WATCH: John Cena's 2002 SmackDown debut!
Last Updated: 12/10/18 5:03pm
As part of our build-up to SmackDown 1000 on Tuesday night, we head back to 2002 and the debut of a certain John Cena.
Kurt Angle, gold medal sitting proudly around his neck, had issued an open challenge to the locker room, which he said was 'full of future champions, eager to climb the mountain and impress'.
Looking every inch the prototype he had been in developmental, Cena made his entrance, an unknown competitor arriving with an unknown theme and with the jorts nowhere to be seen.
He promised to bring 'ruthless aggression' and with those two words a new WWE era was kick-started and a star - who would eventually find his way to 16 world championships - was born.
Click on the video above to relive this SmackDown memory and don't forget to tune in for the 1000th episode of the blue brand live on Sky Sports Action at 1am on Wednesday morning!
