John Cena's 10 Greatest WWE Moments
4. Royal Rumble Return - Royal Rumble 2008
Any list featuring the biggest pops or the most shocking returns in WWE would not be complete without the 2008 Royal Rumble. Fresh off his latest dose of Hustle, Loyalty, Respect Therapy, Cena enters the titular Rumble match as the 30th entrant well ahead of his projected injury timeline.
Madison Square Garden went crazy for the return despite this being Cena's prime-time Superman phase. In that moment of pure surprise, they couldn't hide their feelings: they were ecstatic to see him. It was an awe-inspiring moment, as Triple H stared on in disbelief while Cena soaked in the atmosphere. The fact his recovery powers rivalled Wolverine's almost gave credibility to the SuperCena character. If he can heal torn muscles in half the time of a regular human, why wouldn't he constantly win?
The crowd kept their support going to the end that night, too, as Cena won his first Royal Rumble match to another huge pop. While things went back to normal shortly afterwards, this return was a harbinger of the tide turning once the fans realised they missed Cena when he was gone. It's one of the greatest Royal Rumble moments ever, and it has to be one of Cena's, too.