The Olympic Gold Medalist Kurt Angle recently talked about John Cena and also shared the backstage chat they had after their first match.
Although this summer has been a bitter-sweet time for WWE following the controversies, there have been a few good things as well. One of them was the Cenation Leader making a recent appearance on WWE TV. John Cena returned on the 27th June episode of Raw to celebrate the 20th anniversary of his legendary WWE career. While the pro wrestling world appreciated him for the milestone, Kurt Angle recalled the debut of Mr. Hustle Loyality Respect.
Twenty years ago, John Cena made his WWE TV debut on an episode of SmackDown where he confronted Kurt Angle in the ring. Angle recalls Cena from 2002 and his backstage mannerisms that foreshadowed his success.
Kurt Angle says he knew John Cena would be a megastar down the road
The Olympian was recently interviewed by TV Insider where he spoke about the first time he and Cena wrestled in the WWE ring. Kurt Angle also shared the small backstage talk he had with Cena after the match. Angle recalled how the 16-time world champion showed him a lot of respect after his debut match.
Moreover, the Olympic Gold Medalist claimed Cena’s in-ring and backstage characteristics alluded that he was a star in making. Angle said:
“All I said was, ‘You stepped up tonight. It was a great match.’ He said, ‘Thank you, Mr. Angle, for working with me. I really do appreciate it.’ He was very respectful. I knew this kid was very special from the first time I got in the ring and after I got done wrestling him, I knew he would be a huge star down the road.”
Well, the Olympic Gold Medalist predicted right as Cena went on to be the top star of the company for almost a decade. The Cenation Leader has had 16 world title reigns in a 20-year-long WWE career.
Anyway, during the interview, Kurt Angle also shared how his former boss, Vince McMahon reacted to their match.
Angle recalls Vince McMahon patting his back backstage after the match
Although John Cena lost his debut match against Kurt Angle, he made a decent impression on the crowd and also on his boss backstage. Recalling his backstage talk with Vince, Angle stated his boss was happy with their performance in the ring. Mr. McMahon even patted Angle’s back as he believed that was a great debut for John Cena. Angle stated:
“You guys had a great match. This was a great debut for John.’ He [Vince McMahon] patted me on the back.”
Anyway, John Cena has now moved on to Hollywood and works in WWE on a part-time basis. Regardless, there have been rumors indicating a Cena vs Theory at this year’s SummerSlam. Let’s see whether Mr. Hustle Loyality Respect appears to face Vince McMahon’s protege or not.
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