Nobody Wanted This John Cena Appearance

It goes with out saying that no high star in wrestling historical past is like several others, and John Cena is definitely no exception. The factor is, he is not simply totally different from different high wrestling stars, he is vastly totally different for one purpose; throughout his peak, he was by no means universally accepted by the viewers. Certain, Cena bought tickets and merchandise and proved to be a powerful ace for WWE in the course of the 2000s and early 2010s, however in contrast to Hulk Hogan and Steve Austin earlier than him, or figures like El Santo, Antonio Inoki, or Shohei “Big” Baba in Mexico and Japan, he was by no means totally beloved. The truth is, more often than not Cena discovered himself hated by the viewers, receiving vitriol in a method no different high star ever had, an ironic twist given followers largely refused to boo him throughout his current ill-fated heel flip.

For many followers, no second greatest encapsulated the followers unwillingness to totally embrace Cena than the legendary Cash within the Financial institution 2011 occasion, the place Cena misplaced the WWE Championship to CM Punk. It was some of the electrifying scenes in WWE historical past, because the Chicago crowd totally lent their help behind hometown hero Punk, whereas Cena was booed even worse than he normally was. However whereas the match, and the lead as much as it which noticed followers rally behind the villain Punk as a substitute of Cena, painted the image that Cena was a polarizing ace, it additionally wasn’t completely honest. In spite of everything, Punk was from Chicago; even with out elements such because the “Pipebomb promo” and the storyline revolving round Punk leaving WWE, it was doubtless Cena was going to get a hostile response anyway. As such, an argument might be made that MITB wasn’t the nadir of Cena hatred, with that honor as a substitute going to a 2006 occasion the place nobody wished Cena anyplace close to the constructing.

Some followers could not keep in mind ECW One Night time Stand 2006. That is comprehensible; the occasion’s repute paled compared to the primary ECW One Night time Stand a 12 months earlier, thought of among the finest one-off PPV’s in historical past, and the ECW revival that adopted the 2006 One Night time Stand left many with a foul style in lots of mouths. But when nothing else, One Night time Stand 2006, the place Cena defended the WWE Title towards Rob Van Dam, stakes a powerful declare for being peak of the Cena backlash. Very like the Punk match, Cena was at a drawback, going through an ECW legend in hollowed ECW floor, the Hammerstein Ballroom. And but, whereas MITB 2011 was about followers embracing Punk, one cannot shake that One Night time Stand 2006 was much less about supporting RVD and extra about extending a large center finger to Cena.

It begins shortly with the “If Cena Wins, We Riot” signal seen at the beginning of the present, then hits like a ton of bricks throughout Cena’s entrance and pre-match actions, the place his makes an attempt to throw his t-shirt into the gang resulted in it being thrown again a number of instances. Each jeer and each center finger could be felt all through the remainder of the match, and very similar to with the Punk match, it is obvious it impressed Cena. On the time nonetheless thought of a mean wrestler, Cena’s efficiency towards RVD stays amongst his greatest work, as Cena tailored to the hostile scenario brilliantly, making it all of the extra sweeter when RVD in the end toppled him to win the WWE Championship, whereas concurrently revitalizing the ECW World Heavyweight Championship. In a method, ECW One Night time Stand 2006 and MITB 2011 educate us a helpful lesson about John Cena the performer; when followers did not need him round, that is when he appeared to carry out at his greatest.