Punk went toe-to-toe with two of the fiercest mic warriors and managed to outdo them with some killer verbal moves. Stick with me through this baseball analogy because it’s about to get interesting.
After Punk’s explosive pipebomb promo, the anticipation for Money in the Bank in Chicago was off the charts. The stage was set for a showdown with John Cena in a match loaded with stakes. If Punk emerged victorious, he’d take the WWE Championship and exit the company, leaving John Cena without a job.
In a desperate bid to keep Punk on board, Vince McMahon decided to step in personally. Just before the MITB event, Vince was live on Monday Night Raw attempting to broker a new deal. True to form, Vince played it cocky and overconfident until Punk reminded everyone who really held the cards.
During the negotiations, Punk didn’t hold back. He pushed Vince—literally and contractually—demanded the return of WWE ice cream bars (because, let’s be honest, who doesn’t want those?) and even dropped this unforgettable line: “Vince, I’ll kick you in the nuts and you’ll smile at me and like it, and show me some respect!”
Soon after, Cena arrived on the scene, prompting Punk to explode at Cena’s claims that he’d lost perspective. Punk confronted Cena with a hard reality check about who he’d become in the wrestling world. The ten-time champion, who once saw himself as the ultimate underdog, was now anything but. Cena had evolved from being like the scrappy Boston Red Sox into the despised New York Yankees. You catch the baseball reference?
That jab didn’t sit well with Cena, who retaliated with a punch, forcing Punk to retreat to the spot where he’d delivered his pipebomb rant weeks earlier. Sitting there on the ramp, he had an epiphany:
“I’m glad you just punched me in the face, John… because it hit me like a bolt of lightning exactly why I no longer want to be here. It’s because I’m tired of this. I’m tired of you. I’m just tired.”
And with that, Punk declared that after Sunday night’s Money In The Bank showdown, it’d be lights out for the WWE title, John Cena, and CM Punk himself.
That right there was storytelling and promotion done right, in front of the WWE’s versions of George Steinbrenner and Derek Jeter. More baseball metaphors for the win! While this performance is often eclipsed by the memorable pipebomb, it was unquestionably just as impactful. Even legendary.
