With the war of words reaching a boiling point, John Cena has issued a final, terse statement ahead of his Undisputed WWE Championship defense against CM Punk. The champion’s message comes in the wake of a deeply personal promo from his challenger on the June 27 episode of WWE SmackDown.
@WWE Undisputed Championship. The Greatest of All Time. The Best in the World. One last dance. Tonight!
Cena’s concise response followed a lengthy segment where Punk resurrected Cena’s old “Doctor of Thuganomics” persona. Appearing in Chicago-themed attire and using his rival’s former entrance music, Punk delivered a rap promo, labeling himself the “Doctor of Punkanomics.”
He accused Cena of plagiarizing his style to cut the best promo of his career a week prior. The challenger’s verbal attack included personal shots, referencing Cena burying talent, his past relationship with Nikki Bella, and his Hollywood career, before comparing their feud to the rap battle between Kendrick Lamar and Drake.
The segment, which took place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, required post-production work before its United States broadcast. According to a WWE source, crowd audio was enhanced and a line flub from Punk was edited out, capping a hectic day for the production crew who also dealt with earlier power issues at the venue.
The rivalry will culminate inside the ring at Night of Champions in Riyadh. The match is not only a high-stakes title defense for Cena during what has been billed as his farewell tour but also marks Punk’s first championship opportunity against him since returning to WWE.
Punk’s time in Saudi Arabia has also been marked by controversy. During a media event, he was questioned about a 2020 tweet referencing “blood money” and apologized, stating the comment was directed at The Miz and not the country. Despite the apology, he was booed by the live audience.
With all the cards on the table, the score between Cena and Punk is set to be settled tonight.
@WWE Undisputed Championship.
— John Cena (@JohnCena) June 28, 2025
The Greatest of All Time.
The Best in the World.
One last dance.
Tonight! #WWENOC @peacock @netflix pic.twitter.com/5b0xpnabsv