Match of the Debut - The Nexus hijack Raw

John Cena vs. CM Punk - Viewer's Choice WWE Championship match - Raw (2010)

The first big match between the WWE champ, John Cena and then masked CM Punk gets hijacked on Viewer's Choice Raw by The Nexus, an eight man gang featuring young upstarts from WWE's developmental territory, FCW as well as all being original contestants on the first NXT program.

While it was not totally chaos, the NXT rookies of the first season really shook things up for a pretty stale product that was WWE at this point. I remember watching this episode of Raw and thinking that something new was upon us. Of course, nothing really happened. The ring gets stripped, Bryan gets fired for chocking the timekeeper with his own tie, and then for weeks John Cena does that thing he always does; he overcomes the odds.

Still, the damage that the Nexus created from their ambush on Raw was pretty impressive for WWE standards. To bad they were pretty much destined to fail once they started feuding with Super Cena.

Theme results

Ring Destruction: Apron skirts ripped off, mat gets exposed, padding torn loose, and the ring ropes are loosened and taken down.

Match of the Day - John Cena versus the American Dragon ten years earlier...

John Cena vs. Bryan Danielson - Velocity (2003)

From wrestling on velocity in 2003 to main eventing Summerslam in 2013 for the World title, here's where it all started. Kinda. It's John Cena taking on the beardless Bryan Danielson (now known as the "YES!" man, Daniel Bryan).

I sure hope Cena brought those banana pants with him!

Match of the Day - Remember that K-Fed/John Cena feud?

John Cena vs. Kevin Federline - No Disqualification match - Raw (2007)

Battle of the "rapper thugs"

Today was the day someone reminded me about Kevin "K-Fed" Federline, that guy who was once married to Britney Spears and apparently was a... nope. That's really it.

Thanks to my rediscovery of this forgotten "mogul", I remembered this longing-to-be forgotten match that took place on Raw back in 2007. The only reason I actually watched it was to make sure there was any fighting at all in the match, for better or for worse. And well, there sort of is.

I'm sorry.

Match of the Debut - lol cena debuts

Kurt Angle vs. John Cena - Smackdown! (2002)

Since I posted The Rock's debut match the night after beating CM Punk for The World Championship at Royal Rumble a few months back, I guess it's only fair that I do the same for our new champion, John Cena.

For the haters: he's not wrestling in short shorts, he's not sporting his wrist bands or a hustle/loyalty/respect shirt, he doesn't do his signature run to the ring or his Cenation salute, he doesn't say "you can't see me" or even "word life", he loses, and Kurt Angle doesn't shake his hand.

Love him or hate him (it's the internet, so the latter), Cena's still gonna be a babyface carrying the WWE flag 50 years from now...

PS: I actually watched WrestleMania live for the first time since WrestleMania 24. Let's just say that last night's Raw was much more exciting.