#4 – Triple H
Angle was the man to put Cena on the fan's radar. Lesnar was the man that proved his potential. JBL made him a true main event star. After all that, "The Game" Triple H would be the force to test Cena's longevity in the top spot – to take him to unforeseen heights as the main event of WrestleMania against one of the all-time greats (no offense JBL). Triple H was the villain who played hero to an unruly crowd in Chicago, but still managed to make John Cena look like a million bucks by the end of the night.
The two had many other matches together, including another WrestleMania moment involving Randy Orton, but it was their very first feud that signaled the changing of the guard. It was the same changing of the guard that Hunter did for Batista the year prior, and would do again for Randy Orton. For a long time Triple H was the measuring stick by which all future stars held themselves accountable. He was "the man", and to go through him meant you were destined for greatness. And then he helped John Cena become "the man" – a man who is now the measuring stick for a new generation of talent. Talent like Bray Wyatt and Daniel Bryan. But if it weren't for the guy everyone thinks of as "self absorbed" putting him over, John Cena could have been another great main event guy that just fell short of "best of all time" status.
