The final confrontation between CM Punk and Undisputed WWE Champion John Cena on the June 27 edition of WWE SmackDown underwent post-production changes before it was broadcast in the United States.
According to a report from Fightful Select, WWE production made specific alterations to the segment. A source within the company confirmed that extra crowd noise was added to the U.S. broadcast. Additionally, a botched line from CM Punk was edited out of the final version to ensure a smoother presentation.
The show was reportedly a hectic one for the production team. A power outage in Saudi Arabia caused the international live feed of SmackDown to crash, leading to other matches on the card being cut short. A member of the production staff noted the difficulties of dealing with the power issues while also editing the high-profile main event segment.
During the segment, CM Punk revived his “Doctor of Punkanomics” persona, delivering a pointed promo against his rival. The verbal attack included references to Cena’s movie career and accusations of him burying other talent. Punk framed their renewed rivalry as being on the level of the recent feud between musicians Kendrick Lamar and Drake.
This segment served as the final build for their championship match at Night of Champions on June 28. The event will mark the first one-on-one match between Punk and Cena in over twelve years, a marquee encounter during what is Cena’s final year in professional wrestling.
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