Nearly 14 years to the day after one of pro wrestling\u2019s most iconic promos, John Cena finally got long-awaited payback on his most infamous rival, CM Punk.<\/p>\n
This past Friday night on SmackDown<\/a>, the Undisputed WWE Champion put Punk through a table before figuratively turning the tables on him with a scathing Pipe Bomb promo \u2014 mirroring Punk\u2019s famous tirade against Cena during the June 27, 2011 episode of Raw.<\/p>\n Audiences reveled in the irony of the moment as Cena\u2019s promo echoed Punk\u2019s in both tone and structure. Notably, R-Truth played a central role in both setups.<\/p>\n In 2011, Cena lost a match to Truth after outside interference by Punk led to Truth spearing Cena through a table to score a victory. On Friday, Truth again defeated Cena, this time after the champ intentionally got himself disqualified by hitting Truth in the face with the WWE Championship. <\/p>\n Both promos featured a nearly identical visual: one man lying in pain while the other aired his grievances. In 2011, Cena was left writhing after the table spot caused by Punk. On Friday, it was Punk who took the bump, courtesy of Cena following two blows to the head with the title belt.<\/p>\n There was another key difference. While Punk cut his promo from the top of the ramp as Cena slowly recovered, Cena remained in the ring, seated on the top rope, towering over a motionless Punk, who sold the attack for almost 10 minutes.<\/p>\n Then, just as Punk did more than a decade earlier, Cena leaned in with a mocking remix of Punk\u2019s original Pipe Bomb, starting with an unmistakable echo of Punk\u2019s iconic opening line:<\/p>\n [Note: All italicized quotes below are directly from Punk\u2019s 2011 promo.]<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/p>\n \u201cJohn Cena, while you lay there, hopefully as uncomfortable as you possibly can be, I want you to listen to me. I want you to digest this because before I leave in 3 weeks with your WWE Championship, I have a lot of things I want to get off my chest.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Cena similarly began his address before his mic cut out. He tapped it, then said, \u201cSomebody\u2019s afraid of what I\u2019m gonna say.\u201d Cena then flashed a big grin, either because, as a heel, he was parodying Punk\u2019s iconic promo, genuinely enjoying the moment \u2014 or both.<\/p>\n Like Punk, Cena hoped his rival could \u201cdigest\u201d what he had to say because before leaving with the WWE Title, he had a lot to get off his chest, too.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t hate you, John. I don\u2019t even dislike you. I do like you. I like you a hell of a lot more than I like most people in the back.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Cena essentially stayed with Punk beat for beat here. However, the twist came with Cena stating, \u201cI like you more than anyone you\u2019ve ever shared a locker room with, that\u2019s for sure,\u201d a nod to Punk\u2019s tumultuous history with coworkers<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cI hate this idea that you\u2019re the best. Because you\u2019re not. I\u2019m the best. I\u2019m the best in the world.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Similarly, Cena couldn\u2019t stand the idea that Punk was the best because, in Cena\u2019s mind, he himself is the greatest of all time. As he said this, the fans in Grand Rapids, MI, cheered for Cena, unlike the fans who booed Punk 14 years ago, as he put himself over as the best.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s one thing you\u2019re better at than I am, and that\u2019s kissing Vince McMahon\u2019s ass. You\u2019re as good as kissing Vince\u2019s ass as Hulk Hogan was. I don\u2019t know if you\u2019re as good as Dwayne, though. He\u2019s a pretty good ass kisser. Always was and still is.<\/p>\n \u201cWhoops! I\u2019m breaking the fourth wall!<\/p>\n [Punk waves to the camera]<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n This is where Cena\u2019s Pipe Bomb began to differentiate itself from Punk\u2019s. Rather than run down WWE, its management, or its fans (though he referred to them once as idiots), Cena remained focused on his opponent at next Saturday\u2019s Night of Champions.<\/p>\n Cena never directly mentioned Vince McMahon, though he did hint at him a few times. He also never mentioned Hulk Hogan or the man Cena \u201csold his soul to,<\/a>\u201d Dwayne \u201cThe Rock\u201d Johnson. Additionally, Cena didn\u2019t call Punk a kiss-ass. <\/p>\n Instead, Cena called him \u201cthe best bullshitter in the world.\u201d It was one of the rare moments in Cena\u2019s heel run where he used obscene language \u2014 something he immediately pointed out as the crowd gasped.<\/p>\n \u201cOh, no, kiddos, John Cena just dropped a curse word that means the show is completely off the rails,\u201d Cena said in a sarcastic tone.<\/p>\n He then summoned a cameraman, waved, and broke the fourth wall with a cheesy \u201cHa, ha!\u201d<\/p>\n Cena admitted that he was jealous of Punk for conning fans into chanting for him and believing he\u2019s \u201cthe best in the world.\u201d Backing off the mic, Cena let the crowd get a CM Punk chant out of their system before noting that although they sing for Punk, \u201cThey don\u2019t believe a goddamn word you say because you change your values as much as I change my T-shirts.\u201d<\/p>\n Cena accused Punk of being a loudmouth opportunist willing to step on the necks of hardworking people to get ahead. Cena then turned to the camera again and waved, saying hello to former WWE stars Claudio Castagnoli (Cesaro), Nick Nemeth (Dolph Ziggler), and Matt Cardona (Zack Ryder).<\/p>\n Cena\u2019s salutation was another callback to Punk\u2019s promo. After Punk had threatened to leave with the WWE Title and defend it in promotions like New Japan Pro Wrestling and Ring of Honor, he waved and said hello to then-friend Colt Cabana.<\/p>\n While it was a nice jab by Cena, it was a missed opportunity to further dig at Punk, either by saying hello to Cabana, who Punk famously has a falling out with<\/a>, or to the Young Bucks, Kenny Omega, and Jack Perry, men Punk reportedly fought with backstage in AEW, ultimately leading to his termination from that promotion<\/a>.<\/p>\n However, a theory circulating online suggests that the names Cena mentioned were a cleverly coded reference to the Bucks\u2019 Matt and Nick Jackson, and Claudio Castagnoli \u2014 or \u201cCC\u201d \u2014 referring to Colt Cabana.<\/p>\n I’ve just read a theory that John Cena said MATT Cardona, NICK Nemeth and Claudio Castagnoli (CC) during his “pipebomb” for a very specific reason I’ve highlighted with capital letters there…<\/p>\n And if that’s true…<\/p>\n We operating on a different level in 2025. <\/p>\n\n
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