CM Punk and John Cena are set for one final clash at Night of Champions to conclude their epic WWE rivalry.
CM Punk is working in Saudi Arabia for the first time to get his hands on his long-time rival before the 17-time champion retires.
The Saudi Arabia match has been heavily criticised, with CM Punk getting pummeled online by WWE fans, but there’s excitement to see the pair collide again.
The two men have not faced each other since 2013, when Punk used a banned move on Cena without permission from company officials.
CM Punk hit John Cena with a Piledriver during 2013 match
Punk and Cena met on a 2013 episode of WWE Raw, with the stakes arguably higher than they’ve ever been.
The winner of the match would go on to face The Rock in the main event of WrestleMania 29, with the WWE Championship on the line.
Punk, who was just eleven months away from walking out of the company for over a decade, was becoming disenchanted with the way WWE was run.
The match is widely considered a classic, with Punk hitting Cena with a Piledriver becoming one of the most unforgettable moments in Raw history.
The move was banned in WWE for decades, largely due to the severity of the finisher. ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin famously broke his neck from the move at the hands of Owen Hart in the 1990s.
According to Wrestling Observer Radio, Vince McMahon was ‘furious’ at Punk and Cena for using the Piledriver in the aftermath of the match.
Despite Punk hitting the move on Cena, he did not win the match and his long-awaited WrestleMania main event continued to elude him.
Cena and The Rock main-evented WrestleMania 29 with their second bout in as many years, while Punk faced The Undertaker on the show.
Punk would have to wait another 12 years to main event WrestleMania, competing at the 2025 edition against Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins.
WWE Raw match with John Cena is ‘perfect’, says CM Punk
Many fans believe Cena and Punk’s 2011 match at Money in the Bank is the best the pair had to offer, but the Best in the World has called their WWE Raw match his favourite.
“Me and John went out there, and the planets aligned. It was magic,” said Punk to The Rich Eisen Show. “If I could ever say I had a perfect match, that would probably be it.
“I’m talking about the lead-up, the story, the character stuff for both guys, the action, the crowd, being able to manipulate the crowd how you wanted, listening to them—everything.”
Punk and Cena will be looking to recreate that ‘magic’ during their last-ever bout at Night of Champions on June 28.