The Champ has had the deck stacked against him more times than he can count, but John Cena will face perhaps his toughest challenge of his career when he defends the WWE Championship against ECW’s Rob Van Dam this Sunday at One Night Stand. If Cena loses to RVD, he won’t only lose the Championship from around his waist, but RAW will be without the WWE Championship as well. And to add insult to injury to RAW, that same Championship will become the ECW Championship.

While that is a ton of pressure for one man to handle, Cena welcomes the challenge.

“Everybody is talking about pressure, and everybody is talking about this and that. This is a history making match. One of two things can happen,” said Cena. “I can leave there with the WWE Championship with more than one or two black and blues – not only from RVD and ECW, but I think the people paying admission aren’t paying to just sit there if you know what I mean. Either that, or Rob will win the WWE Championship, and it won’t be known as the WWE Championship anymore. There’ll be an ECW Championship, and RAW will be without a championship.”

At the same time, the match poses a massive golden opportunity for Rob Van Dam.

“It’s happening man, it’s happening. I’m thinking about every opportunity that is stemming from that night (One Night Stand),” said RVD. “Not only am I looking to get what I deserve for all of my hard work, but I’m looking to get the entire ECW brand launched off in a huge way, and by winning the WWE Championship, I’ll do just that.”

And if there was ever such a thing as a home field advantage in the squared circle, this would have to be it. The Hammerstein Ballroom is sure to be filled with 2,500 rabid, partisan fans dying to see Rob Van Dam become the new WWE Champion.

“If there was any better night for me – any match more important in my entire 16 or 17 year career, I sure as hell can’t think of what it would be,” said RVD. “As important as the Television Championship reigns I had with ECW were, which was the time I had my best and favorite matches, I still didn’t have as much riding on it, as much going into it as I do now. I’ve never been involved in anything during my five years here that was so big and that had so much focus on it. I’m super stoked, and the timing is perfect for me.”

Although this could be the most ravenous crowd that Cena has defended his Championship in front of, he’s no stranger to hostile environments.

“Go back to even New Year’s Revolution. Go back to WrestleMania 22. There were maybe 10 or 20 people in that place that liked me that night,” said Cena. “So, this is something, I don’t want to say that I’m used to, but it’s apparently something that doesn’t affect me. I did okay in both of those places, and I’ve been in worse. A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, everybody across the United States hated me when I first started coming out doing my own thing. I’m not going to change. I know exactly what I’m getting into. I’m getting into a very intimate environment with probably 2,500 of the most fanatical people. That’s the great thing about ECW. Our fans are tried and true, but the ECW fans are very, very fanatical. So, the volume may get turned up a little bit, but am I going to take my ball and go home? No, I’m going to go for it.”

Where will the WWE Championship be when all the smoke clears at ECW One Night Stand? Will John Cena once again overcome the odds and keep the gold on RAW, or will RVD make history and christen the WWE Championship as the new ECW Championship? Tune in to ECW One Night Stand Sunday night at 8/7 CT only on pay-per-view to find out.