10 Wrestlers Who Spent The Most Time In The Ring At WWE WrestleMania

5. John Cena: 4 Hours, 5 Minutes, 31 Seconds

The Rock John Cena
WWE.com

'Once In A Lifetime' was as apt as it was carny.

John Cena Vs. The Rock also headlined WrestleMania 29, but the 'Mania XXVIII original was quite enough. A fun and big-time spectacle as it unfolded, the rush that the dynamic yielded just about obscured the baggy length and the pacing weighed down by the Rock's gassed-up cardio. Better left as a moment in time, not unlike Hogan Vs. André, the sequel while tighter felt more like a political obligation than an epic main event.

Cena certainly delivered a classic moment on the Grandest Stage - on which he also secured the pay-per-view buy rate record - but never a true classic of a match.

His breakthrough moment, opposite JBL at 'Mania 21, was totally nothing TV match. He worked Triple H and Shawn Michaels across 'Manias 22 and 23, and while both were very good, neither were quite immortal. His total domination of the main event scene meant that, at XXIV and 25, he was positioned in good, not outstanding Triple Threats after WWE had burned through all possible singles opponents.

Positioned as a gatekeeper deep into his 'Mania career, he worked Bray Wyatt and Rusev in matches that were superior to his first crack at the role - the 'Mania XXVII disaster opposite The Miz - but didn't exactly make his opponents.

The subsequent booking certainly didn't help.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick (Creative Writing BA Hons) is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over a decade of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential UK 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 AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and 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!