Rob Van Dam Explains Why John Cena Got So Much Hate From WWE Fans

Though he's as beloved a figure as any in wrestling these days, it wasn't too long ago that John Cena was arguably the most polarizing wrestler in history during his run atop the WWE. And Rob Van Dam was someone who got to experience that first hand, as his WWE/ECW World Championship victory over Cena at ECW One Night Stand 2006 was just as notable for the hostile reaction Cena received as it was for RVD's victory.

During the latest episode of "1 Of A Kind," RVD stated that he felt Cena was so hated by some WWE fans because he represented the modern WWE at the time, which ran counter to what fans were looking for. Despite that, he believes Cena wasn't all that bothered by it, especially during the lead-up to their match at One Night Stand, or during the match itself.

"I think Cena enjoyed it," RVD said. "He enjoyed working with the crowd, I think, either way. I can't speak for him. I know getting cheers can be a lot more fun than getting boos, but sometimes, some of the guys don't even care, or they get boos all the time, and that's what their deal is, so that's what they want.

"I can't say for sure, but I know he knew what he was in for that night, and he was ready for it. But I didn't know what that meant...I didn't know it was going to have the shirt-throwing contest. That was great. I was laughing cause I was like 'Oh my god...nobody wants the shirt.' I was like 'Man, this crowd is f*****g awesome.' That was all so real."

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit "1 Of A Kind" and provide a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription