5 Wrestlers Who Beat John Cena (And What Happened Next)

2016 has been a whirlwind year for AJ Styles, where the Phenomenal One has proven himself as the MVP of the WWE, an impressive feat at 39 years old. What’s more impressive is that nobody ever thought he’d get to the WWE in the first place, let alone become WWE Champion or #BeatUpJohnCena within his first year.

When Cena returned from injury in May, the then-Face That Ran The Place found himself opposite the former TNA champion in a WWE ring. A dream match for many, they faced off at Money in the Bank, and although a Styles heel turn and The Club’s shenanigans meant that we didn’t get a totally fair finish, the seeds for much more were planted right there. At Battleground, Cena teamed up with Enzo & Cass to defeat The Club, and for the first time in years, John Cena was being set up to potentially not come out on top in a feud.

He’d previously gotten the best of Seth Rollins, Kevin Owens, Bray Wyatt, Rusev, and even The Rock. He’d even gotten a DQ win over Brock Lesnar in the follow up to their SummerSlam match. But this felt different.

Then it happened.

At SummerSlam 2016, AJ Styles became the new Face That Runs The Place, in one of the best matches WWE television has ever seen. The match had false finishes, outrageous moves, and performances from the pair that drove home just how big a deal this was when Styles put Cena away decisively, to the shock of millions.

It was absolutely the right move. SmackDown has been the far better of the two brands and its World Champion, Dean Ambrose, needed a foe to take on at the first brand-exclusive PPV, Backlash. Styles continued with his great character work and wonderful arrogance when parading around with the armband he stole from John Cena, and proved himself to be the top guy on the blue brand.

Though the likes of Brock Lesnar, Finn Bálor, and Sheamus managed to win their first world championships in WWE within less time of debuting on the main roster, none were as truly unbelievable as Styles. After a mere nine months of consistently brilliant performances, excellent character development, and compelling storytelling, your new WWE Champion is the Phenomenal One himself.

The fact that John Cena so rarely loses makes AJ Styles feel all the more special.

Career trend: Phenomenal.