John Cena’s 5 Greatest WWE Singles Matches

3. John Cena vs. CM Punk – Money in the Bank 2011

This was one of the most legendary WWE matches in the past fifteen years, and the only Cena match thus far to be rated 5 stars by the Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Given how good it was, it’s not hard to see why.

The crowd was firmly in CM Punk’s corner, leading to one of the loudest crowds in recent memory. Cena did have his hands full with Punk in this match, not just because of Punk’s own skills, but because of the storyline ramifications at the time.

This match was outstanding in so many ways. Cena and Punk showed some solid technical wrestling and layered storytelling, both of which were rare in Cena’s matches at the time. The crowd’s energy built up this match’s importance in a major way, making each nearfall far more believable than normal.

While this Cena match won’t be remembered for being a technical masterpiece, it IS one of the best in-ring stories ever told in WWE. The crowd helped make this into a legendary match, and the drama of the match was simply outstanding.

Rating: ****1/2