10 Best Ways Wrestlers Recovered From WWE WrestleMania Defeats

9. John Cena

John Cena
WWE

Defeat: WWE poster boy John Cena cut a disconsolate figure on the Atlanta ramp after losing to The Rock at 'Mania XXVIII. The intent was to present Cena as someone who was perhaps losing his touch; his bold words for Dwayne Johnson came back to haunt him against the Hollywood part-timer when it mattered most.

Recovery: Sad, puppy-dog stares of disbelief or not, there was no way Cena was going away after that WrestleMania defeat. Typically, he rallied to spin off into another marquee feud against the returning Brock Lesnar, and then secured the Money In The Bank briefcase in the summer.

He didn't stop there.

Cena, after losing his MITB case to Dolph Ziggler, won the 2013 Royal Rumble and then earned his revenge against Rocky at 'Mania 29. Most critics laughed at the 'Once In A Lifetime' branding of the original match, but WWE giggled all the way to the bank, and so did JC.

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Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood. Jamie started writing for WhatCulture in 2013, and has contributed thousands of articles and YouTube videos since then. He cut his teeth penning published pieces for top UK and European wrestling read Fighting Spirit Magazine (FSM), and also has extensive experience working within the wrestling biz as a manager and commentator for promotions like ICW on WWE Network and WCPW/Defiant since 2010. Further, Jamie also hosted the old Ministry Of Slam podcast, and has interviewed everyone from Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels to Bret Hart and Trish Stratus.