When the calendars turned to May, 2002, the World Wrestling Federation morphed into World Wrestling Entertainment. The fresh branding felt weird at first, but it would provide opportunities for the likes of Randy Orton and Batista to make their mark. Joining them on the main roster, John Cena moved up from the developmental system to the Smackdown brand. On the June 27th episode of the program, Cena strolled down the aisle and got in Kurt Angle's face. It was a memorable debut, because Angle was one of the promotion's top stars at the time. Dressed in cookie cutter red wrestling gear, Cena looked pretty awkward as he strolled down the ramp. Uttering just a few words, including the 'Ruthless Aggression' catchphrase, Cena and Angle had a short yet exciting match. Cena would come out on the losing end, but WWE made a big deal over how he had more than held his own against Kurt. After the match, everyone from Rikishi and The Undertaker made a fuss about his efforts. Of course, the latter pep talk from 'Taker meant the most, and Cena must have been excited about his future after just one show on the main roster.
Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood. Jamie started writing for WhatCulture in 2013, and has contributed thousands of articles and YouTube videos since then. He cut his teeth penning published pieces for top UK and European wrestling read Fighting Spirit Magazine (FSM), and also has extensive experience working within the wrestling biz as a manager and commentator for promotions like ICW on WWE Network and WCPW/Defiant since 2010. Further, Jamie also hosted the old Ministry Of Slam podcast, and has interviewed everyone from Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels to Bret Hart and Trish Stratus.
