John Cena’s WWE World Title Reigns: A Comprehensive Breakdown of All 16 Championships
John Cena, one of the greatest WWE Superstars of all time is well-known for his extraordinary ability to win world titles.
His remarkable record of 16 World Championships, which he shares with Ric Flair, demonstrates his supremacy and durability in the professional wrestling business.
Notably, Cena has surpassed Flair in the number of WWE titles won by winning a record 13 WWE Championships and three World Heavyweight Championships.
Let’s examine each of John Cena’s sixteen WWE World Title triumphs, emphasizing the bouts, opponents, and durations of his reigns that cemented his legendary reputation.
1. WWE Championship (1) – WrestleMania 21
- Date: April 3, 2005
- Opponent: JBL
- Details: Cena claimed his first WWE Championship by defeating JBL, marking the debut of the iconic spinner belt.
- Reign Length: 280 days
2. WWE Championship (2) – Royal Rumble
- Date: January 26, 2006
- Opponent: Edge
- Details: Cena reclaimed the WWE Title from Edge, who had cashed in his Money in the Bank contract on Cena at New Year’s Revolution.
- Reign Length: 133 days
3. WWE Championship (3) – Unforgiven
- Date: September 17, 2006
- Opponent: Edge
- Details: In a high-stakes TLC match in Toronto, Cena defeated Edge, who was forced to leave Raw if he lost.
- Reign Length: 380 days (Longest WWE Title reign in over 15 years at that time)
4. World Heavyweight Championship (1) – Survivor Series
- Date: November 23, 2008
- Opponent: Chris Jericho
- Details: Cena won his first World Heavyweight Championship, marking a significant shift from his WWE Title dominance.
- Reign Length: 84 days
5. World Heavyweight Championship (2) – WrestleMania 25
- Date: April 5, 2009
- Opponent: Edge and The Big Show
- Details: Cena captured his second World Heavyweight Championship by defeating Edge and The Big Show in a triple threat match.
- Reign Length: 21 days
6. WWE Championship (4) – Breaking Point
- Date: September 3, 2009
- Opponent: Randy Orton
- Details: Cena won the title in an “I Quit” match, sparking a series of back-and-forth title changes with Orton.
- Reign Length: 21 days
7. WWE Championship (5) – Bragging Rights
- Date: October 25, 2009
- Opponent: Randy Orton
- Details: Cena reclaimed the WWE Title after defeating Orton in a 60-minute Anything Goes Ironman Match.
- Reign Length: 49 days
8. WWE Championship (6) – Elimination Chamber
- Date: February 21, 2010
- Opponent: Sheamus and others
- Details: Cena won the title in the Elimination Chamber match, defeating Sheamus, Orton, Triple H, Kofi Kingston, and Ted DiBiase Jr.
- Reign Length: 3 minutes 33 seconds
Also Read: WWE Update 2024: Hall of Famer Ric Flair on John Cena Potentially Breaking World Title Record
9. WWE Championship (7) – WrestleMania 26
- Date: March 28, 2010
- Opponent: Batista
- Details: Cena regained the WWE Title from Batista in a highly anticipated WrestleMania match.
- Reign Length: 84 days
10. WWE Championship (8) – Extreme Rules
- Date: May 1, 2011
- Opponent: The Miz and John Morrison
- Details: Cena secured the title in a triple threat steel cage match against The Miz and John Morrison.
- Reign Length: 77 days
11. WWE Championship (9) – Raw
- Date: July 25, 2011
- Opponent: Rey Mysterio
- Details: Cena won the “new” WWE Championship after CM Punk left the company with the title.
- Reign Length: 20 days
12. WWE Championship (10) – Night of Champions
- Date: September 18, 2011
- Opponent: Alberto Del Rio
- Details: Cena achieved his record 10th WWE Championship by defeating Alberto Del Rio.
- Reign Length: 14 days
13. WWE Championship (11) – WrestleMania 29
- Date: April 7, 2013
- Opponent: The Rock
- Details: Cena won his 11th WWE Title, evening the score with The Rock in their second consecutive WrestleMania main event.
- Reign Length: 133 days
14. World Heavyweight Championship (3) – Hell in a Cell
- Date: October 27, 2013
- Opponent: Alberto Del Rio
- Details: Cena secured his third World Heavyweight Championship in a match against Del Rio. This reign was short-lived as the belt was soon unified with the WWE Championship.
- Reign Length: 49 days
15. WWE Championship (12) – Money in the Bank
- Date: June 29, 2014
- Opponent: Multiple competitors
- Details: Cena won the vacant WWE Championship in an eight-man ladder match.
- Reign Length: 49 days
16. WWE Championship (13) – Royal Rumble
- Date: January 27, 2017
- Opponent: AJ Styles
- Details: Cena matched Ric Flair’s record of 16 World Titles by defeating AJ Styles.
- Reign Length: 14 days
John Cena‘s career is distinguished by his exceptional accomplishments and his noteworthy influence on the history of WWE.
