[06-11-2006] John Cena vs Rob Van Dam
John Cena dispatched Triple H and Edge in a post-Mania triple threat and was left without an obvious opponent. Enter Rob Van Dam, the holder of the Money in the Bank briefcase, to challenge John Cena for the WWE Title at the upcoming ECW One Night Stand. John Cena was no stage to hostile crowds, people have sided with Triple H rather than cheer for him, but this is something different. This crowd is visceral, this crowd is ready for war, this crowd, for this one match, on this night, it's as real as it's going to get.
The interplay between Cena and this crowd is legendary at this point. The shirt being thrown into the crowd and then thrown back is iconic. You can tell right away, this is just one of those nights. Something special is going to happen here. Cena takes charge, all while being showered with 'You can't wrestle chants.' RVD hits an enziguiri and Cena bails to the outside. We get some of the really bad 'boo' and 'yay' punch exchanges, and a 'same old shit' chant after Cena hits a powerslam, which prompts Cena to throw a flying forearm from the top rope to the outside. Cena starts to brawl on the outside with RVD, which the announcers put over as being Cena's element, but RVD turns the tide with a moonsault off the stairs. RVD takes charge, but Cena shoves him off the top of the guardrail and into the crowd. Good stuff. Not a ton has happened, really, but the crowd is on fire for everything. RVD starts hitting his big spots and the crowd loves it. RVD is on a roll, but Cena has the Rolling Thunder scouted and takes over from there. DDT on a chair for a two count. Cena hits an absolutely brutal slingshot into a chair, but still only 2. Cena hits a Five Knuckle Shuffle and the crowd erupts in an 'asshole' chant. FU attempt, but RVD slides off, hits a spin kick. But it only provides a momentary advantage. Cena is still on offense, RVD springboards up to the top rope to try to get some space, but Cena throws him off with a one-armed powerbomb. The crowd pops big for that move but realizes it and chants 'You still suck.' Things get messy when RVD tries to crotch Cena on the ropes, RVD eventually gets Cena to the outside and sets up a table, but before anything else can happen, Cena has the STFU on. RVD grabs the rope, but Cena doesn't break the hold at 4. The ref pries Cena off, and Cena is heated. He drops the ref, and takes his frustration out on RVD with a brutal shot with the stairs. A Smackdown referee runs in to count the pin, but RVD kicks out at 2. Cena hits an FU from the ring to the outside, but when he turns around, a guy in a motorcycle helmet and trench coat spears him through a table. It's Edge. RVD seizes the opportunity, hits the biggest 5-Star Frog Splash of his career. Heyman runs to the ring to count the pin, and Rob Van Dam is the WWE Champion.
This isn't that great of a match. It's a bit disjointed and, despite what the crowd thinks, Cena mainly carries it. He has the 3 or 4 best spots in the match and is there for everything RVD does, but RVD isn't as crisp, and he never really was. What makes this match is the crowd and the moment. Those two things make this great. The Edge thing isn't great, but it serves its purpose. It gets Cena a new hot feud, and it gets RVD the WWE Title. This isn't on the level of the JBL match, but it's the second-best match of this series so far, and maybe the best John Cena performance.
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