5 John Cena WWE Survivor Series Matches You Need To Watch

With the Survivor Series and John Cena’s retirement drawing ever nearer, it is only fitting to look back at Cena’s performances at WWE’s November premium live event. Cena’s Intercontinental Title defence against Dominik Mysterio at Survivor Series 2025 will mark his thirteenth and final appearance at the Survivor Series event, prior to his retirement.

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As we look back on the legendary career of John Cena, and the rich tapestry of the Survivor Series, there are many notable outings Cena has had at November pay-per-view that long-time fans must revisit and newer fans must check out. And these are The Champ’s top 5 in-ring performances at the Survivor Series.

5. Team Cena Vs. Team Authority (2014)

• Team Cena Members: John Cena, Big Show, Dolph Ziggler, Ryback & Erick Rowan

• Team Authority Members: Seth Rollins, Kane, Rusev, Luke Harper & Mark Henry

Eliminations

Order Of Elimination	Wrestler	Team	Eliminated By	Time
1	Mark Henry	Team Authority	Big Show	0:50
2	Ryback	Team Cena	Rusev	8:10
3	Rusev	Team Authority	Count-Out	21:00
4	Erick Rowan	Team Cena	Luke Harper	24:14
5	John Cena	Team Cena	Seth Rollins	25:11
6	Big Show	Team Cena	Count-Out	26:30
7	Kane	Team Authority	Dolph Ziggler	29:35
8	Luke Harper	Team Authority	Dolph Ziggler	31:35
9	Seth Rollins	Team Authority	Dolph Ziggler	43:05
Sole Survivor	Dolph Ziggler	Team Cena	N/A	43:05

One of the best five-on-five Survivor Series elimination matches has to be John Cena leading Dolph Ziggler, Erick Rowan, The Big Show and Ryback against the Authority’s team of Seth Rollins, Kane, Luke Harper, Rusev and Mark Henry. With The Authority storyline in full-swing in 2014, it was only right that a character as virtuous as Cena be the one to lead a team against the corrupt likes of Triple H and Stephanie McMahon.

This terrific, high-stakes main-event benefitted from great build-up and a great cast of legends and rising stars. However, John’s performance in this match was overshadowed when he was eliminated by Seth Rollins after Big Show’s betrayal of Team Cena. And of course, there was Dolph Ziggler’s epic, marathon performance as the sole survivor, and Sting’s shocking WWE arrival which led to the (short-term) disbanding of The Authority. Despite Cena not taking the spotlight in this match, it nonetheless remains an epic forty-three minute elimination bout, and one of John’s most important outings at the Survivor Series.

4. Team Angle Vs. Team Lesnar (2003)

• Team Angle Members: Kurt Angle, Chris Benoit, John Cena, Hardcore Holly & Bradshaw

• Team Lesnar Members: Brock Lesnar, Big Show, A-Train, Matt Morgan & Nathan Jones

Eliminations

Order Of Elimination	Wrestler	Team	Eliminated By	Time
1	Hardcore Holly	Team Angle	DQ	0:00
2	A-Train	Team Lesnar	Bradshaw	0:27
3	Bradshaw	Team Angle	Big Show	0:48
4	Matt Morgan	Team Lesnar	Kurt Angle	9:11
5	Nathan Jones	Team Lesnar	Kurt Angle	9:31
6	Kurt Angle	Team Angle	Brock Lesnar	9:43
7	Brock Lesnar	Team Lesnar	Chris Benoit	11:43
8	Big Show	Team Lesnar	John Cena	13:15
Survivors	John Cena & Chris Benoit	Team Angle	N/A	13:15

John Cena’s very first appearance at the Survivor Series in 2003 was an important match in laying the foundations for his future. Since adopting his rap persona and establishing himself as The Doctor of Thuganomics, Cena had flourished as a heel and facing off against the biggest stars that SmackDown had to offer. And his biggest opportunity at this point came in his career when he turned face and joined Kurt Angle, Chris Benoit, Bradshaw and Hardcore Holly against Brock Lesnar, The Big Show, A-Train, Matt Morgan and Nathan Jones.

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Somehow, Team Angle managed to prevail over the legion of monstrous super-heavyweights. With both sides suffering eliminations, it ultimately came down to Benoit and Cena against the WWE Champion Lesnar and the United States Champion Big Show. After Benoit eliminated Lesnar with the Crippler Crossface, Cena eliminated Big Show with a chain and the F-U (the Attitude Adjustment). Not only was this a great match, it showed Cena’s superhuman strength, and that he could triumph over adversity. Plus, John’s elimination of the Big Show would eventually lead to him winning his first United States Title from the giant at WrestleMania 20.

3. John Cena Vs. Chris Jericho (2008)

Stipulation	Winner	Time	Cagematch Rating
World Heavyweight Championship Singles Match	John Cena	21:19	6.43

Although the 2008 Survivor Series was an overall dire show, the pay-per-view did provide a genuine highlight, and that was the return of John Cena. After being sidelined for the past three months - due to sustaining a herniated disc in his match with Batista at SummerSlam - Cena was finally cleared to return to action, in his hometown of Boston, Massachusetts. And his opponent was old-rival and current World Heavyweight Champion, Chris Jericho.

2008 was truly the year of Jericho following his feud with Shawn Michaels and rise to the World Heavyweight Title. Yet Y2J’s 2005 feud with Cena - culminating in the infamous “You’re Fired” Match from the 22nd August 2005 episode of Raw - still lingered in his and the fans’ minds. Despite Cena’s ring rust (it was his first match back!), the two rivals put together another fine bout that culminated in Cena winning his first World Heavyweight Title. Although John is mostly associated with the WWE Championship, the visual of him holding the Big Gold Belt in his hometown of Boston makes for a historic image.

2. John Cena Vs. Triple H Vs. Shawn Michaels (2009)

Stipulation	Winner	Time	Cagematch Rating
WWE Championship Triple Threat Match	John Cena	21:19	8:15

Despite WWE having essentially given up on the Survivor Series in 2009, the pay-per-view nonetheless remains a criminally underrated show. With virtually no build-up, Cena arrived to defend his WWE Championship against Triple H and Shawn Michaels for no reason other than contractual obligations. And yet, as soon as the match started, Shawn immediately nailed his own DX cohort with Sweet Chin Music!

With the crowd now truly awoken following the shocking start, the triple threat main event became a fantastic outing with an angry Triple H eventually recovering to deliver a vicious Spinebuster through the announce table to the Heartbreak Kid. Wild, unpredictable and absolutely terrific, this match ultimately ended with Cena delivering an Attitude Adjustment to Shawn onto a prone Triple H and retaining the WWE Title. This bout is a hellacious surprise from start to finish! And further proof that Cena and his opponents could still deliver when you least expect it.

1. John Cena & The Rock Vs. Awesome Truth (2011)

Stipulation	Winners	Time	Cagematch Rating
Tag Team Match	John Cena & The Rock	21:33	5.89

The real-life animosities between John Cena and Dwayne Johnson would ultimately result in The Rock costing Cena his chance to be WWE Champion at WrestleMania 27. The next night, the two agreed to face each other one year later in the main event of WrestleMania 28. It was a long road indeed, paved with resplendent build-up to the epic showdown. And a crucial chapter in that story was Survivor Series 2011.

Heading into the Survivor Series, Cena had been targeted by The Miz & R-Truth, both of whom had cost John the WWE Championship on the grounds they were tired and angry of being overlooked by management in favour of stars like Cena. Shockingly, Cena asked The Rock to be his partner in the main-event. And the Great One (to further shock) actually accepted Cena’s offer! In front of a white-hot audience at Madison Square Garden, Cena and The Rock were (barely) able to put their differences aside in this electrifying match.

Credit to both Miz and R-Truth, Awesome Truth more than held their own in perhaps the biggest match of their careers. The Rock could still lay the smackdown, as evidenced by both his performance throughout and when he delivered the People’s Elbow to The Miz to win the match, then delivering the Rock Bottom to Cena afterwards. It remains Cena’s most epic match at Survivor Series, and proved even before the epic showdown at WrestleMania 28, that he belonged in the ring with the People’s Champion.

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