CM Punk vs John Cena (Summerslam 8/14/11)

The heat is not as good as the MITB match (that Chicago crowd is one of the hottest crowds of all time though), but I think the in-ring work really holds up in this match. I think the match is unfairly tarnished by the post-match shenanigans. For this project, it is kinda moot point because the RAW 2013 and the MITB '11 are the matches that are the real contenders for Top 100, but this match is better than people remember it.

WWE Champion CM Punk vs Interim WWE Champion John Cena - Summerslam 2011 Triple H as Special Guest Ref

EDIT: For some reason, I have always liked this match more than most. Lets see how it holds up for Greatest WWE Match Ever Project.

The finish presumably is why this match is not talked about more as an all-time great match. I remember people thinking I was crazy for thinking this match was not that far off of the Money In The Bank match. The Money In The Bank match had all the extracurriculars that lend itself to bolstering the match, but pound for pound it is closer than I think most people would say. That might just be me because I really like this style that has become the Cena signature formula with his extended comebacks. Also, I felt the actual work had a little more heat to it. Both men were more aggressive from the get go. Cena's chain wrestling this time had a real snap to it and I loved the single leg/back heel trip followed by "You cant wrestle". Dont ever change, douches. The barrage of one counts hammer home the eveness, how much both want to win and how much they don't want to leave it up to chance with an inexperienced ref in there. I love, love a match that spends the beginning establishing a stipulation by doing something unique like that. (EDIT: Good observation by 2014 me). Again, Punk is the first to have sustained offense working over the ribs really well with knees. At some point, Lawler declares it is impossible to wear down Cena. You can beat Cena, but you can't wear him down. Shut the fuck up, dude. Cena powers out of an abdominal stretch. As much as I liked the novelty of the MITB, this is right up Cena's alley. Punk puts him at an disadvantage and he works hard to crawl out. The flying high knee by Punk on the shoulderblock was glorious (EDIT: Yes, yes it was). Punk's bulldog countered into the Protobomb (EDIT: Punk hit a massive knee and tried for the bulldog but Cena struggled hard to block it and muscled with raw power into the Protobomb) and Cena countering Punk's kick (EDIT: Play off the MITB match) to apply STFU was so badass. The sequences were smart and organic and as good as if not better than most of the MITB. Watching it back, still shocked how little play this match gets. (EDIT: I agree. You can make the case this is the better in-ring match but this match does not have the same heat or big match feel). They depart from the Cena comeback story to have Punk hit a suicide dive that takes out both men, but once again reinforcing that HHH has declared one champion he corrals them both and sends them back in the ring. Great use of HHH. Cena busts out an explosive dropkick (Brunzell level power EDIT: Fucking awesome dropkick!) from his bag of tricks. Punk knows him too well, he needed something safe, but unexpected to take advantage. (EDIT: That badass dropkick earned Cena his 5-Knuckle Shuffle). They do the Flair/Steamboat bridge and get a WOAH from the crowd. Some things are truly timeless. Booker T's commentary is not one of them. (EDIT: I popped for my own sentence). (EDIT: Loved Cena's chest splash into the corner, great finish sequence) Punk's cutoffs using his knees are so fuckin awesome. (EDIT: The one Punk knee that blocked the Legdrop from the Top was badass and Punk earns his bulldog from the top rope) They do lose me for a second with Cena catching Punk off the top into STFU and then Cena hits FU only for two. (EDIT: I think what I didnt like is that the Cena popped up after the bulldog. I think Punk missing the move would have served them better and they do the Do-See-Do on the FU-G2S-FU that I am not fond of.) After Cena misses the legdrop, Punk hits G2S only for two, good symmetry. Punk busts out the Macho Man Elbow for the first time, but only for two, but sends crowd into a tizzy. I loved, loved the red hot finish with Cena hitting huge strikes only for Punk to catch him with step up knee and into G2S. HHH counts the three, but whats that Cena's foot is on the ropes. We all know the rest.

(EDIT: The start of this match is much more aggressive by both men. Cena has some great counters like the single leg takedown and the gutwrench suplex. The pace is a bit quicker. Everything feels more urgent. The transition into the rib work could have been more emphatic, but I liked having a true heat segment in this match compared to the previous match. Cena's comeback where he comes up with unique ways to overcome Punk's cutoffs is genius. I like it how climaxes with the STF. The Punk suicide dive and HHH bringing them in was a great "leveling the playing field spot". That Cena dropkick leading to the 5 Knuckle Shuffle was awesome. Great Punk cutoffs. The symmetry down the stretch was awesome, really great finish exchanges. The Macho Man Elbow was huge at the time, really smart for Punk to co-opt Savage's finish. Also it shows that Punk needed a little something extra and something Cena would not expect. Cena's boxing was awesome and those Punk knee cutoffs were glorous. G2S with the foot on the ropes exposing HHH's inexperience was an interesting finish that could have went somewhere if the company was not so inept.)

I feel this match is unfairly tarnished by the post-match shenanigans than content of the work. The match is much more similar to their rocking 2013 match, with Cena earning his extended comeback. They did lose their flow a little bit after the dropkick and before the first FU. (EDIT: Way too harsh. They did not lose their flow.) It became a little too back and forth. (EDIT: Way too harsh, they could have had better transitions but this was not My Turn, Your Turn) Cena throwing those big bombs at the end looking to win only for Punk to hit that knee was just too sweet. (EDIT: Great striking battle) It does not have the same feel as Money In The Bank to really push it over the top, but Cena and Punk really have amazing chemistry. It is sad they never did a street fight or a more violent brawl version of their match. (EDIT: I still really enjoy this match and implore others to check it out. I think it is below MITB because it just doesnt have the heat or big time feel of MITB, but the in-ring work is really strong). ****1/2