10 Things To Love About John Cena

We're all about celebrating professional wrestling here at Cultaholic, which is why I've taken an unenviable challenge upon myself. By the end of this article, you WILL like John Cena - maybe.

I know you don't like John. I know you're in that half of the audience that chants "John Cena sucks" every single time he makes his way down to the ring. I know you're the type of person who would burn every single item of his merch like Arsenal fans do the jersey of the latest big player to leave their horrible little club - although that would involve you buying all of his merch in the first place which would be a massive waste of your weekly wage. That's not saying your weekly wage is pitiful, of course. It's just that luminous man has a

hell

of a lot of items for sale.

Don't get me wrong, I was in that half of the audience for a very long time. A part of my soul would die each and every time John would be decimated for long periods of a big match, only for him to come back and win the thing in the end. This is why I am who I am today. That man killed every last part of my being circa 2005-11 - not really, but I'm trying to get you invested in this article, ya dig?

So just like I did a few years ago when it comes to SuperCena, release your inhibitions, feel the rain on your skin, no one else can feel it for you, only you can let it in, no one else, no one else, can speak the words on your lips, drench yourself in words unspoken, live your life with arms wide open, today is where your book begins - the rest is still unwritten...

10. He's Managed To Achieve So Much In Life With a Chav's Haircut

He might try and tell you his hairstyle is inspired by the armed forces or something along those lines, but there's no question that John Cena's head wouldn't look out of place in the dark depths of Blyth, Ashington, and other surrounding chav-filled areas. The rest of his body certainly would, just to clarify.

AMERICANS! These are places close to Newcastle - my hometown - where a mystical sub-human race are obliged to wear only tracksuits, have at least seven children by the age of 18, and have an unhealthy penchant for New Monkey. Go listen to New Monkey, by the way, it's a hoot.

John Cena's short back and sides with accompanying cow's lick - I feel your pain, sir - simply should not belong on the shoulders of a man with a massive house and millions of dollars in the bank.

They say you should dress for the job you want, not the job you have. If this is true, then John Cena wants to throw all of the wrestling, TV presenting and movies away in favour of working night shift stacking shelves at ASDA.

9. His Dedication

‘If you want to be the best, if you want to beat the rest, dedication’s what you need’. John Cena has it in spades. SPADES! Massive younger talent burying SPADES!

This is something we all should have been recognising long before now, but it feels like certain sections of the WWE Universe are just coming round to the notion that John Cena works really hard. I know all of our favourite WWE Superstars work really hard having to deal with a schedule that can only be described as an

absolute bitch

, but it just seems that Cena takes things to levels others don't.

This isn't one of those things born out of bravado or corporate image as well, the proof is in the pudding - which is a bit ironic because I don't think John will have enjoyed pudding since about 1999. He's all over the shop now doing many great things after doing many great things for WWE alone for years. Yes, his attention might be spread across many different areas of entertainment these days which means some who don't have access to the internet and only see him on WWE television are like "urgh, he's part-time now. Bet he just sits on his backside when he's not on Raw..." But the fact remains John Cena's dedication to anything he's involved with his unquestionable.

8. His Ego Doesn't Get In The Way Of A Good Show

SHANE MCMAHON! I'M LOOKING AT YOU, SON!

If you look at the annuls of John Cena's career, there's only one glaring occasion where even he would concede that him losing a match was the best thing... for business. Yes, I'm talking about SummerSlam 2010, the night he defeated The Nexus when he simply shouldn't have.

These days, John's up for a laugh and it's because he's going through a mid-life crisis.

As a man who goes through every inch of WWE's main roster programming with a fine tooth comb, you have no idea how refreshing it is to see a big name not taking themselves as seriously as they probably should. Having to sit through endless promos and segments where the likes of Shane and Stephanie McMahon seemingly get off on belittling others and using talent worthy of the spotlight they're hogging to inflate their own egos is sickening.

Yes, I know there have been occasions down the years where John has been guilty of this himself. But I'm sat here in 2018 writing this article after witnessing a likeable John Cena put his ego to one side in order to have a great laugh and produce entertaining television in 2017 - so there.

(FYI,

Not So Serious John

was born all the way back in 2014 at SummerSlam, ironically.)

In terms of WWE over the past 13 years, there has been no bigger name than John Cena. In my eyes, at times, his importance to the company superseded that of Shane and Stephanie. I know they're playing different roles these days but if John Cena can set his ego to one side for the sake of a storyline, surely they should be willing to do the same thing too! Goodness knows they'd be liked a lot more within the WWE Universe if they did so.

Good on you John. More of the higher-ups in WWE should be more like John.

7. He Actually Lives Up To His Nickname

Big Match John.

Large Bout Jonathan.

Sizeable Contest Jon.

Considerable Tie Johnty.

Mammoth Meet Jonny.

Mountainous Duel Johan.

You get the picture.

I don't mean this in terms of John Cena winning many a PREDETERMINED match when the stakes are higher than Rob Van Dam. This is in terms of his performance during these matches, which has come on tenfold over the last few years.

The origins of this point lay at the feet of Baron Corbin, and WWE's treatment of their Lone Wolf. When I see that LONE WOLF not being alone in tag team matches on SmackDown Live, I want to eat my own face. With Big Match John, he does exactly what he says on his tin shaped torso.

For years people would say that John Cena couldn't wrestle - I disagree with those people. I agree that he isn't one of the GOATs in terms of what he's been able to produce from bell-to-bell down the years, but to say he can't wrestle is nothing short of ignorant.

John Cena is unconventional, and has been since he first stepped into a WWE ring way back in 2002 - that's all there is to it.

Thankfully, those chants of "you can't wrestle" have died down thanks to the stellar matches Cena has had with the likes of CM Punk, Kevin Owens and AJ Styles in recent times. Those naysayers have realised that John Cena can actually wrestle, just not in the way the wrestling handbook - if one of those things actually exists - tells you he should.

6. The Chains Are Off

Sorry, Curtis Axel. This isn't about you - it's

never

 about you, pal.

I'm not sure what it is about John in recent times, but I feel that his part-time status in WWE, coupled with the fact he isn't as important as he once was, has made him way more likeable. I know he's still, by far and away, the biggest male star WWE can call upon these days and is still relied upon for a lot, but the pressure appears to be off. He appears to be way more relaxed these days and I love it, Maggle.

John Cena is middle-aged and enjoying his stuff in WWE - it's as transparent as the patch of hair on top of his head. Gone are the days when it was ALL about the posing and the merch and the posing and the winning and the merch and the winning and the posing and all of the merch. Today, John comes back in when he seemingly wants, does some business that he's comfortable with, and then goes away again to spread not only his but WWE's wings into wider markets.

Just look at the savagery John unleashed upon Roman Reigns last summer. It was both horrible and brilliant to watch in equal measure. THE BIG DOG had his commander pants pulled down in front of the world by a performer who is still streets ahead of him - and my goodness, did John let him know of that in no uncertain terms or what?

Cena is going through a mid-life crisis, it pains me to say it but it's true. Instead of buying a convertible and a leather jacket, however, he's just being more relaxed at work at not taking himself so seriously. Two major feuds of his in 2017 told us that - if you're going to sit there and tell me you didn't enjoy John's rivalries with Miz, Maryse and latterly THE BIG DOG then please, close the door on the way out. 2009 John, for example, wouldn't have been capable of pulling those stories off because those stories wouldn't have been allowed to go to the places they went.

More of this John, please. This John is great.

5. He Openly Lies To Fans Who Unconditionally Adore Him

I don't know about you but I love a bastard. I love an unassuming, underhanded rapscallion who gets away with things he shouldn't simply because they drive... a JAAAAAAAAAAAAAAG. I'm sorry if you're not a fan of Top Gear/The Grand Tour and didn't get that reference.

I'm sorry, but you simply can't tell people you're going to be out for X months, and then return after half of that time as much as John Cena has throughout his career without telling lies to make yourself seem better than you actually are. John has done exactly that and has gotten away with it which is admirable.

Ironically, this has made certain sections of the WWE Universe hate Cena even more than they already did. Those lambasting SuperCena should be lording him, IMHO. He's been pulling the wool over the eyes of sheep all over the world for years and has continued to get away with it. He's been

working

the marks

harder than anyone in history. He's a God among men.

YOU'RE ALL DUMB SHEEP!

4. He's A Wizard

I love John Cena because he is a wizard. I'd like you to think about this point completely in terms of the kayfabe and riddle me this: how can one man use the same five moves in the same order for around 15 years and still catch his opponents off guard?

The answer is magic. Simples.

Every single time, sometimes more than once during a match, we see a ducked Clothesline, Cena hitting the ropes, one flying shoulder tackle, Cena hitting the opposite ropes, a second flying shoulder tackle, both men getting to their feet, Cena ducking a standing Lariat, that funny side suplex thing, the pose for the Five Knuckle Shuffle HAHA MASTURBATION IS FUNNY before the FKS is deposited right on the face of John's opponent. Hang on...

HOW DOES IT KEEP ON HAPPENING?! WHY ISN'T ANY SUPERSTAR ABLE TO RESIST THE LURE OF THOSE MISSED CLOTHESLINES?! DO THEY NOT HAVE THE WWE NETWORK TO STUDY?!

3. The Doctor Of Thuganomics

No matter what happens from here on out, we'll always have John Cena, the Doctor of Thuganomics, to cherish forever.

I love this gimmick because Cena was a natural in the role - much like Elias is in his today. Fans often criticise Cena's current schtick of having no real ties to his actual self - WWE Superstars are supposed to be at their best when they're themselves

turned up to 11

, after all. The dog tags and the salute at the top of the ramp aren't really related to John Felix Anthony Cena in any way, but the good doctor was, in spades.

John loved hip-hop growing up, his first records were

Beastie Boys’ Licensed To Ill

and

Fat Boys’ Crushin‘

. WWE provided him with generic entrance music at the start of his DOT run and he said he could do better, and did. He wanted to release an album with WWE's permission and did. There's so much to like here before you even consider how entertaining the gimmick was.

This is the gimmick that brought John Cena to the dance, if you will. It's staggering to go back and watch WrestleMania XX, the night he won his first WWE Championship (the US Title), and listen to the reception the MSG crowd gave him. He was over as rover, as they say in the trade, with all audiences and not just the kids.

2. He's Making Wrestling Cool Again

WE'RE ALL GOING TO BE HIPSTERS! GET IN THERE!

You know how 'the hipsters' have that annoying nack of knowing about things just before they become cool? Well, thanks to the likes of John Cena and The Rock we might just be on the brink of becoming hipsters ourselves.

Thanks to these people making their name inside the squared circle before taking their name and shoving it down the throats of more mainstream audiences, the basement dwelling cringe bags known as 'us' are moving up the food chain.

We knew about John Cena before everyone else did. We knew about The Rock before he became the biggest movie star in the world today. We knew these people were great before the rest of the world did and just like the hipsters before us, we should shove that down non-wrestling fans' throats forever more.

Hopefully, John's work for the likes of the Today Show has a knock on effect. Hopefully, people think to themselves 'hey, he's a swell guy. Let's check out that world wrestling fed' and the graps becomes the mainstream behemoth it once was. If it does, we can become hipsters all over again by saying we were on board with the graps before the graps was cool.

Am I giving hipsters too much credit here? All I know is they do my head in, so to be one to other people would be just... too... sweet.

1. He's A Bloody Lovely Bloke

I know every single WWE Superstar does these Make-A-Wish-type things, and the coverage of John Cena's is unfairly proportioned compared to his counterparts on WWE's roster - but videos like the one above just nail you right in the gut, don't they?

Not only does John do so much charitable work, but it appears he's a bloody lovely man behind the scenes too. You never hear any Superstar - apart from Ryback but he'd speak badly of a slice of bread of it meant his name staying slightly relevant - speaking bad of John. It's really rare that somebody who has been at the top of the game for so long hasn't created enemies aplenty down the years. Presumably, John could have been an absolute d*ck to his colleagues

because

he's John Cena. That fact he hasn't for the large part is certainly admirable indeed.

We're all about celebrating professional wrestling here at Cultaholic, which is why I've taken an unenviable challenge upon myself. By the end of this article, you WILL like John Cena - maybe.

I know you don't like John. I know you're in that half of the audience that chants "John Cena sucks" every single time he makes his way down to the ring. I know you're the type of person who would burn every single item of his merch like Arsenal fans do the jersey of the latest big player to leave their horrible little club - although that would involve you buying all of his merch in the first place which would be a massive waste of your weekly wage. That's not saying your weekly wage is pitiful, of course. It's just that luminous man has a

hell

of a lot of items for sale.

Don't get me wrong, I was in that half of the audience for a very long time. A part of my soul would die each and every time John would be decimated for long periods of a big match, only for him to come back and win the thing in the end. This is why I am who I am today. That man killed every last part of my being circa 2005-11 - not really, but I'm trying to get you invested in this article, ya dig?

So just like I did a few years ago when it comes to SuperCena, release your inhibitions, feel the rain on your skin, no one else can feel it for you, only you can let it in, no one else, no one else, can speak the words on your lips, drench yourself in words unspoken, live your life with arms wide open, today is where your book begins - the rest is still unwritten...

10. He's Managed To Achieve So Much In Life With a Chav's Haircut

He might try and tell you his hairstyle is inspired by the armed forces or something along those lines, but there's no question that John Cena's head wouldn't look out of place in the dark depths of Blyth, Ashington, and other surrounding chav-filled areas. The rest of his body certainly would, just to clarify.

AMERICANS! These are places close to Newcastle - my hometown - where a mystical sub-human race are obliged to wear only tracksuits, have at least seven children by the age of 18, and have an unhealthy penchant for New Monkey. Go listen to New Monkey, by the way, it's a hoot.

John Cena's short back and sides with accompanying cow's lick - I feel your pain, sir - simply should not belong on the shoulders of a man with a massive house and millions of dollars in the bank.

They say you should dress for the job you want, not the job you have. If this is true, then John Cena wants to throw all of the wrestling, TV presenting and movies away in favour of working night shift stacking shelves at ASDA.

9. His Dedication

‘If you want to be the best, if you want to beat the rest, dedication’s what you need’. John Cena has it in spades. SPADES! Massive younger talent burying SPADES!

This is something we all should have been recognising long before now, but it feels like certain sections of the WWE Universe are just coming round to the notion that John Cena works really hard. I know all of our favourite WWE Superstars work really hard having to deal with a schedule that can only be described as an

absolute bitch

, but it just seems that Cena takes things to levels others don't.

This isn't one of those things born out of bravado or corporate image as well, the proof is in the pudding - which is a bit ironic because I don't think John will have enjoyed pudding since about 1999. He's all over the shop now doing many great things after doing many great things for WWE alone for years. Yes, his attention might be spread across many different areas of entertainment these days which means some who don't have access to the internet and only see him on WWE television are like "urgh, he's part-time now. Bet he just sits on his backside when he's not on Raw..." But the fact remains John Cena's dedication to anything he's involved with his unquestionable.

8. His Ego Doesn't Get In The Way Of A Good Show

SHANE MCMAHON! I'M LOOKING AT YOU, SON!

If you look at the annuls of John Cena's career, there's only one glaring occasion where even he would concede that him losing a match was the best thing... for business. Yes, I'm talking about SummerSlam 2010, the night he defeated The Nexus when he simply shouldn't have.

These days, John's up for a laugh and it's because he's going through a mid-life crisis.

As a man who goes through every inch of WWE's main roster programming with a fine tooth comb, you have no idea how refreshing it is to see a big name not taking themselves as seriously as they probably should. Having to sit through endless promos and segments where the likes of Shane and Stephanie McMahon seemingly get off on belittling others and using talent worthy of the spotlight they're hogging to inflate their own egos is sickening.

Yes, I know there have been occasions down the years where John has been guilty of this himself. But I'm sat here in 2018 writing this article after witnessing a likeable John Cena put his ego to one side in order to have a great laugh and produce entertaining television in 2017 - so there.

(FYI,

Not So Serious John

was born all the way back in 2014 at SummerSlam, ironically.)

In terms of WWE over the past 13 years, there has been no bigger name than John Cena. In my eyes, at times, his importance to the company superseded that of Shane and Stephanie. I know they're playing different roles these days but if John Cena can set his ego to one side for the sake of a storyline, surely they should be willing to do the same thing too! Goodness knows they'd be liked a lot more within the WWE Universe if they did so.

Good on you John. More of the higher-ups in WWE should be more like John.

7. He Actually Lives Up To His Nickname

Big Match John.

Large Bout Jonathan.

Sizeable Contest Jon.

Considerable Tie Johnty.

Mammoth Meet Jonny.

Mountainous Duel Johan.

You get the picture.

I don't mean this in terms of John Cena winning many a PREDETERMINED match when the stakes are higher than Rob Van Dam. This is in terms of his performance during these matches, which has come on tenfold over the last few years.

The origins of this point lay at the feet of Baron Corbin, and WWE's treatment of their Lone Wolf. When I see that LONE WOLF not being alone in tag team matches on SmackDown Live, I want to eat my own face. With Big Match John, he does exactly what he says on his tin shaped torso.

For years people would say that John Cena couldn't wrestle - I disagree with those people. I agree that he isn't one of the GOATs in terms of what he's been able to produce from bell-to-bell down the years, but to say he can't wrestle is nothing short of ignorant.

John Cena is unconventional, and has been since he first stepped into a WWE ring way back in 2002 - that's all there is to it.

Thankfully, those chants of "you can't wrestle" have died down thanks to the stellar matches Cena has had with the likes of CM Punk, Kevin Owens and AJ Styles in recent times. Those naysayers have realised that John Cena can actually wrestle, just not in the way the wrestling handbook - if one of those things actually exists - tells you he should.

6. The Chains Are Off

Sorry, Curtis Axel. This isn't about you - it's

never

 about you, pal.

I'm not sure what it is about John in recent times, but I feel that his part-time status in WWE, coupled with the fact he isn't as important as he once was, has made him way more likeable. I know he's still, by far and away, the biggest male star WWE can call upon these days and is still relied upon for a lot, but the pressure appears to be off. He appears to be way more relaxed these days and I love it, Maggle.

John Cena is middle-aged and enjoying his stuff in WWE - it's as transparent as the patch of hair on top of his head. Gone are the days when it was ALL about the posing and the merch and the posing and the winning and the merch and the winning and the posing and all of the merch. Today, John comes back in when he seemingly wants, does some business that he's comfortable with, and then goes away again to spread not only his but WWE's wings into wider markets.

Just look at the savagery John unleashed upon Roman Reigns last summer. It was both horrible and brilliant to watch in equal measure. THE BIG DOG had his commander pants pulled down in front of the world by a performer who is still streets ahead of him - and my goodness, did John let him know of that in no uncertain terms or what?

Cena is going through a mid-life crisis, it pains me to say it but it's true. Instead of buying a convertible and a leather jacket, however, he's just being more relaxed at work at not taking himself so seriously. Two major feuds of his in 2017 told us that - if you're going to sit there and tell me you didn't enjoy John's rivalries with Miz, Maryse and latterly THE BIG DOG then please, close the door on the way out. 2009 John, for example, wouldn't have been capable of pulling those stories off because those stories wouldn't have been allowed to go to the places they went.

More of this John, please. This John is great.

5. He Openly Lies To Fans Who Unconditionally Adore Him

I don't know about you but I love a bastard. I love an unassuming, underhanded rapscallion who gets away with things he shouldn't simply because they drive... a JAAAAAAAAAAAAAAG. I'm sorry if you're not a fan of Top Gear/The Grand Tour and didn't get that reference.

I'm sorry, but you simply can't tell people you're going to be out for X months, and then return after half of that time as much as John Cena has throughout his career without telling lies to make yourself seem better than you actually are. John has done exactly that and has gotten away with it which is admirable.

Ironically, this has made certain sections of the WWE Universe hate Cena even more than they already did. Those lambasting SuperCena should be lording him, IMHO. He's been pulling the wool over the eyes of sheep all over the world for years and has continued to get away with it. He's been

working

the marks

harder than anyone in history. He's a God among men.

YOU'RE ALL DUMB SHEEP!

4. He's A Wizard

I love John Cena because he is a wizard. I'd like you to think about this point completely in terms of the kayfabe and riddle me this: how can one man use the same five moves in the same order for around 15 years and still catch his opponents off guard?

The answer is magic. Simples.

Every single time, sometimes more than once during a match, we see a ducked Clothesline, Cena hitting the ropes, one flying shoulder tackle, Cena hitting the opposite ropes, a second flying shoulder tackle, both men getting to their feet, Cena ducking a standing Lariat, that funny side suplex thing, the pose for the Five Knuckle Shuffle HAHA MASTURBATION IS FUNNY before the FKS is deposited right on the face of John's opponent. Hang on...

HOW DOES IT KEEP ON HAPPENING?! WHY ISN'T ANY SUPERSTAR ABLE TO RESIST THE LURE OF THOSE MISSED CLOTHESLINES?! DO THEY NOT HAVE THE WWE NETWORK TO STUDY?!

3. The Doctor Of Thuganomics

No matter what happens from here on out, we'll always have John Cena, the Doctor of Thuganomics, to cherish forever.

I love this gimmick because Cena was a natural in the role - much like Elias is in his today. Fans often criticise Cena's current schtick of having no real ties to his actual self - WWE Superstars are supposed to be at their best when they're themselves

turned up to 11

, after all. The dog tags and the salute at the top of the ramp aren't really related to John Felix Anthony Cena in any way, but the good doctor was, in spades.

John loved hip-hop growing up, his first records were

Beastie Boys’ Licensed To Ill

and

Fat Boys’ Crushin‘

. WWE provided him with generic entrance music at the start of his DOT run and he said he could do better, and did. He wanted to release an album with WWE's permission and did. There's so much to like here before you even consider how entertaining the gimmick was.

This is the gimmick that brought John Cena to the dance, if you will. It's staggering to go back and watch WrestleMania XX, the night he won his first WWE Championship (the US Title), and listen to the reception the MSG crowd gave him. He was over as rover, as they say in the trade, with all audiences and not just the kids.

2. He's Making Wrestling Cool Again

WE'RE ALL GOING TO BE HIPSTERS! GET IN THERE!

You know how 'the hipsters' have that annoying nack of knowing about things just before they become cool? Well, thanks to the likes of John Cena and The Rock we might just be on the brink of becoming hipsters ourselves.

Thanks to these people making their name inside the squared circle before taking their name and shoving it down the throats of more mainstream audiences, the basement dwelling cringe bags known as 'us' are moving up the food chain.

We knew about John Cena before everyone else did. We knew about The Rock before he became the biggest movie star in the world today. We knew these people were great before the rest of the world did and just like the hipsters before us, we should shove that down non-wrestling fans' throats forever more.

Hopefully, John's work for the likes of the Today Show has a knock on effect. Hopefully, people think to themselves 'hey, he's a swell guy. Let's check out that world wrestling fed' and the graps becomes the mainstream behemoth it once was. If it does, we can become hipsters all over again by saying we were on board with the graps before the graps was cool.

Am I giving hipsters too much credit here? All I know is they do my head in, so to be one to other people would be just... too... sweet.

1. He's A Bloody Lovely Bloke

I know every single WWE Superstar does these Make-A-Wish-type things, and the coverage of John Cena's is unfairly proportioned compared to his counterparts on WWE's roster - but videos like the one above just nail you right in the gut, don't they?

Not only does John do so much charitable work, but it appears he's a bloody lovely man behind the scenes too. You never hear any Superstar - apart from Ryback but he'd speak badly of a slice of bread of it meant his name staying slightly relevant - speaking bad of John. It's really rare that somebody who has been at the top of the game for so long hasn't created enemies aplenty down the years. Presumably, John could have been an absolute d*ck to his colleagues

because

he's John Cena. That fact he hasn't for the large part is certainly admirable indeed.

10. Bray Wyatt (2017)

WWE.com

Poor Bray Wyatt has been through the wringer over the years.

He's one of WWE's most outlandish characters in recent memory, and certainly had an aura and a presence about him (as too did the whole Wyatt Family), but he is one performer who has suffered perhaps more than any other thanks to poor booking and writing.

In early 2017, however, the Eater of Worlds was on a tear, surviving until the final three in the Royal Rumble and then bagging a place in the WWE Title Elimination Chamber match at the namesake pay-per-view.

On the night, Bray was successful in his quest to win the big one, beating a strong field that included AJ Styles, John Cena and Dean Ambrose and setting up a WrestleMania showdown with Rumble winner Randy Orton.

During this time, The Viper was a member of the Wyatt Family and refused to face the leader of the backwoods dwellers at the Showcase of the Immortals.

Well, before he burnt down the Wyatt Family compound that is.

The two met at 'Mania in a major misfire of a match, more remembered for Kevin Dunn's misguided insect-projection than any of the action.

Making things worse, Orton unnecessarily beat Wyatt to win his umpteenth world title, ending the reign at a weak 49 days. His lone defense of any note was in a triple threat with Styles and Cena on the SmackDown after Elimination Chamber.

Still, I suppose it could have been worse. He could have lost in three minutes to Goldberg in Saudi Arabia.

9. Jeff Hardy (2008)

WWE.com

Jeff Hardy has always been a popular performer with a dedicated fanbase, but that fanbase really started to make themselves heard when the Charismatic Enigma returned to WWE in 2006.

He was initially in the Intercontinental and Tag Team Title scenes, but by the end of 2007, the company's decision makers could hardly ignore the thunderous crowd reactions he received or the mountain of merchandise he shifted.

For Jeff, the thrill was very much in the chase.

He beat Triple H at Armageddon '07 to become number one contender to Randy Orton's WWE Title, a match that went down at the 2008 Royal Rumble and ended in defeat for Hardy.

Then, later in the year, Jeff once again challenged for the title, this time just coming up short against the Cerebral Assassin in a pair of thrillers at No Mercy and Cyber Sunday.

It seemed as though it would never happen for the Rainbow-Haired Warrior, especially when he was removed from a planned title match at Survivor Series and replaced with Vladimir Kozlov.

But, eventually, it did happen. Jeff beat Edge and Triple H in the triple threat main event of Armageddon, capping off a year-plus of trying to win the big one.

It was a jubilant scene, but it didn't last long as, at the next month's Royal Rumble, Jeff fell in his first major defense, losing to Edge in a No Disqualification match when brother Matt turned on him.

Jeff's sole WWE Title reign lasted 42 days.

8. Daniel Bryan (2013 & 2014)

WWE.com

One of the most unlikely WWE Champions ever, Daniel Bryan was propelled to the spot thanks to the adamant reactions of WWE fans, who refused to be silenced until their pick was elevated into the main event.

He had already shown that he could hold a main title during his 2011-12 World Heavyweight Title run, but his popularity exploded in 2013, the bearded wonder having forged a strong connection with the audience in large part thanks to his exploits in the Team Hell No tag team with Kane.

He was handpicked by John Cena as his opponent at SummerSlam 2013, and beat the Face That Runs the Place clean in the middle. Then special referee Triple H helped facilitate a Randy Orton cash-in, with Bryan's reign lasting a matter of mere minutes.

His series with Orton would see him hold the title again - but only for a day, due to the controversial finish to their meeting at Night of Champions.

From there, Bryan was eased out of the title picture in favour of Cena, Orton and Big Show, but the fans wouldn't let it lie and the Yes Movement ensured that Bryan not only made it to the main event of WrestleMania XXX, but that he won the title on the Grandest Stage, too.

Sadly, what could have been an epic reign was cut short due to Bryan's neck injury, ending it at 65 days.

Thankfully, he'd get a chance to have another, more substantial run four years later.

7. Edge (2006)

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Edge had a tremendous 2005, after a 2004 return from a major neck injury that had to be considered something of a letdown for the man himself.

Propelled by the real-life love triangle saga with Matt Hardy and Lita, Edge became the sleazy, must-watch Rated-R Superstar and upped his game in every aspect.

WWE, knowing full well what his potential was, booked him to win the first-ever Money in the Bank ladder match at WrestleMania 21, giving him a guaranteed WWE Title shot at any point within the following year.

Edge carried the briefcase around everywhere but, since he was the first person to hold it, there was no expectation or clue as to when he would cash it in.

When he did so on John Cena at New Year's Revolution - following Cena's successful defense inside the Elimination Chamber - it was instantly iconic and solidified Edge as a true main eventer.

In the weeks after the title win, Edge demonstrated that he could be a ratings draw, too, as fans tuned into Raw in their droves to see what he was doing (a promised Live Sex Celebration might have had a little something to do with it, but still).

It was exciting, it was different and, three weeks later, it was over, as Cena triumphed in their rematch at the Royal Rumble in order to set up a WrestleMania main event with Triple H.

In point of fact, most of Edge's WWE Title reigns were of a transitional nature, with the longest of the four clocking in at 76 days.

6. Big Show (2002)

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2002 was a weird year for Big Show, as he was hardly featured and had the ignominy of being the WWE star posted at the WWE New York restaurant for WrestleMania 18, rather than being booked on the card itself.

His highlights for the first ten months of the year included being involved in the rubbish nWo revamp and having a midcard feud with Booker T (which he lost).

His fortunes changed when he was drafted to SmackDown in October, making an instant impact by attacking and kayfabe injuring The Undertaker, and then becoming number one contender to Brock Lesnar's WWE Title.

The Next Big Thing hadn't had the belt for too long at that point and was in the midst of an impressive undefeated streak, so the odds of the World's Largest Athlete unseating him were not great.

However, Brock was working with several niggling injuries at the time (including a painful rib injury suffered in a match with Show), and WWE opted to take the title off him at Survivor Series, turning Lesnar babyface and Paul Heyman heel in the process.

A rejuvenated Big Show running roughshod over the blue brand's roster with Heyman by his side could have been some great stuff, but it was not to be.

28 days after winning the gold, Show lost it to Kurt Angle at Armageddon.

Nothing was going to stop Angle/Lesnar happening at WrestleMania, and Show was always going to be a way to get the title to Kurt so that Brock could chase, but it was a shame for Paul Wight.

Especially since, three years earlier, he'd had another shortish transitional reign (50 days) that didn't exactly set the world on fire.

5. Rob Van Dam (2006)

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Many fans at the time attested that Rob Van Dam really should have won a world title within his first year or two in the company.

Immensely popular and altogether different than anyone else on the roster, RVD took WWE by storm when he showed up as part of the WCW and ECW invasion of WWE in 2001.

Despite getting over and mixing it up with top stars like Steve Austin and The Rock in main events, WWE were hesitant to book him above a certain level and, over the course of the next several years, he settled into the Tag Team and Intercontinental Title scenes.

Van Dam spent 2005 on the shelf recovering from major knee surgery and returned in early '06 with a renewed focus and corresponding push.

He was booked to win the second-ever Money in the Bank ladder match at WrestleMania 21 and opted to cash-in his title shot against John Cena at the second One Night Stand pay-per-view.

His first world title victory was worth the wait, as he beat Big Match John in a thriller in front of a rabid, partisan ECW crowd. Then, on the first episode of ECW on Sci-Fi, Paul Heyman presented the new champ with the ECW World Title, too, making him a double champ.

Van Dam managed one significant defense of the WWE Title (against Edge at Vengeance) before his infamous arrest went down.

On July 3, Rob and travelling partner Sabu were caught speeding and pulled over. Upon further inspection of their vehicle, police officers found drugs and drug paraphernalia in it.

In the end, Van Dam was only issued a small fine and some additional court costs for the incident, but WWE went ahead and suspended him for 30 days without pay, while also booking him to drop both titles on the subsequent Raw and ECW shows.

It's hard to say how long his WWE Title reign would have been without the arrest, but I'm sure it would have been at least a little longer than 22 days. After years of being overlooked, it's a shame his run went up in smoke.

4. The Undertaker (2007)

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Despite being one of WWE's longest mainstays and beloved characters, The Undertaker didn't hold the top prize all too often or for too long.

The argument could be made that The Deadman didn't need to be WWE or World Heavyweight Champion, of course, since his gimmick was so strong and so over and that his general lack of beatability made it hard to book him as effectively if he held the belt.

Of all his short reigns, his World Heavyweight Title run in 2007 was the most disappointingly brief.

He beat Batista in a blockbuster at WrestleMania 23, having earned his shot by winning the Royal Rumble match. At this point in time, 'Taker was lean, mean and putting on the matches of his life.

Many saw him having a lengthy run through, at least, SummerSlam, similar to his reign in 1997.

Regrettably, however, he went down with a torn bicep, necessitating surgery. That meant his reign would have to be cut short, so WWE engineered a scenario where Edge would cash-in his Money in the Bank briefcase (which he had won from an also-injured Ken Kennedy), with The Phenom dropping the strap to the Ultimate Opportunist after holding it for 37 days.

3. Shawn Michaels (2002)

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Similar to the case of Big Show we looked at earlier, Shawn Michaels won a world title at the 2002 Survivor Series, only to lose it the next month at Armageddon.

For the Heartbreak Kid, though, his title win was even more special, as he won it in the main event of the show, in the first ever Elimination Chamber match, at Madison Square Garden, in only his second bout back after improbably returning from a four-year injury layoff.

WWE gave Michaels, one of their best ever performers, the World Heavyweight Title in a confetti-filled feel-good moment. However, it soon became apparent that Michaels was not (yet) back long-term and that the title reign was tokenistic in nature.

HBK defended the title one time, a disqualification loss to Rob Van Dam on Raw, before giving it back to Triple H at Armageddon when he lost a Three Stages of Hell match.

A four-week reign with the big gold belt would have been fine, had The Showstopper captured another between then and his 2010 retirement, but he didn't, and this felt like a missed opportunity.

2. Christian (2011)

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In 2011, there were few WWE stars as dependable as the ever-consistent and reliable Christian.

Since returning to the company in 2009, Captain Charisma had enjoyed a run with the ECW Title, but the third brand's main prize seemed to be his ceiling, until lifelong friend and tag partner Edge was forced to retire while still in possession of the World Heavyweight Title.

Gunning for the championship both in a bid to move out of Edge's shadow while also paying tribute to him, Christian beat Alberto Del Rio in a ladder match at Extreme Rules.

It was something that had been a long time coming for Christian, who was a great worker, popular and also a fresh face at the top of the card.

Then, on the very next episode of SmackDown, he dropped it to Randy Orton. You know. The proper star.

It was a blow, no doubt, but he won it back a couple of months later at Money in the Bank. Now a heel, Christian and Orton had a tremendous summer series that elevated not just the them, but the title itself.

Christian proved that he could carry the championship and deliver the goods, but he didn't get too long to enjoy it, dropping it back to The Viper 28 days later in another belter at SummerSlam.

Outside of Shawn Michaels and Jeff Hardy, Christian held the World Heavyweight Title for the third shortest amount of time.

1. Mankind (1999)

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The Attitude Era is fondly remembered by the fans and wrestlers who lived through it, but it was far from perfect.

Yes, everyone was over and the arenas were wold out, but some of the output was downright awful. One thing that certainly suffered during that time was WWE's championship belts, including their World Title.

1999 was particularly bad for playing hot potato with the main prize, as it flipped back and forth between the likes of Steve Austin, The Rock, The Undertaker and Triple H.

Mick Foley got in on the act, too, when the overachiever won the big one on the January 4 episode of Raw, which was historically spoiled by WCW announcer Tony Schiavone giving away the result at the start of Nitro (which was lived while Raw was taped).

It was a phenomenal moment, but Mankind lost the title back to The Rock 20 days after the switch aired, in an I Quit match at the Royal Rumble.

A week later, Foley got the belt once again, winning the ratings smash 'Halftime Heat' empty arena bout with The Great One, which aired during halftime of the Super Bowl.

Once again, though, it was a short reign where Mankind didn't get to do much with the title, losing it back to The Rock once again two weeks later in a ladder match on Raw.

There was simply no chance WWE weren't going to go with Rock versus Austin for the title at WrestleMania, but it was harsh on the hardworking Foley.

Mankind's third and final WWE Title run that year lasted just 24 hours. He won it in a triple threat match at SummerSlam (in order to have special referee and Minnesota Governor Jesse 'The Body' Ventura get a photo op with a babyface), only to drop it to Triple H the next night on Raw (word is that Austin was against doing a job to The Game at that point in time).

So, while Foley is a three-time WWE Champion, none of those three reigns were allowed to reach their full potential.