[2006-06-11-WWE-One Night Stand] John Cena vs Rob Van Dam

[Jetlag]

This is the One Night Stand match where a bunch of rabid ECW fans paid WWE a lot of money to hate on Cena. Classic excellent pro wrestling booking. As far as the match itself goes, I don't have a whole lot to say. They knew exactly what to do and did a really effective job essentially working a high end houseshow match that still had a good big time feel. As usual there was some fun stuff around Cena's role with him doing subtle heel stuff and busting out a clumsy looking axe handle off the top (to no love whatsoever). The match was basically back and forth with RVD hitting his spots and Cena's 5 moves of doom combo drawing nearer until the ECWesque booked finish. Nothing I'll remember a week from now but it's always fun to check out a classic pro wrestling formula executed well.

[El McKell]

I feel like the finish of this is such a damp squib compared to the rest of it which is perfectly done for the environment it's in.

[Superstar Sleeze]

WWE Champion John Cena vs Rob Van Dam - ECW One Night Stand 2006

This is probably one of the most famous matches I have never seen. It should be even more famous because of excellent it is. The hostile crowd is a major selling point and the atmosphere totally delivers as expected. The throwing the shirt into the crowd and back into the ring was spectacular. The heat is off the charts! "If Cena Wins, We Riot" sign is iconic. But it is telling. It is NOT "If RVD Loses, We Riot". It is all about Cena. You could have sent out pretty much any ECW wrestler, Sandman, Dreamer, Sabu etc... and you would get the same reaction, but the match and the atmosphere hinge on Cena. John Cena is the draw.

However, this match is a lot more than just great atmosphere it is an awesome match as well worked perfectly for this crowd. This is in my Fave Five of John Cena individual performances. He works the match like a heel perfectly. He adjusts so well. The more Cena I have watched the more it annoys me how quickly he goes into heat ala 90s Savage. Now he has a better extended comeback than 90s Savage, but still a little shine never killed anyone. This match he works the whole thing full on heel and the timing of his cutoffs is pitch perfect. He works the crowd into a lather brilliantly responding to each chant so wisely. "You cant wrestle"...Cradle Suplex. "Same Old Shit"...Top Rope Sledge to the floor. Even the fuck up in the match works because it gives the ravenous ECW crowd a chance to chant "You fucked up" at the Corporate Stooge/Icon. 

The whole match Cena wrestles with such great purpose. Every punch as oomph. Every time RVD looks like he is going to get something going like the mule kick or a dive, Cena has an answer. He is wrestling with ice water in his veins but at the same time he is visibly bristled by the reaction. It is a cool, seething anger. The type of anger that can be controlled and unleashed to devastating effects on your opponent. I loved the shove of the railing into the crowd and punching RVD with a Fuck You Cena sign. RVD eventually has to do something in the grand scheme of RVD Carrot Top bullshit it is not that annoying. Some spinning leg drops. I do like Rolling Thunder on the chair. What is more important than what RVD did is what it led to it was his first significant combination of moves that led to Cena putting the chair on top of himself to block the Split Legged Moonsault. Genius. Throwing the ECW bullshit back in their faces. RVD is all time great eater of DDTs but even better than that was the catapult through the chair. That was gnarly! I am sad we didnt get the Shoulder Blocks, but we do get the Protobomb and a great Five Knuckle Shuffle really soaking in the atmosphere. RVD Carrot Top Prop Comedy starts with the table, but Cena makes him pay with STFU for taking his eye off the prize. Another Brilliant Cutoff! Rope break and the ECW REF ENFORCES IT! Which smacks of hypocrisy and leads to Cena SLUGGING THE ECW REF! WHAT A GREAT SPOT! Cena the Corporate Golden Boy snaps and does the most anti-authority thing only leading to the Anti-Authority crowd still booing him. The beauty of tribalism in pro wrestling (in sucks in the real world). Cena shows off his otherworldly strength by smashing the ring steps into RVD and Nick Patrick counts 2. FU TO THE FLOOR! Which was a great spot looked violent but protected the move as there was no pinfall. A Mystery Man cough Edge cough spears Cena through the table RVD set up. Thank You Edge chants. This crowd is consistent in just one thing their hatred for Cena. They would sell their anti-authority souls to keep on hating Cena. Five Star Frogsplash! No ref so Paul Heyman comes out and counts the pin and the crowd pop is like an 8, when you think it should be an 11. 

I do think the finish was a little too WWE. I get that ultimately ECW was being spun off and that Cena/Edge was the big feud for the Summer of 06, BUT I thought the finish threw some water on the fire when there was whole lot of fire. This is such an anti-RVD match and it is so much better for it. They worked a Cena match through and through except Cena was a heel working a PERFECT pace. His timing was so good. Each cutoff was just sublime. They didnt let RVD do any of his stupid shit. He did enough selling and bumping to make the match work. He threw in a couple signature spots (I was surprised there was not Van Daminator). The match is a testament to Cena's wrestling IQ and really should be remembered as a classic in the canon. Cena Rules! **** 1/4