CM Punk vs John Cena (WWE Night Of Champions 2025 6/28/2025)
unfortunately reviewed by Nathan Heslip
It’s times like these where I try my best to really enjoy this stupid promotion but they always, ALWAYS find a way to mess it up.
Let me take you back to 7/17/2011. I'm eight years old. CM Punk just defeated my hero and I’m sitting on my couch with tears running down my cheek while what feels like the whole city of Chicago is celebrating like the Bears upset the Patriots and won the Super Bowl. That match and those two wrestlers have stuck with me for most of my life. I started watching more wrestling around the time when Punk was gone but I had his Ring Of Honor career to watch and once in a while when John Cena would appear, And once I figured out that these two would be wrestling again, during John Cena’s retirement road nonetheless? I was ready…
Until I remembered what company I’m talking about.
There are so many problems with this match and I have no idea where I want to begin. The build being the wink wink nudge nudge of “haha oh man don’t you want to come to Saudi Arabia to fight me you know, the place you don’t wanna go to?” just ridiculous meta bullshit that makes the usual WWE fan shout “Oh-Oh wait I get that!!” Punk going to Saudi Arabia was inevitable. They were gonna drag him on that plane kicking and screaming if they had to so I wasn’t surprised that he went. Wrestlers not holding their word or morals, more at 11. It’s just when they want to make a story about it that I think it’s just lazy. They could’ve told the story of Punk going corporate without the whole undertone of eating the biggest hat in the world in going to Saudi Arabia of course everyone’s gonna bring up that tweet, even if Cena brought it up I wouldn’t have cared but when that’s the backbone of it is where I think it stinks.
None of it would’ve mattered though if the match was at least passable, I’m not asking for a 5 star classic or even a notebook match just at least a 3 star or even a little more but it was nothing more than just a wet fart, man. And it’s really irritating because I know both of them have it in them, Punk especially has it in him but they’re forced to be bound by the ropes of the WWE house style of hype moments and aura.
Then we get into the first part where I’m starting to regret putting this on. CM Punk kicks out after what feels like the 17th attitude adjustment and now Cena looks out at the world title. He grabs it, looking to use it and just stands there. Looking at Punk, looking out at the crowd, and just tossing it out. AND IT GOES RIGHT BACK TO THE FINISHER SPAM!! Now we enter the just drizzling shits of it all. What sets up the bloodline rules entrances, The ref bump. Punk is able to hit a GTS successfully and of course we get the visible 3 count followed by three words. BURN IT DOWN!!!
IT’S JUST LIKE AVENGERS ENDGAME!!!! ALL THE STARS ARE HERE! Fuck off, man. I wouldn’t had mind as much if they just snuck up from behind but doing their whole entrance is just dumb and unnecessary if you’re gonna do the entrance just run down don’t walk down and just stand there holding out your hand giving out a signal JUST FIGHT THE GUY, FUCK! IT’S NOT THAT HARD WRESTLING ISN’T THAT HARD! But hey at least they have Penta dancing at the top of the stage to make everything better. At least Sami’s the smartest one and just starts whaling on Bron as soon as his music hits. Now we have Cena and Punk beating on Bronson Reed after they’re finished with him they stare… and stare… Punk holds out his hand but Cena pulls him in for a hug BUT HE’S GOTTA DO THE THING HE’S GOTTA LOOK IN THE CAMERA HE’S GOTTA MAKE THE BLANK EXPRESSION TO LET YOU KNOW HE’S STILL THE BAD GUY! AND HE DOESN’T EVEN GET TO PUT HIM AWAY BECAUSE SETH ROLLINS STOMPS ON PUNK LETTING CENA PIN HIM AND RETAIN. FUCK OFF.
All of this. All of this you gotta come to Saudi Arabia, you have to abandon your morals ALL OF THIS FOR ANOTHER SETH ROLLINS MATCH WITH CM PUNK. THE LAST TIME THESE TWO WILL EVER WRESTLE IN THE SAME RING AND IT’S A STEPPING STONE TO ANOTHER SETH ROLLINS MATCH. It’s mind boggling to me how they can just ruin something so simple. All I ask for is just a regular main event without any bloodline rules entrance pop crap but I can’t get that, this is the WWE I’m talking about.
It's just these two, more importantly this feud means a lot to me and to see the dumb build leading to what was setting up to be a pretty solid matchup into the usual run-ins. It's almost like I'm watching a deathriders segment. That's what I'm angry about. They wasted the last match with these two all for a Seth Rollins and CM Punk match set up. How hard is it for the guy booking this to just have a simple one on one do your silly run in later. It's what I get really, the nostalgia of eight year old me running in me to watch this and this is what I get. Oh well, it's not for me. I'm not the target audience I'm well aware of that, I just expected something better than whatever this was. At least the first couple minutes of wrestling was the best Cena’s wrestled since coming back.
Hype moments and aura killed pro wrestling.
My Final Thoughts: I have always told my friends who love this product that this is decidingly not for me. And no matter how much I try to like this and enjoy it I just can’t it’s matches like these where I just find it extremely hard to understand how I can sit through a show like this and think “Man, I can’t wait for the next show”.
I don’t want to sway anyone’s opinion on this match, if you liked it good on you, I’m not telling you to hate this as much as I do. I just want to put my thoughts out there on something I’m passionate about and how much this company always shits all over what I love. It’s just very frustrating. Wrestling can suck sometimes. Thank you for listening.
My Rating: **¼