Punk didn’t just go toe-to-toe with two of the most formidable talkers in the business—he shut them down with some serious verbal flair. Stick with me on this baseball theme for a bit.
Right after Punk’s explosive pipebomb promo, the lead-up to Money In The Bank in Chicago was hitting a fever pitch. It was all set: Punk versus John Cena in a match stacked with stipulations. The stakes couldn’t be higher. If Punk walked away with a win, he’d exit WWE holding the championship, and John Cena would be out of a job.
In a bold move to keep Punk around, Vince McMahon himself jumped into the negotiation arena on Monday Night Raw just days before the event. Vince, ever the bold operator, tried his best to strike a deal, but Punk made sure everyone knew who had the upper hand.
During the encounter, Punk pulled no punches. He even had a clause that allowed him to shove Vince, demanded the return of those nostalgic WWE ice bars (we still need those, seriously!), and delivered this zinger: “Vince, I’ll kick you in the nuts and you’ll smile at me and like it, and show me some respect!”
Soon enough, Cena entered the conversation, and Punk’s restraint snapped at the superstar’s claim that he had lost focus. Punk threw down a harsh reality check about Cena’s place in the wrestling world. The self-styled underdog, now a 10-time champion, had turned into what he once fought against—no longer like the underdog Boston Red Sox but more like the hated New York Yankees. More baseball, anyone?
Cena didn’t take kindly to the jab and responded with a punch, making Punk retreat to the spot from which he had launched his infamous pipebomb weeks before. Seated on the ramp, Punk let loose:
“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.”
With that declaration, Punk announced that come Sunday night at Money In The Bank, the WWE would have to bid farewell not just to their championship and to John Cena but also to CM Punk himself.
BOOM. Now that’s how you build anticipation for an unmissable event, right in front of WWE’s own George Steinbrenner and Derek Jeter. Baseball references galore! This performance by Punk often gets overshadowed by the legendary pipebomb moment, but you could argue it’s just as powerful. And epic.
