Winning championships is indeed special for any WWE superstar. But if it is against the legendary John Cena, it becomes more decorative. Hence WWE Hall of Famer Rob Van Dam’s immense pride in taking the champ down to win his only WWE Championship at ECW One-Night Stand in 2006 totally justified.

Cena, a top franchise player of the promotion, has had several memorable championship runs in WWE. Those reigns included countless over-the-top moments to cherish and a few shocking endings as well. Among many that are etched in the minds of fans, one dates back to the 2006 ECW One-Night Stand when Cena faced off against RVD and left the arena defeated with arguably the most intense backlash coming from a hostile crowd.

RVD passively looked down upon John Cena’s incredible championship record

Rob Van Dam, despite being one of the hottest acts in 2006, wasn’t familiar with the WWE Championship belt before clinching it from the biggest babyface of the company. It was indeed a standout moment of his entire WWE career.

ECW fans were running high on emotion and aggression with the ‘If Cena wins we riot’ fan signs and chants. WWE’s biggest babyface was the most hated man in Hammerstein Ballroom that night and was eager to defeat RVD in the epic title match, but as the final moments approached, his arch-rival Edge stepped up out of the blue wearing a motorcycle helmet and launched a devastating spear at him. Van Dam took advantage and got the better of Cena with a five-star frog splash.

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Years later, the memories of the historical day left the 52-year-old in tears. During the recent episode of ‘1 of a Kind podcast, Van Dam recollected how he felt while seemingly taking a slight jab at the 16-time world champion, his old foe, Cena.

He noted, ‘‘What I remember about that is [the referee counting] 1, 2, 3. Oh my God, that just happened. That’s how I felt. I’m on top of the world right now. The coveted top seat in the industry. ‘Woah,’ and I did it my way, which meant so much more to me than winning it twenty times doing it their way.”

The match is etched in WWE history forever and will go down as an all time pro wrestling moment. According to a former WWE personality, it was RVD’s participation that made the match a grand success.

Mick Foley reasoned for the iconic superstar of 2006’s ECW One-Night Stand

The match card of the day featured Mick Foley, Edge, and Lita taking the team of Terry Funk, Tommy Dreamer, and Beulah McGillicutty. Being a part of the iconic moment, Mick Foley had a unique perspective on why it became the most iconic PPV of all time.

During his podcast, Foley opened up on why the epic Cena versus RVD showdown of 2006 has been superhit to date, as well as his match. He noted the storyline was constructed with special care.

On top of it, the performers’ amazing display of skills made it even more entertaining and thrilling. Foley also gave a special shout-out to RVD’s visible love and commitment to the ECW ring, which contributed greatly to the success.

What’s your take on John Cena being defeated by RVD at ECW One Night Stand? Let us know in the comments.

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