John Cena and CM Punk finally went head-to-head again on WWE Raw after years of fan longing for one final match.
Punk and Cena’s legendary feud was the backbone of an entire era as they propped up WWE’s main event scene between 2010 and 2013.
The pair’s iconic Money in the Bank clash in 2011 is regarded as a classic, and their 2013 WWE Raw bout is considered one of the greatest TV matches of all time.
Fans have long anticipated a final bout between the two men on John Cena’s retirement tour, which will see him retire at the end of 2025.
The company has finally confirmed the match, but Punk was forced into a controversial decision to get his long-awaited final clash with Cena.
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CM Punk changes his mind about WWE’s Saudi Arabia shows
Punk’s final match with Cena was confirmed for WWE’s next Saudi Arabia show, Night of Champions, on June 28.
Punk was vocal about his dislike for WWE’s Saudi Arabia shows due to the controversies of the Middle Eastern country.
Photo by Craig Ambrosio/WWE via Getty Images
In a now-deleted post from 2020, the Best in the World took exception with The Miz and WWE working shows in Saudi Arabia.
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“Go suck a blood money covered d— in Saudi Arabia you f—— dork,” said Punk on X to the former WWE Champion.
This was during Punk’s hiatus away from wrestling and one year before he would make his return with AEW.
Since returning to WWE in 2023, Punk is yet to work a Saudi Arabia show, but his position has eased considerably.
During an Instagram Live session in May 2025, Punk ‘hate’ WWE’s Saudi Arabia shows. “I don’t hate coming to Saudi, I’ve never been to Saudi,” said Punk.
Punk has completely changed his mind on WWE’s Middle East shows in the intervening five years, as he’s finally set to make his debut at Night of Champions on June 28 in Saudi Arabia.
John Cena’s importance to CM Punk’s WWE career
Many would call Cena and Punk the most iconic WWE rivalry of the modern era, and the Best in the World believes he wouldn’t be where he is today without the 17-time champion.
“Cena, I think to my career means a lot,” CM Punk said about his long-time rival at the Money in the Bank post-show in 2024.
“I don’t think there are many people up in that rare air where if you talk about my career, I feel you have to talk about John,” explained Punk. “And I think if you talk about John’s career, I think you have to talk about me.”
John Cena’s WWE retirement tour has seen him face Cody Rhodes, Randy Orton, and R-Truth in singles matches in 2025.
The star has also competed in the Royal Rumble, the Elimination Chamber, and featured in a tag team bout alongside Logan Paul at Money in the Bank.
A match with Punk is the icing on the cake of an incredibly iconic career that has seen the 17-time champion achieve everything possible in a WWE ring.
