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In 2002, on a regular episode of SmackDown, a young John Cena, sporting red and black shorts and side fade haircuts, stormed into the WWE ring with ruthless aggression with the intent of going toe-to-toe with the veteran Kurt Angle. Even though he lost the battle, he garnered respect and appreciation from The Undertaker backstage.
The debut became a landmark moment in WWE history, giving birth to generational talent and one of the greatest of all time, John Cena. More than two decades later, he is on the verge of retirement after creating an unparalleled legacy in the squared circle.
The 47-year-old is set to bid farewell to the WWE ring in 2025 once he begins his scheduled retirement tour. His journey from a talented rookie to a megastar has been astonishing, with Cena reaching the pinnacle of his career within two years of his WWE debut. Glance at his accomplishments in the initial years as a WWE Superstar.
1) 2006 (Three-Time WWE Champion)
As a primary event star, 2006 was his first full year of John Cena earning opportunities. He started the year as a WWE Champion, and throughout the year, he won the prize three times, making it a significant achievement in a particular year.
Continuing his reign from the previous year, Cena succumbed to Edge’s discreet cash-in following the Elimination Chamber match. After winning back the gold, he successfully defended it against Triple H before his notorious face-off against Rob Van Dam in front of a classic passionate ECW-style loud crowd and lost the title, where he brutally jeered despite the babyface status.
Extending his long-standing rivalry with Edge, John Cena ended the year on a high note, recapturing the title in September, making his WWE Championship triumph three times in 2006.
2) 2007 (WWE And Tag Team Champions)
2007 was probably the most productive year of John Cena’s wrestling career filled with incredible opportunities. Attaining the main event status, he was the company’s leading man. He kicked off the year on a high note as the WWE Champion by ending Umaga’s unbeaten WWE streak. While remaining the champ, he entrenched his name as the double champion, winning the Tag Team belts with Shawn Michaels, whom he later beat at WrestleMania 23.
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Subsequently, he held on to the WWE Championship, defeating the likes of Randy Orton, Bobby Lashley, and The Great Khali. At the end of the year, in October, Cena suffered a major pictorial injury, coercing him to forfeit the gold for 380 days, an epoch-making number at that time.
3) 2008 ( Royal Rumble Winner And World Heavyweight Champion)
Followed by a successful 2007, a young John Cena in his early 30s, led WWE to a crucial transition from the Ruthless Aggression Era to the PG Era, completely reshaping the product to target a younger audience. The Leader of the Cenation became a poster boy of the PG Era, which embarked on in 2008.
He enjoyed a solid start to the year, winning Royal Rumble 2008, marking his first victory in the Battle Royal match. Despite winning a title shot in the Grandest Stage of Them of All, he squandered the opportunity by cashing in early in a failed attempt. He still received a WWE Championship shot, which he lost due to an injury the previous year and failed to capture.
During 2008, his feud with JBL kept fans interested in him. On the other hand, he kept getting world title opportunities throughout the year until finally capturing the World Heavyweight Championship at Survivor Series. With the first Royal Rumble win and a world championship triumph, it was Cena’s year full of accomplishments.
4) 2005 ( First-Time WWE Champion)
2005 was the turning point in John Cena’s WWE career, opening up new opportunities and scaling him to the main event scene. With a spectacular performance in the Royal Rumble match, he was a runner-up before getting a WWE Championship shot at WrestleMania 21.
After winning the gold, he kept it around his waist throughout the year, fighting several notable opponents. Eric Bischoff, then the RAW General Manager, stood as a major roadblock for him, putting John against Kurt Angle, Christian, Chris Jericho, and Shawn Michaels.
5) 2004 (Three-Time United States Champion)
Two years after debuting on the main roster, John Cena was slowly building up momentum in his rapper gimmick. His first stepping stone to greatness, meaning his first singles title in WWE, was captured in 2004. He won the first-ever United States Championship this year, beating Big Show at WrestleMania 20.
The Cenation Leader underwent tremendous character growth during this year, gradually moving towards the babyface character of the future. Throughout 2004, he had feuds with stars like Booker T, Carlito, and Rob Van Dam. The sixteen-tine WWE Champion wrapped up the year, winning the US Title thrice.
6) 2003 (Defeated The Undertaker and Eddie Guerrero)
Upon impressing Stephanie McMahon during a bus trip with his freestyle rap, it turned into his wrestling character, which eventually gave birth to one of the famous John Cena catchphrases, ‘You can’t see me.’ Known as Doctor of Thuganomics, the rapper persona grew up as a character in 2003. He dissed opponents by rapping, wore chains around his neck, and preached the ‘Word Life.’
Even though the young John Cena, at the age of 26, failed to secure a title in 2003, the year was key in his overall development. Beating The Undertaker and Eddie Guerrero was his biggest takeaway from the year, whilst he became the WWE Championship challenger against Brock Lesnar at Backlash.
7) 2002 (Debut With Ruthless Aggression)
Making a lasting influence in the debut year is not an easy task. Showing ruthless aggression and valor against Kurt Angle, he made a great first impression during his debut main roster match on June 27, 2002. However, after the debut, he had an ordinary run and failed to stand out as a rookie.
Cena was simply another fresh face on the roster with a generic gimmick until the arrival of the Doctor of Thuganomics version. Besides the incredible debut, beating Chris Jericho at Vengeance 2002 was the peak moment of the year for him.
Avik Das is an English Literature graduate with an experience of over six years as a professional writer. He has written for renowned publications such as The Sportster, Sportskeeda, Pinkvilla, and The Things