Highlights
Cena & Punk’s WWE rivalry within the 2010s was legendary, with nice chemistry within the ring.
Cena and Punk at all times maintained mutual respect regardless of their intense wrestling battles.
Cena allowed Punk to improvise, easing stress off of himself, creating a novel and profitable partnership.
John Cena and CM Punk’s wrestling careers are so intertwined with one another you can’t point out one with out the opposite. Their WWE rivalry within the 2010s was among the finest that wrestling followers have seen. They introduced out one of the best in one another, and it was evident throughout their promos and matches. Not like many wrestlers, Punk’s relationship with John Cena didn’t deteriorate after he left WWE. As followers would know, Punk didn’t speak to most of his friends after leaving WWE, and even when he was there, he didn’t have one of the best relationship with them. When Punk did that Colt Cabana podcast, he mentioned that he didn’t even speak to Cena after leaving, however didn’t say something dangerous about him. Each wrestlers at all times had respect for one another, which is essential within the wrestling enterprise. Now that Punk is again in WWE, he will get to work together with Cena every time he exhibits up.
Associated
John Cena & CM Punk had a ton of memorable matches of their WWE careers, and right here we rank all of their one on one encounters from worst to greatest.
CM Punk & John Cena Had Nice Chemistry In The Ring
John Cena & CM Punk Feuded With Every Different In The 2010s
2011 was the Summer time of CM Punk. CM Punk beat John Cena for the WWE Championship at Cash within the Financial institution. Punk and Cena had a rematch at SummerSlam.
Cena performed a task in kickstarting the Summer time of Punk in 2011. After The Cult of Persona grew to become the primary contender for the WWE Championship, he went on to beat John Cena at Cash within the Financial institution for the mentioned title. This was among the finest matches of their careers, and it even earned them a 5-star score from Dave Meltzer. Lots was at stake, and Vince McMahon couldn’t have Punk win the title as a result of he mentioned he wasn’t going to resume his contract and go away the corporate with their major title.
WWE determined they had been going to do a match for the WWE Championship, which was gained by Rey Mysterio. Shortly after – yeah, on the identical evening – John Cena grew to become the brand new WWE Champion and this led to Punk returning to WWE. They’d one other match at SummerSlam to find out the actual WWE Champion, and Punk gained. The whole lot up up to now was nice, their rivalry was superior, and Punk was the most important identify within the wrestling trade at the moment. The momentum was utterly on his aspect till Kevin Nash returned and ruined every little thing.
Associated
Wrestling journalist Dave Meltzer has picked out the best WWE World title matches that John Cena featured in.
John Cena & CM Punk At all times Had A Good Working Relationship
CM Punk & John Cena Share A Mutual Respect For Every Different
John Cena has been accused of holding again WWE wrestlers for his personal push. CM Punk was allowed to improvise with John Cena. John Cena thought Punk’s reputation took some stress off of him.
Many followers really feel that John Cena held others again at instances, in order that they couldn’t surpass him. Whether or not it’s true or not, that’s not the purpose. However right here’s what CM Punk has mentioned about Cena, and it offers followers a clue as to what sort of wrestler Cena was again within the day. In an interview at Starrcast III, Punk talked about that Cena let him improvise, let him do issues different wrestlers hadn’t considered doing earlier than, and that he was glad Punk was as in style as he was as a result of it took some load off of Cena, who was WWE’s poster boy at the moment. Followers had discovered one other wrestler to care about, and Punk was making WWE some huge cash in merch gross sales alone, so Cena didn’t should push himself as a lot. Punk mentioned:
“I at all times favored working with John as a result of once more, it was simple. And I feel John was ready the place he was nearly form of glad any person else got here in and forcibly like took the reins. I feel John was stoked that he didn’t should be that man directing visitors. And he let me do regardless of the f*** I needed. So, I feel he was relieved. However, I additionally assume that’s how we labored collectively rather well, you recognize?” (H/T
WrestleTalk
)
Whereas it’s true that Punk wasn’t a fan of WWE at all times favoring John Cena over others, he did have respect for the man on the very least. They had been one another’s greatest rivals, and it’s not simply one thing followers say. Even Punk himself admitted that on a number of events, most lately on the press convention for Cash within the Financial institution 2024.
CM Punk Desires To Wrestle John Cena One Extra Time
John Cena Has Introduced His Retirement In 2025
The Voice of the Unvoiced was requested about Cena’s retirement announcement, and he talked about a small dialog he had with Cena.
“I texted him straight away, and I mentioned, ‘Don’t go away earlier than you say hello to me’. He texts again, ‘Haha, have an excellent one tonight.’ I instantly took that as, ‘Piss off, I’m leaving.’ So I do know he’s busy, he’s filming ‘Peacemaker,’ so I figured he was leaving straight away. I used to be pleasantly stunned to run into him afterwards, and I informed him I’ll be the man that drags him out of retirement, this retirement that he says he’s gonna adhere to, and that is it, and when the ultimate one occurs, that’s gonna be it. Yeah, 15 years, I’ll drag him out of retirement.” (H/T
Wrestling Inc
)
Punk has joked about him being “married” to Cena a few instances throughout interviews. Working with Cena modified Punk’s profession in some ways, and he mentioned the identical throughout the convention.
“Cena, I feel, to my profession, means rather a lot. I don’t assume there’s many individuals in that uncommon air, the place when you discuss my profession, I really feel like you must discuss John, and [it] makes me really feel proud that I feel if you discuss John’s profession, I feel you must discuss me. We’re married in that respect.”
They’ve mutual respect for one another. Like earlier than Punk’s wrestling return again in 2019, John Cena referenced him throughout a promo in opposition to Roman Reigns. On a number of events, Cena has additionally paid tribute to Punk on his Instagram account. Even when they aren’t one of the best of buddies, they’ve an excellent relationship with one another. Cena has at all times been one of many few high guys that Punk has by no means had any severe points with. Punk has mentioned that he needs to have one other match with Cena, and contemplating he was such an enormous a part of Cena’s profession at one level, it wouldn’t be fully stunning to see these two legends tussle it out within the ring for one final time.
