14 Best WWE Title Changes That Ever Happened At SummerSlam
8. WWE Championship (2011): John Cena (c) Vs. CM Punk (c); Punk (c) Vs. Alberto Del Rio
After CM Punk defied the odds and walked out of
Money in the Bank (and temporarily, WWE) with the WWE Championship in 2011, HHH
went about the business of crowning a new champ. After all, you can’t have your
world title be vacant for months, that would be ludicr… oh wait, they did that
in 2013? And again in 2014? Nevermind.
Anyway, once John Cena toppled tournament winner Rey Mysterio, Punk returned and set the stage for a showdown at SummerSlam, champion versus champion. The question here was whether Punk’s MITB victory was a one-shot deal, or if he truly was ascending to the top to stay. A victory over Cena would mean that CM Punk had finally arrived.
Punk would capture that win after the usual high-quality affair between him and Cena. Seconds later, however, Kevin Nash would powerbomb Punk, leaving him helpless and susceptible to an Alberto Del Rio MITB cash-in. While this would take the title away from Punk temporarily – he’d regain it three months later and hold it for more than 14 months – the Second City Savior was now a made man.