John Cena's Biggest WWE Pops and Crowd Reactions Ever of Historic Career
As one of the most beloved WWE Superstars of all time, John Cena has made a career of sending live crowds into a frenzy.
Some of the biggest pops in WWE history have occurred thanks to Cena's surprise returns, career-defining moments and even seemingly run-of-the-mill entrances.
Cena's illustrious career will come to an end with his final match at the Dec. 13 Saturday Night's Main Event in Washington, D.C., giving him one more opportunity to allow wrestling fans to show their appreciation for him.
Before then, here is a rundown of the biggest pops and crowd reactions the 17-time world champion has received since making his WWE debut in 2002.
Cena Makes Surprise Return in 2008 Royal Rumble Match
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One of the defining moments of Cena's career occurred on Jan. 27, 2008, at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
Less than four months earlier, Cena suffered a torn pectoral muscle, so there was no expectation that he would be anywhere near ready to return and compete in the Rumble.
Despite that, when the buzzer sounded to signify the 30th entrant in the 2008 Royal Rumble match, Cena's iconic theme song hit, causing MSG to come unglued with excitement.
Cena went on to toss out Carlito, Chavo Guerrero, Mark Henry and Triple H, earning him the first Royal Rumble victory of his career.
Over the years, Cena has gained a reputation for being almost superhuman, and while that had something to do with the manner in which he was presented, his shockingly quick return from a torn pec played into it as well.
Cena Returns at Money in the Bank 2021, Confronts Roman Reigns
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Like many wrestlers, several of Cena's all-time best reactions were thanks to the element of surprise, and that was undoubtedly the case at Money in the Bank 2021.
In the main event of the show, which took place in Fort Worth, Texas, Roman Reigns defeated Edge to retain the Universal Championship.
Reigns was in the midst of his heel run as the Tribal Chief, and he got on the mic to ask for the acknowledgement of the WWE Universe. However, Reigns was interrupted by Cena's theme song and a massive reaction from the live crowd to boot.
Cena had a faceoff with Reigns and hit him with the "You can't see me taunt," signaling a future match between the two icons.
Wrestling is often at its best when the unexpected happens with no inkling beforehand, and that was the case with this particular return, as no reports surfaced regarding Cena showing up on WWE programming for the first time in over a year.
Cena, The Rock Come Face to Face During WrestleMania 40 Main Event
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Cena was not on the card at WrestleMania 40 in Philadelphia, and he wasn't even scheduled to appear, but that didn't stop him from getting involved with one of the biggest WWE matches of the past decade.
In the main event of Night 2 of WrestleMania 40, Roman Reigns put the WWE Championship on the line against Cody Rhodes. Due to the Tribal Combat stipulation, which means no disqualifications, there was a ton of interference on both sides.
Amid Solo Sikoa cleaning house for Reigns and The Bloodline, Cena's music hit, and he sprinted down to the ring. Cena took out Sikoa and Reigns, which led to him having a faceoff with The Rock.
The crowd went wild for Cena and The Final Boss having a stare-down since it was a callback to them facing each other in the main event of WrestleMania 28 and 29.
Although The Rock hit Cena with a Rock Bottom, Rhodes went on to beat Reigns, ending one of the longest world title runs in WWE history.
Babyface Cena Returns vs. Cody Rhodes at SummerSlam 2025
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The final year of Cena's in-ring career was arguably more unique than any other, as he spent about half of it as a heel.
While the turn itself at Elimination Chamber was celebrated as a shocking and historic moment, the follow-up left fans wanting more, as a lack of involvement from The Rock prevented the run from being all it could have been.
With the WWE fanbase clearly ready to embrace Cena again, he essentially reverted to his babyface ways during a promo segment with Cody Rhodes on the go-home episode of SmackDown before SummerSlam 2025.
When Cena made his entrance at SummerSlam, there was a sizable initial pop, but it grew even louder when his colorful tron video replaced the bare-bones one he had been using as a heel.
While Cena lost the WWE Championship to Rhodes in a classic match, SummerSlam 2025 still went down as one of the best nights of Cena's career because the fans made it clear that their love for him didn't waver.
Cena Receives a Hero's Welcome at Clash in Paris 2025
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In one of the final premium live event matches of his career, Cena faced Logan Paul at Clash in Paris back in August.
While it may have been a fairly nondescript match compared to some of the high-stakes bouts he has competed in over the years, Cena received a special reception from the French crowd.
Clash in Paris was only the second WWE PLE to ever take place in France, and it was the first time Cena had a match at a French PLE. Given the rarity of the situation, the fans in attendance made their appreciation for Cena known loud and clear.
With the WWE Universe firmly behind him, Cena was up to the challenge, and he beat the much younger Paul by pinfall in a match that lasted nearly half an hour.
Clash in Paris was a reminder of just how big Cena is globally, and it represented one of the most special moments of his entire retirement tour.
