10 'Passing The Torch' Wrestling Matches

7. John Cena Vs. Roman Reigns (No Mercy 2017)

Pre-John Cena, Roman Reigns had beaten Triple H at WrestleMania 32 and The Undertaker at WrestleMania 33. Both were huge wins, but they weren't quite as symbolic as the one he'd enjoy at No Mercy in September 2017. That, behind the scenes, was a true passing of the torch moment.

There have long been parallels drawn between Cena and Reigns since Roman broke out from The Shield's shadow in 2014. Cartoonish dialogue in promos, superhero-like comebacks, catcalling from the audience despite babyface alignment. The list goes on, and it's made Reigns into Cena 2.0.

No Mercy was the end of that.

The entire build to the match focused on Roman trying to supplant Cena as WWE's poster boy and John's unhappiness about it. Then, come pay-per-view time, he put Reigns over and raised his hand to signal a changing of the guard. Since that loss, Cena has been a token part-timer at best.