On the final episode of SmackDown before their championship encounter, CM Punk delivered a pointed message to John Cena by resurrecting a ghost from the champion’s past. The confrontation served as the last beat in the build-up to their main event match for the Undisputed WWE Championship at Night of Champions this Saturday.
The show’s final segment saw Punk interrupt the reigning champion not with his own theme, but with Cena’s classic “Word Life” music. Dressed in a throwback jersey and chain, Punk channeled Cena’s former “Doctor of Thuganomics” persona to deliver a rap promo he dubbed “Basic Punkanomics.” The move was a direct response to Cena having performed his own version of Punk’s iconic “Pipe Bomb” promo on the previous week’s broadcast. Adding another layer to the moment, the segment occurred on the 14-year anniversary of Punk’s original, industry-changing promo from 2011. After the broadcast, a WWE social media account gave Punk the new name “Doctor of Punkanomics.”
This renewed conflict between the two historic rivals is being promoted as the final chapter of their story, and it comes more than a decade after their last one-on-one match. The current dynamic represents a complete inversion of their famous 2011 feud. Cena, who won the title at WrestleMania 41, is now a heel champion on a farewell tour expected to conclude in late 2025. Punk, in contrast, has positioned himself as the hero aiming to end what he calls Cena’s “reign of terror.”
The path to their match in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, has been personal. Cena turned heel following the 2025 Elimination Chamber event and manipulated a hesitant Punk into accepting the title challenge for the Saudi Arabia show. With Punk’s final act of mockery on SmackDown and a subsequent social media message from Cena, the stage is now set for their championship clash.