CM Punk uses John Cena's move at AEW Full Gear 2021, pays tribute to WWE icon
CM Punk paid a memorable homage to his former WWE colleague John Cena during his brutal match against Eddie Kingston at AEW Full Gear 2021.
Punk and Cena are no strangers to each other, having wrestled countless matches in WWE before the former departed from the company in 2014. Naturally, the two are well-versed with each other's move set, and CM Punk brought that knowledge into play at Full Gear 2021.
During one point in the match, he delivered a side slam to Eddie Kingston and followed it by teasing a Five Knuckle Shuffle, one of the most popular moves in Cena's arsenal. Check out the spot below:
.@CMPunk doing the John Cena! ๐คฃ๐คฃ #AEWFullGear https://t.co/ZqqaTnSEti
Out of the countless great matches they wrestled, their finest clash came at Money in the Bank 2011, where Punk defeated Cena for the WWE Championship.
Moreover, when the rumors of The Straight Edge Superstar's return to wrestling began to surface in August, John Cena acknowledged it with an Instagram post. The 16-time world champion shared a picture of CM Punk from the MITB match.
CM Punk put up a grueling fight at AEW Full Gear 2021
Heading into the pay-per-view, Punk vs. Eddie Kingston was one of the most hotly-anticipated bouts, despite having only two weeks of build. It's fair to say that the duo more than lived up to the expectations.
Respect shown by @CMPunk, but @MadKing1981 bows out. #AEWFullGear https://t.co/oChKssbB8v
Though the bout didn't have any flashy moves or technical exchanges between the competitors, Punk and Kingston sold their emotions tremendously well. Fans in Minnesota were thoroughly involved in the proceedings, giving CM Punk and The Mad King some of the loudest reactions of the night.
In the end, the Chicago native delivered a GTS to secure the win, continuing his winning streak in Tony Khan's promotion.
Did you like CM Punk's homage to John Cena? Did you enjoy the match between Eddie Kingston and Punk? Sound off in the comments section below.