WWE: Ranking John Cena's 14 World Title Reigns - From Worst To Best

3. World Heavyweight Championship (1st World Heavyweight Championship, 4th Overall) November 23, 2008 - February 15, 2009

After breaking his neck in a match with Batista at SummerSlam, Cena once again shattered expectations, recovering from the injury in less than three months and challenging the reigning champion Chris Jericho in his first match back from injury, renewing a rivalry that had ended when Cena beat Jericho if a You're Fired Match three years earlier. The rivalry with Jericho would only last weeks as it was quickly put to rest after Cena once again defeated Y2J at Armageddon in December and Cena would defend the championship against JBL at the Royal Rumble before losing the championship to Edge in an Elimination Chamber Match at No Way Out. This reign, more importantly than anything else though, attached Cena's name to the Big Gold Belt and a championship with a rich history more than a century long. Cena's name was now in the record books with the likes of Hankenschmidt, Gotch, Ed "Strangler" Lewis, and Lou Thesz. A monumental occasion for any wrestler that also put him in the same company with Ric Flair, Terry Funk, Harley Race, Ricky Steamboat, Sting, Rick Rude and a veritable who's who of other names in the history of wrestling. John Cena could now legitimately make claim to being one of the greatest wrestlers of all time.