SmackDown 1000: The Top 10 Moments In SmackDown History

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6. John Cena’s Debut: June 27, 2002

There have been many memorable debuts that have changed the complexion of the WWE forever.  One of those examples came on an episode of SmackDown in 2002 when a young up and comer tried to make a name for himself at the expense of an Olympic gold medalist.

Kurt Angle had already accomplished so much by 2002 as both a heel and a babyface, but his heel work was shining brilliantly by the middle of 2002 after his feud with Edge, a feud in which he lost his hair.  On the June 27 edition of SmackDown in 2002, Angle wanted competition and issued an open challenge.

His open challenge would be accepted by a rookie named John Cena, an individual that would go on to reshape WWE history forever in the years that followed.  Angle laughed at the thought of having to wrestle a no-name rookie, but he would quickly find out Cena had a certain something to hang with Angle, ruthless aggression.

And wouldn’t you know, Cena took Angle to his limits in his debut match in the WWE.  Angle would eventually prevail and win, but it was by the skin of his teeth and at that point, everybody knew big things were on the horizon for the man that would eventually become the face that runs the place.

The leader of the Cenation was born on this night and the WWE would never be the same again for the next decade-plus.