The Champ Was Here: Recounting John Cena's U.S. Title Run

John Cena remains a polarizing figure in WWE today. Although his schedule is more geared towards movies and TV shows at the moment, Cena's track record with WWE highlights the megastar status he has acquired since joining the company in 2002. Various title reigns, main event matches, and incredible rivalries alone, Cena is regarded as this generation's Hulk Hogan. Just like any successful star, Cena has gotten tremendous jeers over the years. Recently, though, he has changed up his career motive and giving back to the newer stars of the company instead of holding the spotlight hostage.

It all started when he won the United States Championship at Wrestlemania 31 from Rusev.

The two had been exchanging words since the beginning of the year, but it was at Wrestlemania that Cena managed to end Rusev's undefeated streak and usher in his reign as U.S. Champion. Immediately after the Show of Shows, Cena kickstarted a new venture every Monday night: the U.S. Championship Open Challenge. Any superstar in the back could come down and have a championship match with Cena. Although Rusev would pop up now and then, it was the Open Challenge that made Monday nights interesting again for WWE fans.

Cena's early challengers were Dean Ambrose, Dolph Ziggler, even a brash Bad News Barret. They were good matches, to say the least, but one challenger surprisingly answered the call that raised a lot of eyes on what this storyline could produce.

John Cena vs. Sami Zayn – United States Championship Match: Raw, May 4, 2015 www.youtube.com

Introduced by Hall of Famer Bret "The Hitman" Hart, then-NXT star Sami Zayn arrived to accept Cena's challenge. Despite some nagging injuries, Zayn laid his heart out there to make a real go at Cena's title. I can't spoil everything for you, so check out the full match if you can online or at the WWE Network.

Exit: Sami Zayn. Enter: The Prizefighter.

After Zayn's prolific and gutsy performance, Cena managed to open the door for ANYONE to accept his challenge. Even other champions. Then-NXT champion Kevin Owens answered the call, but not for a second title. He wanted to make an impact on the main roster as he engaged in several feuds at the same time, his watershed moment being defeating Cena in a non-title match.


Kevin Owens confronts John Cena: Raw, May 18, 2015 www.youtube.com

Owens-Cena was the summer's best rivalry due to the unpredictability of Owens' character. His first win on the main roster, and subsequently his first PPV, propelled him as a major star for the future when Owens' time in NXT was up. The two fiercely brought out the best in each other, but Cena repelled the new guy on the block and stepped right back into his Open Challenges.

Cena's best match of this run would be against Cesaro, the workhorse wrestler who floundered in WWE for some time as a tag team specialist and a singles guy. His main event match against Cena on Raw proved to be an effective one, a match that people still talk about three years later.


John Cena vs. Cesaro - United States Championship Match: Raw, July 6, 2015 www.youtube.com

Cena's matches would continually get better and better each night he held the Open Challenge, which also set the tone for Raw getting more and more viewers. Although the ratings never peaked as they did back in the Attitude Era, Cena did manage to bring the best wrestlers down the aisle and take him to the limit.

Until he got to Summerslam and lost the title to Seth Rollins due to John Stewart's interference.

As soon as Cena lost the title to Rollins, it was over. Even after Cena won it back a month later, it was over. Cena would eventually lose the title to a returning Alberto del Rio before taking time off due to injury. The title flourished in the mid-card once again, including a disastrous reign from Roman Reigns who took it as a 'demotion', according to Cena.

The point was proven, though:

John Cena made the U.S. Title meaningful once again while also elevating new talent to superstardom.

That's how it was in 2015 when Cena made something special out of a title run rather than maintaining a tight grip on his ego. We have him to thank for Rusev, Owens, Zayn, Cesaro and others' prominence in WWE.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Health and Wellness

This Survey Shows How Quarantine And Drinking Relate, And I Can't Say I'm Surprised

"5 o'clock somewhere" is more of a guideline now than ever.

Oklahoma State
p1.pxfuel.com

As it stands, and my friends and I are finally 21. We're extremely excited to be able to go out to bars and "get lit" as the kids say, but due to the pandemic, all of our plans have been put on hold. We'd rather wait and go when it's safe than risk spreading the infection and hurting our loved ones. So, we've all been quarantining apart, getting on the occasional wine zoom call. This made me wonder if anyone else our age were doing the same thing.

Then, I discovered this survey: We Surveyed Millennials And Gen Z About Their Quarantine Drinking Habits — Cheers. Here are 3 things that I discovered through the survey results.

Keep Reading... Show less
Lifestyle

5 Easy Summer Mocktail Recipes You Can Make With Items You Probably Already Have On-Hand

Keep these drinks in mind next time you're visiting your local farmer's market — you might want to grab some extra mint and limes.

Syracuse University
Unsplash

With Summer 2020 in full swing comes the addition of many fresh fruits and vegetables to brighten up your dinner plate, but also your glass! Farmers markets are my personal favorite place to look for produce that is in season to make fun mocktails with.

Keep Reading... Show less
food
Lifestyle

5 Ways To Celebrate The 4th of July — Without Fireworks Or Social Gatherings

We created a list of things to do since social distancing may create a dent in our typical, planned traditions.

Unsplash

With the Fourth of July on Saturday, the usual tradition of popping fireworks, grilling out, and being surrounded by family has been modified due to the pandemic. Whether you're a loner or surrounded by family, there will most likely be some changes to your celebrations.

For weeks on social media, people across the country have been complaining that they have been subjected to fireworks going off at all times of the night into the early morning. This has sparked concern and questions about why this is happening and how are people even obtaining the fireworks.

Keep Reading... Show less
identities
Lifestyle

Carb And Cheese Lovers, Unite — These Are The Best Mac And Cheese Recipes On The Internet

Whether you need to get through the current pandemic or want to spice up your Fourth of July celebrations, these mac and cheese recipes will do just that.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BxIKdnMHcGr/

My favorite food is mac and cheese, and it always has been. All it requires is noodles and cheese — it's so simple to make. Although it's my favorite, it can also get kind of mundane because it's such a simple recipe. This, of course, has led to many people all over the world experimenting with the American staple.

With our lives currently being turned upside down due to the pandemic, a lot of people are seeking comfort. These are scary times, and in order to make it day-to-day, we need to have our favorite foods as a standby. These recipes can also be used during your celebration of the Fourth of July.

Keep Reading... Show less
Featured

Odyssey Webinar: Writing Reviews About Your Favorite Products

See you on Wednesday, July 8 at 4:00 p.m. EST.

On July 8, our Lifestyle editor is hosting a video webinar focused on writing reviews about your favorite brands and products –– and you're invited! You must have an Odyssey account to attend.

Keep Reading... Show less
Tips

Odyssey Templates: Review A Product You Love

Rave about that product here as much as you have been to your friends.

There are few things less satisfying than giving someone a product recommendation only to find out they actually took the recommendation and love it just as much as you told them they would. There exists a great sense of gratification in knowing someone valued your opinion enough to go out and make a purchase based on it.

Keep Reading... Show less
Health and Wellness

17 Things To Make You Feel GOOD This Week

Because some purchases are just necessary.

Unsplash

Y'all, we're struggling. You don't even have to tell me, I know. What a mess we're all in, right? This year is not going how we planned and the world has turned into one giant struggle bus. I guess you could be super philosophical about everything happening for a reason, but sometimes life is just hard.

There are plenty of ways to bring yourself out of whatever rut you're in. You could go for a run, have a snack, or read a book. Or, if you're really looking for an adrenaline rush, go shopping. This is obviously not going to solve the world's problems with one swift click of the "checkout" button, but hey, it may just give you the little boost you need today.

Keep Reading... Show less
wellness
Health and Wellness

I Wore A Butt Mask Every Day For A Month, And It's Officially Essential In My Daily Self-Love Routine Now

Thirty days later, my booty's as smooth as a baby's.

@bawdybeauty

- Blissfully unaware that butt-care beyond squats was even something I should be considering in my self-care routine, I tried one of Bawdy Beauty's butt masks for the first time a month ago.

- I've never really given my butt a second though till I took a look at improvements that could be made with the mask — if one of the hydrating, firming, detoxifying, or brightening masks in the kit I received could either smooth out cellulite or tone my skin a bit more, I wasn't going to complain.

- Each Bawdy Beauty sheet mask comes in an individually-packaged sheet, soaked with a serum I massaged into my skin after removing said sheet. The clay butt mask comes in a convenient stick format I simply draw on to my skin and leave to set for about 10 minutes before hopping into the shower.

- I set a goal of committing myself to butt-care every day for one month. Between the regular use of sheet masks, clay masks, and their CBD Butt Balm in between, I didn't have many expectations.

- I thought the whole concept may just be a gimmick, but my butt has never looked so toned in my life, and the cellulite I had is almost completely gone. I wear one every single day when I get the chance.

I'm incredibly skeptical when it comes to marketing ploys and gimmicks in the beauty world. I'll be the first cynic to try out the latest serum on the market every influencer is raving about just to negate every grandiose claim it makes.

Keep Reading... Show less
beauty
Facebook Comments