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For all its faults, WWE has also done a lot right over the years in terms of producing compelling stories, delivering all-time classic matches, and creating mega stars. Quite often, when trying to build up a new star or name, simpler is better, and that was certainly the case with John Cena. Since his debut, John Cena has become the most decorated World Champion in WWE history, with him being the company’s number one babyface for many years, dominating at the main event level. However, that all may not have come without his iconic and noteworthy WWE debut back in 2002, in which he made a big impact on his very first night.
John Cena Answered Kurt Angle’s Open Challenge
In 2002, WWE was transitioning out of the Attitude Era and moving towards the Ruthless Aggression Era, with this change in direction prompted by Vince McMahon on an episode of Raw, in which he brought out the roster and implored them to show some “ruthless aggression” in order to stand out and make a name for themselves. Someone stepped up to the plate a few days later on an episode of SmackDown, and that man was the debuting John Cena.
Kurt Angle had issued an open challenge to anyone in the back, and it was answered by someone completely unknown to the WWE fans. Doing this can be a big risk, with indifference being a possibility, in addition to the chance of the dreaded “who are you” chants, but WWE decided to take a risk anyway and introduce someone new and fresh. Cena arrived, dressed in the simplest of ring attires possible, looking like just any other performer who has come through the developmental system. This perhaps made him rather endearing though, with his character not necessarily trying too hard to be flashy, but rather allowing his actions to do the talking.
John Cena Nearly Picked Up A Win Over Kurt Angle
Cena went face to face with Angle, showing no signs of fear. Angle asked him who he was, to which Cena said his name. This was immediately a showcase of very simple yet effective booking. Out of the blocks, fans knew his name, and they certainly wouldn’t forget it. Angle then seemingly talked down to Cena, asking him what quality he possessed to think he could stand toe-to-toe with someone like Angle.
In what would become an iconic line, Cena stated, “Ruthless Aggression”, and proceeded to slap Angle in the face, before delivering an electric flurry of offense. This gave the audience no time to even consider turning on Cena or showing a lack of care towards the segment, as everything was at such a high speed. Due to the shock factor of a rookie slapping a former WWE Champion in Kurt Angle, and with him displaying no signs of hesitance, the audience was immediately drawn to Cena and showed him support.
The match itself was very strong in establishing Cena as a gutsy competitor. Angle would dominate mostly, but Cena kept getting near-falls, to the point where the crowd were convinced that at least on one of the occasions he would pick up a shock victory. The pair went back and forth for a few more minutes, with Angle himself needing to perform a roll-up to secure the win, which not only showed his veteran instincts, but it also showed that Cena was hard to beat decisively.
Every Element Of John Cena’s Debut Was Perfectly Handled
Post-match, it was Cena who got to his feet first. This wasn’t due to him being the “superman” character he would later become, but it was to show that he could have easily had Angle’s number, which added immediate stock to him as a performer. Cena would then offer a handshake to Angle, which further got fans on his side, only to be snubbed by the Olympic Gold Medalist as he headed to the back. Even without the handshake, and even in defeat, Cena was left standing tall in the ring on his very first night on the main roster.
This all goes to show that if booked in a clever fashion, losses can build up a performer rather than bury them. If Cena had come out and beaten Angle, then perhaps he would have still become a star, but it would have felt more as though WWE was forcing a push rather than building one up naturally. Everything about Cena’s debut was an example of perfection in introducing a new member of the roster, setting the groundwork for what would become an all-time great run in WWE, with him winning 16 World Titles in addition to many other accomplishments over the course of his career in the company.