In the storied career of John Cena — one of the most recognisable figures in professional wrestling — the themes of championship gold, tag team dynamics and career milestones interplay. Below is a detailed, look at John Cena’s journey, focusing specifically on his status as an Intercontinental Champion, his connection to the IC Title, and his achievements as a Tag Team Champion.
Early Rise and Tag Team Success
John Cena burst onto the main roster of WWE in 2002 and rapidly established himself as a singles star.
However, it’s easy to overlook his achievements in the tag-team division:
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He captured the World Tag Team Championship twice (with Shawn Michaels and with Batista).
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He also held the WWE Tag Team Championship twice (with The Miz and David Otunga).
These tag team title reigns show that although Cena is primarily remembered for his singles work, he has a credible tag-team résumé. For example:
“John Cena has four tag title reigns without ever being in a full-fledged tag team.”
Therefore, when writing about John Cena as a tag team champion, it’s meaningful: even though his tag team work was often short and transitional, it contributed to his overall legacy.
The IC Title: A Notable Absence (Until Recently)
The journey to the Intercontinental Championship (IC title) is particularly interesting because it represented one of the few significant titles Cena had never won — until recently.
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Multiple sources stressed that Cena had never won the IC Title despite accruing many other major championships.
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For example: “John Cena is set to end his 23-year WWE career … a notable absence being the Intercontinental Championship.”
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One rival, Bron Breakker, even publicly challenged Cena precisely because he knew Cena had never held the IC Title.
But then, in 2025:
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Cena won the IC Title on 10 November 2025 by defeating Dominik Mysterio on an episode of Raw.
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This victory made him a “Grand Slam Champion” by virtue of adding this missing piece.
Thus, when writing about Cena and the IC Title, it’s worthwhile to emphasise the narrative of “the one title he hadn’t yet won” and how that finally changed.
Interplay of Titles: Context and Significance
Understanding Cena’s tag team titles and IC Title in the broader context of his championship legacy adds depth and helps optimise for search relevance (keywords: “John Cena IC Title”, “John Cena Tag Team Champion”, “John Cena Intercontinental Champion”).
Why the IC Title mattered
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The IC Title has been historically considered one of WWE’s most prestigious “secondary” singles championships.
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For a superstar like Cena—who dominated the world title scene—the fact he had not held the IC Title was repeatedly noted and even used in storylines.
Tag Team Championships’ role
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While Cena’s tag team title reigns were not the longest or the most dominant, they are important in showing his versatility and longevity.
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These reigns are part of the keyword-rich narrative: “John Cena Tag Team Champion” allows a search engine to pull up pages that detail his tag team work, not just his singles dominance.
Why This Matters for His Legacy
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Cena has been a 17-time world champion (according to WWE’s internal count) and one of the most recognisable pop-culture wrestling figures.
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The addition of the IC Title completes a major milestone: achieving a Grand Slam (or at least the modern equivalent) by having world, United States, tag team and Intercontinental titles.
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