While preparing for a match against Gunther for the World Heavyweight Championship at SummerSlam 2025, CM Punk sat down for an in depth interview touching upon his alliance and feud with John Cena. He explained their working relationship as “a marriage that unfolded on screen that we both needed at the time,” how intriguingly their dichotomy worked: Cena was the Boy Scout, and Punk the beloved bad guy.
Punk brings up his regrets
Punk spoke about the past, saying that he wished he hadn’t taken his détour from WWE in 2014. “There’s a part of me … that regrets stepping out because of what more we could have done. But it makes it so much sweeter that I’m back now, and I was able to come in here and work with him one last time,” said Punk reflecting about more work with Cena. Punk weighed in on WWE’s bad Elimination Chamber match, saying it is “possibly the stupidest match we do here.” He criticized its unforgiving nature design, calling that sadistic to the performers.
Love triangle
As for backstage tension in “real life,” whispers emerged because of Cena’s previous on screen romance with former WWE superstar AJ Lee, who married Punk in 2014. With their history, it was speculated whether a supposed dislike for each other had developed, but Punk has always praised Cena and stated that he did not have a personal grievance against him despite their highly touted confrontation at Night of Champions 2025 in Riyadh when Cena retained his Undisputed WWE Title. While we are awaiting Punk’s return and potential match with Cena, he clearly respects Cena and the fact he could be putting on new matches going forward. Their previous storyline, which was based on a level of animosity is now a frame that recognizes the contribution that both have made to WWE. There is no doubt that Punk’s return provides an opportunity to open a new chapter on a story that had previously unfinished business. He is confronting his rivalries, celebrating them, thus taking what was once resistance and presenting a compelling story to explore as his career advances.
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