20 Incredible John Cena Matches To Binge-Watch Before He Retires
16. John Cena vs CM Punk - Raw, 25th February 2013
John Cena and CM Punk's "Batman and Joker" rivalry is best known for The Pipebomb and the chaos surrounding their legendary 2011 Money In The Bank match in Chicago. That's unquestionably the biggest match of their historic rivalry, but arguably their best in-ring encounter came in this blistering 26-minute masterclass on the road to WrestleMania 29.
CM Punk had just lost his WWE Championship, having been defeated twice by The Rock, and Cena had revenge on his mind following his loss to 'The Great One' at WrestleMania 28. This one-on-one encounter would determine who would get their shot at Rocky at 'The Grandest Stage Of Them All', with both men wrestling like their lives depended on it.
Cena and Punk have been more high-profile matches with bigger stakes, but the desperation with which both men wrestled this encounter, plus both men wrestling at the peak of their physical powers, make this a strong contender for the best match of John Cena's career. John would overcome Punk's shocking piledriver to deliver a thunderous AA to a rapturous response, before going on to defeat The Rock at WrestleMania 29 to reach the mountain top once more.