Full Match: Watch John Cena’s WWE Debut Against Kurt Angle

A debuting John Cena accepts Kurt Angle's open challenge: SmackDown, June 27, 2002

15 years ago, John Cena made his WWE debut against Kurt Angle. At the time, Angle was the face of the SmackDown brand, and John Cena was much different than he is know, as he was trying to pull off the traditional wrestler look with the tights and boots. At the time, no one could’ve predicted that Cena would go on to be the biggest star of his era.

Cena was nearly fired shortly after his debut, as WWE didn’t see anything in him. But, during an international tour, the former 16-time World Heavyweight Champion joined in on a battle rap session, which Stephanie McMahon overheard. Apparently she liked what she heard, because Cena’s job was saved, and he underwent a complete gimmick change shortly thereafter.

Originally, WWE wanted to put Dave Bautista in the top guy spot, so they probably would have went with him as the face of the company if Cena would’ve gotten fired.

Cena, who is currently away from WWE due to having non-wrestling related commitments, is set to return to SmackDown Live on July 4. He’s also a “free agent,” which means that he’ll be on both Raw and SmackDown going forward.

What did you think of John Cena’s WWE debut back in 2002? Let us know in the comments below, or over on our Facebook page!