Recently on Punk seemed to open the door for a reunion with John Cena as part of his year-long Farewell Tour.
Given the level of emotion the two men have generated among WWE fans, both individually and when interacting with one another, it's no wonder the live audience responded with a guttural response when Punk did Cena's trademark "U Can't See Me" hand gesture on Raw.
Having only interacted with one another on screen under the creative stewardship of Vince McMahon, this is a landmark moment for two of WWE's most popular veterans. This new incarnation of WWE encourages characters to dig into the depth of their lore for our entertainment. There is an eye-watering amount of narrative between CM Punk and John Cena, but there remains only the next 11 and a half months to pull the trigger on it.
The History Of Cena vs Punk
Two Men Bound By More Than Just The Pipebomb
When the epitaph is written on CM Punk's career, his Pipebomb promo in Las Vegas will be spoken about as one of the most significant moments in WWE history. It is worth ing that the famous Pipebomb was aimed squarely at a lifeless John Cena ahead of their match at Money In The Bank match in Chicago, as Cena lay in a heap having just been defeated in a Tables Match by R-Truth. It is one of a litany of special moments between them, concocted within a notoriously stifling creative working environment.
The atmosphere from their Money In The Bank encounter is so legendary that it is part of WWE folklore, competing with ECW's One Night Stand for the most hostile environment Cena has ever wrestled in. They have not one but two outstanding Number One Contender matches on Monday Night Raw shows in 2011 and 2013 respectively, the second of which notoriously featured Cena taking a piledriver from Punk.
CM Punk vs John Cena is arguably the biggest match to never headline a WrestleMania, and makes a strong case for Punk's Pipebomb assertion that Vince McMahon was a man who "made money despite himself".
Will Punk Derail Cena’s Farewell Tour?
The Temptation Must Be Large For CM Punk's Big Turn
After taking 7 years away from the game, CM Punk has wrestled as a babyface ever since coming back to pro wrestling. It wouldn't be the online landscape if there wasn't some complaining being done somewhere, but despite rave reviews for his feuds with Drew McIntyre and Seth Rollins, there are murmurs that Punk's WWE run has been too PG. Seth Rollins even dared to call Punk "corporate" and a "bootlicker" among his recent tirade of insults.
CM Punk doing enormous numbers regardless of his character's direction is the antidote to anyone who suggests that he is better when leaning one way or the other, but it could be forgiven if some miss Punk's heel side. He hasn't been WWE's villain since mocking The Undertaker with the recently deceased Paul Bearer's urn on the road to their match at WrestleMania 29. One of the most captivating things about him is there is always the chance that Punk could snap. Somewhere down the line, Punk will surely give in to villainous tendencies and Cena could well be the victim of a CM Punk heel turn.
Could Punk And Cena Tag Together Instead?
Some Bizarre Suggestions Have Come From Punk & Cena Themselves
Ask the performers, and they have a different take on the matter altogether. Both CM Punk and Cena have spoken about teaming up together this year in wildly different circumstances. Punk and Cena have tagged on the same team the last three times they have shared a WWE ring. Speaking at San Diego Comic Con last July, Punk said: "Everybody is asking me, because Cena has announced his retirement, they obviously want to see us fight each other. There is something to me and him tagging. That could be pretty interesting.”
Cena takes the idea of tagging together and takes it in a completely different direction. Speaking to Collider's Steve Weintraub, Cena appeared to pitch a buddy-action movie with Punk by saying: “I think the viewing public probably would get a kick out of… Usually, in the action-comedy space, it’s kind of oil and water, or two comedy styles that combat each other, and I don’t want to say ‘combat,’ but I think people would dig me and CM Punk together." Now that Punk has opened the door for conversation with Cena, anything seems possible.
CM Punk and John Cena have won their last 3 matches when tagging together, in a handicap match win over The Shield and 6-man tag team wins with Big E and Daniel Bryan over The Wyatt Family and The Shied respectively.
2025 Is Perfect For Cena vs Punk
The Clock Is Ticking To Finish The Story
Given their long-running history, it would be criminal to not see John Cena vs CM Punk headline a banner WWE show while we still have the chance to see it. Their characters have always been the perfect foil for one another, so much so that their feud feels timeless. If Cena is dependable and unwavering in the face of morality like Superman, Punk is his emotionally reactive and untameable dark mirror, with John's wholesome nature being offset by Punk's lawless unpredictability.
In a time when cinematic spots like Roman Reigns and Cody Rhodes meeting on a football field in Georgia ooze class, and big moments like The Trial of Sami Zayn or Heyman's defiance to Solo's Bloodline at Madison Square Garden are the rewards for greatness, the people need John Cena vs CM Punk in a sustained feud with today's writers and production at their disposal. Forget the three count. A bell ringing, the surging roar of the crowd, and CM Punk standing eyeball-to-eyeball with John Cena for the last time would be one of the moments where it would feel like we are all winning.
