Brock Lesnar Vs John Cena: Every Major Match In WWE, Decisively Ranked

Brock Lesnar returned to WWE at SummerSlam 2025. Many people thought The Beast would never return to the company due to the Janel Grant lawsuit, but there he is… back in the spotlight, delivering a huge F5 to John Cena to close the event. Love him or hate him, everyone is talking about Brock Lesnar’s return. And we all know that’s all that matters to WWE at the end of the day.

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But while the headlines focus on the controversy, in this article I’ll focus on Brock Lesnar’s incredible rivalry with John Cena over the years. They’ve wrestled countless times over the years, and it seems like there will be another meeting in the fall. So, without any further ado, here is every major singles match between Brock Lesnar and John Cena on a WWE PPV/PLE, decisively ranked. Enjoy!

4. Backlash 2003

• Match Quality Rating: 5/10
• Crowd Reaction Rating: 7/10
• Psychology Rating: 5/10
• Storytelling Rating: 4/10
• Overall Rating: 21/40

About a year into their WWE main roster careers, Brock Lesnar and John Cena met for the first time on pay-per-view. The two young men battled for Lesnar’s WWE Championship in a match that has mostly been forgotten. John Cena, who was still green, was competing in only his second singles match on PPV; the first had been against Chris Jericho at Vengeance 2002. Meanwhile, Brock Lesnar was fresh off a huge win over Kurt Angle in the main event of WrestleMania 19, and had already defeated huge names like Hulk Hogan, The Undertaker and The Rock.

Therefore, the outcome was never in doubt and John Cena was far from a serious threat. Having said that, the match wasn’t bad, but it’s impossible not to compare it with the classics the two would have the following decade. It was technically decent, but the fact this was clearly a title defense designed to eat up calendar space hurt it. In hindsight, this is a fascinating WWE Title matchup that makes for a great trivia question.

3. Night Of Champions 2014

• Match Quality Rating: 7/10
• Crowd Reaction Rating: 9/10
• Psychology Rating: 6/10
• Storytelling Rating: 9/10
• Overall Rating: 31/40

This match had an interesting dynamic. How could WWE possibly follow up on that shocking one-sided SummerSlam squash? To their credit, they didn’t try to recapture lightning in a bottle. Instead, John Cena came out like a man possessed, determined to regain the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. Cena brought the fight to Brock Lesnar and they had a far more competitive bout, while still keeping The Beast’s aura alive. The crowd played a crucial role too, as they were alive the entire time and elevated the matchup.

SCOTT KEITH REVIEWS: WWE Night Of Champions 2014

This rematch was never going to be as memorable as their SummerSlam match, but they still did a tremendous job. The ending was extremely disappointing, though. Seth Rollins, who was the Money in the Bank holder at the time, ran in and Lesnar was disqualified. While the DQ robbed the match of a clean finish, it did protect both men and also got Rollins involved in the title picture. Not the most memorable Lesnar/Cena match, sure, but still an intense and underrated sequel that holds up well.

2. SummerSlam 2014

• Match Quality Rating: 6/10
• Crowd Reaction Rating: 10/10
• Psychology Rating: 8/10
• Storytelling Rating: 9/10
• Overall Rating: 33/40

Heading into SummerSlam 2014, no one knew what to expect. Sure, Brock Lesnar had just ended The Undertaker’s legendary WrestleMania Streak a few months earlier, but he was about to step into the ring with Super Cena. After all, Cena was still the face of the company, and he could very well beat Lesnar and move on with his title reign. Then the bell rang, and Lesnar almost beat Cena in seconds after hitting a shocking F5. Cena kicked out, but was absolutely tortured for having the audacity to do such thing.

SCOTT KEITH REVIEWS: WWE SummerSlam 2014

It was essentially a glorified squash in the main event of SummerSlam 2014. It wasn’t flashy, it wasn’t competitive, and it sure as hell wasn’t pretty… but that’s what made this match special. Everyone still remembers what happened from bell to bell over a decade a later, and that is the sign of a legendary wrestling match. For a company that used to protect John Cena at all costs, this was a creative risk that paid off big time. The match might not be a technical classic, but it’s unforgettable.

1. Extreme Rules 2012

• Match Quality Rating: 8/10
• Crowd Reaction Rating: 10/10
• Psychology Rating: 8/10
• Storytelling Rating: 10/10
• Overall Rating: 36/40

No match captured the sheer unpredictability of Brock Lesnar than his first WWE match in eight years. The main event of Extreme Rules 2012 was far more than your typical brawl between two heated rivals; it was a complete shift from what WWE fans were used to watching. John Cena was busted open the hard way, and from that point on, Brock Lesnar destroyed him like there was no tomorrow… and the Chicago crowd loved every second of it!

What makes this match special is how unhinged and different it felt, even on rewatch. Brock Lesnar looked like a shark inside a wrestling ring, and John Cena – to his credit – sold it perfectly. The psychology was simple but effective: Cena just trying to survive this unstoppable monster fresh off a dominant UFC run. John Cena’s win wasn’t a popular booking decision to some fans, but everything before it was awesome. This isn’t just the best Brock Lesnar vs John Cena match, it’s also one of the most physical main events in WWE history.