John Cena's Success and Achievements in Timeline

A success timeline featuring the most significant achievements of John Cena.

John Cena is an American actor and retired professional wrestler, widely considered one of WWE's greatest. He held a record-tying 17 world championships during his in-ring career from 2001 to 2025. As of December 2025, he remains signed with WWE as a brand ambassador, continuing his association with the company after retiring from active wrestling.

Sections (4)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Success & Recognition

2000: UPW Heavyweight Champion

In 2000, John Cena held the UPW Heavyweight Championship while wrestling at local events for Ultimate Pro Wrestling (UPW).

April 23, 2007: Match Against Shawn Michaels

Shawn Michaels's one hour long match on WWE Raw on April 23, 2007, against John Cena is touted as one of the best matches in history. Michaels expressed that after a fortnight WWE tour in the United Kingdom, he did not want to do the match with anyone else other than Cena.

January 27, 2008: Royal Rumble Win

On January 27, 2008, John Cena made a surprise return as the final participant of the Royal Rumble match and won by last eliminating Triple H.

October 11, 2008: Australian Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards hosting

On October 11, 2008, John Cena co-hosted the Australian Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards with Natalie Bassingthwaighte in Melbourne.

2009: Chris Greicius Celebrity Award

In 2009, John Cena received the Chris Greicius Celebrity Award for his work with the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

2012: WrestleMania XXVIII Record

In 2012, WrestleMania XXVIII, headlined by the John Cena vs. the Rock main event, became the highest drawing event in WWE history with 1,217,000 buys. The event held the record for the highest grossing live event in WWE history in 2012, grossing $8.9 million.

January 27, 2013: Royal Rumble Win

On January 27, 2013, John Cena won his second Royal Rumble match and announced that he would pursue the WWE Championship at WrestleMania 29.

January 24, 2017: Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards hosting announcement

On January 24, 2017, Nickelodeon announced that John Cena would host the 2017 Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards ceremony on March 11.

January 29, 2017: WWE Championship Win at Royal Rumble

On January 29, 2017, at Royal Rumble, John Cena defeated AJ Styles to win the WWE Championship, tying Ric Flair for the most recognized world title reigns at 16.

January 11, 2018: Announcement for hosting Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards ceremony

On January 11, 2018, it was announced that John Cena would be hosting the Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards ceremony again on March 24.

June 27, 2022: 20th Anniversary Celebration on Raw

On June 27, 2022, John Cena returned on Raw for the 20th anniversary of his main roster in-ring debut, delivering a promo and interacting with various superstars backstage.

2022: Make-A-Wish record confirmation

By mid-2022, The Guinness Book of World Records confirmed that John Cena had granted over 650 wishes for children with life-threatening illnesses through the Make-A-Wish Foundation, which is more than anyone else in history.