The rivalry between John Cena and CM Punk helped create iconic memories for WWE in the first half of the 2010s. Everyone has strong feelings about the summer of Punk when the controversial pipe bomb promo started a wave of momentum. Cena was still the face of WWE, but fans who were tired of the same old product rallied behind Punk.
WWE witnessed their hottest program in many years with compelling storytelling and action-packed matches. Both wrestlers became part of each other’s legacies due to how well they worked together. Not everything about the program is obvious when looking back. There are plenty of forgotten details about Punk and Cena’s feud.
10 John Cena Wanted To Put CM Punk Over
The wrestlers to have the “face of the company” position have always had a mixed history of wanting to put others over. Hulk Hogan and Steve Austin had reputations for turning down ideas or opponents when they were on top.
John Cena was the opposite and wanted to help elevate others. The 2011 program with CM Punk was one of the first times Cena had the chance to “make” a new star by elevating Punk to his tier. Cena stated multiple times in interviews that he wanted Punk to win in Chicago since it was best for business.
9 Used Real Life Incident To Add Tension
The promo battles between CM Punk and John Cena added more intensity to the feud than the in-ring matches. Both guys delivered vicious barbs that kept the audience captivated and wanting more during the summer of Punk.
There was a real-life story mentioned by Punk when he remembered being offended at Cena saying he almost gave up on him. The use of real stories in wrestling typically add to the drama and Punk channeled that by being real with this memory.
8 WWE Ended Cena's Feud With R-Truth Early
One of the most forgotten aspects of John Cena feuding with CM Punk in 2011 was that Cena also had a feud going with R-Truth. WWE turned R-Truth heel one month earlier with the delusional gimmick and made him the top contender to Cena’s WWE Championship.
Cena defeated R-Truth at Capital Punishment 2011, but the two interacted on Raw the next night. Punk winning the #1 contender spot would see him replacing R-Truth as Cena’s new rival. WWE cut the R-Truth program short since Punk’s contract was initially ending later that month.
7 Cena's Sports Fandom Was A Rib
CM Punk and John Cena got personal about sports fandom during one of their promo battles in Boston. Cena’s hometown team was referenced when Punk claimed Cena represented the New York Yankees more than the Boston Red Sox.
The comical reaction of Cena decking Punk sold the personal shot fired. However, Punk had mocked Cena in past radio interviews about his bandwagon sports fandom. Cena grew up a Red Sox fan, but he regularly attended Tampa Bay Rays games and showed love to the New York Yankees.
6 WWE Added Big Show To Protect Both Wrestlers
WWE went back to the John Cena vs CM Punk feud in the summer of 2012 but with a new twist. Punk was now a heel after attacking The Rock and showing a disdain towards the audience. Fans were surprised when Big Show was added to make it a triple threat feud.
The use of Big Show made everyone assume WWE just wanted to force him into another main event program. Big Show was actually added to take the loss so Cena and Punk could both be protected with neither getting pinned.
5 Pipe Bomb Was Meant To Be More About John Cena Than WWE
The pipe bomb promo changed CM Punk’s career forever when he ripped Vince McMahon and Triple H by referencing a reality never acknowledged on WWE television. Punk breaking the fourth wall created a must-watch feel for WWE again.
The promo was originally meant to be about John Cena representing the issues of WWE, but it took a turn towards the WWE system. Fans reacting to it with such a strong momentum building made them double down with segments of Punk confronting Vince and Triple H to their faces.
4 John Cena Was Supposed To Have Longer Interim Title Reign
CM Punk winning the WWE Championship in the legendary match against John Cena at Money in the Bank 2011 led to him leaving with the belt when his contract expired. Fans had high hopes for the storyline since Punk threatened to take the title to other promotions.
WWE booked a tournament to crown a new champ with Punk out for weeks. Rey Mysterio won the tournament, but he immediately dropped the belt to Cena. The original plan was for Cena to have a longer run before Punk returned. WWE rushed it to have the big blowoff match at SummerSlam 2011 with the winner taking all.
3 WWE's First "Five-Star" Match In 14 Years
Dave Meltzer’s five-star rating became an unofficial benchmark for wrestlers to achieve when having a great match. Recent years have seen many WWE matches hitting the five-star status, but there was one a long drought.
WWE went fourteen years without a five-star match until John Cena vs CM Punk received it at Money in the Bank 2011. The previous WWE match to get the flawless rating was The Undertaker vs Shawn Michaels in the first-ever Hell in a Cell match.
2 They Broke WWE's Piledriver Rule
Rules are meant to be broken, but only some wrestlers can get away with doing so in WWE. CM Punk and John Cena facing off on Raw in 2013 featured intense back and forth action with one specific move standing out most.
WWE banned piledrivers for years due to the risk involved with someone’s head being injured. Punk and Cena decided to go against the rules by having an unapproved piledriver spot. Both wrestlers had huge matches booked for WrestleMania 29 and WWE wasn’t going to do anything beyond talking to them backstage.
1 Punk Treated Their Raw Match As "WrestleMania Main Event"
The Raw match with a piledriver turned out to be another instant classic between John Cena and CM Punk. Cena was getting ready to main event WrestleMania 29 against The Rock, but Punk was livid about being excluded from the main event.
The timing was brutal as Punk had another incredible year that ended with WWE’s plans outweighing his success. Punk revealed he was proudest of the Raw match with Cena, because he wanted to show WWE what they were missing by not having them main event the biggest show of the year. Rock vs Cena couldn’t follow what Punk and Cena did on this night.