John Cena has reflected on the matches that hold the most significance in his legendary WWE career, naming his debut against Kurt Angle and a recent showdown with AJ Styles as the two moments that stand above the rest.

Throughout more than two decades in WWE, Cena shared the ring with some of the industry's biggest stars, including Randy Orton, Edge, CM Punk, Shawn Michaels, Triple H, Seth Rollins, and AJ Styles. While many fans debate which of those encounters was his greatest, Cena recently revealed the matches that mean the most to him on a personal level.

Appearing at SpaceCon San Antonio 2026, Cena was asked the question many fans have posed for years: what is his favorite match? The former WWE Champion explained that while he was still actively competing, he always had a simple answer ready.

"So, this used to be a cheat code of mine, right? When I was still a wrestler, I used to be like, ‘Oh, that’s easy. My favorite match is my next one.’ Because it’s true, I would always look forward to performing, but now I can’t cheat. I am retired."

With his in-ring career now behind him, Cena gave a more definitive response. The first match he highlighted was his WWE debut against Kurt Angle, a contest that launched one of the most successful careers in wrestling history.

"I don’t think you can have the journey without the first step. So, I really have a soft spot for a match in Chicago with an Olympic gold medalist named Kurt Angle."

Cena also singled out his match against AJ Styles during his retirement tour at WWE Crown Jewel: Perth. While the bout itself was memorable, it was the atmosphere created by the fans that left the biggest impression on him.

"Speaking of matches that give me the emotions, and maybe the feels and a little bit of a tear or two, I was lucky enough on the retirement tour to face AJ Styles in Perth, Australia. And I really enjoyed that match as well. So, I’ll give you those two as a as a concrete answer for that."

He went on to explain how the audience became part of the performance, creating an experience unlike anything he had encountered before.

"The reason I showcase that AJ match is because it wasn’t just me and him; it was all of us. I don’t know if you all saw it, but the crowd was calling out spots. Like, we had 55,000 people telling me to hit AJ with the RKO. Hell, I almost did a 619. It was like a 3-.5-4.5. But I don’t know if it can get better than that as far as interaction, because I’ve always encouraged our audience to interact. But man, they felt like they were all in the ring with us, and I just don’t know if it gets any better. I’ve never had that happen in my career, ever."

While Cena's career is packed with iconic matches and championship victories, the WWE icon made it clear that the bout that started it all against Kurt Angle and the emotional atmosphere surrounding his clash with AJ Styles remain the moments he treasures most.