John Cena's Best WWE Matches Ever (... According To The Internet)
3. John Cena Vs. Daniel Bryan, SummerSlam 2013 -- Rating: 9.30
After defeating The Rock for the WWE Title at WrestleMania 29, one could argue that John Cena had nothing left to prove. However, the champ continued to push himself to the limit -- which meant that when he saw the momentum Daniel Bryan had been building, he offered the younger star a title shot at SummerSlam 2013.
What had started respectfully soon turned ugly. Bryan criticized Cena's abilities as a wrestler, telling the champion that he didn't think highly enough of him to slap the "fighting spirit" into him. Cena, meanwhile, was dealing with an elbow injury that left a baseball-sized growth hanging from his arm.
When the match finally came, each man shocked his opponent -- Bryan by being able to take the fight to Cena, and Cena by showing the fighting spirit Bryan had said he lacked. Both men traded submissions, but it would be strikes that won the day -- Bryan kicked Cena in the head, then hit him with a running knee to capture his first WWE Championship.