As the sun was setting on the reign of Stone Cold Steve Austin and The Rock in WWE with the Attitude Era came to a close, the company found itself in a predicament. It desperately needed to unearth a new superstar who would hold the mantle of these wrestling giants. Their solution, or rather, solutions, lay in the promising Ohio Valley Wrestling class of 2002, often referred to as the gold standard of WWE's talent factory.
Key Takeaways
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Vince McMahon chose John Cena as the face of WWE over other contenders.
Cena emerged from the Ohio Valley Wrestling class of 2002, which included Brock Lesnar and Randy Orton.
Cena's hip-hop street rapping persona impressed McMahon, leading to his push.
The 2002 class boasted the likes of Brock Lesnar, Randy Orton, Batista, Shelton Benjamin, and, of course, John Cena. Each of these performers would go on to achieve varying degrees of success, but it was Cena who emerged as the 'Chosen One', the superstar that the company decided to throw its full weight behind.
