John Cena recently revealed a previously untold behind-the-scenes story about his infamous match against Rob Van Dam at WWE’s ECW One Night Stand 2006. Speaking during a panel at Philadelphia Fan Expo, Cena reflected on the notoriously hostile Hammerstein Ballroom crowd and a decision he now calls “the most stupid” of his career.
“The audience was pretty bad,” Cena admitted. “Chants of ‘F you Cena’ started hours before we went on. I knew by the time we went out at 10 o’clock, it was going to be pretty gnarly.”
Fans may remember the now-iconic “If Cena wins, we riot” sign from the event. But Cena went on to share a moment that wasn’t previously public:
“I would never do this again, and it was the most stupid decision of my life, but I told Rob, hey, let’s go out into the audience,” Cena said. “And I just wanted to see, like, what would happen… I thought I was gonna get my ass kicked, but everybody was real nice.”
Despite the extreme animosity shown throughout the match, Cena thanked the Hammerstein Ballroom crowd for maintaining a level of respect in what could’ve turned into a dangerous situation. The audience’s deafening reaction remains one of the most talked-about moments in Cena’s early main-event run—and his walk into that lion’s den is now an even more legendary tale.
Stay tuned to PWMania.com for more backstage stories and wrestling history insights.
