#2. John Cena (c) vs. CM Punk for the WWE Championship at Money in the Bank 2011
“The Summer of Punk” in 2011 revolved around CM Punk’s anti-hero tactics and Vince McMahon, but there was one major player in this entire narrative that never gets enough credit: John Cena.
Following CM Punk’s Pipebomb promo, the hype was insane for his clash with Cena at Money in the Bank 2011. Punk’s contract was set to expire at MITB 2011, and he had vowed to run away with the WWE Championship. This would have left the world’s leading pro wrestling promotion without its greatest symbol. It seemed impossible, but that’s exactly what happened in Chicago on July 17, 2011.
John Cena vs. CM Punk at MITB 2011 was the stuff of legend, and it had every right to be a five-star classic. Chicago was red hot as the crowd was clearly biased in Punk’s favor. The action was intense, well-paced, and competitive. Both men stayed true to their characters and told a great story in the squared circle.
The iconic image of Punk running away with the WWE Championship, while a frustrated and defeated Vince McMahon looked on helplessly, was one that fans still recall to this day.
