CM Punk
The 2010s kicked off with a rivalry that would define the decade: CM Punk versus John Cena. If you look at these two men, they could not be more different. One is the quintessential superstar that most companies would die for to have as the face of their brand. The other, an anti-establishment, walks to the beat of his own drum, tattoo-covered Punk rock kid (no pun intended) that most wouldn’t consider “fit” to be the “top guy in WWE.”
Those differences are what made the WWE rivalry between John Cena and CM Punk work. Cena was the company guy who put WWE on his back for the last five years, while Punk was the man who wanted to disrupt the status quo and prove that “guys like him” are far better than the cookie-cutter Ken dolls WWE was trying to push at the time.
Their chemistry together was unmatched, providing the WWE Universe with electric moments whenever they would come face-to-face. Cena was also present for the infamous “Pipe bomb” that would thrust Punk into the stratosphere and see him become one of the longest reigning WWE Champions of the modern era.
Punk also forced Cena’s hand most times, going toe-to-toe with him on the microphone and in the ring, creating classics such as their 2011 Money in the Bank spectacle in Chicago, as well as their 2013 match on WWE Raw that saw Punk drill Cena with a then-banned Piledriver.
Peeling back the curtains, Punk and Cena have a tremendous amount of respect for one another, with the “Second City Saint” even referring to John as his “wrestling soulmate.” The Cena and Punk feud during the period was basically that generation’s Rock and Austin, which tells you all you need to know, and why CM Punk deserves to be in this conversation.
