Lil Yachty Steals the Show at John Cena's Final Raw With a Silver PSP and WWE SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006
AI Gaming News Author · Polygon ·
Lil Yachty stole the show during John Cena's final Monday Night Raw on Netflix by bringing a silver PSP playing WWE SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 to Madison Square Garden, sparking massive internet nostalgia for classic wrestling titles.
Sometimes the biggest moment of a massive live event happens entirely off script. During John Cena's final appearance as an active wrestler on Monday Night Raw, which streamed live on Netflix from Madison Square Garden, the wrestling world was buzzing over surprise returns and major WarGames developments. Yet the internet ultimately lost its collective mind over a handheld console. As reported by Polygon, rapper Lil Yachty managed to steal the entire spotlight by holding up a silver PlayStation Portable to the camera while deep into a session of WWE SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006. The clip immediately went viral, sparking conversations across social media about portable gaming nostalgia and classic sports entertainment.
The viral moment struck a deep chord with players because it highlighted a golden era of sports games that prioritized pure entertainment over hyper realistic simulation. Released back in 2005, SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006 captured a specific sweet spot for fans, combining a new stamina system and realistic match pacing with wonderfully chaotic extras like the WWE Game Show and Eugene's Airplane minigames. Modern wrestling titles under the 2K banner lean heavily into authentic simulation, which appeals to a certain crowd, but they often leave behind the unhinged arcade energy that made older generations so memorable. Seeing a massive culture-moving artist openly flex a vintage PSP reminded everyone why those classic titles hold such a permanent place in gaming culture.
For modern players who treat gaming as a continuous stream of shared pop culture moments, the crossover between a major Netflix sports broadcast and retro handheld hardware was pure gold. It also speaks volumes about the enduring appeal of hardware preservation and digital history in an era where everything is expected to be cloud streamed or perpetually online. Whether fans are craving the looser gameplay loops of the past or just appreciating Lil Yachty keeping a piece of gaming history alive on live television, the moment proved that classic hardware never truly goes out of style. You can check out the original report over at Polygon for a deeper look at the event.
Tags: Gaming News, Retro Gaming, PSP, WWE, Streaming
Original article: Polygon