Ranking Who Was Really The Man In Wrestling Every Year 1990-2020

14. 2007 - John Cena

Austin Jericho
WWE

In 2007, John Cena was the biggest box office draw in the business, was (deservedly) synonymous with the WWE Championship as much as Hulk Hogan was at his peak, and showed his range and growth as performer in his best ever in-ring year.

His war with Umaga at the Royal Rumble revealed the real guts and craft underneath the cartoonish exterior; he worked a very long and just as gripping classic with Shawn Michaels after their very good but uneven WrestleMania original; and, most impressively, extracted a fun, dynamic and convincing match from the Great Khali.

This was as objectively as great as it got for the most subjectively received top guy ever.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!