John Cena Reflects on His Very First WWE Matchup, Recalls Wanting to Prove He Wasn't a 'One-Trick Pony' (Exclusive)
John Cena Reflects on His Very First WWE Matchup, Recalls Wanting to Prove He Wasn't a 'One-Trick Pony' (Exclusive)
Meredith WilshereSun, May 17, 2026 at 1:58 PM UTC
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John Cena in 2002
Credit: WWE/WWE via Getty
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John Cena reflects on his first WWE match, accepting Kurt Angle's open challenge, as a pivotal career moment
Cena emphasizes earning respect through perseverance and proving critics wrong during his early years in wrestling
He praises WWE's next generation of talent and values authenticity, empathy and curiosity in mentoring young superstars
John Cena knew when he stepped into the WWE ring for the first time, he had a lot to prove.
When asked about his favorite memories from his professional wrestling career, the 49-year-old tells PEOPLE that it's hard to choose just "one moment in a quarter century of full-time activity," but he believes the "most important moment would be the first match."
That very first open challenge against Kurt Angle in June 2002 changed the course of his life.
"You can't have the entire book without the first sentence," he explains. "That is the landmark moment that comes to mind, is the second I got to walk out through the curtain in Chicago and accept Kurt Angle's open challenge."
During Cena's big debut on an episode of SmackDown!, he famously declared that he possessed "ruthless aggression." While it was a close match, Cena ultimately lost.
John Cena and Kurt Angle face off on June 27, 2002
Credit: WWE/WWE via Getty
In the years that followed, the Peacemaker actor had the opportunity to go up against several other superstars.
"There have been situations where I've been able to maybe allow or be a conduit for a superstar to have more depth of field, and there have been situations where the stars I've worked with have made me better and brought the best out of me," he shares.
As for who he enjoyed competing with the most, Cena points to "a string of opponents in the early 2000s."
"I got to wrestle Triple H at WrestleMania, I got to wrestle Shawn Michaels at WrestleMania, and then for an hour in London, shortly thereafter," he recalls. "But all those opponents in between was kinda when I was able to perform at a high level with peers that I viewed above my weight class."
"Respect is a core value of mine, and all I wanted to do was prove to those guys that I could hang," he continues. "And I had a lot of folks that weren't in my camp, a lot of folks that were detractors, thinking I was just a one-trick pony, or I was just entertainment-based, and I didn't love or care about the business."
John Cena attends "The Road to F9" Global Fan Extravaganza at Maurice A. Ferre Park on January 31, 2020 in Miami, Florida.
Credit: Dia Dipasupil/Getty
However, "one opponent at a time," he was "able to change their minds."
"That was very important to me because respect is something you just gotta earn, one moment at a time," he tells PEOPLE. "That was a really fun era for me to be able to essentially, through effort and perseverance, change some minds and prove some people wrong."
Cena signed with the WWE in 2001 at age 24. He officially retired from in-ring competition in 2025, regarded as one of the best professional wrestlers of all time. However, he is still a WWE brand ambassador.
The athlete-turned-actor says living the life of a WWE superstar was "a high-demand position."
"I was traveling 300 to literally 360 days a year," he says of his early career. "I had put out an album, so I was touring in support of it, along with a full live performance and promotional schedule with the WWE."
"I'm grateful for those times, but it was a singular focus. It was just: lift, be strong and go out and give them hell when the music plays," he adds. "Those were great times. I look back on those times fondly, but not with the romantic approach that 'I wish I were there.' "
Brock Lesnar and John Cena face off in April 2003
Credit: Rich Freeda/WWE via Getty
One of the reasons that he keeps coming back to WrestleMania is simply because he's "a fan."
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"But in my perspective, I feel a lot of superstars might have the view that if they can no longer participate, they wanna be away from the action. I disagree because I'm a fan first, and I've always been a fan first," he explains. "I didn't start as a WWE champion. I started as a fan in the bleachers, cheering on my favorite wrestlers."
"To complete my cycle, to step out of the ring and go to WrestleMania as a fan this year in Vegas was the most fun I've had in 25 years at WrestleMania. I had very little stress," he continues. "I'm so grateful that I'm a fan. Now, I'm trying to use whatever energy the audience has given me over the past 25 years to create opportunities that are fun first. That's my calling moving forward."
Cena is thrilled about the next generation of talent, which he says are "gifted performers, superstars, who are young, hungry and they realize that they are not gonna be given a seat at the table. They need to earn it, every inch."
"If we saw anything in my final match, what I really wanted to do was, instead of putting all the focus on me, I knew we had two hours to fill," he says. "I took 25 minutes and gave one and a half hours to new talent. I invited the concept of reputable superstars to face off against what I believe are some folks for our future."
He notes that from that one night, there are "so many faces" — such as Oba Femi, Je'Von Evans and Sol Ruca — that "we are now seeing far more regularly."
"I'm really proud of that. There's so much talent now in the system. We're pouring the foundation for the next 25 years as we speak," Cena says.
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The 17-time WWE world champion looks back on his career and never could have imagined the impact he would have on future generations of wrestlers.
"I never thought in my wildest dreams that when I went out to take that open challenge, 25 years later, grown men would say, 'My dad brought me to see you when I was a kid, and I could bring my kids to see you,'" he says. "We are currently debuting those new superstars who will have a 25-year run of success and be able to be entertainment for generations to come."
Knowing there's a whole group of new superstars that grew up watching him, he says, is "always flattering."
John Cena and Eddie Guerrero in August 2003
Credit: Rich Freeda/WWE via Getty
Despite his own career ups and downs, Cena is happy to offer the next generation some words of "wisdom."
"I'm very reserved because I know people looked upon me a certain way, and a lot of folks thought I would fail and didn't understand my approach, and I've learned very valuable lessons on both sides," he shares.
He emphasizes the importance of being "authentic."
"That I learned early on, to be yourself and be authentic is extremely important because fans can see through BS, very shortly put," he says.
Given his own experience, however, Cena notes that "there's more than one right way to do it." The Suicide Squad star says that just because he found success one way, it doesn't mean that's the only way to achieve it.
"If I don't understand someone's path, I should lean in with a little more empathy and curiosity rather than, 'Hey, kid, this is how you do it,'" he says. "I really appreciate the authenticity of our young performers and that they don't necessarily have the same recipe that I did. I'm curious to see how it all unfolds."
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