7 Ups & 4 Downs from WWE Raw (9 June - Results & Review)

1. Second Verse… A Little Bit Worse?

WWE Raw John Cena CM Punk
WWE

How on Earth could John Cena versus CM Punk be a bad thing when it’s a storied rivalry that always brought out the best in both men?

Sadly, and simply put, Cena and Punk’s best days are behind them both. Cena in particular has looked completely washed since returning for his farewell tour, and his heel character has flopped harder than a dead fish dropped from a skyscraper.

Punk has fared better, but there have been warning signs in his recent matches, and if he’s paired with a DOA Cena who can’t go, then it might be an utter trainwreck. This year, Punk has primarily been in matches with Seth Rollins and Sami Zayn, two pros who create movement and can work a variety of styles. Cena isn’t going to be anywhere on their level, so this WWE Championship match has the potential for disaster.

The flipped dynamic is interesting (and there will be the other side of this issue later), but nothing since the heel turn has worked with Cena, and it’s hard to imagine things suddenly turning around. Go on, guys, prove this wrong.

Advertisement
Contributor
Contributor

Scott is a former journalist and longtime wrestling fan who was smart enough to abandon WCW during the Monday Night Wars the same time as the Radicalz. He fondly remembers watching WrestleMania III, IV, V and VI and Saturday Night's Main Event, came back to wrestling during the Attitude Era, and has been a consumer of sports entertainment since then. He's written for WhatCulture for more than a decade, establishing the Ups and Downs articles for WWE Raw and WWE PPVs/PLEs and composing pieces on a variety of topics.