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

2. WWE Championship (1st WWE, 1st Overall) April 3, 2005 - January 8, 2006

WrestleMania 21 marked the completion of Cena's ascent to the upper echelon of WWE, defeating John Bradshaw Layfield and cementing himself as one of the most popular stars on the roster and the face of the company to replace aging stars such as Triple H, Shawn Michaels, Kurt Angle and several others. Cena would hold the championship for 280 days, matching JBL's reign for the longest reign since Diesel and at the time was the longest reign of the decade. Cena during this time was nearly unstoppable, besting JBL, Christian, Chris Jericho, Kurt Angle, Carlito, Chris Masters, Shawn Michaels and Kane in pay-per-view defenses before finally falling to Edge. It was also during this time that Cena began shedding his hip-hop image in favor of a slightly more mainstream and corporate image, beginning in earnest his duties as the top name in WWE, including his relationship with the Make-A-Wish Foundation, a relationship in which he has granted more wishes than any other celebrity. Cena took the keys to the car and drove it like he stole it, leaving no doubt since this day as to who the face of the company is, this was the impetus of all that Cena has become.