In WWE, John Cena can pretty much do no wrong.

Sure, he spent much of the previous decade as a polarizing figure, with throwback fans of the blue and gold era of WWF loving his Hulk Hogan-esque unflappable babyface ways – not to mention the legions of children who came up on his unique brand of heroism – while others, both those who came up on the Attitude Era and those who preferred indie guys like Kevin Owens/Steen and Bryan Danielson, hated what he did to the business, but WWE never waivered in their support of him as the face of the franchise, let alone forced him to make a switch and become a “Hollywood” heel.

And yet, when Cena wrestled Rob Van Dam at ECW: One Night Stand at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York, he wasn't in WWE, not really anyway, as the crowd he wrestled for was 100 percent against him, his WWE Championship, and everything it represents.

Discussing the match, which has since become one of the defining moments of his professional wrestling career on TikTok, Cena celebrated the match, appreciating how it was able to come together into a perfect moment for all parties involved.

“So, here's a moment that's probably most talked in my career in WWE; ECW: One Night Stand. Hammerstein Ballroom against Rob Van Dam, where I had a championship match against Rob and an additional match against my t-shirt. Now, I knew the crowd was going to be hostile, but hostile does not even describe the atmosphere in the Hammerstein Ballroom. They love Rob, and they hate me,” John Cena explained on TikTok via Fightful.

“This was probably the peak of polarization that would leak into the WWE for years when you hear the name John Cena. It was either ‘He sucks' or ‘He's my guy.' There was no one in this building saying, ‘He's my guy.' Rob and I went back and forth, and you can see kind of a non-virtuous side where I began to push the boundaries of good and evil because I was trying everything and it seemed like the world was against me. Indeed, it was. Rob's talent absolutely shows in this match, but the world right here is against me as I'm speared through a table by Darth Vader, aka my arch-nemesis Edge. Rob gets a championship moment, which is fantastic, and Edge and I go on to do some incredible things in the WWE. What a night at the Hammerstein Ballroom. No one would ever call this to happen.”

In hindsight, it really is pretty darn incredible how ECW: One Night Stand came together and how it helped out everyone involved. RVD got his hands on the ultimate WWE prize, fans got their nostalgic moment after watching one of the most influential promotions of the last 30 years suffer an untimely demise, and John Cena came out looking no worse for wear because of the inclusion of Edge. All in all, the perfect execution of a great plan.

Rob Van Dam reveals the biggest differences between AEW and WWE.

Speaking of WWE and the difference between the promotion and others, Rob Van Dam recently discussed his experience in AEW on his 1 Of A Kind podcast, and contrasted it to his experience in WWE.

“My perspective on that is AEW is a lot more reflective of today’s current product, but I think the new young guys in WWE also represent the new product. They just seem to be a little more detached to the foundation, because of the corporate structure of WWE. All the agents, all the authority that trickles down to the talent keeps everybody abreast of when they’re crossing lines, when they’re doing things that aren’t done for a certain reason. I feel like, with AEW, it’s more free thinkers, maybe a little more ‘Hey, there’s no reason not to do this move.'”

Turning his attention to the mindsets of the talent in AEW, who largely haven't “made it” as mainstream household names, RVD believes the talent are always trying to outdo each other in the ring, leading to an environment of healthy competition.

“I think AEW and they’re talent, I think they’re like ‘Hey, you know what? I hear you. I’m not really listening. Eat my dust. We’re doing it. And we’re proving everybody wrong.’ So that’s their perspective. That’s what makes change. Is it good? Is it for the better, overall, in the big picture? It’s not good for the old-school foundation of what wrestling was, but if I’m going to accept that that’s a thing of the past, then what? Now I’ve got an open clear mind to look at it from a different perspective, and to judge it for what it is. Is it entertaining? F**k yeah. Are people watching it? Yeah. Is there a lot of talent? Absolutely. So I think we have to change our standards because the same product isn’t going to be offered anymore that used to be.”

When RVD was coming up in the 90s, ECW was lauded for being the “modern” brand that represented what the younger fans wanted to see, and that influence eventually trickled up with WWE in terms of attitude era storytelling, even if the “hardcore” aspect was largely relegated to TLC matches, Mick Foley spots, and the Hardcore Championship. If AEW is filling a similar role for the modern fans, then RVD should be very proud of his legacy.