In the final confrontation before their championship match, CM Punk deployed psychological warfare on the June 27 edition of WWE SmackDown, resurrecting John Cena’s old “Thuganomics” persona to mock the champion. The segment, taking place in Saudi Arabia, served as the closing act for an eventful show.
Interrupting a promo from Cena, Punk made his entrance to his rival’s former theme music, sporting a custom Chicago Cubs jersey. In a direct parody of Cena’s early character, Punk delivered his entire message in the form of a rap, coining it “Basic Punkanomics.”
The verbal assault included a series of personal insults, with Punk labeling Cena a “Temu Macklemore” and referencing his acting career by saying Cena would soon be busy washing director James Gunn’s underwear. In a nod to a current cultural rivalry, Punk framed their feud as being equivalent to Kendrick Lamar versus Drake, before dropping the microphone to end the segment.
This highly personal attack adds another layer to their upcoming clash for the Undisputed WWE Championship at Night of Champions. Punk has stated this will likely be the final match against the man he called his “wrestling soulmate,” bringing their long and storied rivalry to a definitive close. Their last one-on-one encounter occurred in February 2013.
The promo capped off a week of headlines for Punk in Saudi Arabia. He previously issued a public apology to local fans for past criticisms of WWE’s events in the country and also drew criticism for a separate incident involving a young fan upon his arrival.
CM PUNK: "TOMORROW NIGHT YOU ARE GONNA LOSE TO KENDRICK, CAUSE B*TCH, YOU’RE MY DRAKE"
— 𝐃𝐫𝐚𝐕𝐞𝐧 (@WrestlingCovers) June 27, 2025
💀💀💀💀 #SmackDown
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