Kofi Kingston,
Ted DiBiase, and
Randy Orton in an
Elimination Chamber match at
Elimination Chamber on February 21 but lost it moments later to Batista in an impromptu match. Cena defeated Batista to regain the title at
WrestleMania XXVI on March 28, and retained the title in a Last Man Standing match at
Extreme Rules on April 25, and then in an "I Quit" match at
Over the Limit on May 23, ending their feud.
Storyline with the Nexus (2010–2011) while a member of
the Nexus in November 2010 On the June 7 episode of
Raw, during a match against
CM Punk, Cena was attacked by all eight former contestants of the
first season of NXT, with
Wade Barrett as their leader. This group, later referring to itself as
the Nexus, made Cena lose the WWE Championship to Sheamus at
Fatal 4-Way on June 20, as well as their steel cage match on July 18 at
Money in the Bank. Cena formed an alliance with Edge, Chris Jericho,
John Morrison,
R-Truth,
Bret Hart, and former Nexus member
Daniel Bryan to defeat the Nexus at
SummerSlam on August 15. At
Night of Champions on September 19, Cena was eliminated by Barrett in a six-pack challenge elimination match for the WWE Championship. At
Hell in a Cell on October 3, Cena faced Barrett with the stipulations that if he were to lose, he would join the Nexus, and if he were to win, the Nexus would disband. Cena lost to Barrett and reluctantly joined the Nexus. On October 24, Cena and fellow Nexus member
David Otunga defeated Rhodes and
Drew McIntyre to win the WWE Tag Team Championship at
Bragging Rights. Later that night, Cena was forced to help Barrett defeat Orton in a WWE Championship match; Barrett won by disqualification, but not the title. The next night on
Raw, Cena and Otunga lost the titles to fellow Nexus members
Heath Slater and
Justin Gabriel when Barrett ordered Otunga to lie down and lose the titles. At
Survivor Series on November 21, Cena officiated another WWE Championship match between Barrett and Orton; per stipulation (
Loser Leaves Town match), if Barrett did not win the championship, Cena would be "fired" from the WWE. Cena was fired (
kayfabe) after Orton retained against Barrett. The next night on
Raw, Cena gave a farewell speech before again costing Barrett the title by interfering in his rematch with Orton. A week later, Cena invaded
Raw, first as a spectator, but then attacked members of the Nexus, explaining he would still take them down one by one despite not being employed. On the December 13 episode of
Raw, Cena was rehired by Barrett in exchange that he would face him on December 19 at
TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs in a
chairs match, which Cena won. '' in December 2010|261x261px On the January 17, 2011, episode of
Raw, Cena faced CM Punk, who had assumed leadership of the Nexus and renamed the
stable as the New Nexus, in a match which ended in a
no contest after Cena was attacked by the debuting
Mason Ryan, who later joined the New Nexus. Cena competed in the
Royal Rumble match on January 30, which saw Cena eliminate most of the members of the New Nexus, ending their feud. Cena was eliminated by WWE Champion the Miz, who was not part of the match. Cena won an
Elimination Chamber match against
CM Punk,
John Morrison,
King Sheamus,
Randy Orton, and
R-Truth at
Elimination Chamber on February 20 to face the Miz at
WrestleMania XXVII for the WWE Championship.
Feuds with the Rock and CM Punk (2011–2013) agree to face each other at
WrestleMania XXVIII in April 2011.|240x240px On
Raw after Elimination Chamber, Cena replied in rap form to comments made by
the Rock the previous week, as he returned as the announced guest host of WrestleMania. That night, Cena and the Miz defeated Slater and Gabriel to become WWE Tag Team Champions, but their rematch clause was immediately invoked and they lost the titles after the Miz attacked Cena. After weeks of insults, Cena and the Rock finally met on the March 28 episode of
Raw, where, after a verbal confrontation and brief attack by the Miz and
Alex Riley, Cena attacked the Rock with the
Attitude Adjustment. At WrestleMania on April 3, Cena and the Miz fought to a
double countout, but the Rock restarted the match and performed a
Rock Bottom on Cena, allowing the Miz to retain the title. The next night on
Raw, Cena, in response to the Rock "screwing" him out of the title, agreed to face him in the main event of
WrestleMania XXVIII, marking the first WrestleMania match set up one year in advance. At
Extreme Rules on May 1, Cena defeated the Miz and Morrison in a triple threat steel cage match to become WWE Champion. Cena retained the title against the Miz on May 22 at
Over the Limit in an "I Quit" match, and R-Truth on June 19 at
Capitol Punishment. After CM Punk announced he was leaving the company due to his contract expiring after
Money in the Bank on July 17, he defeated Cena for the WWE Championship, leaving with the title.
Dave Meltzer of the
Wrestling Observer Newsletter awarded the match
five stars, Cena's first five star match. On July 25, after
Rey Mysterio won the title in a tournament, Cena challenged and defeated him for the title later that night, only to be interrupted by Punk, who also claimed to be champion. Cena lost to Punk at
SummerSlam on August 14 in a
championship unification match. At
Night of Champions on September 18, Cena defeated
Alberto Del Rio for his tenth WWE Championship, but lost it back to Del Rio at
Hell in a Cell on October 2 in a triple threat Hell in a Cell match also involving Punk. Cena lost his rematch to Del Rio at
Vengeance on October 23 in a Last Man Standing match due to interference by
the Awesome Truth (the Miz and R-Truth). After weeks of them attacking Cena and employees, Cena was allowed to choose his partner to face them on November 20 at
Survivor Series. He chose the Rock as his partner, and they defeated Miz and Truth; after the match, the Rock gave Cena a
Rock Bottom. face off at
WrestleMania XXVIII in April 2012.|226x226px Cena briefly feuded with
Kane, who he fought to a double countout at
Royal Rumble on January 29, 2012, and defeated in an
Ambulance match on February 19 at
Elimination Chamber. On March 19, Cena was involved in a three-car accident in
Philadelphia, but suffered no severe injuries. At WrestleMania XXVIII on April 1, Cena lost to the Rock in the main event after attempting to hit the
People's Elbow on the Rock, who countered with a
Rock Bottom for the pinfall. faces off with Cena after his return in April 2012.|left The following night on
Raw SuperShow, Cena invited the Rock to the ring to congratulate him on his victory, however, his call was answered instead by the returning
Brock Lesnar, who attacked Cena with an
F-5. Raw and SmackDown General Manager
John Laurinaitis revealed that he signed Lesnar to bring "legitimacy" to the WWE and for him to become its "new face". At
Extreme Rules on April 29, Cena defeated Lesnar in an
Extreme Rules match. At
Over the Limit on May 20, Big Show helped Laurinaitis defeat Cena, but he was fired at
No Way Out on June 17 after Cena defeated Big Show in a steel cage match with both their jobs on the line. Cena won the WWE Championship Money in the Bank ladder match at
Money in the Bank on July 15, earning a contract for a shot at the WWE Championship anytime within a year. At
Raw 1000 on July 23, Cena cashed in his contract on Punk and won by disqualification after Big Show interfered, becoming the first person to cash in a Money in the Bank contract and not win a title. Cena failed to win the title from Punk in a triple threat match involving Big Show at
SummerSlam on August 19, and fought him to a draw at
Night of Champions on September 16. After being sidelined with a legitimate arm injury, Cena was pinned by Punk in a triple threat match involving
Ryback at
Survivor Series on November 18. He then feuded with
Dolph Ziggler over an alleged relationship with
AJ Lee and lost to Ziggler in a ladder match at
TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs on December 16 for his World Heavyweight Championship Money in the Bank contract, after AJ turned on Cena. Cena defeated Ziggler on the January 7 and 14 episodes of
Raw despite interferences from AJ and
Big E Langston, ending the feud. On January 27, 2013, Cena won his second
Royal Rumble match, announcing that he would pursue the WWE Championship at
WrestleMania 29. At
Elimination Chamber on February 17, Cena, Ryback and Sheamus lost to
the Shield (
Dean Ambrose,
Roman Reigns, and
Seth Rollins). On the February 25 episode of
Raw, Cena defeated Punk to retain his number one contendership to the WWE Championship. At WrestleMania on April 7, Cena defeated the Rock in their rematch to win his eleventh WWE Championship. Cena then began a rivalry with Ryback and suffered a legitimate
achilles tendon injury, but retained the title in a Last Man Standing match (which ended in a no contest) at
Extreme Rules on May 19, and then won a
Three Stages of Hell match on June 16 at
Payback. He defeated
Mark Henry via submission to retain the title on July 14 at
Money in the Bank. At
SummerSlam on August 18, Cena lost the WWE Championship to Daniel Bryan with Triple H as the
special guest referee, ending his reign at 133 days. The following night on
Raw, Cena announced he would undergo surgery for a triceps tear and would be out for four to six months.
World championship pursuits and reigns (2013–2015) Cena returned at
Hell in a Cell on October 27, defeating Del Rio to win his third World Heavyweight Championship. He retained the title against Del Rio on November 24 at
Survivor Series. Cena next challenged then-
WWE Champion Randy Orton to unify their respective championships, leading to a Tables, Ladders and Chairs title unification match at
TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs on December 15, which Cena lost. Cena failed to win the now-unified WWE World Heavyweight Championship from Orton at
Royal Rumble on January 26, 2014, and in the Elimination Chamber match at the
titular event on February 23 after being distracted by
the Wyatt Family. Following the event,
Bray Wyatt accepted Cena's challenge for a match at
WrestleMania XXX on April 6 to prove that Cena's heroic act was a façade characteristic of "this era of lies" and turn Cena into a "monster". At WrestleMania, Cena defeated Wyatt despite interference from
Luke Harper and
Erick Rowan. The feud continued based on the story that Wyatt was capturing Cena's fanbase, exemplified by Wyatt leading a children's choir to the ring on the April 28 episode of
Raw, where they later donned sheep masks. At
Extreme Rules on May 4, Wyatt defeated Cena in a
steel cage match after repeated interference from the rest of the Wyatt Family members and a demonic child. At
Payback on June 1, Cena defeated Wyatt in a Last Man Standing match after burying him under multiple equipment cases, ending their feud. At
Money in the Bank on June 29, Cena won the ladder match for the vacant WWE World Heavyweight Championship. He retained the title at
Battleground on July 20 in a fatal four-way match against Orton, Kane and Reigns. At
SummerSlam on August 17, Cena lost the title to Lesnar in a
squash match after sixteen
suplexes and two F-5s, ending his reign at 49 days. In their rematch at
Night of Champions on September 21, he failed to regain the title after Rollins attacked him, causing a disqualification. At
Hell in a Cell on October 26, Cena defeated Orton in a Hell in a Cell match to become the number one contender for the championship. The next night on
Raw, Cena rejected
the Authority's offer to join forces, resulting in a
5-on-5 Survivor Series elimination tag match between Team Cena (Cena, Ziggler, Rowan, Big Show, and Ryback) and Team Authority (Rollins, Kane, Harper, Henry, and Rusev) at
Survivor Series on November 23. Big Show turned on Cena, causing his elimination, but Ziggler won the match for Team Cena with the interfering
Sting's help. Per the stipulation, The Authority were stripped from power and only Cena could bring them back. At
TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs on December 14, Cena defeated Rollins in a tables match to retain his number one contendership to the WWE World Heavyweight Championship and face Lesnar for the title at
Royal Rumble. On the December 29 episode of
Raw, Rollins and Big Show held guest host Edge hostage, forcing Cena to reinstate The Authority, who added Rollins to his title match and "fired" Ziggler, Ryback and Rowan for joining Team Cena. He won their jobs back by defeating Rollins, Big Show and Kane in a
handicap match. At Royal Rumble on January 25, 2015, Cena was unsuccessful in capturing the title.
United States Champion (2015–2016) for the
United States Championship at
WrestleMania 31 in April 2015 Cena then began feuding with United States Champion
Rusev and failed to win the title at
Fastlane on February 22, when he passed out from Rusev's submission, the
Accolade, after Rusev hit Cena with a
low blow following a distraction by his manager
Lana. Cena challenged Rusev to a rematch, which was declined, and Stephanie McMahon decreed that Cena would not compete at
WrestleMania 31 unless Rusev agreed to a rematch. On the March 9 episode of
Raw, Cena attacked Rusev, refusing to release the STF submission hold, causing Lana to grant Cena the match. Cena defeated Rusev at WrestleMania on March 29 to win his fourth United States Championship, marking Rusev's first pinfall loss in the main roster. He issued weekly open challenges for the title, culminating in successful defenses against the likes of Dean Ambrose, Stardust, Bad News Barrett, Kane,
Sami Zayn,
Neville,
Zack Ryder, and
Cesaro. He retained his title against Rusev in a
Russian Chain match on April 26 at
Extreme Rules, and an "I Quit" match on May 17 at
Payback, ending their feud. The following night on
Raw, Cena was attacked by then-NXT Champion
Kevin Owens, setting up a
Champion vs. Champion match at
Elimination Chamber on May 31, which Owens won. Cena defeated Owens at
Money in the Bank on June 14 and at
Battleground on July 19 to retain the United States Championship and end their feud. Cena resumed his feud with then-WWE World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins, with Rollins refusing Cena's challenges for the title. On the July 27 episode of
Raw, the Authority forced him to defend the title against Rollins, successfully doing so despite suffering a legitimate
broken nose. At
SummerSlam on August 23, Cena lost to Rollins in a "Winner Takes All" match for both the WWE World Heavyweight Championship and the United States Championship after guest host
Jon Stewart attacked him with a steel chair, ending his reign at 147 days. He won his fifth United States Championship from Rollins on September 20 at
Night of Champions (a record in the WWE ownership era of the title), defeating him to retain the title the next night on
Raw and in a steel cage match on October 3 at
WWE Live from Madison Square Garden. Cena also resumed his open challenges for the title, which he lost to the returning Alberto Del Rio at
Hell in a Cell on October 25. He underwent shoulder surgery on January 7, sidelining him for an undisclosed length of time.
Feud with AJ Styles (2016–2017) Cena returned at
WrestleMania 32 on April 3, 2016, helping the Rock fend off the Wyatt Family. Cena made his full return on the Memorial Day edition of
Raw on May 30, four months earlier than had been expected for his type of injury. He was confronted by
AJ Styles, who betrayed Cena when he joined his former
The Club teammates
Luke Gallows and
Karl Anderson in attacking him. On June 19, at
Money in the Bank, Cena lost to Styles after interference from Gallows and Anderson. At
Battleground on July 24, Cena,
Enzo Amore and Big Cass defeated the Club in a six-man tag team match after Cena pinned Styles. During the
2016 WWE draft on July 19, Cena was drafted to the SmackDown brand. At
SummerSlam on August 21, Cena again lost to Styles. With Styles later winning the renamed WWE World Championship, Cena challenged him and Dean Ambrose in a triple threat match for the title on October 9 at
No Mercy, but lost after being pinned by Styles, which came after Ambrose and Cena simultaneously made Styles submit, therefore restarting the match. Cena took a sabbatical from WWE to film
American Grit season 2. On January 29, 2017, Cena defeated Styles at
Royal Rumble to win the WWE Championship and tie
Ric Flair for the most recognized world title reigns at 16. He lost the title in an Elimination Chamber match at the
titular event on February 12 to
Bray Wyatt, and failed to regain it two nights later on
SmackDown Live in a triple threat match also featuring Styles. Cena then began a feud with the Miz, with the Miz accusing Cena of being a hypocrite because of his movie commitments, while Cena accused the Miz of stealing other wrestlers' moves and personalities. the Miz's wife
Maryse then slapped Cena before Cena and his then-girlfriend
Nikki Bella sent the Miz and Maryse retreating. Cena and Bella defeated them in a mixed tag team match at
WrestleMania 33 on April 2, after which Cena proposed
marriage to Bella, which she accepted.
Part-time performer (2017–2024) In July 2017, WWE dubbed Cena a "free agent" during the
Superstar Shake-up, meaning he could work for both the Raw and SmackDown
WWE brands. Cena defeated Rusev in a
flag match at
Battleground on July 23,
Baron Corbin at
SummerSlam on August 20, and lost to Roman Reigns on September 24 at
No Mercy. Cena returned to SmackDown the next month after Commissioner
Shane McMahon named him as the final member of Team SmackDown for the men's 5-on-5 elimination match against Team Raw at
Survivor Series on November 19; Cena was eliminated by Kurt Angle and Team SmackDown was defeated. Cena failed to win the
Royal Rumble on January 28, 2018, an Elimination Chamber match to determine the number one contender for the
WWE Universal Championship on February 25 at the
titular event, and a six-pack challenge for the WWE Championship on March 11 at
Fastlane. On April 8 at
WrestleMania 34, Cena was
quickly defeated by the Undertaker. He defeated Triple H on April 27 at the
Greatest Royal Rumble, and teamed with
Bobby Lashley to defeat
Elias and Owens at
Super Show-Down on October 6. He was scheduled for a match at
Crown Jewel in
Saudi Arabia on November 2, but refused to work the event following the
assassination of Jamal Khashoggi. Cena returned to WWE television on the January 1, 2019 episode of
SmackDown, where he and
Becky Lynch defeated
Andrade Cien Almas and
Zelina Vega in a mixed tag team match. On the January 14 episode of
Raw, Cena lost to
Finn Bálor in a fatal four-way match also involving
Drew McIntyre and Corbin to determine the number one contender for the Universal Championship at
Royal Rumble. Cena was scheduled to compete in the Royal Rumble on January 27, but was taken out due to an in-storyline ankle injury supposedly suffered during the match. He appeared at
WrestleMania 35 on April 7 in his "Doctor of Thuganomics" persona and interrupted Elias' concert, performing his finisher on Elias (calling it by its original name of the F-U) after insulting him. On the July 22 episode of
Raw titled
Raw Reunion, he engaged in a rap battle with
the Usos. Cena returned to WWE again on the February 28, 2020 episode of
SmackDown, seemingly announcing his retirement before he was confronted by "the Fiend" Bray Wyatt, who challenged him to a match at
WrestleMania 36, which Cena accepted. On Night 2 of WrestleMania on April 5, rather than a traditional wrestling match, the two fought in a surreal
cinematic-style match called a Firefly Fun House match, showcasing moments from Cena's and Wyatt's history. Wyatt ultimately defeated Cena, after which his motionless body vanished from the middle of the ring. Due to the
COVID-19 pandemic, Cena was unable to appear at
WrestleMania 37, marking the first time he missed a WrestleMania in nearly 20 years, as he had wrestled or appeared at the event every year since his first appearance in
2003. At the time, Cena was in Canada filming the
HBO Max series
Peacemaker and could not travel to
Tampa, Florida, for WrestleMania 37 without facing a two-week quarantine, which would have shut down production on the series. He made his return to WWE programming at
Money in the Bank on July 18, 2021, confronting Roman Reigns after the latter retained his Universal Championship against Edge in the main event. After initially being scheduled to face
Finn Bálor for the title, Cena hijacked a contract signing on the July 30 episode of
SmackDown so he would challenge Reigns at
SummerSlam on August 21, where Cena failed to win the title. in April 2023 Cena returned on the June 27, 2022 episode of
Raw, which marked the 20th anniversary of his main roster in-ring debut. He cut a promo recalling all his memories and thanking the fans for their support, also making appearances backstage with
The Street Profits,
Ezekiel,
Theory, Seth "Freakin" Rollins, and
Omos. On the December 30 episode of
SmackDown, in his first
SmackDown match since January 2019, Cena and
Kevin Owens defeated
the Bloodline's Reigns and
Sami Zayn. On the March 6, 2023 episode of
Raw, Cena accepted Theory's challenge for a United States Championship match at
WrestleMania 39. On Night 1 of WrestleMania on April 1, Cena lost to Theory. At
Money in the Bank on July 1, Cena made a surprise appearance and was confronted by
Grayson Waller after Cena stated that WrestleMania should come to the United Kingdom. Waller then attacked Cena, who retaliated by hitting the Attitude Adjustment on Waller. at
WrestleMania XL in April 2024At
Payback on September 2, Cena served as the host and special guest referee for the match between
LA Knight and
the Miz. On the September 15 episode of
SmackDown, Cena was attacked on the Grayson Waller Effect by
Jimmy Uso and his Bloodline partner
Solo Sikoa, before
AJ Styles saved Cena. They were set to sign a contract for a tag team match at
Fastlane on October 7, but Styles was left unable to compete after a backstage assault from the Bloodline. Knight eventually signed a contract to join Cena in the match at Fastlane, which they won. Cena made his first appearance on
WWE NXT on October 10, being in
Carmelo Hayes' corner during Hayes' match against
Bron Breakker. On the October 20 episode of
SmackDown, Cena teased retirement before calling out anyone to face him, leading to Sikoa coming out and brawling with Cena, setting up a match between the two at
Crown Jewel on November 4, which Cena lost after nine Samoan Spikes. On Night 2 of
WrestleMania XL on April 7, 2024, Cena appeared during the main event between
Cody Rhodes and Roman Reigns to aide Rhodes and take out both Sikoa and Reigns with the Attitude Adjustment. Afterwards,
the Rock appeared and performed a
Rock Bottom on Cena. The next night on
Raw, Cena competed in his first match on
Raw since January 2019, where he teamed with Raw Tag Team Champions
Awesome Truth (the Miz and
R-Truth) to defeat
the Judgment Day members Finn Bálor,
JD McDonagh, and
Dominik Mysterio.
Retirement tour (2024–2025) at the
Royal Rumble in February 2025 Cena made a surprise appearance at
Money in the Bank on July 6, 2024, to announce his retirement from in-ring action at the end of 2025. At the
Raw premiere on Netflix on January 6, 2025, Cena announced that he would compete at
Royal Rumble on February 1 in the
eponymous match, where he was the last man eliminated by
Jey Uso. Cena won the
Elimination Chamber match at the
namesake event on March 1 by last eliminating
CM Punk, tying
Triple H's record for the most Elimination Chamber victories at four and earning an
Undisputed WWE Championship match against
Cody Rhodes at
WrestleMania 41. Following the match, Cena viciously attacked Rhodes and aligned himself with
The Rock and
Travis Scott, turning
heel for the first time since 2003. In subsequent appearances, Cena criticized the fans for their treatment of him over the years, vowing to "ruin" wrestling and retire as champion. In the main event of Night 2 of WrestleMania 41 on April 20, Cena defeated Rhodes with help from Travis Scott to win the Undisputed WWE Championship, becoming a record 17-time world champion. at
Backlash in May 2025 On the
Raw after WrestleMania 41, Cena was attacked by
Randy Orton, setting up a title match at
Backlash on May 10, where Cena defeated Orton to retain the title after a distraction from
R-Truth. At the post-show press conference, Cena hit R-Truth with an Attitude Adjustment when the latter interrupted him, setting up a match between them at
Saturday Night's Main Event XXXIX on May 24, which Cena won after a low blow. He later interfered in the main event between Jey Uso and
Logan Paul for the
World Heavyweight Championship, which Uso won with an assist from a returning Rhodes, setting up a tag team match between Cena and Paul against Rhodes and Uso at
Money in the Bank on June 7, which Cena and Paul lost after interference from R-Truth. At
Night of Champions on June 28, Cena defeated CM Punk to retain the title after interference from
the Vision (
Seth Rollins,
Bron Breakker, and
Bronson Reed). after their match at
SummerSlam in August 2025 On the July 18 episode of
SmackDown, Cena was attacked by Rhodes, who had won the
2025 King of the Ring tournament to earn a title rematch at
SummerSlam, and forced to sign the contract for a
Street Fight after Cena had tried to back out of the match. On the August 1 episode of
SmackDown, Cena reverted to a
face by apologizing to the fans after admitting that he had realized his mistakes over the past five months after the Rock and Travis Scott had abandoned him. In the main event of Night 2 of SummerSlam on August 3, Cena lost the title back to Rhodes in a match that received widespread acclaim and was
his second match to be rated five stars by Dave Meltzer, ending his final world championship reign at 105 days. Following the match, Cena was attacked by a returning
Brock Lesnar. On August 31 at
Clash in Paris, Cena defeated Logan Paul. In Cena's final
SmackDown appearance as an in-ring performer on September 5, he challenged
Sami Zayn for the
WWE United States Championship. The match would end in a no-contest after Lesnar appeared and attacked both men. At
Wrestlepalooza on September 20, Cena lost to Lesnar. At
Crown Jewel on October 11, Cena defeated
AJ Styles in what was his 100th victory at a
WWE pay-per-view and livestreaming event, putting himself second in all-time wins at such events only behind
the Undertaker. At
Saturday Night's Main Event XLI on November 1, it was announced that Cena's final opponent would be decided in the
Last Time Is Now Tournament, beginning on the November 10 episode of
Raw in
Boston, Massachusetts, near Cena's hometown. On that episode of
Raw, Cena defeated
Dominik Mysterio to win the
WWE Intercontinental Championship for the first and only time in his career, becoming a
Triple Crown and a
Grand Slam Champion in the process. In his final appearance on
Raw as an in-ring performer on November 17, he teamed with
Rey Mysterio and
Sheamus to defeat the Judgment Day (Mysterio,
Finn Bálor, and
JD McDonagh). In his final pay-per-view match at
Survivor Series: WarGames on November 29, Cena lost the title back to Mysterio after interferences from the Judgment Day, ending his reign at 19 days. At
Saturday Night's Main Event XLII on December 13, 2025, Cena wrestled his
final match, losing to the Last Time is Now Tournament winner
Gunther via submission, officially ending his 26-year long career.
Post-retirement roles and appearances (2025–present) Four days before his retirement match, Cena revealed on December 9, 2025, that he would be signing a five-year contract extension that would allow him to remain in WWE as an ambassador. His first post-retirement appearances came at
WrestleMania 42 on April 18–19, 2026 where he served as host for both nights of the event. == Professional wrestling style and persona ==