The GOAT Returns: John Cena’s 10 Best Entrances (2024)

As Cinderella once sang “You Don’t Know What You’ve Got (Til It’s Gone).” This is how the WWE Universe must feel about John Cena these days. For nearly twenty years, he was the one constant throughout all of WWE. Despite fans booing him out of buildings and older fans urging him to turn heel, he stayed the course of “Hustle, Loyalty, Respect.” He truly became an icon for this current generation of fans and would-be wrestlers coming of age.

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As he’s about to make one of his now-much-hyped returns, here’s hoping he makes a grandiose entrance to live up to so many of the entrances he has made over the years. Get your 'Cena Sucks' / 'Let's Go Cena' chants ready. As he likes to tell the poor cameramen who have had to run with him to the ring over the years - “It’s time to go to work.”

11 Hostile Territory - One Night Stand 2006 / Money In The Bank 2011

Plenty of Cena’s entrances might be theatrical, but they all still involve just the man running to the ring among the sea of the WWE Universe.

But on these two occasions not only did he know full well he was going into real wars with CM Punk and Rob Van Dam, he knew he’d be walking into those two arenas a mortal enemy of the crowd. Which makes his stoic walk to the ring at both Money In The Bank 2011 and One Night Stand 2006 that much more meaningful.

10 Air Force Honor Guard - WrestleMania 26

In a weird way, the WrestleMania 26 showdown between the two then-faces of WWE, Cena and Batista is almost like a forgotten classic.

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As far as entrances go, John Cena’s entrance shouldn’t be forgotten either. Before he entered the arena, the Air Force Drill Team Honor Guard performed a short routine as Cena walked out, saluted the soldiers, and soldiered himself to the ring.

9 The Long Run With Nikki - WrestleMania 33

See Also

The 50 All-Time Best Wrestling Entrances10 Current Best Wrestling EntrancesThe 12 Best Wrestling Entrances of All-Time - WOLFGANGSPORTWWE: Ranking the 10 Greatest Wrestling Entrances of All Time

It was only one time during his career that another Superstar got to share in Cena’s entrance. That night also happened to have the longest and highest entranceway in WrestleMania history.

While there were no extra accouterments to his entrance on this night, the spectacle of Cena bolting to the ring and snagging Nikki Bella to start running with him on the way to the ring was a pretty cool sight to see.

8 The Doctor Of Thuganomics - WrestleMania 35

For everyone who was clamoring for a John Cena heel turn, his return to his original heel character, The Doctor Of Thuganomics at WrestleMania 35 was a fun treat to see live. While there wasn’t special to the entrance, it was the only time Cena brought this persona out on the Grandest Stage of Them All.

Seeing it live was awesome but watching it back on TV - if only the announcers could shut their yaps and let the moment breathe for two seconds it might have been an even bigger moment.

7 Number 30 Surprise - Royal Rumble 2008

Whenever a wrestler suffers an injury, the fans generally can’t wait for them to return. When John Cena suffered a shoulder injury towards the end of 2007, it seemed that all hope was lost of Cena even making it to WrestleMania, much less the Royal Rumble.

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Clearly, Cena channeled his inner Wolverine mutant healing powers and busted his chops to get ready for a shocking return to the ring. Coming out at number 30 in Madison Square Garden was quite the ovation - from the usually tough-on Cena NYC crowd. But on this night, even The Garden faithful were part of the Cenation.

6 Make A Wish Kids - WrestleMania 39

Over the course of his twenty-year career, John Cena has worked tirelessly to make a difference in the lives of young fans via the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

He is now the leading record holder in wishes granted for what that’s worth (and it's worth an incalculable amount to those children and families). At WrestleMania 39, he made several more kids’ days when they got to show up on The Grandest Stage to help Cena get to the ring.

5 Crashing Into Ford Field - WrestleMania 23

If you didn’t know, John Cena loves cars. Detroit is nicknamed The Motor City as it is the birthplace of the car. At WrestleMania 23, all that got married together when the defending WWE Champion showed up for the main event against Shawn Michaels. Cena drove a Ford Mustang through the streets near Ford Field before charging through the arena and crashing through the glass into Ford Field as his music piped in.

4 Lowering His Own Entrance Ramp - Royal Rumble 2006

While every grand entrance usually includes walking down the entrance ramp, John Cena literally went above that at the 2006 Royal Rumble.

Gearing up for his WWE Championship rematch against Edge, an entrance ramp of his own lowered down into the arena. Cena came out and stomped all over it, releasing streamers and confetti before he took one giant leap into the ring.

3 Marching Into Battle - WrestleMania 24

While at this point, Bianca Belair is more synonymous with showing up with marching bands and dance troupes from time to time, it’s just one more thing that John Cena did first.

At WrestleMania 24, the Jones High School Marching Tigers put on their best marching and cheering performance at the top of the stage before Cena headed to work and made his trademark beeline to the ring.

2 Gangland - WrestleMania 22

One of the great coincidences in the feud between John Cena and CM Punk happened thanks to this moment. When WrestleMania 22 emanated from Chicago, John Cena made his entrance into The Windy City, Gangland-style.

While the entrance was cool, once fans realized Punk was one of the mobsters riding out with Cena, it became an even bigger moment for their storyline.

1 The Real John Cena - WrestleMania 25

For several years, the WWE was leaning in and out of John Cena’s ability to freestyle. They leaned hard into it when they spoofed The Real Slim Shady at WrestleMania 25, sending a cadre of John Cena lookalikes to the aisle way.

As they all motioned the “You Can’t See Me” taunt, the real John Cena stepped out into The Astrodome.