It goes without saying that no top star in wrestling history is like any others, and John Cena is certainly no exception. The thing is, he's not just different from other top wrestling stars, he's vastly different for one reason; during his peak, he was never universally accepted by the audience. Sure, Cena sold tickets and merchandise and proved to be a strong ace for WWE during the 2000s and early 2010s, but unlike Hulk Hogan and Steve Austin before him, or figures like El Santo, Antonio Inoki, or Shohei "Giant" Baba in Mexico and Japan, he was never fully beloved. In fact, most of the time Cena found himself hated by the audience, receiving vitriol in a way no other top star ever had, an ironic twist given fans largely refused to boo him during his recent ill-fated heel turn.
For most fans, no moment best encapsulated the fans unwillingness to fully embrace Cena than the legendary Money in the Bank 2011 event, where Cena lost the WWE Championship to CM Punk. It was one of the most electrifying scenes in WWE history, as the Chicago crowd fully lent their support behind hometown hero Punk, while Cena was booed even worse than he usually was. But while the match, and the lead up to it which saw fans rally behind the villain Punk instead of Cena, painted the picture that Cena was a polarizing ace, it also wasn't entirely fair. After all, Punk was from Chicago; even without factors such as the "Pipebomb promo" and the storyline revolving around Punk leaving WWE, it was likely Cena was going to get a hostile reaction anyway. As such, an argument could be made that MITB wasn't the nadir of Cena hatred, with that honor instead going to a 2006 event where no one wanted Cena anywhere near the building.
Some fans may not remember ECW One Night Stand 2006. That's understandable; the event's reputation paled in comparison to the first ECW One Night Stand a year earlier, considered one of the best one-off PPV's in history, and the ECW revival that followed the 2006 One Night Stand left many with a bad taste in many mouths. But if nothing else, One Night Stand 2006, where Cena defended the WWE Title against Rob Van Dam, stakes a strong claim for being peak of the Cena backlash. Much like the Punk match, Cena was at a disadvantage, facing an ECW legend in hollowed ECW ground, the Hammerstein Ballroom. And yet, whereas MITB 2011 was about fans embracing Punk, one can't shake that One Night Stand 2006 was less about supporting RVD and more about extending a giant middle finger to Cena.
It starts quickly with the "If Cena Wins, We Riot" sign seen at the start of the show, then hits like a ton of bricks during Cena's entrance and pre-match activities, where his attempts to throw his t-shirt into the crowd resulted in it being thrown back multiple times. Every jeer and every middle finger can be felt throughout the rest of the match, and much like with the Punk match, it's apparent it inspired Cena. At the time still considered an average wrestler, Cena's performance against RVD remains among his best work, as Cena adapted to the hostile situation brilliantly, making it all the more sweeter when RVD ultimately toppled him to win the WWE Championship, while simultaneously revitalizing the ECW World Heavyweight Championship. In a way, ECW One Night Stand 2006 and MITB 2011 teach us a valuable lesson about John Cena the performer; when fans didn't want him around, that's when he seemed to perform at his best.
