25 Best John Cena Matches

At WrestleMania XXII, John Cena defeated Triple H to retain the WWE Championship. When Shawn Michaels emerged as the challenger to Cena's title prior to WrestleMania XXIII, many believed that HBK would avenge his partner's loss... either that, or Cena would score back to back wins over D-Generation X.

The match built slowly, but it reached a frenzied pace. Michaels connected with a Piledriver on the steel steps, and before long, both grapplers were attempting - and failing to hit - their finishing moves. They resorted to roll-ups and desperation moves, stopping at nothing to claim championship gold in WrestleMania's main event, but neither man could be put down for a three count. Cena finally locked Michaels in the STFU, but HBK managed to grab the ropes and force a break. Still, Cena retained the advantage, reapplying the hold and forcing Michaels to tap out, just as he had done to Triple H the year before.