12 Times Crowds Actually IMPROVED Wrestling Moments
11. Rob Van Dam Vs John Cena - One Night Stand 2006
This match was the birth of the infamous "If Cena Wins, We Riot!" sign.
Similar to the conditions in 2011, Rob Van Dam was a fan favorite of the hardcore, and Cena, he was just settling into his role as the company man, making him an enemy of the people. It made for a perfect matchup of opposites which saw Cena in genuinely hostile territory at the Hammerstein Ballroom. Fans were using language that makes this match particularly hard to air on TV, given the censors.
Apart from using enough F-bombs to level a European city, fans gave each move emotional weight and impact. Even a simple punch exchange felt momentous with fans shouting "Boo!" or "Yay!" depending on if it was Cena or RVD throwing the haymakers.
Of course, with the need to protect Cena still a priority for WWE, Edge interjected himself to cost Cena the match, but fans didn't care. Hell, they thanked the man for setting up RVD to become a rare double-champion. With Cena pinned, RVD would become both ECW and WWE champion as he again immersed himself in the sea of rowdy New York City fans, potentially setting up a new era of WWE where the extreme ways of ECW could be revived and thrive on a major stage.
Unfortuantely that never came to pass, but RVD, the fans, and the Hammerstein Ballroom will always have this moment that they all made together.