Throwback to WrestleMania 21: John Cena and Batista’s first title win turns 20 years

The prominent heavy-weight wrestlers of WWE have given many promising memories to the WWE Universe, which remain etched in the hearts of the fans. One such memory that WWE fans still cherish is John Cena and Batista’s first title win at WrestleMania 21, which took place in 2005.

Interestingly, this year marks the 20th anniversary of the day when the WWE legends won their first world titles in WWE. Two rising superstars of the time, John Cena and Batista, claimed their first-ever world championships, bringing a new era in the world of professional wrestling.

As the watershed moment in the history of WWE has completed two decades, let’s revisit the win of John Cena and Batista, and how it culminated in the meteoric rise of these WWE superstars.

Throwback to John Cena and Batista’s first WWE title win at WrestleMania 21

WrestleMania 21 took place on April 3, 2005, where John Cena and Batista carved their name into glory by winning their first WWE Championship.

Both John Cena's and Batista's wins were a memorable event of WWE's Ruthless Aggression Era. That night, John Cena dethroned his opponent John "Bradshaw" Layfield, aka JBL, to win the singles match for the WWE Championship. The win marked Cena's meteoric rise in the industry.


During the match, JBL controlled most of the bout. But, John Cena managed to win after ducking a Clothesline from Hell attempt and executing an FU to win the match. Batista won his title against his former mentor, Triple H. It was the main event of WrestleMania 21, where Triple H was the defending World Heavyweight Champion against Batista.


As per earlier reports, Triple H entered the match, and the action was back and forth, with neither man in control for very long periods. While the referee at that time was down, Triple H attacked Batista with a low blow and the title belt.

In the end, Batista retaliated and pinned Triple H after attacking him with a Batista Bomb to win the match and finally clinched the title. This feud between Triple H and Batista continued, and they had a rematch too of the same event, where Batista surprisingly again managed to hold his title.

John Cena and Batista’s current status

The intense rivalry between the duo was finally settled at WrestleMania 35, where Triple H finally defeated Batista in a No Holds Barred Match. After this event, Batista was no longer seen in a WWE match as he announced his retirement from wrestling to focus on his acting career.

As for today, John Cena is currently busy with his farewell tour and preparing for the ultimate battle with Cody Rhodes at the upcoming WrestleMania 41, on April 20, 2025.

Also Read: John Cena shares his past skin cancer diagnosis; Here’s why sunscreen should be your daily companion - The Times of India

Moreover, Batista continues to appear on the silver screen. He is popularly known for his movies like Dune, Guardians of the Galaxy, The Avengers: Endgame, My Spy, Miller's Game, Thor: Love and Thunder, and many more.