10 Best Major John Cena Feuds
9. Vs. Kurt Angle
Kurt Angle defeated John Cena in the latter's first televised match in WWE on the June 25, 2006 SmackDown.
It was a sublime performance from both men, given their respective experience levels. - the essence of Paul Heyman's wrestling mantra (in the perfect match, one guy goes over while the other gets over) distilled. The on-the-nose message was nevertheless received: Cena showed sufficient "ruthless aggression" to announce himself on the main stage. Their belated PPV sequel, at No Mercy 2003, was better still. The result remained the same, but the story progressed. It took Angle almost four times as long to put this much bigger storyline threat away. Less gripping but more important was the closing chapter. At No Way Out 2005, Cena finally exorcised Angle in a very astute bit of booking. Angle was the perfect opponent to put John Cena over en route to WrestleMania 21 because he had always acted as the gauge of Cena's evolution. The conquest sent another on-the-nose but no less powerful message: John Cena's time was now.
The promo chemistry was as tight as the in-ring work. Angle's assertion, in the face of a rapping Cena, that he "finally found somebody in the company whiter than I am" was hilarious. As Cena evolved, their banter allowed Angle, the serious Wrestling Machine, to tap back into his comedy roots with a spot of Carlton dancing and intentionally naff bars. "I'm Kurt Angle, and what the heck: I won Olympic gold with a broken freakin' neck!"
Proof positive that less is more - it never once outstayed its welcome - this staggered series was the perfect platform on which to prick Cena's finger as a made man.