John Cena thanks WWE Universe while celebrating 18th anniversary of his WWE debut

Earlier this week, John Cena celebrated the 18th anniversary of his WWE debut by thanking fans for their support. John Cena, who made his debut against Kurt Angle in an impressive singles match at WWE SmackDown, said that “June 27, 2002” is a day he will never forget. He stated that WWE will also be his home and he will always remember the support he got from the WWE Universe. John Cena also shared a clip of his WWE debut with the heartfelt message.

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John Cena 18th anniversary: John Cena’s WWE debut

On the June 24, 2002, episode of WWE RAW, WWE CEO Vince McMahon appeared in the ring and ordered the entire WWE roster to find some ruthless aggression within themselves. Vince McMahon announced that he was on the lookout for someone who could be the next face of the company and stand out from the rest of the pack. A couple of days later on SmackDown (June 27, 2002), John Cena made his WWE debut by accepting Kurt Angle’s challenge.

John Cena claimed that he has the ‘ruthless aggression’ Vince McMahon was looking for before slapping the Olympian. John Cena fought Kurt Angle and despite showing his extraordinary skills, Cena lost by an excellent pinning combination. Though he ended up losing the match, Cena was congratulated by WWE legends like Billy Kidman, Faarooq, Rikishi, and The Undertaker for his incredible performance.  

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John Cena 18th anniversary: Kurt Angle defeats debutant John Cena back in 2002

As soon as the bell rang, John Cena forced Kurt Angle to get down the apron by hitting him with some clotheslines. Back in, Kurt Angle tried to put some pressure on the debutant, but John Cena kept delivering clotheslines. However, Kurt Angle soon recovered and trapped John Cena in the ankle lock. John Cena somehow broke the trap, but the experienced superstar took him down with a German suplex.

Later in the match, Kurt Angle tried to reverse Cena’s cross-corner whip with a spear, but ended up hitting the corner post. John Cena then performed a roll-up, but Kurt Angle kicked out. Frustrated, Cena picked the Olympian up to perform a whip reversal, but Kurt Angle recovered and delivered a powerslam for two. Angle then locked Cena’s arms behind him and rolled over for a double-chicken wing rollup to win the match.

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