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WWE Hall of Famer Kurt Angle has revealed what Vince McMahon told him after facing John Cena in his debut match.
The 16-time world champion made his televised WWE debut on the June 27th, 2002 episode of SmackDown as The Prototype. Although he put on an impressive performance, he was defeated by The Olympic Gold Medalist. John Cena went on to become the face of the company for the next decade and a multi-time world champion.
During a recent interaction with Scott Fishman of TV Insider, Kurt Angle shared what Vince McMahon told him backstage after the match.
"He said, 'Great stuff. You guys had a great match. This was a great debut for John.' He patted me on the back," said Angle.
Kurt Angle on what he remembers the most about working with John Cena in his debut night
June 27, 2002 wasn't the only night that the two stars collided in the ring. They went on to feud and face each other again after Cena became more popular. Many fans wanted the 16-time world champion to be Kurt Angle's final opponent at WrestleMania 35.
During the same interview, the Olympic Gold Medalist reflected on working with The Cenation Leader on the night of his debut.
"I liked what they had him do. I thought his response to me and the whole “Ruthless Aggression” response was perfect. He had that written all over him. It was a good idea for them to basically start that whole era with John Cena. I remember him saying those two words and slapping me in the face like he wasn’t scared of anybody. I think that gave him a lot of traction to become a bigger superstar," said Angle.
After being away from WWE for almost a year, Cena will make his in-ring return on RAW this Monday night. It'll be interesting to see what he does on the show.
