Analyzing John Cena's Top Matches, Moments and Impact on WWE in 2015

John Cena is on sabbatical from WWE, and while his critics are likely celebrating this fact, others are already missing his presence on TV.  The reason for that does not necessarily lie in personal admiration toward Cena but more in regard to the effort he gives every time his number is called.

2015 has been a top-notch year for the face of Vince McMahon's company, as he has been at the height of his game.  Through victory or defeat, he has not lost a beat as a performer in the ring and as the best representative of WWE to the world.

Though other stars will step up in his absence, there can be no denying that no one can truly replace Cena right now.  WWE has benefited from his work this year, and 2015 will stand out as one of Cena's best.

Royal Rumble Triple Threat

John Cena kicked off 2015 in pursuit of the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. Brock Lesnar held the title, and he was the man believed to be WWE's most dominant athlete ever.  The third man in the match was Triple H's right hand, Seth Rollins.

Cena was the backbone of the match, the reliable factor he's always been.  While Rollins was in a fight for his life and Lesnar was punishing as always, Cena was the cornerstone of the company and brought that stability to the bout itself.

The match those three men put on that night was nothing short of classic.

The timing, the pacing, everything about that bout was spot-on.  The execution of it was nearly perfect, and by the time it was over, fans knew they had witnessed a great one.  

Cena's contributions to the match were important, and he stayed grounded in his approach, but the psychology he showed was a sign of who he was and what he was capable of.

It was also a sign of what was to come in 2015.

Feuding with Rusev

Cena transitioned from the WWE world title scene into feuding with The Bulgarian Brute, Rusev.  The hard-nosed heel was the perfect opponent for Cena, as Russia versus the United States was the angle used to get this storyline over. It was a great idea because of WWE's penchant for featuring Cena as the All-American hero in many different situations.

Because of this, it was a throwback feud and fans recognized that from the start.

Cena was the 1980s patriotic babyface going toe-to-toe with the oppressive and brutish foreign power in Rusev.  The feud worked on every level and allowed Cena the chance to help a budding main event talent get his feet wet in the waters of stardom for WWE.

Rusev could have feuded with anyone in the company.  He could have taken his United States Championship and defended it against anyone wanting a shot.  But instead, WWE had faith in him to the point that he was paired with Cena on the main event level.

Being featured in the same ring and sharing the same TV as Cena did wonders for Rusev. Fans looked at him as much more than just a mid-card star; they saw him as a contender.

WrestleMania saw the two men clash in a return match from Fastlane and many felt Mania was the best of their rivalry.  That night saw Rusev make a grand entrance on a tank and though he left WrestleMania without the U.S. title, he left with more respect for his effort than he had ever known.

Cena left with a championship and more acknowledgement of his place in the company.

The U.S. open challenge

Cena proved beyond any doubt that in WWE, the man makes the title, the title does not make the man. When he defeated Rusev for the United States Championship, Cena immediately put it up for grabs in a weekly spot on WWE programming.

The U.S. open challenge was a call for anyone in the locker room to step up and take the bull by the horns.  The challenger did not have to be a title contender, and he did not have to even be on Cena's main event level. 

All that was required was the will to win, and every challenger had that.

Neville, Dean Ambrose, Stardust and Kane are just some of the names who stepped into the ring for a shot at Cena's belt.  Cesaro in particular had great moments against Cena, in which he proved what he could do as a main event talent.  While none of these stars managed to win, the fact is that the belt itself meant more at the end of every match.

Cena promoted the belt on TV as if it was the most important thing in the world to him.  In a company led by Seth Rollins, whose booking is not very world-title-like, Cena was the one being seen as the top titleholder by many.  Cena wanted fans to believe the belt was vital to the company's success, and that point was driven home every time he walked away with it.

He brought a level of respect to the belt that had not been seen in years, and he also opened the door for guys to come in and have an impact.  Sami Zayn's debut on Raw stands out as one of the best from this time, as Cena allowed the NXT star to showcase his talents on the worldwide stage.

It was yet another opportunity for fans to see Cena at his best and proving he could give the shine to any younger opponent who stepped into the ring with him.

The arrival of Kevin Owens

Kevin Owens burst onto the main event scene like very few had before him.  He drew comparisons to Brock Lesnar from the start, mostly for his attitude and red-hot character, that made an impact every time he was on camera.

Owens was billed as a prizefighter, much in the same vein as Lesnar.  KO was afraid of no man and would do anything necessary to win.  

That drive to be the best led him straight to Cena's door on Monday Night Raw.  Owens confronted Cena in the ring, and the moment led to a physical altercation, which later resulted in a match.  That match came at the Elimination Chamber event, in which Owens came in on his feet and left the same way.

Cena allowed Owens to have the match, and in doing so, he gave the fresh star a new start and new respect from everyone around him.  Owens proved he could handle himself against the top guy in WWE, and Cena proved that he would do business, even if it was against a guy not currently on his level.

Owens is a great heel, and he got the chance to work a great babyface.  Beating Cena is no small task, and there are many veterans who cannot claim this distinction.  

Owens took down WWE's top guy in his first shot, and though he did not win the rivalry, he set the tone for his main-roster career to this day.  Fans know that Owens is all business and is capable of anything at any time.  That notion came from his attitude and his win over Cena, who was more than willing to get him in the front door in a very big way.

Taking Seth Rollins to school

John Cena is the veteran leader in WWE's locker room, and that is a role that has been used on TV more than once, most recently against Seth Rollins.

Rollins has been portrayed as the spoiled brat of WWE, the guy who's had everything handed to him since aligning with Triple H.  He's also considered to be the coddled champion, pampered by The Authority and led to the top by a path of well-placed opportunities in which all he had to do was win.

Cena has been the one man to take exception to this, and fans likely saw it coming.  Being the veteran and future Hall of Famer he is, Cena would obviously be the one to take issue with Rollins and how he's conducted himself.

Cena believed a fighting champion did not behave the way Rollins was and, as a result, should not have the title.  So he set out to prove he was right at SummerSlam, when he took on Rollins in a title-versus-title contest.

WWE's top guy lost that match thanks to interference from John Stewart, but it did not change the fact that the bout to that point was stealing the show.

The rematch took place at Night of Champions, in another bout that demanded fans' attention.  Cena was showing he could still hang in the ring, despite whom he was facing or in what environment.  Cena can have a top match with anyone, and against a talent like Rollins, it could only get better.

The birth of Mex-America

When the time came for Cena to go, he could have refused to do the job to Alberto Del Rio.  He could have taken the United States Championship with him and told WWE to cover for him until he returned. Cena could have laughed at even the possibility of going out on his back.

But that is exactly what he did at Hell in a Cell.

Cena's last match for right now was meant to be very important, and that loss accentuated the point. Del Rio's appearance popped the crowd because they were just not expecting him, and Cena's willingness to keep the company going allowed fans to see the United States belt change hands.

Once again, Cena was WWE first and WWE last.  

He handed the ball off to a guy who can be fully trusted to run with it.  Del Rio is a proven main event star, and it's that resume that should bode well for him while Cena is gone.

Cena has been nothing short of exemplary in 2015, and it's his work that has made so many WWE programs very entertaining indeed.  He may be gone right now, but when he returns, there will be a company waiting on him to get things cranked up once again.

Cena will respond to that wish.

Tom's work can regularly be found on Bleacher Report, and his podcast, Tom Clark's Main Event, is available on iTunes, Google Play, Amazon Android, Windows Phone and online here