An unadvertised appearance from CM Punk kicked off the June 9 episode of WWE RAW in Phoenix, setting the stage for a significant confrontation with John Cena. In a move that evoked his past, Punk removed the show’s logo from his microphone before declaring he was there to “stand up for the individuals” rather than support the system.
The advertised John Cena then made his entrance, leading to a tense face-to-face that garnered a strong, divided reaction from the live audience. Before the interaction could escalate, Cena took a moment to dismiss R-Truth, labeling him a sideshow act whose greatest achievement was imitating him. This followed the events at Money in the Bank, where a surprise return from R-Truth led to a loss for Cena’s team.
However, Punk quickly redirected the segment, accusing Cena of taking a shortcut to become WWE Champion. He then asserted that the seven-time tag team champion Cody Rhodes is currently the best performer WWE has to offer. Punk framed Cena as just another “cog in the machine”, a sentiment that fueled speculation among fans about a potential match at SummerSlam.
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Expanding on his accusations, Punk claimed the WWE Championship had corrupted Cena’s soul, admitting the same thing happened to him in 2012. He further criticized Cena for relying on “The Final Boss,” The Rock, and clarified that his own allegiance is to the fans, not to TKO or “billionaires.”
Cena refused to defend his championship on WWE RAW, instead setting the stage for their final encounter to take place at Night of Champions in Saudi Arabia. This booking decision creates a historical parallel, as their last title match occurred at the same event nearly 13 years ago.
READ MORE: John Cena Calls CM Punk a Hypocrite on WWE SmackDown Over Saudi Arabia Match
