25 Best John Cena Matches

In the first several years of John Cena's career, the Chain Gang Leader found himself face to face with Kurt Angle on a number of occasions, but it was their first Pay-Per-View battle that many critics hail as the best. Back then, Cena was a cocky young heel looking to reach the top of WWE as quickly as possible, and Angle was the valiant hero - a rarity for the Olympic Gold Medalist.

Cena took the lead early, hitting a DDT that bloodied his veteran opponent. He continued to work Angle over, but when he tried to finish things with an FU, the former WWE Champion countered with a pinfall attempt. Both men tried to raise the stakes with big moves, but when Cena avoided an Angle Slam, a stalemate was reached. Finally, Angle managed to apply his Ankle Lock submission hold, and Cena was forced to tap out. Still, the cocky youngster was victorious in a sense - if he had raised eyebrows with his debut, this performance ensured that he would be a star.