10 Best Major John Cena Feuds

8. Vs. Umaga

John Cena Umaga Royal Rumble 2007
WWE

If the Kurt Angle feud heralded Cena's arrival, the Umaga feud cemented him as a dependable main event player.

In years gone by, WWE often presented a left of field WWE/World Heavyweight Championship challenger at the Royal Rumble. This trope is missed. The Royal Rumble match used to sell the event itself, allowing WWE to experiment in the title picture. Dolph Ziggler, definitively a midcard act, turned heads in a fantastic match with Edge at Royal Rumble 2011. The standing ovation Chris Benoit earned in his 2003 classic losing effort against Kurt Angle convinced higher-ups that he had the stuff. Others - Mr. Kennedy, Mark Henry - were less successful, but that was the point. It was a risk-free means of testing the credentials of a new main event prospect.

Cena Vs. Umaga represented the best ever pre-'Mania, transitional rivalry, in that it fortified the gutsy Cena character and strengthened Umaga in defeat sufficiently to position him prominently on the Show of Shows. Umaga in their classic match was a terrifying elemental being, as agile as he was powerful. Cena sold and overcame him - it - in hugely convincing fashion.

He evolved from cartoon to worker over the span of 23 glorious, ultra-violent minutes.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!