Professional wrestling is built on the stories told in and out of the ring. These often come in the form of rivalries, pitting opposing forces against one another in pursuit of bragging rights, championships, and success. Our latest entry into the Rivalry Rewind series takes a look at two clashing personalities in “The Voice of the Voiceless,” CM Punk vs. “The Face of WWE,” John Cena.
From the mid-2000s to the late-2010s, there was no WWE Superstar bigger than John Cena. From “The Doctor of Thuganomics” to the squeaky clean face of the company, his career has been nothing short of storied. Two Royal Rumble victories and 14 world titles are among the various accolades he has achieved. Just as important, however, is his rogues’ gallery of sorts. From Edge to Randy Orton, Cena has had many notable rivalries. Perhaps his most important, as well as industry-changing, has been against CM Punk.
During their peaks, no two WWE personalities contrasted each other more than CM Punk and John Cena. Whereas Cena was the family-friendly face of the company, upholding his mantra of “Hustle, Loyalty, Respect,” Punk didn’t adopt the same white hat approach. He was outspoken, brazen, and unafraid to disrupt the system. These two personalities would come together numerous times, producing gripping stories and wrestling exciting matches in the process. To understand how this feud began, we must go back to December of 2010.
The Seeds of CM Punk vs. John Cena
On Monday Night RAW, CM Punk had attacked John Cena. It’s important to note that, around this time, Punk was performing commentary while recovering from a legitimate hip injury. Reestablishing himself as a heel, Punk would attack Cena after he was beaten down by The Nexus. After laying out Cena with a GTS, Punk picked up a fallen Nexus armband from the canvas. Punk slid the armband onto his bicep before throwing a fist up toward The Nexus, which the group returned. While The Nexus would be short-lived under the leadership of Punk, this planted the seeds for the event to unfold in June the following year, also known as “The Summer of Punk.”
In the months that followed, Punk and Cena would take part in other angles. While Punk feuded with The Corre, formed by former Nexus leader Wade Barrett, and Randy Orton, Cena defended his eighth WWE Championship against the likes of The Miz and R-Truth. Punk found himself in the WWE Championship hunt when he won a number one contender’s match on the June 20th episode of RAW. However, this was where things became interesting: Punk was set to face John Cena for the title at Money in the Bank on July 17, the same day Punk’s WWE contract came to an end. The following week, Punk made his true feelings on Cena, as well as WWE, known.
In His Hand, a Microphone is a Pipebomb
On the June 27th episode of RAW, a “Stone Cold” Steve Austin shirt-wearing Punk interfered in a Tables Match between Cena and R-Truth. After costing Cena the match, Punk sat down on the stage, cutting what has since been dubbed the “Pipebomb Promo.” For a little over five minutes, Punk declared that he would win the WWE Championship, all the while “breaking the fourth wall,” running down the company’s corrupt practices, and the way that he believed he was overlooked by WWE over the years. This career-defining promo was a game-changer during this time. It infused what many fans saw as a stale product with a dose of reality.
Due to Punk’s scathing words, he was suspended from WWE, a corporate decision Cena objected to. While Cena was no friend of Punk’s, the WWE Champion wanted to fight. Furthermore, Cena believed Punk earned his title match. After a heated debate, Vince McMahon conceded, reinstating Punk. However, McMahon wasn’t about to let this go unpunished, stating that if Punk walked out of Money in the Bank with the WWE Championship, Cena would be fired. From there, McMahon’s focus shifted to Punk, who took glee in undermining the WWE Chairman.
Nowhere was this more evident than during Punk’s contract signing segment with McMahon. While McMahon attempted to re-sign the straightedge star, Punk was more concerned with making frivolous demands, as jocular as some of them might have been. Everything from his own private jet to the return of the WWE ice cream bars was requested. Cena, meanwhile, was more concerned with wrestling Punk at Money in the Bank. It was here that the character differences between the two competitors were truly contrasted. While Cena wished to maintain the bridge, Punk showed no concern with lighting it ablaze, even to the extent of taking the WWE Championship as his contract ended at Money in the Bank.
CM Punk vs. John Cena at Money in the Bank
The stage was set: Money in the Bank, on July 17, 2011, took place from the Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Illinois. Despite being from Chicago, Punk was treated as a returning hero, a deity worshiped by a hardcore wrestling crowd. Meanwhile, Cena was regarded as the biggest heel of the night, the Chicago crowd wanting no part WWE’s figurehead. They simply wanted to see him lose the WWE Championship, even if it meant his career. The stakes couldn’t have been higher; for this reason alone, the match would go down in WWE history.
Up until the conclusion, Punk and Cena wrestled a relatively clean match, evenly matched against one another. That was, until McMahon and the WWE Executive Vice President of Talent Relations, John Laurinaitis, appeared. During the match, Cena trapped Punk in an STF. Despite Punk not submitting, McMahon ordered Laurinaitis to ring the bell. Seeing this, Cena dropped Laurinaitis in his path. Cena returned to the ring, only to be caught by a surprise GTS from Punk. One pinfall later and Punk was crowned the new WWE Champion.
McMahon had one more plan up his sleeve. Taking to the announce desk, McMahon ordered Alberto Del Rio, the Money in the Bank winner, to cash in. Del Rio rushed the ring, but upon entering, he received a roundhouse kick from Punk. Seizing the WWE Championship, Punk escaped through the Chicago crowd, but not before blowing McMahon a kiss goodbye. To say that this was a chaotic conclusion to Money in the Bank would be an understatement. If Punk wasn’t a star before, he certainly was after this night.
The Rivalry Continues
The feud between CM Punk and John Cena didn’t conclude at Money in the Bank. Though he lost the match, Cena wasn’t fired. In fact, he would compete to crown a new WWE Champion, as Punk was seemingly done with the company. On the July 5th episode of RAW, Cena defeated Rey Mysterio to declare a new WWE Champion. As Cena celebrated, however, “Cult of Personality” by Living Colour played. Confused at first, Cena, as well as fans in attendance, were stunned when Punk appeared. RAW ended with both men standing in the ring, holding their respective titles. The message was clear: there could only be one WWE Champion.
The following August, at SummerSlam 2011, Punk faced Cena in the main event to determine an undisputed WWE Champion, with Triple H as the special guest referee. Punk would win this second encounter, though he wouldn’t leave as the champion. Following a surprise attack by Kevin Nash, Punk was cashed in on by Alberto Del Rio, who wasn’t about to let his cash-in attempt be foiled again. SummerSlam ended with a new WWE Champion, to be certain, but it wasn’t the man that fans rallied behind.
Separate Paths
In the months that followed, Punk and Cena seemed to show more mutual respect toward each other. However, they were largely part of separate storylines. Punk would eventually regain the WWE Championship from Alberto Del Rio at Survivor Series that following November. From there, the self-proclaimed “Best in the World” continued to hold the WWE Championship, ultimately setting an impressive 434-day reign. He also put on stellar matches with the likes of Chris Jericho and Daniel Bryan, even if his matches weren’t always in main event spots.
As for Cena, high-profile programs continued. Chief among them was his rivalry with The Rock, who Cena had issues with dating back to the early days of the Punk rivalry. Cena would also draw the ire of Laurinaitis, even wrestling the EVP of Talent Relations on one occasion. However, in the eyes of WWE fans, it wouldn’t be long until the face of the company was back in the WWE Championship hunt. This would rekindle the rivalry between Punk and Cena on July 23, 2012. On this night, RAW 1000, Cena cashed in his own Money in the Bank opportunity, facing Punk in the WWE Championship main event.
CM Punk Turns Traitorous
One week earlier, Big Show took it upon himself to let Punk know what he believed to be true. According to Big Show, Punk was simply “another cog in the machine” and that the company revolved around one man: Cena. At RAW 1000, the main event between Punk and Cena was interrupted by none other than Big Show, who attacked Cena, costing him the title. As Cena was being attacked by the giant, instead of assisting his opponent against a common enemy, Punk simply walked away.
This prompted The Rock, a guest at RAW 1000, to rush to Cena’s aid. The Rock attacked Big Show, preparing him for the People’s Elbow. As he ran the ropes, The Rock was stopped in his tracks by an attacking Punk. The reigning WWE Champion soon dropped “The Great One” with a GTS, leaving a stunned crowd to process what had just unfolded. Punk believed that, as WWE Champion, he should have the spotlight. To him, Cena and The Rock weren’t the ones the company should have revolved around. This sense of jealousy transformed Punk, once again, into a detestable villain.
Throughout the rest of the summer, as well as the start of the fall season, Cena continued to chase Punk for the WWE Championship. Along the way, Punk aligned himself with Paul Heyman, as a self-proclaimed “Paul Heyman Guy” would do. Punk and Cena’s final major singles match took place at Night of Champions 2012, which ended in a draw due to both men’s shoulders being counted at the same time.
CM Punk vs. John Cena – In Closing
Punk’s 434-day WWE Championship reign continued; not only did he retain against Cena but Ryback, the latter being an up-and-coming name during this time. However, this reign would come to an end at the Royal Rumble 2013 event. It was here when Punk fell to The Rock, interference from The Shield at all. Following prominent feuds with The Undertaker and Brock Lesnar, Punk would be gone from the company by January of 2014 following his controversial walkout.
Always the company man, Cena remained with WWE, off and on, throughout the years. As he grew older, Cena used his status as a top star in numerous ways. In addition to reinvigorating the United States Championship scene, Cena worked with the likes of Kevin Owens and AJ Styles, further legitimizing them as well. As of this writing, Cena’s final match took place at WrestleMania 36, in the spring of 2020, where he lost to “The Fiend” Bray Wyatt in a Firefly Fun House Match.
CM Punk vs. John Cena helped bring a sense of reality to a product that sorely needed it. During a time when many fans had become disenchanted with WWE, Punk’s gritty, unapologetic persona resonated with viewers. Cena provided the perfect foil; while he wasn’t a traditional villain, his reputation as the “golden child” of the WWE family complemented Punk’s demeanor perfectly. When looking back at the wrestling careers of both men, it can’t be denied that this rivalry was vital to both.
Stay tuned to the Last Word on Pro Wrestling for more on this and other stories from around the world of wrestling, as they develop. You can always count on LWOPW to be on top of the major news in the wrestling world, as well as to provide you with analysis, previews, videos, interviews, and editorials on the wrestling world. WWE fan? You can check out an almost unlimited array of WWE content on Peacock.
Looking to talk wrestling, pro football, or any number of sports? Head on over to the LWOS Boards to engage in conversation with fellow fans!
