Kurt Angle says that John Cena will go down as the most successful WWE superstar of all time.
Angle and Cena are often linked together, as the latter made his WWE debut when he confronted the Olympic gold medalist and delivered his classic “ruthless aggression” line on SmackDown in 2002. They worked together over the next few years, so Angle got to see Cena become WWE’s biggest star. 20 years after the young star’s arrival on SmackDown, Cena will celebrate the anniversary of this special moment on the June 27 episode of WWE RAW.
In an interview with Scott Fishman of TV Insider, Angle looked back on Cena’s debut and his subsequent success. When asked what he thinks Cena’s legacy will be, Angle stated that he will be considered the most successful WWE star of all time.
“The most successful WWE superstar of all time,” said Angle. “He has won 16 world titles, and they are all WWE world titles. Nobody else has done that. John was able to accomplish that. I wouldn’t say he is the greatest wrestler of all time. There are a lot of great technicians. John was the most successful.”
Having worked alongside Cena throughout his rise to the top, Angle watched him flourish. In the interview, he highlighted the way the former world champion’s marketability and pointed out his success as a merchandise seller.
“He caught on very well,” said Cena. “He was really good with the merchandise. This kid could sell anything, and he did — hats, wristbands. He was a very marketable athlete. He came in well prepared. He knew once he got on TV, he was going to sell merch, and he did. He is one of the top merchandise sellers of all time.”
“All I said was, ‘You stepped up tonight. It was a great match,'” said Angle. “He said, ‘Thank you, Mr. Angle, for working with me. I really do appreciate it.’ He was very respectful. I knew this kid was very special from the first time I got in the ring and after I got done wrestling him, I knew he would be a huge star down the road.”
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