{"id":148822,"date":"2025-12-17T09:00:48","date_gmt":"2025-12-17T14:00:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/?p=148822"},"modified":"2025-12-16T22:27:48","modified_gmt":"2025-12-17T03:27:48","slug":"every-major-john-cena-vs-cm-punk-wwe-match-ranked","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/2025\/12\/17\/every-major-john-cena-vs-cm-punk-wwe-match-ranked\/","title":{"rendered":"Every Major John Cena Vs. CM Punk WWE Match, Ranked"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The rivalry between John Cena and CM Punk became one of the most intriguing rivalries in 2011. Arguably, WWE&#8217;s rivalry of the year, although Randy Orton and Christian&#8217;s feud over the World Heavyweight Championship dominated SmackDown, may have something to say about it. Nevertheless, Cena and Punk&#8217;s feud captivated audiences as both men are excellent on the mic, translating their mic skills into their superb matches.<\/p>\n<p>RELATED:<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"dZIIThu1Jy\"><p><a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/2025\/12\/13\/every-major-john-cena-vs-edge-match-ranked\/\" target=\"_self\">Every Major John Cena Vs. Edge Match Ranked<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-embedded-content\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" style=\"position: absolute; visibility: hidden;\" title=\"&#8220;Every Major John Cena Vs. Edge Match Ranked&#8221; &#8212; Last Word on Pro Wrestling\" src=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/2025\/12\/13\/every-major-john-cena-vs-edge-match-ranked\/embed\/#?secret=X92ZbOa3UI#?secret=dZIIThu1Jy\" data-secret=\"dZIIThu1Jy\" width=\"600\" height=\"338\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Cena and Punk clashed 15 times in one-on-one matches, including high-stakes WWE Championship matches. Their overall head-to-head ended with Cena prevailing 7 times, Punk triumphant six times, and a couple of draws to boot. However, some of their matches were more memorable than others.<\/p>\n<p>Only their one-on-one WWE Championship matches and number one contenders&#8217; matches for the WWE Championship are focused here, as they hold more significance.<\/p>\n<p>The 17-time WWE world champion John Cena recently retired from professional wrestling after losing to Gunther on the December 13, 2025, edition of Saturday Night&#8217;s Main Event. However, the reigning World Heavyweight Champion CM Punk has declared that he isn&#8217;t retiring anytime soon. This article will revisit one of the all-time great feuds and pay tribute to the legacies of both men.<\/p>\n<h2>7. CM Punk Vs. John Cena &#8211; Raw 1000 (7\/23\/12)<\/h2>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"FULL MATCH: CM Punk vs. John Cena \u2014 WWE Championship Match: Raw 1000\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/GdfeXFy6my0?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Not many wrestlers announce beforehand that they&#8217;ll cash in their Money in the Bank briefcase. On Raw&#8217;s landmark 1,000th episode, John Cena challenged CM Punk for the WWE Championship. After many battles in 2011,<a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/2025\/10\/14\/definitive-rival-john-cena-in-wwe-the-goats-greatest-enemy\/\" target=\"_self\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"> Cena and Punk clashed for the first time in 2012<\/span><\/a>. There was a caveat as The Rock declared that he&#8217;ll be challenging for the WWE Championship at the 2013 Royal Rumble.<\/p>\n<p>The Straight Edge Savior and Cena had a decent match, but as soon as the match was going to get to the next level, Big Show interfered. Show attacked Cena, leading to Cena becoming the first Money in the Bank holder to fail and unsuccessfully win their championship match after a cash-in.<\/p>\n<p><!--nextpage--><\/p>\n<h2>6. John Cena Vs. CM Punk &#8211; Raw (8\/22\/11)<\/h2>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Raw - John Cena vs. CM Punk - No. 1 Contender&#039;s Match\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/loGG4-qY3q4?start=3&#038;feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Did John Cena leave SummerSlam 2011 as the WWE Champion? No. Did CM Punk depart SummerSlam 2011 with the WWE Championship? No. Alberto Del Rio emerged as the WWE Champion at the end of SummerSlam 2011. Both Cena and Punk were reeling with the events that unfolded at SummerSlam, and both believed they were entitled to a WWE Championship rematch against Del Rio.<\/p>\n<p>However, on Raw&#8217;s August 22, 2011 edition, the rivals clashed in a number one contender&#8217;s match with the winner to meet Del Rio at Night of Champions 2011 <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/2025\/12\/13\/john-cena-and-the-4-best-holders-of-the-wwe-championship-spinner-belt\/\" target=\"_self\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">for the WWE Championship<\/span><\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>As expected, Punk and Cena gave it their all with both desperate to be in contention for a WWE Championship shot. Both men showcased their resilience by kicking out of each other&#8217;s finishers. However, in the closing stages, Kevin Nash appeared by distracting Punk, with Cena taking advantage to beat Punk, punching his ticket to a WWE Championship match with Del Rio.<\/p>\n<p><!--nextpage--><\/p>\n<h2>5. John Cena Vs. CM Punk &#8211; Night Of Champions 2025<\/h2>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"FULL MATCH: John Cena vs. CM Punk | WWE Title Match: Night of Champions 2025\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/FJDOK2TvAmE?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>John Cena <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/2025\/12\/12\/the-good-and-the-bad-in-the-john-cena-wwe-retirement-tour\/\" target=\"_self\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">turned heel for the first time in over two decades in 2025<\/span><\/a>. Cena also became &#8220;The Never Seen 17&#8221; when he defeated Cody Rhodes for his record-breaking 17th world championship at WrestleMania 41. Nevertheless, for the first time in Cena and CM Punk&#8217;s storied rivalry, Cena was the heel, and Punk was the face.<\/p>\n<p>They headlined Night of Champions 2025, 13 years after they headlined the 2012 iteration of the event. Furthermore, the crowd in Saudi Arabia was treated to a special match between the two legends.<\/p>\n<p>The crowd was red-hot and chanted &#8220;John Cena sucks&#8221; throughout his entrance. With both men in their 40s, they were a tad slower, but their match was still watchable. However, interference aplenty, and Mr. Money in the Bank, Seth Rollins, teased a cash-in.<\/p>\n<p>Moreover, Rollins nailed Punk with a Stomp, but Cena intervened and pushed Rollins out of the ring. Using heelish tactics, Cena covered the Straight Edge Savior and retained the WWE Championship.<\/p>\n<p><!--nextpage--><\/p>\n<h2>4. CM Punk Vs. John Cena &#8211; SummerSlam 2011<\/h2>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"FULL MATCH: John Cena vs. CM Punk | Undisputed WWE Title Match: SummerSlam 2011\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/IMqdaR6_RjY?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>The competitive juices were flowing in the main event of SummerSlam 2011. CM Punk and John Cena&#8217;s epic rematch took place for the Undisputed WWE Championship. The COO of WWE, Triple H, oversaw proceedings as the special guest referee.<\/p>\n<p>Their title bout didn&#8217;t reach the heights of their Money in the Bank 2011 matchup, but their match was still a high-level encounter. As expected, there were some good exchanges between the two reigning WWE Champions.<\/p>\n<p>Punk&#8217;s GTS wasn&#8217;t enough to get over the line in the first instance. However, <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/2025\/12\/11\/every-wwe-wrestler-john-cena-defeated-for-a-wwe-world-championship-ranked\/\" target=\"_self\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">Punk saw off his great rival for the second straight PPV in succession<\/span><\/a> to be crowned as the Undisputed WWE Champion with a second GTS. Controversy arose, though, as Triple H failed to spot that Cena&#8217;s foot was clearly placed on the rope.<\/p>\n<p>As aforementioned, it didn&#8217;t matter in the end as Kevin Nash attacked Punk, and Alberto Del Rio successfully cashed in his Money in the Bank briefcase to become the new WWE Champion.<\/p>\n<p><!--nextpage--><\/p>\n<h2>3. CM Punk Vs. John Cena &#8211; Night Of Champions 2012<\/h2>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"FULL MATCH: CM Punk vs. John Cena | WWE Championship Match: Night of Champions 2012\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/NL6yYab0Dmg?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Once again, CM Punk was a fully-fledged heel in his rivalry with John Cena in 2012. The Straight Edge Savior was a Paul Heyman Guy. Punk, enjoying his 302nd day as the reigning WWE Champion, put his title on the line against Cena.<\/p>\n<p>However, Punk was looking to spoil the party as Cena competed in his hometown state of Massachusetts inside TD Garden. Shockingly, it was <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/2025\/12\/10\/john-cena-opponents-more-matches-wwe-ppv-ple\/4\/\" target=\"_self\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">Punk&#8217;s first PPV main event in nine months<\/span><\/a> despite holding the WWE Championship for the whole year.<\/p>\n<p>Punk and Cena knocked it out of the park in a solid WWE Championship match. Chants of &#8220;This is Awesome&#8221; reverberated around the arena.<\/p>\n<p>Furthermore, The Second City Saint couldn&#8217;t keep Cena down with the GTS, and Cena&#8217;s AA wasn&#8217;t enough to regain the WWE Championship. However, there couldn&#8217;t be a definitive winner as the match ended in a draw, with both men&#8217;s shoulders counted after Cena connected with a superb German Suplex off the top rope.<\/p>\n<p><!--nextpage--><\/p>\n<h2>2. John Cena Vs. CM Punk &#8211; Raw (2\/25\/13)<\/h2>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"FULL MATCH: John Cena vs. CM Punk: Raw, Feb. 25, 2013\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/sGbfeCUJXfs?start=699&#038;feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Raw&#8217;s February 25, 2013 episode of Raw was CM Punk&#8217;s last chance saloon on achieving his dream of main eventing WrestleMania. The Voice of the Voiceless dropped the WWE Championship to The Rock at the 2013 Royal Rumble, but failed to win it back in their rematch at Elimination Chamber 2013. However, Punk attempted to take Cena&#8217;s 2013 Royal Rumble match-winning title opportunity away from him in their number one contender&#8217;s match.<\/p>\n<p>Arguably, Cena and Punk contested the greatest match in the history of Raw. A big fight feel as expected, and neither man was leaving anything to chance. Punk was desperate and connected with a piledriver, which had been banned in recent years. Even Cena upped it another gear by executing a rare hurricanrana. Inevitably, a Cena vs. Rock II match was on the cards in the main event of WrestleMania 29, with Punk&#8217;s dreams extinguished by Cena.<\/p>\n<p><!--nextpage--><\/p>\n<h2>1. John Cena Vs. CM Punk &#8211; Money In The Bank 2011<\/h2>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"FULL MATCH \u2014 CM Punk vs. John Cena \u2013 WWE Championship Match: WWE Money in the Bank 2011\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/QZb3dfX3cQA?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>&#8220;This Fire Burns&#8221; blared through the speakers for the final time when CM Punk made his emotional entrance down the aisle in front of his hometown fans at Money in the Bank 2011 in Chicago, Illinois. Punk challenged John Cena for the WWE Championship with Punk&#8217;s contract &#8220;expiring&#8221; at midnight. <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/2025\/12\/10\/the-5-best-john-cena-wwe-ple-main-events-ranked\/\" target=\"_self\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">That added intrigue to Punk and Cena&#8217;s five-star instant classic<\/span> <\/a>of a WWE Championship match.<\/p>\n<p>Cena marched down the aisle with his head down and didn&#8217;t acknowledge the crowd. He just hoisted the WWE Championship in the air when he entered the ring, as he knew he stepped into enemy territory. The storytelling was magnificent, and when Mr. McMahon appeared with John Laurinaitis, Cena knocked down the Executive Vice President of Talent Relations.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_147887\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-147887\" style=\"width: 640px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-147887 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2025\/12\/22-1.jpg\" alt=\"A WWE PLE graphic featuring John Cena.\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" srcset=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2025\/12\/22-1.jpg 640w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2025\/12\/22-1-300x169.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-147887\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo Credit: WWE<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Proving to be a costly error, Punk took advantage of a preoccupied Cena by nailing Cena with the GTS to become the WWE Champion for the first time. The crowd went berserk, and the Second City Saint prevented a cash-in from Alberto Del Rio, and he escaped through the crowd as a hero.<\/p>\n<p><strong>More From LWOS Pro Wrestling<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><em><i>Header photo \u2013 WWE \u2013 Stay tuned to the\u00a0<\/i><\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/\" target=\"_self\"><em><u><i>Last Word on Pro Wrestling<\/i><\/u><\/em><\/a><em><i> for more on John Cena, CM Punk, and other stories from around the world of wrestling, as they develop. You can always count on LWOPW to be on top of the significant news in the wrestling world, as well as to provide you with analysis, previews, videos, interviews, and editorials on the wrestling world.<\/i><\/em><\/p>\n<p><em><i>You can check out WWE programming on\u00a0<\/i><\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.netflix.com\/title\/81788927\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><em><u><i>Netflix<\/i><\/u><\/em><\/a><em><i>\u00a0(Raw),\u00a0<\/i><\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.usanetwork.com\/wwe-friday-night-smackdown\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><em><u><i>USA Network<\/i><\/u><\/em><\/a><em><i>\u00a0(SmackDown),\u00a0<\/i><\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cwtv.com\/shows\/wwe-nxt\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><em><u><i>The CW<\/i><\/u><\/em><\/a><em><i>\u00a0(NXT),\u00a0<\/i><\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/tubitv.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><em><u><i>Tubi<\/i><\/u><\/em><\/a><em><i>\u00a0(WWE Evolve),\u00a0<\/i><\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.aetv.com\/wwe\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><em><u><i>A&amp;E<\/i><\/u><\/em><\/a><em><i>\u00a0(WWE Superstar Sunday \u2013 Rivals, WWE LFG, and Greatest Moments), and\u00a0<\/i><\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.peacocktv.com\/watch\/home\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><em><u><i>Peacock<\/i><\/u><\/em><\/a><em><i>\u00a0(WWE Main Event, as well as archives and premium live event streaming). Follow WWE on social media to relive top moments and matches on\u00a0<\/i><\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/wwe\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><em><u><i>YouTube<\/i><\/u><\/em><\/a><em><i>, and catch fast-paced action on X (<\/i><\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/i\/events\/1773457579022155776?lang=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><em><u><i>WWE Speed<\/i><\/u><\/em><\/a><em><i>).<\/i><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The rivalry between John Cena and CM Punk became one of the most intriguing rivalries in 2011. Arguably, WWE&#8217;s rivalry of the year, although Randy Orton and Christian&#8217;s feud over the World Heavyweight Championship dominated SmackDown, may have something to say about it. Nevertheless, Cena and Punk&#8217;s feud captivated audiences as both men are excellent [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5695,"featured_media":137055,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[7205,4,3],"tags":[140,165],"class_list":["post-148822","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-history","category-wwe","category-wwe-universe","tag-cm-punk","tag-john-cena"],"modified_by":"Michael Joseph Sugue, Manager","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/148822","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5695"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=148822"}],"version-history":[{"count":22,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/148822\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":148856,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/148822\/revisions\/148856"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/137055"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=148822"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=148822"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=148822"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}