Jim Ross Reveals Why Giving Rob Van Dam a Championship Match Against John Cena at WrestleMania 23 Would Have Been a Bad Move: “Like a Criminal, Couldn’t Do That”

When 2006 arrived, everyone saw John Cena becoming the top star and multiple WrestleMania main eventer. Therefore, Vince McMahon carefully booked the ‘Doctor of Thuganomics’ to make him a huge babyface in WWE. Despite this, Cena was drawing polarizing reactions from the live audience, and as such Jim Ross thinks booking Cena against Rob Van Dam at WrestleMania 23 would’ve been bad booking.

As per the current AEW commentator, after their match a few months prior, WWE wouldn’t have dared to book Cena like that again.

Why is John Cena facing Rob Van Dam at WrestleMania 23 a bad idea?

Cena was the face of the company and though he received mixed reactions at times, he was still the draw and his stock was rising. However, on the other side, RVD was hot in 2006 that too after their clash at ECW: One Night Stand under WWE’s banner, which RVD win the WWE Championship from Cena.

In a recent episode of the Grilling Jr. podcast, Jim Ross stated he was not a fan of Cena vs RVD at WrestleMania 23. He claimed that match would’ve been bad for the ‘Franchise Player’s’ spot in WWE.

The AEW commentator said, “Yeah, good fun, but not likely to have ever happened in anybody’s world. And you named the reasons it’s a babyface match. That’s got to be a special scenario situation. The last thing WWE would want to do is put at WrestleMania (23) had the main event and has Cena got booed like a criminal, couldn’t do that. No.”

He added, “And it’s, it’s just, I just believe that all main events in WrestleMania, or any other big event, like all in or whatever they need between need to be between an antagonist and a protagonist.”

Several fans would disagree with Ross’ comments, but his fear would’ve come true.

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WrestleMania 23 was from Detroit, Michigan, the hometown of Mr. Monday Night. Hence, Cena would have faced the same scenario he faced at ECW One Night Stand 2006, with a  partisan crowd heavily booing him when he went up against Van Dam.

RVD was smart to get booked in such a match!

2006 was the year of the ‘Whole F’n Show’ RVD. He won the Money in the Bank Ladder match at WrestleMania 22 and then cashed it on Cena at One Night Stand 2006. That was the most hostile crowd The Cenation Leader might have ever faced in his WWE career.

However, Ross claims RVD was smart enough not to get booked in a match where the company’s top babyface stock might decline. This could have led to restricted opportunities for him in the future. JR said, “There can’t be two of each, two babyfaces, in other words to antagonist. So, I don’t know, I think that RVD was smart. He just, that was his style, Connie.”

Nevertheless, Cena faced Shawn Michaels to defend his WWE title. On the other hand, RVD was a part of ECW’s original team to take on ECW’s new breed at WrestleMania 23.

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