17. Chris Jericho vs. John Cena - WWE Championship (2005)
After John Cena made his famous 1st pick in the draft appearance on Chris Jerichos Highlight Reel, Y2J targeted him and his WWE title just months before his contract ran out and he took his first hiatus from wrestling. Jericho vs. Cena was announced some 7 weeks prior to Summerslam, which was quite advanced for a non-Mania match in the modern era. They had a really good feud and it was nice to see Jericho back in the spotlight, challenging Cena to step up in the character department in his first consistently live experience on Raw. The Cena vs. Y2J storyline made Summerslam 05 feel like more than just your every day PPV. Behind the scenes, Jericho had once pegged Cena as a star of the future back in 2002 and did not understand the hate that people threw his way when Cena was coming up through the ranks. He seemed to revel in the chance to help Cena progress in his career as The Champ. Subsequently, their chemistry was unmistakable and Cena improved a lot from working with Jericho. As a fan of Jerichos work, it was also nice to see him back in the main-event right before he left. It was a performance from both of them worthy of praise, but it was also historically significant for being the first match that featured the crowds dueling chants, half in favor of Cenas heroic persona and the other against.
"The Doc" Chad Matthews has written wrestling columns for over a decade. A physician by trade, Matthews began writing about wrestling as a hobby, but it became a passion. After 30 years as a wrestling fan, "The Doc" gives an unmatched analytical perspective on pro wrestling in the modern era. He is a long-time columnist for Lordsofpain.net and hosts a weekly podcast on the LOP Radio Network called "The Doc Says." His first book - The WrestleMania Era: The Book of Sports Entertainment - ranks the Top 90 wrestlers from 1983 to present day, was originally published in December 2013, and is now in its third edition.
Matthews lives in North Carolina with his wife, two kids, and two dogs.
