"This is hilarious" - Hall of Famer on the time John Cena was disrespected in WWE
Rob Van Dam (RVD) recently recalled how he found it amusing when fans ridiculed John Cena before a WWE Championship match.
RVD defeated Cena at ECW One Night Stand 2006. The 16-time world champion threw his shirt into the crowd multiple times before the match. However, the passionate anti-Cena fans inside the Hammerstein Ballroom threw the shirt back every time.
Speaking on the “Insiders Edge Podcast,” Van Dam reflected on his reaction when he realized how much disdain the fans had for his opponent.
“I was laughing. That was just a shoot f**king ‘this is hilarious’ kind of laugh. I didn’t expect that. That’s a hell of a souvenir to take home with you from a pay-per-view, John Cena’s shirt, so that’s pretty committed to throw it back at him. That’s perfect for the energy that was at The Hammerstein Ballroom.” [28:21-28:51]
WWE Superstars often throw shirts into the crowd so that fans get to keep something special from the show. At ECW One Night Stand, the raucous fans repeatedly cheered when the shirt kept being thrown back into the ring. Loud chants of “F**k you, Cena!” could also be heard at the start of the match.
Why RVD had doubts before his match against John Cena
“I think John Cena, to this day, loved every single micro moment of it,”
- Paul Heyman on John Cena dropping the WWE Title to RVD at ECW One Night Stand 2006 https://t.co/EXYy1ylBdG
WWE’s decision-makers have been known to reverse match outcomes on the day of the show. In 2014, for example, Brock Lesnar was originally supposed to lose against The Undertaker at WrestleMania 30 before Vince McMahon changed his mind.
Although RVD was told in advance about his win over John Cena, he expected the outcome to change at short notice.
“Everybody was 100 percent against him and what he stood for, 100 percent for me and everything that I stood for,” Van Dam added. “The whole build-up to that match, I feel, was like my whole career. That’s why it was so important for me. I really didn’t allow myself to believe that I was going to be holding the gold up at the end until it actually happened. Skeptical until the very last moment.” [28:52-29:21]
RVD considers his win over Cena to be among the greatest of his career. Aged 51, the WWE Hall of Famer still wrestles today for various promotions around the world.
Would you like to see RVD back in WWE one day? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section.
Please credit the “Insiders Edge Podcast” and give a H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription if you use quotes from this article.