In the weeks leading up to WrestleMania 29, both John Cena and CM Punk laid claim to the spot of the challenger for the Rocks WWE Championship. Cena had won the Royal Rumble match, while Punk felt he was owed his rematch after losing the belt on the same night to the Great One. On February 25th, the two rivals squared off to see who would go on to Mania and challenge for the championship. The match itself was an instant classic, as Cena and Punk traded offense throughout. However, there was one hiccup along the way that some in management were probably not happy with. Its been a long-standing, unspoken - if commonly known - rule within the WWE that the classic Piledriver maneuver is banned. While the Undertaker is allowed to perform his safer Tombstone variant, the traditional move almost never makes an appearance on WWE programming. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LkS6ChB9rrA However, during the contest, Punk hoisted Cena into the air and drove his head into the mat. The crowd, as well as the commentators, were shocked by Punks usage of the move. While there is nothing inherently disrespectful about the Piledriver, Punks blatant disregard for its long upheld ban was a sure sign of disrespect toward the company.
Douglas Scarpa is a freelance writer, independent filmmaker, art school graduate, and pro wrestling aficionado -- all of which mean he is in financial ruin. He has no backup plan to speak of, yet maintains his abnormally high spirits. If he had only listened to the scorn of his childhood teachers, he wouldn't be in this situation.
