Wrestling is one sport that leaves an indelible mark on its fans. Fans get so mesmerized by the gimmicks and the storylines that they sometimes start emulating their favorite wrestlers.

WWE clearly put out a warning stating, “Please Do not Try This At Home”. But that disclaimer fell on deaf ears and we all remember ‘choke slamming’ our younger siblings or performing similar moves on the bed. Such was the impact that wrestling had on not just the younger generation but adults alike. Similarly, one Indie wrestler attributes John Cena’s debut match with Kurt Angle in 2002 as the catalyst that made him join pro wrestling.

Independent wrestler Vinny Pacifico became a wrestling fan after watching John Cena and Kurt Angle’s match

Vinnie Pacifico began his wrestling career in 2014. His signature moves include ‘Rolling DDT’ and the ‘Running Dropkick’. He recently had a dark match on AEW in January where he faced Wardlow who knocked him out cold with a knee to the face. He later dedicated that match to his late mother-in-law.

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On ‘The Kurt Angle Show’ he talked about how he actually became a fan of wrestling in the first place. And as a pleasant surprise to Angle, he mentioned that John Cena’s debut match with Angle was the reason he became a wrestling fan.

Pacifico said, “I became a fan watching Smackdown vs RAW 2007… I was so mesmerized by the Boogey man and Rey Mysterio with the mask and stuff, and then started watching other stuff as well. John Cena and Kurt Angle, that was one of the first matches i’ve seen in full, seen his first match on Smackdown. So that’s where I became a fan of the in-ring.”

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He also mentioned how he was captivated by the gimmicks of wrestlers. He said, “I really enjoyed everything going on but at first what caught my eye in wrestling was the characters, the Boogeyman, the Warrior, those types of guys, I fell in love with the pro wrestling aspect of it.”

And rightly so, who wouldn’t be impressed by the larger-than-life energetic character such as ‘The Ultimate Warrior’ or The Boogeyman? Their characters made an impact on pro wrestling fans. But going back to the match that made Vinny Pacifico a WWE fan, John Cena’s debut with Kurt Angle was one that fans will cherish forever.

What happened at the match between John Cena and Kurt Angle?

The day was 27th June 2002, a cheeky Vince Mcmahon entered the ring and called out Kurt Angle, the winner of the ‘King Of The Ring’. And as always, fans started chanting ‘You Suck’ as Angle proudly made his way to the ring. He issued a challenge to anyone in the locker room who had never fought him to come out and wrestle him that night.

And guess which wrestler rose to the occasion, none other than 13-time WWE Champion John Cena. Looking all fresh and determined, a young Cena walked towards the ring looking Angle straight in the eye. Then Angle asked him why he thinks he can face him. John Cena replied angrily. “Ruthless Aggression” and slapped Angle straight in the face. The match began and Cena started laying waste to Angle.

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Cena was so good that night that he even countered the menacing ‘Ankle Lock’. Cena put on a brave fight in the face of overwhelming odds. However, Angle eventually scored a win showing why he was the best in the business. But this match definitely laid the foundation for Cena’s illustrious career. What was your favorite moment of the John Cena and Kurt Angle match?

What did you make of Vinny Pacifico’s revelations? Let us know in the comments section below.