John Cena and CM Punk clashed in a major WWE Championship match at the Money in the Bank premium live event in 2011, and Punk managed to defeat Cena and capture the title. The match, which recently celebrated its 15th anniversary, is considered by many to be iconic, and it’s something that fans often still talk about to this day.
The match launched CM Punk into a new level when it came to his WWE career, but Punk decided to walk away from wrestling just a few years later when he left WWE in 2014. He would spend 7 years sitting on the sidelines until he debuted in AEW in 2021 and eventually returned to WWE in 2023.
While speaking to Justin Barrasso of Undisputed about the legacy of that match, John Cena discussed the current state of CM Punk’s career while making it clear that he wishes The Second City Saint never took a break.
“That might have been like one of two matches that wrestling critics were like, ‘Eh, he’s OK–but it wasn’t because of him, it was because of the other guy.’ I think what that shows is when you have two names that span such a long test of time, it shows the individuals’ passion for what they do. If you’re not passionate about being in wrestling, you are weeded out quick. You might get a push to the top, you might get a chance, you might get a championship. If you’re not passionate, a 10-year career, a 15-year career, a 20-year career doesn’t happen.
The fact we can talk about wrestling 15 years ago, and he’s got the championship and he’s main-eventing Madison Square Garden right now, regardless of the trajectory that Phil Brooks has been on–I wish he never took a break but that’s his personal journey and choice–his passion has obviously always been there, and it still is. And that’s the thing I admire most about him.”
Since returning to WWE in 2023, CM Punk has main evented WrestleMania twice, won the World Heavyweight Championship twice, and he recently won the Undisputed WWE Championship. It’s been confirmed that CM Punk will defend the Undisputed WWE Championship against Cody Rhodes at SummerSlam next month.
Stay tuned for updates.