John Cena has officially checked off the one accomplishment that had been missing from his career.
On the Monday, November 10 episode of Raw, held in Massachusetts, Cena captured the Intercontinental Championship, making him a Grand Slam Champion for the first time.
According to USA Today, the night was initially set up as a celebration. Cena came out to address the crowd during what has been described as one of the final stops of his in-ring farewell. Paul “Triple H” Levesque introduced him, acknowledging his longevity and impact before stepping aside for Cena to speak.
The moment didn’t last long. Intercontinental Champion Dominik Mysterio made his way to the ring, interrupting the segment to claim that he had surpassed Cena’s legacy.
Rather than let the exchange end at words, Levesque announced on the spot that Mysterio would defend his title against Cena right then. This marked Cena’s first televised challenge for the Intercontinental Championship, despite holding almost every other title multiple times over the course of his career.
The match unfolded with Mysterio leaning heavily on shortcuts to hold the advantage. There was a submission attempt on Cena that didn’t lead to a referee count, and multiple instances where Mysterio tried to force a quick finish.
Cena absorbed the momentum swings and gradually regained control of the match. When Mysterio went for a Frog Splash, Cena countered, lifted him into the Attitude Adjustment, and secured the three-count.
By winning the Intercontinental Championship, Cena completed the set of titles required to be recognized as a Grand Slam Champion.
The criteria include winning the WWE Championship, the United States Championship, the Tag Team Championship, and the Intercontinental Championship.
Cena already held records with the first three: 17 reigns as WWE Champion, five as United States Champion, and four tag title runs. The Intercontinental title had been the lone gap on his résumé until this match.
Cena now becomes the 25th person to achieve Grand Slam status. The group includes Shawn Michaels, Eddie Guerrero, Big Show, Edge, Daniel Bryan, Randy Orton, Seth Rollins, Roman Reigns, and others who have held championships across multiple eras of WWE programming.