Ranking John Cena's Top Moments and Matches in WWE Survivor Series History
John Cena will make the final Survivor Series appearance of his legendary career on Saturday, November 29 when he defends the Intercontinental Championship against Dominik Mysterio, live from Petco Park in San Diego.
To say the iconic Superstar and franchise player has not had nearly as memorable a Survivor Series resume as other shows on which he has appeared would be an understatement.
Still, the Unseen Seventeen and Greatest of All Time has had a few moments that have captivated fans, left them hanging on his every move, and further established him as the most prominent and important star of his generation.
Ahead of his last dance on the Survivor Series stage, these are his top moments and matches at the annual fall extravaganza.
5. A Moral Dilemma (2010)
1 of 5
Entering the 2010 event, Cena was a reluctant member of Nexus but had an out waiting for him. All he had to do was abuse his power as the special referee for the WWE Championship Match between the faction's leader, Wade Barrett, and titleholder, Randy Orton.
If he made sure Barrett won, he would be free from the Nexus rule. If he did not, and Orton retained, he would be forced to leave WWE.
Considering the history Cena had with the champion, and the long rivalry they had been engaged in as early as a year earlier, there was theoretically a chance for Cena to betray The Viper and see to it that his newfound boss would leave the American Airlines Arena in Miami with the gold.
At the height of the Super Cena, goody-two-shoes craze, there was little doubt about the path the hero of the WWE Universe would take.
Cena shoved a belligerent Barrett right into an RKO, allowing Orton to win the match and retain his title, and sealing his fate.
At least until he was written back into the show by way of a mutiny within the Nexus.
4. The Survivor Series Debut (2003)
2 of 5
Cena was the proverbial belle of the ball entering the 2003 Survivor Series, with both Team Lesnar and Team Angle vying for the opportunity to have him as part of their squad in a high-profile traditional elimination tag team match.
The babyface team won and at the annual extravaganza, Cena made his Survivor Series debut, teaming with the Olympic gold medalist, as well as Chris Benoit, Hardcore Holly, and Bradshaw, to defeat Lesnar, Big Show, Nathan Jones, Matt Morgan, and A-Train.
Not only was Cena victorious in his first dance at the annual Thanksgiving week tradition, but he was one of two survivors, alongside Benoit.
It was the first indication that WWE had considerably plans for the suddenly red-hot Cena, especially after he blasted Big Show with his steel chain and delivered an Attitude Adjustment for the deciding pinfall victory.
3. Once in a Lifetime Team (2011)
3 of 5
By the time the 2011 event rolled around, the main event of WrestleMania 28 had already been announced: Cena vs. The Rock in a Once in a Lifetime showdown.
Before the company got there, though, it had a stop in the World's Most Famous Arena, Madison Square Garden, for the Survivor Series.
Announced as the marquee match of that year's show was Cena and The Rock teaming up to battle The Awesome Truth's Miz and R-Truth.
The crowd in New York City was red-hot for The Rock's first match in 11 years while the dynamic between him and Cena kept them engaged and invested in the action, even as the outcome was never really in doubt.
The babyfaces went over and The Great One dropped Cena with a Rock Bottom to end the show, all while building more anticipation and excitement for their upcoming grudge match.
The tension that existed between the two top stars in the match, coupled with the crowd, the generally fun match quality, and Cena's work to hold it all together helped make this one of the truly great moments in his Survivor Series portfolio.
2. The Return and World Title Win (2008)
4 of 5
Returning from a herniated disk suffered in a SummerSlam loss to Batista months earlier, Cena challenged Chris Jericho for the World Heavyweight Championship in the main event of the 2008 Survivor Series.
The top-billed star, his face all over the marketing materials for the show, Cena stepped right back into the most prominent spot on the show and did not miss a beat.
Rekindling the rivalry with Jericho that resulted in some quality match-ups between the two previously, he and Y2J delivered in a big spot.
The champion countered plenty of what Cena threw his way but the challenger weathered the storm, delivered his Attitude Adjustment, and secured the victory and world title.
The triumphant return, the importance of his role on the show, and the quality of the match helped make Cena's victory in 2008 the second-greatest moment on his Survivor Series resume.
1. Cena Breaks Down D-Generation X (2009)
5 of 5
A lack of creativity led to the 2009 Survivor Series featuring the WWE and world heavyweight champions defending their respective titles against their brand's tag team champions.
After watching The Undertaker successfully retain the World Heavyweight Championship against Chris Jericho and The Big Show, Cena took to the squared circle to defend against the Raw brand's tag champions, D-Generation X's Shawn Michaels and Triple H.
The match began in shocking fashion, with Michaels rocking The Game with Sweet Chin Music, a moment no one foresaw coming.
From there, the action unfolded with creative sequences, counters, and reversals. The crowd bit on different near-falls and false finishes before Cena caught Michaels, drove him onto Triple H with an Attitude Adjustment, then pinned The Cerebral Assassin to retain his title.
A great match with some legitimate surprises from the opening bell, it is the highest-quality thing Cena has been involved in at the annual extravaganza.
Hopefully, the Mysterio match at this year's show adds its name to this list and in the best case scenario, eclipse even the D-Generation X match from 2009.
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