John Cena’s retirement run has been receiving mixed reactions from the crowd, but the WWE Champion is set to give fans a much-awaited contest between him and the man he has had multiple great matches with – CM Punk, at Night of Champions. This match has the potential to join the list of the best John Cena vs CM Punk matches in WWE.

The two men will face off 12 years after their last match, and we can expect some major fireworks, despite a lot of controversy surrounding their upcoming encounter.

In a company where icons are born and legacies are built, few rivalries have shaken the very foundation of WWE like the one between The Greatest of All Time and The Voice of the Voiceless. John Cena and CM Punk — two titans who didn’t just feud, they waged war on each other across years, eras, and ideologies.

Now, as destiny brings them together one final time at Night of Champions 2025 in Riyadh for the Undisputed WWE Championship, we rewind the clock and revisit the five most unforgettable collisions between these two larger-than-life gladiators. Here are

5 Best John Cena vs CM Punk Matches in WWE:

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#5 – CM Punk vs John Cena – SummerSlam 2011

​The match came about when CM Punk returned to WWE after months of absence, after having ‘taken’ the WWE Championship with him when he left. In the meantime, Cena was crowned the new WWE Champion. This match was made to unify the two WWE titles and crown a single champion.

With Triple H as the special guest referee, Punk and Cena tore the house down in a main event that felt almost as big as WrestleMania. Near falls, stiff shots, and dramatic pacing made it a technical showcase.

Punk got the win — but not without controversy. Cena’s foot was on the rope, unseen by Triple H. Then, Kevin Nash attacked Punk post-match, opening the door for Alberto Del Rio to cash in his MITB contract. The night ended not with celebration, but in tragedy.

Ratings and Stats:

🔥 WrestlingPunch Rating: 3.5/5

📏 Match Length: 24:14

🏆 Stakes: Undisputed WWE Championship (Special Ref: Triple H)

📊 Outcome: CM Punk def. John Cena (via pinfall)

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#4 – John Cena vs CM Punk – RAW (August 22, 2011)

Fresh off their SummerSlam classic — and Alberto Del Rio’s cash-in — Cena and Punk were right back at it, battling for a shot at revenge at Night of Champions. What followed was a high-energy sequel, packed with near-falls and a crowd glued to every reversal.

Punk hit the GTS. Cena survived. Cena hit the AA. Punk kicked out.

This wasn’t about wrestling. This was a psychological chess match wrapped in suplexes and slaps. The two traded heavy shots, with each man kicking out of the other’s finisher.

But just when the match peaked, the moment was hijacked. Kevin Nash appeared yet again like a shadow from the past. One distraction later, John Cena hit the AA.

Storytelling may have been murky, but the action was superb. This wasn’t the climax — it was the chaos after the storm.

Ratings and Stats

🔥 WrestlingPunch Rating: 3.5/5

🎯 Match Length: 14:28

🏆 Stakes: No.1 Contender’s Match

📊 Outcome: John Cena def. CM Punk (via pinfall)

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#3. CM Punk vs John Cena – Night of Champions 2012, was one of the best John Cena vs CM Punk matches in WWE

It was the final chapter of their pay-per-view rivalry, and both men knew it. Cena was back in his hometown. Punk was now a fully-formed heel with Paul Heyman whispering in his ear and an unrelenting desire to be respected as the best.

This match was a masterclass. Punk controlled the pace, outsmarted Cena, and countered almost everything. Cena, in turn, dug deep — adding new weapons to his arsenal. A suicide dive? A top rope German suplex? Not vintage Cena — evolved Cena. Apart from battling Punk, Cena also battled accusations of having just four moves in his moveset.

Both men kicked out of every finisher, reversed every submission, and dragged the audience into an emotional hurricane. In the end, Cena hit a top-rope suplex and hooked Punk’s leg — but his own shoulders were down too. Double pin. No clear winner. No redemption. Punk retained, but the war was too close to call.

Ratings and Stats:

🔥 WrestlingPunch Rating: 4/5

🕰 Match Length: 26:54

🏆 Stakes: WWE Championship

📊 Outcome: Draw (Double Pinfall – Punk retained)

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#2. John Cena vs CM Punk – RAW (February 25, 2013)

This was the last time they’d face off before Punk left the company, and what many believed to be their last match ever. And it wasn’t for gold — it was for immortality. The right to headline WrestleMania. The Rock waited, but the real main event was happening on free TV.

Cena and Punk went to war one last time — both men with full knowledge of each other’s playbook. So they dug deeper. Cena hit a hurricanrana — yes, a hurricanrana. Punk brought out the Piledriver. It was desperation wrestling from two men who refused to blink.

But when the dust settled, it was Cena who rose. A rare high-risk move followed by the AA gave him the win. Punk lost, and with it, his final shot at the main event he believed he deserved.

What made the match even more intense was the backstage knowledge of how The Best In The World was very unhappy with The Rock’s return and his WrestleMania main-event spot taken away from him. Losing this match was, in ways, the final nail in the coffin of Punk’s WWE career.

Wrestling is about moments. This was the end of one of its greatest rivalries… or so we thought!

Ratings and Stats:

🔥 WrestlingPunch Rating: 4.25/5

⏱ Match Length: 26:35

🏆 Stakes: #1 Contender to face The Rock at WrestleMania 29

📊 Outcome: John Cena def. CM Punk (via pinfall)

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#1. CM Punk vs John Cena – Money in the Bank 2011

The most important match of the PG Era. Chicago. July 17, 2011. A revolution disguised as a wrestling match.

CM Punk didn’t just want to win the WWE Title. He wanted to dismantle the company from the inside. Cena was the corporate knight, the face of everything Punk despised. But the stakes were unreal. If Punk won, he left the WWE with the title hostage. If Cena lost, he’d be fired.

This wasn’t just good wrestling — it was ‘cinema’. Suspense, heat, politics, emotion. The crowd was molten, the near-falls were breathtaking, and the energy was unreal.

When Vince McMahon and Laurinaitis tried to repeat the Montreal Screwjob, Cena stopped them, but that delay was enough. Punk hit the GTS and left the company with the WWE Championship.

Though Cena would get a chance at redemption months later, at that time, major buzz was generated given the belief that Punk was permanently done with WWE and wouldn’t return.

Ratings and Stats:

🔥 WrestlingPunch Rating: 4.5/5

💣 Match Length: 33:45

🏆 Stakes: WWE Championship (Cena Fired If He Loses)

📊 Outcome: CM Punk def. John Cena (via pinfall) – Punk leaves with the title

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Also Read: 5 Ways John Cena Can Finally Turn Babyface Before His WWE Retirement

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5 Best John Cena vs CM Punk Matches in WWE – Synopsis

Rank	Event & Date	Result	Highlights & Notes	Match Length
🥇 #1	Money in the Bank – July 17, 2011	CM Punk def. John Cena (pinfall)	Punk wins in Chicago, escapes with the WWE title; Cena stops a screwjob; revolution begins.	⏱ 33:45
🥈 #2	RAW – February 25, 2013	John Cena def. CM Punk (pinfall)	Piledriver, hurricanrana, AA finish; final showdown on RAW; emotionally loaded with backstage tension.	⏱ 26:35
🥉 #3	Night of Champions – September 16, 2012	Draw (Double pinfall)	Cena in Boston vs Heyman-backed heel Punk; incredible storytelling; both men’s shoulders down.	⏱ 26:54
#4	RAW – August 22, 2011	John Cena def. CM Punk (pinfall)	Post-SummerSlam chaos; Nash interference; explosive near-falls; Cena wins amid murky storytelling.	⏱ 14:28
#5	SummerSlam – August 14, 2011	CM Punk def. John Cena (pinfall)	Ref misses Cena’s foot on rope; Punk wins but is attacked by Nash; Del Rio cashes in MITB.	⏱ 24:14