10 WrestleMania Main Events That Changed The Direction Of WWE

By Andrew Pollard /

3. JBL vs John Cena - WrestleMania 21

Fed up of seeing the same old shtick from John Cena these days? Well Wrestlemania 21 was the day when John Cena€™s main event dominance began to take shape. And here we are, 10 years later and the leader of the Cenation is still trying to convince opponents that they can€™t see him. Despite debuting as a completely generic "prototype" with €œruthless aggression€ and some gnarly trunks, Cena€™s star was quickly on the rise once he donned a baseball cap, a basketball jersey, threw a chain around his neck, and started freestyle rapping at all in his way. It seems like a lifetime ago now, but John Cena was a hugely entertaining character who often pushed the boundaries of taste and decency. Not even Bull Buchanan, err, B2 could hold him down! Even though this version of Cena was initially a heel, it wouldn€™t be long before his escapades and attitude had people cheering for him. Wrestlemania 20 saw him overcome the odds against the Big Show for the US Title, but it was Wrestlemania 21 where he was given one of the company€™s two main belts, defeating JBL for the WWE Title. From that moment, the WWE would never be the same again as John Cena is still main eventing near-enough every single PPV to this day. Not since the days of Hulk Hogan has one performer had such a lengthy run of domination. To put it in perspective, the legendary €œStone Cold€ Steve Austin€™s run at the very top level is best classified at 5 years, and that includes time out with injuries and the moment when he walked out on the company. Whether you like him or not, there€™s no doubting John Cena€™s rise to the top of the card, culminating in the Wrestlemania 21 WWE Title win, changed the shape of the WWE for years to come.