John Cena is now a heel but the Undisputed WWE Champion received a frosty reception at ECW One Night Stand 2006, despite being a babyface. Speaking at the Philadelphia Fan Expo, Cena recalled the hostile reaction as he walked into the Hammerstein Ballroom to face Rob Van Dam.
“the audience was pretty bad. The event started at about seven o’clock, and we went on last, and at around seven, they were so audibly chanting ‘F-You Cena,’ so I know when I went out at ten o’clock, it was going to be pretty gnarly.”
With his head down and title raised, Cena made his way to the ring to a chorus of boos. During his talk, Cena shared that he did something he’d never dream of doing again in his career.
“It was the most stupid decision of my life, but I told Rob, ‘Hey, let’s go out through the audience.’ And I just wanted to see what would happen… I thought I was going to get my a** kicked.”
Cena appreciates that fans let their voices heard without resorting to violence, leaving the professionals to put on an incredible show. As Cena embraces being a villain once again, the Unseen Seventeen isn’t forgetting the importance of fans knowing not to get physical.