Greatest Of All Time: John Cena

During John Cena's retirement tour last year, WWE play-by-play announcer Michael Cole often referred to the 48-year-old as the "Greatest Of All Time," an opinion that many modern wrestling fans share. However, with Hulk Hogan ruling the 1980s, "Stone Cold" Steve Austin being the poster boy of the Attitude Era, and Roman Reigns leading WWE through the current decade, Cena has plenty of competition when it comes to claiming the title of the G.O.A.T.

Today, we are determined to prove that the recently retired star and upcoming WrestleMania host truly deserves that recognition. Whether it's his endless list of accomplishments, longevity in the business, loyalty through hardships, or connecting to fans on a personal level, Cena is a one of a kind wrestler and human being in the industry who has earned Cole's praise at the announce desk every time he appears on-screen — and especially within the last five years.

John Cena's championship wins were always controversial among fans, with some being thrilled every time he had the opportunity to hold the gold, while others grew tired of watching him perform at the top of the card. That said, number of title wins and length of championship reigns do matter, and very few have a better WWE resume than Cena. 

In addition to being a 17-time World Champion, the most out of any professional wrestler in history, Cena is also a Grand Slam Champion, having won the United States title, Intercontinental title, and tag team titles. Although Cena had many championship reigns that were short, he also had several dominant runs during his career, most notably his 380-day WWE Heavyweight Championship reign from 2006-2007. On top of his various title wins, Cena is a two-time Royal Rumble winner and captured the Money In The Bank briefcase once. He also has a long list of less tangible achievements, such as main eventing WrestleMania six times and having the second-most WWE Premium Live Event appearances in history, trailing only Randy Orton.

To earn the moniker "Greatest Of All Time," a wrestler needs to have accomplishments that stand out compared to their peers. Whether fans like it or not, Cena's list of in-ring achievements allow him to be considered one of the best to ever step inside the squared circle.

Although Cena was WWE's biggest star for an entire decade, his in-ring skill didn't always match up to his peers in the main event scene, with stars like Shawn Michaels, Kurt Angle, and CM Punk often viewed as better wrestlers. Cena was never bad at the sport, but he didn't have the technical ability or in-ring experience other talent possessed; instead, he relied on different skills to keep him at the top of the card.

Most of the time, Cena would turn to his promo skill and storytelling to make up for what he didn't have inside the ropes. Whether he was rapping as the "Doctor Of Thuganomics," engaging in heated 20-minute promos with Triple H, or verbally assassinating The Rock, Cena knew how to get fans invested in his matches, regardless of how they felt about him. It's no secret that Cena was sometimes given weak material to work with, but he was frequently able to turn disappointing content into killer storylines. He also managed to be be surprisingly healthy throughout his career, rarely suffering major injuries — and when he did get hurt, he typically came back faster than expected, like his surprise return at the 2008 Royal Rumble.

Part of what makes Cena the "Greatest Of All Time" is his ability to persevere despite fans vocally criticizing his in-ring performances. Sometimes he achieved that goal by having a good dance partner, but ultimately he proved to management that he could succeed on the highest level.

Whether you bought into "Hustle, Loyalty, and Respect" or despised every aspect of Cena's character throughout the years, nobody could deny that the man behind the bright colored t-shirts cared about his supporters outside of the ring.

On a nightly basis, Cena made it his goal to inspire fans, motivate others when they couldn't motivate themselves, and above all, preach the importance of never giving up. Those principles were more than just slogans and written material to Cena, who started to incorporate much of what he claimed on TV into real life. Whether it's children with special needs, those battling a severe illness, or kids who needed a boost of confidence, Cena made it a goal to bring his character to life in-person, while also being able to connect to an individual on a human level.

Today, Cena holds the Guinness World Record for granting the most wishes for the Make-A-Wish foundation, and continued to be part of that community and contribute to the organization throughout his farewell tour last year. Additionally, the 17-time World Champion hasn't shied away from conducting sit -own interviews or making podcast appearances, where he often shares advice that he's learned from his own career, or uses the platforms he appears on to offer perspective on life. Although Cena made an impact through his achievements and defying the odds to become the face of WWE, his contributions outside of the ring are what truly earns him the title of "Greatest Of All Time."