Latest news with #SummerofPunk
Express Tribune
10-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
Will 2025 be the 'Summer of Punk'?
Summer is here. And if the Karachi heat isn't enough to melt you, CM Punk's promos definitely will. On Monday Night Raw, The 'Best in the World' came face to face with WWE Champion John Cena and challenged him to a match for the title. Cena accepted the challenge and the two will face off at the Night of Champions in Saudi Arabia on June 28. The two had a brief encounter at WWE Elimination Chamber earlier this year. But the story between the two goes way back. In 2011, Cena was the champ when Punk broke out as the greatest thing in pro-wrestling with his infamous 'pipe bomb', that led to one of the best stories in wrestling history. The summer of 2011 became known as the 'Summer of Punk'. But while it wasn't the first 'Summer of Punk' — the first happened in the Ring of Honor promotion in 2005 — it brought Punk a global recognition as being the outspoken, straightedge iconoclast that he is and eventually led to a record-breaking championship reign. Will 2025 see the third 'Summer of Punk'? It's doubtful but very much possible now that things are heating up since WWE Money in the Bank premium live event this past weekend. Wild card Seth Rollins became the new Mr Money in the Bank, 11 years after his first one, and with that, he can cash in on any world championship for up to a year. On Raw, he teased cashing in on Cena during the latter's face-off with Punk. With Rollins' deep hatred of Punk, it's possible that Punk defeats Cena and Rollins' cashes in on Punk, continuing their rivalry. No matter the outcome, Punk will either go on another championship reign or fight Rollins to the edge of the world until one of them falls over. In both cases, Punk is done playing nice and being a team player. He's coming for the title. It's also fascinating that from 2011 to 2014, whenever Punk and Cena faced off, Cena was the face and Punk the heel or a tweener. And yet Punk was widely cheered by the audience, and Cena booed most of the time, with only his pre-teen fan base rooting for him. On Monday, it was a similar soundscape with some role reversals. This time, Punk is a face and Cena a heel. And yet, the more things change, the more they remain the same. Most of the crowd favoured Punk, with intermittent chants of 'Let's go Cena' and 'Cena sucks' piping in. The only difference was the adult voices rooted for Cena and the kids against him. Right match, wrong show It's also confusing why WWE is choosing to have this match in Saudi Arabia when they could save it for the biggest show of the year, SummerSlam, in August. There is enough history between the two to continue this renewed rivalry for the next two months and give them a bigger spotlight at SummerSlam. It's very much possible that this match will end in shenanigans that will continue the rivalry or divert it from Punk and Cena to Punk and Rollins. With the involvement of Rollins, it's inevitable that Roman Reigns might play a part in it too. There's also a chance that Rollins cashes in on the new World Heavyweight Champion Gunther, who ended Jey Uso's short reign on Raw. Another factor is the eventual King of the Ring winner, who will be crowned at WWE Night of Champions and receive a guaranteed world title shot at SummerSlam. Sami Zayn has already qualified for the semi-finals but the returning former champ Cody Rhodes, Randy Orton or someone else could still win it all. Rest assured, the world title picture remains as unpredictable as Punk himself. As they say, all roads lead to WrestleMania. But the roads shall pass through the summer that's quickly heating up. Whether Punk sets the shows ablaze and goes on a rampage or someone else reigns supreme, it's bound to be a hell of a summer for WWE. Truth and Evolution Additionally, WWE righted the wrong and rehired R-Truth back after massive backlash from both fans and peers. Truth's new direction includes him reverting to his real name Ron Killings. Essentially the truth set Killings free on Monday as he cut his dreadlocks. What his road looks like remains to be seen. But he's done being a comedy act for now. The whole situation was a pity as Truth faced Cena recently and was released the week after. But thankfully, WWE listened to the negative reactions and brought him up. While Truth is one of the best comedy acts in WWE history, a serious Killings can also deliver big time as he has done it several times in his career. WWE is also ramping things up in the women's roster, with the Queen of the Ring tournament, similar to the men's version. They are also bringing back WWE Evolution, a premium show focusing only on women's matches, for the first time since 2018.
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
John Cena's Farewell Tour Has Been a Total Flop
John Cena's heel turn felt like a transformative moment in the wrestling business. The eternal baby face, embarking on his farewell tour, took a dramatic creative leap during the twilight of his career. It unlocked a myriad of stories to explore and was supposed to allow Cena to do his most interesting character work since the "Summer of Punk" in 2013. The initial presentation at Elimination Chamber was edgy and Hollywood. Cena was possessed with a rage of violence, with The Rock, a generational movie star, calling the shots. Travis Scott's involvement was a bit odd, but he's a global hip-hop mogul, and to a certain generation, his presence provided an immediate aura. Advertisement Since that night in Toronto, it's all been downhill. But why? How has WWE botched this run, and how can they salvage it? John CenaGetty Images Let's get one thing out of the way: The Rock's absence has unquestionably been a detriment to this angle, but with some witty writing, the company could've minimized that. Cena could've articulated his motives and portrayed The Rock as some overlord operating in the shadows, who could pop up anytime he saw fit. That increases the desire to see "The Great One," but doesn't create confusion when he doesn't appear. From his opening promo, Cena's material has felt expired by a decade. Since the "Open Challenge" era in 2015, when he showed a willingness to put young talent over, Cena has garnered monster crowd reactions. He slowly transitioned into the "living legend" who was putting on bangers in the ring and was finally embraced by fans. This idea that he's holding a grudge from back when Obama was in office is a bit hard to rationalize. Advertisement From the jump, he's cut the "you people" style of promo, mixed in with some comedic one-liners. By constantly raising his voice and having the same inflections before the barb that's supposed to generate heat, he becomes a parody of himself. Almost all of Cena's mic time hasn't ended with him lying flat on his face. Every week before their subsequent matches, Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton have decimated Cena, even when the latter has tried to gain the upper hand with a cheap shot. Yet the bell rings for the bouts, and Cena becomes a formidable threat. The finish to those affairs has featured five total ref bumps and interference from Scott and R-Truth. Cena has won and retained the Undisputed WWE Championship thanks to a rapper and a 51-year-old jobber. This is somehow not a 2K career mode. The Needed Fix John CenaGetty Images Cena has to immediately ditch the bullying-the-audience approach—he needs more depth as a performer. If the plan is to turn him face before he hangs it up, he has to lean more into his personal insecurities and the state of the locker room. Advertisement He should be paranoid about his successor and how he's concerned about the landscape of WWE once he officially retires. Cena should question if anyone can "fill his shoes," which opens the door to teasing his final opponent the rest of the year. There's likely to be a multi-man match with Scott in the fray at some point, so explain the complexities of that relationship. If The Rock is busy, fill in the gaps of how he facilitated the partnership and why Scott is a valuable asset outside of the squared circle. Travis Scott & John CenaGetty Images The inevitable programs with AJ Styles and CM Punk will likely be a step up in quality thanks to past chemistry. Punk, in particular, can evoke a more passionate Cena on the stick, and hopefully, the pair can exchange words beyond potty humor and the art of being a father. Advertisement If the final chapter is another duel with Rhodes, that's fine, but it can't be telegraphed by creative. The climax of this story should come on the final date in Boston. Cena should be determined to leave his hometown as the "Last Real World Champion" and try to avoid a rematch with "The American Nightmare." There are endless roads (no pun intended) to explore, but this current one is littered with potholes and debris. This Cena story must rediscover the plot before it's too late. Related: WWE Insider Predicts Huge Rock and John Cena Summerslam News Related: What's Next for Cody Rhodes? An Update on His Creative Direction
