4 WWE matches John Cena shouldn’t have lost

John Cena at WrestleMania 28
John Cena at WrestleMania 28 [Photo: wwe.com]

John Cena will call time on his legendary pro wrestling career on December 13, at Saturday Night's Main Event. The Franchise Player will face Gunther, who won the Last Time is Now Tournament to earn his shot.

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The 17-time world champion gained a reputation for being almost invincible in high-stakes matchups, earning the nickname - Big Match John. However, he has also been defeated in some major bouts as well, and sometimes, it was better if he hadn't been on the losing end.

Looking back on John Cena's career, we will take a look at four matches that he should not have lost.

4. John Cena vs. Cody Rhodes - SummerSlam 2025

Cena and Rhodes revisited their matchup from WrestleMania 41 at SummerSlam 2025. With no interference and no disqualification, the two babyfaces tore the house down battling over the WWE Championship.

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The two battled all across the arena and had several memorable spots. However, it ended with Rhodes getting the win and reclaiming the WWE Title. The booking seemed predictable, and Cena should have kept the title longer after returning to being a babyface.

3. John Cena vs. Solo Sikoa

At Crown Jewel 2023, Solo Sikoa defeated John Cena in brutal fashion, pummeling him with multiple Samoan Spikes before finally pinning him. However, it seemed forced considering how little time Sikoa had spent on the main roster and how little fans had seen of him at the time.

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Since then, Sikoa has had a prominent run as the leader of The Bloodline and has had a run with the United States Championship. However, he has not lived up to the image of a 'destroyer,' and has become a different kind of character. In hindsight, Cena should have picked up the win after a dominant display by the rookie.

2. John Cena vs. Austin Theory

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In what seemed like an absolutely random match, the Franchise Player faced Austin Theory for the United States Championship at WrestleMania 39, but ended up losing in just under 12 minutes.

Theory did not benefit from the victory as WWE booked him terribly, and he has been missing from television for months in 2025. The match lacked substance and should never have been booked in the first place. However, a loss for Cena did him no favors, and it didn't help Theory go over as a major star either.

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1. John Cena vs. The Rock

Cena and The Rock's WrestleMania 28 match was supposed to be 'Once in a Lifetime,' where The Great One emerged victorious. However, just a year later, the two had a rematch for the WWE Championship, where Cena emerged victorious.

While both matches were incredible, it should not have happened a second time, especially after it was billed as 'Once in a Lifetime' just a year ago. Cena should not have lost the first match, and WWE should have involved the WWE Championship a year ago. This would have protected the credibility of the 'Once in a Lifetime' label and would have helped Cena go over in the first attempt.

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Edited by Arsh Das
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