CM Punk vs John Cena at WrestleMania 29 - WWE missed opportunity

Brilliance in a WWE feud

John Cena and CM Punk had arguably the greatest rivalry in recent memory, maybe even all time. It was a simple yet complex story where the good guy faced off against a villain who was initially a rebel, and then became the top dog. Creating something like this is not easy, not even a bit. And the in-ring quality of this feud was out of this planet. Their first match at Money In The Bank 2011 was given a rating of five stars by Wrestling Observer, something that happens very rarely. This was a rivalry worth a lot more than how it culminated - A match on Raw. An unbelievable match, sure, but it deserved more.

The origins of this feud were small, at least, at first. John Cena, WWE Champion at the time, needed a challenger. CM Punk, rebel, bad guy, evil mastermind, was about to end his contract with WWE on July 17th, 2011, the very same day as the annual Money In The Bank event. He had a plan to leave with WWE's greatest prize as an insult to the company. One night on Raw he delivered a promo that to this day is considered unreal, and there was no looking back. Inserted into the story was WWE owner Vince McMahon, who was trying to convince Punk to a new contract (unsuccessfully), and also threatened to fire John Cena if he lost his match against Punk. The stage was set in Punk's hometown of Chicago, Illinois, where the face was booed, and the heel was cheered. Backstage that day, CM Punk agreed to a new three-year contract, and the stage was set for an instant, literal five-star classic, the ending to which involved Vince McMahon. Vince and his right-hand man, John Laurinitus, came down to the ring in an attempt to screw Punk out of the match, but John Cena, being the honest character he is, refused to allow this, and bit the bullet. CM Punk took him by surprise and won the WWE Championship, and on-screen, appeared to have taken it forever.

Soon, following that, there was a tournament to crown a new champion with a new title on an episode of Raw, which was won by Rey Mysterio. But the title was soon won back by John Cena. That same night, CM Punk debuted a new theme song and appeared back on television, setting the stage for a unification match at SummerSlam, which was another brilliant bout, to be won by CM Punk again. However, Vince McMahon did screw Punk out of the title this time, allowing Alberto Del Rio to cash in Money In The Bank and win the WWE Championship. Cena, Punk and Del Rio went back and forth over the championship, until Cena went a separate way, and Punk eventually won it at Survivor Series, beginning a monumental four-hundred and thirty-four day reign.

Along the line, John Cena won Money In The Bank the next year, and told Punk he would be cashing in for the main event of Raw 1000, leading to another great match. The ending involved a lot of events, but long story short, CM Punk turned heel. This led to a feud with the Big Show and John Cena, and eventually Cena alone in a match at Night Of Champions, another timeless classic. The ending of that match actually saw both men pin each other, leading to a championship retain by default for CM Punk. Injuries made Cena miss Hell In A Cell, but he was back in the title scene for Survivor Series, the match in which The SHIELD debuted. This is where it felt incomplete.

Then the mistake came along. The Rock was promised a WWE Championship match at the Royal Rumble, and CM Punk was still the champion. This made for a great match, but the way things turned out weren't right. For one thing, John Cena won the Royal Rumble that year, which meant another title opportunity, which, if against Punk, could have made a great story of Cena getting opportunity after opportunity, but continuously failing. But WWE went the wrong way. The Rock ended CM Punk's legendary title reign that night at the Royal Rumble, setting up the second Once In A Lifetime match featuring The Rock and John Cena, this time for the most prestigious title in the industry.

Firstly, CM Punk's title reign deserved better in many people's eyes. Of course, he did go on to have the match of the night at WrestleMania against The Undertaker, but now the hole of him never having a WrestleMania main event lives, perhaps forever. The previous year, he was in the WWE Championship match and still wasn't in the main event! The last CM Punk and John Cena match was a Number One Contender's match for The Rock's WWE Championship on an episode of Raw. This was not right. This feud deserved the biggest climax possible.

Now it's time to fill the voids. CM Punk should have held the championship until WrestleMania to face John Cena. The Rock could have gone on to face The Undertaker, or better still, Triple H, and allow Brock Lesnar to face The Undertaker. There would then be the possibility of the Streak still being alive today, which could lead to many other delightful opportunities. Then three high-profile matches would feature The Rock and Triple H, The Undertaker and Brock Lesnar, and the best possible main event, CM Punk and John Cena for the WWE Championship.

This match could have been a whole level above all others on the card, it could have been the best WrestleMania match of all time if both competitors brought their A-game. It could have been the Hulk Hogan vs Randy Savage of the modern era. It was the match and place that CM Punk's title reign deserved. It could have gone on to be simple perfection, both in terms of a brilliant story, and pure in-ring gold.

What it could have been.

But because it was overlooked, this scenario remains what it always will be. A 'what if?'.