20 Incredible John Cena Matches To Binge-Watch Before He Retires

20. John Cena vs Rob Van Dam - ECW One Night Stand 2006

When people look back at John Cena's career, he will be known for being the most wholesome performer in WWE history. A man who personifies the family entertainment aspect of pro wrestling, his values are what every parent wants to instill in their children, and who can give Captain America a run in truth, justice, and succeeding "the right way".

ECW couldn't be further from Cena's model. A company built on an aesthetic of violence and no-holds-barred extremism, Paul Heyman's upstart company is a foul-mouthed, blood-saturated middle finger to the very idea of Sports Entertainment. These concepts clashing in head-to-head fashion had the potential to be a trainwreck, but everything about this performance at One Night Stand 2006 is essential viewing. 

John Cena's entrance —walking through ECW's iconic brickwork entrance, his cap down and his Spinner Belt aloft — through New York's Hammerstein Ballroom, amid a sea of middle fingers and boos, is the perfect prelude to the toughest performance of his whole career. Defiant in the ring and embracing the spirit of hardcore wrestling throughout a gritty match with Rob Van Dam, even a woeful screwy finish involving Edge and Paul Heyman running down to make the three-count can't prevent this match from being one of the best nights in Cena's career.