10 Matches That Made Chicago The Hottest Wrestling City In The World
8. John Cena Vs Triple H (WrestleMania 22)
A match that defined the complex relationship John Cena would share with WWE audiences, the WrestleMania 22 main event against Triple H saw over 17,000 Chicagoans spew venom at 'The Champ' in a manner previously unseen since his elevation one year earlier.
There had been pockets of mounting dissent during his feuds with Chris Jericho, Kurt Angle and Edge, but it was impossible to prepare for the hatred he received matched against the wholly dislikable Triple H. Dismissing 'The Champ' as 'just not a very good wrestler' and entering the contest dressed as a Conan The Barbarian/Pro Wrestler hybrid, the 'King of Kings' was literally covered in his own obnoxious arrogance. Yet, he still couldn't convince the audience to turn against him.
They loathed John Cena, and refused to compromise their values to give WWE the audio-visual presentation they desired. The reactions from that night are mimicked to this day, and will almost certainly remain with Cena even when he takes his inevitable place in WWE's Hall of Fame.
In a luscious coda to the tale, the grandiose spectacle of a John Cena/Triple H match played host to CM Punk's main roster debut. Performing in front of a crowd that would come to idolise him, he hung off the side of Cena's gangster car during the champion's lame mob-style entrance.