Rob Van Dam says his victory over John Cena at ECW One Night Stand remains the defining moment of his wrestling career.
The WWE Hall of Famer captured the WWE Championship at the 2006 pay-per-view in one of the most memorable matches of the era. The bout took place in front of a hostile ECW crowd that overwhelmingly supported RVD and loudly rejected Cena throughout the match. The environment created one of the most intense atmospheres WWE had seen at the time.
Speaking during an appearance with Monopoly Events, RVD recalled the confidence he felt walking into the arena that night.
“I felt like Superman. I felt completely invincible walking out there because I knew that was my house, those are my people, and this was my match.”
RVD explained that the crowd energy played a major role in his mindset heading into the contest.
“The match was great and the people were beyond great.”
While he expected the audience to support him, the level of hostility toward Cena still surprised him.
“I knew that they were going to be all for me and against him, but I couldn’t have predicted that they were going to be that extreme.”
The match ultimately ended with RVD defeating Cena to win the WWE Championship, marking the highest point of his career.
“That was a whole new level that no one had seen before.”
During the conversation, RVD was also told that actor Timothée Chalamet has cited ECW One Night Stand as his favorite wrestling pay-per-view. Chalamet reportedly discussed the event while speaking with Cody Rhodes.
RVD reacted positively to hearing that the actor appreciated the show.
“That sounds pretty good.”
He added that professional wrestling has fans in all areas of entertainment and culture.
“There’s a lot of wrestling fans everywhere.”
Looking back at the moment he won the championship, RVD says he realized immediately how important it would be for his career.
“I knew at that moment, after the match when I had the championship, I knew I was on top of the world.”
