#4
WrestleMania 22
John Cena def. Triple H
At WrestleMania 21, John Cena dethroned the infamous John Bradshaw Layfield to become WWE Champion for the very first time. Damn near everyone in Hollywood loved him.
By WrestleMania 22, John Cena had been drafted to Monday Night Raw, was still WWE Champion, and was set to face his first colossal challenge in Triple H. Damn near everyone in Chicago hated him.
As a big John Cena fan, this is one of my personal favorite Triple H matches, and I don't think it gets the credit it deserves as a memorable WrestleMania main event. In just one year Cena had become the face of professional wrestling. He was "the guy" in a shorter time than anybody had ever become "the guy". That success was met with hate in a lot of the snarkier cities – Chicago was quite possibly the worst of them all. So when the WWE Champion stepped into the Allstate Arena against Triple H AND 17,000 fans booing him non-stop, it presented an insurmountable challenge you can't help but get behind.
Triple H and Cena went over 20 minutes, battling back and forth with the roles reversed. Despite knocking out the referee and using low blows, sledgehammers and anything he could to cheat, the Chicago fans cheered everything the Game did. But no matter what he was hit with, Cena kicked out. The end came with an STF(U) that served as a giant slap in the face to the "King of Kings", and the smart fans in attendance. Not only did the the champ retain, but he did so by making a ring general like Triple H tap out. That moment cemented a changing of the guard, and a dramatic paradigm shift at the top of WWE's roster.
Also, it was a damn good wrestling match.
