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.

Match of the Day - WWE's first "real" handicap match

Big Show vs. Zack Gowen & Stephanie McMahon - No Holds Barred Handicap match - WWE Smackdown! (2003)

In Zack Gowen's first official match on Smackdown!, the youngster had to prove that he had just what it takes to be a true competitor in WWE by defeating the 500 pound Big Show and seizing an official contract out of Vince McMahon's cold dead hands. Throw Stephanie McMahon, the General Manager at the time, in there and you got yourself a classic pro wrestling Cinderella story.

Did I mention Zack Gowen is a one-legged wrestler? Oops, that was important.

Anyways...

As Zack Gowen was a legitimate amputee and Stephanie McMahon couldn't wrestle to save her life, this truly was WWE's first "real" handicap match.

Get it?

Thanks to face Kurt Angle, face Brock Lesnar, and a steel chair, Gowen's Cinderella story comes true and he gets his contract. The icing on the cake? A combination of Gowen's rival and soon-to-be boss, Mr. McMahon getting knocked on his ass and Gowen's perfect one-legged moonsault onto Big Show for the win!

Gowen's time in WWE was very short-lived despite making it to Vengeance of that year in a match against Mr. McMahon and a short rivalry with Matt Hardy Version 1. I remember him having a broken leg (that's right, the one leg he has) courtesy of Brock Lesnar (heel again) and then never really seeing him on Smackdown! much after that. I guess once you break a one-legged man's only leg you really can't do much else with him. His character was pretty much dead from that point on.