50 Ups & 50 Downs For WWE's Decade: The 2010s
31. John Cena Vs Brock Lesnar, Extreme Rules 2012
Brock Lesnar's 2012 return came at a time in which the company had only dipped a toe into part time employment for megastars. This goes some way to explaining the befuddling decision to have John Cena defeat him in his first WWE contest for eight years, but the result didn't undermine an explosive fray that saw the Chicago crowd baying for 'The Champ's blood.
Roaring the former UFC Champion on, the audience were unrelenting in their vitriol towards the still-cartoonish Cena. Lesnar bloodied Cena in seconds, leathering him with elbows and fists. The initial shock from the crowd turned to anger when doctors actually tried to help stymie the claret.
Brock chuckled at the chaos at various points as nearly 15,000 Chicagoans breathlessly urged him to finish the job. His eventual loss following a beating with a chain and Attitude Adjustment onto the steel stairs did little to dull their enthusiasm.