WWE Region, Fourth Round, 3 Stages Of Hell: (2) Shawn Michaels vs (3) John Cena

Both guys bring it better than almost anyone on the big stage. The one thing to keep in mind here: Shawn Michaels can and has beaten John Cena clean. London, England - April 23, 2007: John Cena vs. Shawn Michaels. Cena was WWE Champion and Shawn beat him 100% clean with Sweet Chin Music after over 55 minutes. Shawn beat Cena 1-2-3 in the middle of the ring after kicking out of the FU and escaping the STFU.
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The bigger half to remember is what happened when Cena and HBK tangled for the WWE Championship at Wrestlemania 23. Cena didn't only beat HBK clean, he made him tap out. Not that HBK hasn't tapped out before, but this was in the main event of Wrestlemania, the biggest stage of them all.

And for those who would argue that this was a "past his prime" HBK, he was main-eventing Wrestlemania for the WWE Championship. Men "out of their prime" don't compete for the WWE Title at Wrestlemania in the main event. So while HBK did pin Cena 3 weeks later in a rematch, it was on a smaller stage, and with smaller stakes. It was bragging rights- nothing more. Cena beat HBK in a very physical matchup, including him taking a piledriver from HBK on the ring steps, at Wrestlemania.

I think the street fight element favors Cena. People can point to the return match HBK had at Summerslam 2002 after 5 years back, where HBK beat HHH, and it's a valid point. But Cena beat Brock freakin Lesnar in a Street Fight, who's far tougher then HHH is. We saw proof of that on Monday.

I think the cage match environment also favors Cena. While HBK has always been impressive in, and has won his fair share of cage matches, I'll take Cena's three Elimination Chamber match wins. HBK has won one, and while he's beat up a heck of a fight in the others, he's taken a beating and lost. If we went to limit this to regular cage matches, Cena is 2-1. He beat Edge and Alex Riley, and lost to Sheamus, but only after major Nexus interference. I see this as a face vs face matchup, with no interference, and I think that lends to a Cena victory as well. But in the case that HBK does roll Cena up, catch him with Sweet Chin Music or escape quickly, that leaves the ladder match....

I say this goes to Cena. While HBK is the Innovator of the ladder match, he's hardly got a good record in them. He's shined in defeat, the WM match against Ramon and No Mercy 08 against Jericho come to mind, but he lost. Cena, in his only WWE ladder match(I believe) walked into Edge's hometown, into Edge's match, and despite outside interference, beat Edge in a TLC match. I've heard the tired argument that a TLC match isn't the same as a ladder match-Why not? Climb ladder, retrieve belt, anything else goes? What's the difference? Aren't chairs and ladders legal in a regular ladder match as well? They are. Cena showed that, despite interference, he could beat the true master of the ladder match.

Cena wins this. I think all three matches lend the slight advantage to Cena, but should HBK win one fall, no chance does he take 2 from Cena in one night. I don't see the argument for HBK here that he beat Cena in London, a far less impressive feat then Cena making him submit in the main event of Wrestlemania.

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