When John Cena announced his retirement tour, it wasn't just a goodbye. It was the final chapter of one of the most decorated championship careers WWE has ever seen. Before he took his final bow against Gunther in December 2025, Cena had already rewritten the record books across four different title categories.
Here's the full story of every belt he ever held, category by category.
WWE Championship & World Heavyweight Championship: 17 Reigns
This is the title Cena is remembered for most. His first reign began in 2005 against JBL, introducing the polarizing spinner belt that became as famous as Cena himself. From there, the reigns kept coming.
By the time he faced Cody Rhodes at WrestleMania 41 in April 2025, Cena had 16 world title reigns behind him. He won that match too, using a heel turn and outside interference to capture his 17th world championship. That victory broke his tie with Ric Flair, making Cena the most decorated world champion in wrestling history.
The reign didn't last through the summer. Rhodes got his rematch at SummerSlam in a Street Fight and took the title back, closing out Cena's championship chapter on the top title.
Total reigns: 17 Notable moments: First win in 2005 vs. JBL; record-breaking 17th win vs. Cody Rhodes at WrestleMania 41 (2025)
WWE United States Championship: 5 Reigns
Before the world titles, the US Championship was where Cena's career actually began. He won it for the first time at WrestleMania 20 in 2004, defeating The Big Show. Three more reigns followed over the next year, each shorter than the last, as the title bounced between Cena and rivals like Booker T, Carlito, and Orlando Jordan.
A decade later, Cena returned to the title in a very different way. After defeating Rusev at WrestleMania 31 in 2015, he launched the US Open Challenge, taking on all comers including Dean Ambrose, Sami Zayn, and Neville. That reign is widely considered the high point of his work with the belt. A fifth and final reign followed shortly after, ending against Alberto Del Rio.
Total reigns: 5 Notable moments: First win vs. Big Show (2004); US Open Challenge era vs. Rusev (2015)
WWE Tag Team Championship: 4 Reigns
Cena's tag team career never got the spotlight his singles run did, but it added an interesting layer to his legacy. His first reign came in 2007, teaming with Shawn Michaels after Triple H went down with an injury. The pairing won gold and carried it all the way into WrestleMania 23.
Later reigns came with less traditional partners. Cena won the titles with Batista in 2008, with fellow Nexus member David Otunga in 2010, and with The Miz in 2011. None of these reigns lasted long. The Otunga run ended the very next night, and the Miz reign didn't even survive 24 hours. Still, each one added to a resume that already had almost everything.
Total reigns: 4 Partners: Shawn Michaels, Batista, David Otunga, The Miz
WWE Intercontinental Championship: 1 Reign
For twenty years, this was the one title missing from Cena's collection. That changed during his farewell tour. On November 10, 2025, during his final Raw appearance in Boston, Cena defeated Dominik Mysterio to win the Intercontinental Championship for the first time in his career.
The win completed his Grand Slam status, officially checking off the last box on his championship résumé. The reign was brief. Mysterio won the title back on November 29 at Survivor Series, with Liv Morgan's return playing a role in the finish. Short as it was, this reign closed a gap that had followed Cena for two decades.
Total reigns: 1 Notable moment: First-ever IC title win, completing Grand Slam Champion status (2025)
The Final Match: No Belt, Just a Farewell
Cena's last match wasn't for a championship at all. On December 13, 2025, he faced Gunther at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C. He came close to pulling off one more win, but Gunther finished him off by submission. It was a fitting way to end things: no title on the line, just a final performance for the fans who had followed his entire career.
The Full Picture
Add it all up, and John Cena's championship résumé looks like this: 17 world title reigns, 5 US Championship reigns, 4 Tag Team Championship reigns, and 1 Intercontinental Championship reign, earned across more than two decades. Few careers in wrestling history can match that spread across every major title WWE has to offer.
His farewell tour didn't just close the book. It filled in the last missing chapter.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many total championships did John Cena win in WWE? Across his career, Cena held 17 world titles, 5 US Championships, 4 Tag Team Championships, and 1 Intercontinental Championship.
What made Cena's 17th world title win historic? His win over Cody Rhodes at WrestleMania 41 broke his tie with Ric Flair, making him the most world titles won by any wrestler in history.
Why is the Intercontinental Championship win significant? It was the only major title Cena had never held, and winning it in 2025 made him an official Grand Slam Champion.
Did John Cena win his final match? No. He lost to Gunther by submission in his last WWE match on December 13, 2025, with no title on the line.
