Rob Van Dam recently reflected on one of the most memorable matches of his career and, in the process, shared an interesting assessment of a move used by John Cena.
The WWE Hall of Famer revisited their iconic WWE Championship clash while discussing career highlights for a new WWE Vault retrospective video.
The conversation centered around the historic ECW One Night Stand event on June 11, 2006, where Van Dam defeated Cena to capture his first WWE Championship. While recalling that night, RVD offered some candid thoughts about working with Cena inside the ring.
Rob Van Dam recalls John Cena’s submission hold during WWE title match
Speaking during the retrospective, Van Dam praised Cena’s awareness and physical strength before revealing that one particular move wasn’t exactly comfortable to experience.
“He [John Cena] knows exactly where he is at in the story that’s being produced. Of course, he’s very strong.”
RVD then joked before describing what it felt like being trapped in Cena’s submission hold.
“And I don’t know if a lot of people will say this, but, and this might be the pothead calling the kettle black, but he’s a little stiff when he put… (laughs) … I don’t mind saying that.”
Van Dam specifically pointed to Cena’s submission maneuver, explaining how difficult it was to endure.
“When he put his submission on me, where he’s got you in the headlock and he’s got your feet and on your stomach down there going, ah!”
“There’s not even room to scream because there’s no air left. Because he was like folding my body in half.”
The comments came while looking back at a match that remains one of the defining moments of both men’s careers. The bout took place in front of the famously hostile ECW crowd at the Hammerstein Ballroom, where fans made their feelings toward Cena impossible to miss.
Despite the painful memory of Cena’s hold, the match ultimately ended with Van Dam standing tall after a Five-Star Frog Splash and a three-count from Paul Heyman. Nearly 20 years later, the match is still getting a reaction — and apparently, so is Cena’s grip.
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