25 Best John Cena Matches
8. Vs. Brock Lesnar - Extreme Rules 2012
Perhaps the biggest wrestling story of 2012 was Brock Lesnar's return to WWE - a return which came the night after WrestleMania XXVIII and saw the former UFC Heavyweight Champion attack John Cena. A huge match between the two was made for Extreme Rules, and it proved that Lesnar was a force unlike any other in WWE... and that Cena could take as much punishment as he needed to.
Brock immediately took Cena down and attacked him with elbows, bloodying Cena and threatening an end to the match before it truly began. Lesnar continued to attack, but he couldn't put Cena away. The 12-time world champion kicked out of an F-5, and when Brock applied a kimura, Cena slammed him on the steel steps, breaking the hold. He then countered a Lesnar charge with a chain-assisted punch, busting "The Beast" open. Cena followed up with an AA on the steps and the pinfall.
Many criticized the decision to have Brock Lesnar lose his first match back, but the bout itself was a brutal classic that will be remembered long beyond any booking choices.