Ranking John Cena's WWE SummerSlam Matches From Worst To Best

Two of the ruthless aggression era’s finest locking horns for their first ever one on one clash should be the stuff headline events are made of. Instead, Cena and Batista find themselves in the semi-main spot on the card, and they put on a match reflective of that spot - i.e really decent but by no means show-stealing.

The two have seemed somewhat locked together ever since the 2005 Royal Rumble botch and it feels surprising that this is their first clash, but the chemistry is definitely there and they work a smart match with a bit of an abrupt ending. They feel each other out with a surprisingly long submission sequence (capped with an STFU which is bad even by John’s standards) before switching to both men’s more comfortable power game.

The crowd are torn but ultimately throw their support behind Batista, who wins quite surprisingly with a second powerbomb. They’d have a WrestleMania match a little later that was more grandiose; this is a decent watch but for two guys of their standing, a little subdued.