CM Punk. Never has anyone in pro wrestling ever been such a hero to some, for the same reasons he is a villain to others. And in the summer of 2011 in WWE, that was never more evident by the way that a potentially game-changing storyline and opportunity played out how it did. Maybe it did so because of… people’s… opinions and decisions. Maybe Punk had it coming the second he re-signed with WWE on July 17th. Regardless, in my opinion, when WWE had their chance to do their own version of the Ring Of Honor ‘Summer of Punk’ they squandered and wasted the hottest star wrestling had had for a long, long time. I know many, many people who started watching wrestling again after seeing ‘The Pipebomb’, and yes the MITB title win was cool as fuck… but… he returned 2 weeks later, he won the ‘undisputed’ title match in controversial circumstances, immediately then lost the title due to… Kevin Nash (?), feuded with Triple H… and only really had the sort of run he deserved begin some months after…
So I’m sure you’re all agreeing so far… but if you present a problem, for me, you should try and offer a solution with it. And with that in mind, I present to you how I would’ve done it… let me tell you all how I would’ve booked WWE’s ‘Summer of Punk’.
(FYI: in this blog I will be mentioning a few people who in 2024 can only be described as deplorable at best. But they were important on-screen characters for WWE in the summer of 2011, so I can’t not include them in my booking of this storyline. With that being said, and just to make my thoughts very VERY clear… FUCK Vince McMahon, the sooner you pay for your crimes and then die, the better! And FUCK John Laurinaitis, that ass-licking scumbag. Oh and FUCK Alberto too, he’s just a prick. Anyway… on with the blog.)
So to start things off, lets set the ground rules… This booking will start as it did IRL (with the famous CM Punk vs John Cena match at MITB 2011 in Chicago, playing out exactly as it did), and it’ll end as it did (with Alberto Del Rio cashing in his MITB contract to win the title from Punk)… Only difference being with that last part, I’m going to do it at a different time and place… and in a better way…
We begin on the July 18th 2011 edition of Monday Night Raw, where less than 24 hours after CM Punk won the WWE Championship and subsequently walked out the company, Vince McMahon is left to try and pick up the pieces. He rubbishes any worry about the company ‘holy grail’ being taken from them, and stands by his pre-match stipulation that he would FIRE John Cena should he lose to Punk. Upon doing so, (as was the case in real time) Triple H comes out for an emotional conversation with his father in law, saying that the Board have called a vote of no confidence in it’s chairman, and subsequently decided to relieve him of his duties. Regretfully, Triple H announces that temporary powers will now go to Director of Operations John Laurinaitis. Crucially though (remember this for later), Triple H tells Vince that he promises that all will be right once more, the balance of power will be redressed in time, and that he will do whatever it takes to make things right… whatever is BEST FOR BUSINESS… Laurinaitis makes his way out, as a tearful McMahon exits through the crowd. He announces that CM Punk breached his previous contract with his ‘obstruction of company property’, and therefore is no longer recognized as the WWE Champion. He declares that a new WWE Champion will be crowned in a tournament beginning this week, and that match number 1 in the tournament will be a ‘pre-tournament qualifier’ with John Cena (who Laurinaitis says will NOT be fired, however his defeat to Punk ‘and failure to protect the WWE’s proud history’ will both be taken into account)… in a handicap match against The Miz, R-Truth & Jack Swagger. If Cena wins then he’s in the tournament, if he loses then his three opponents are all through and their first round match is a 4way against a scheduled opponent. Later… as a result of some form of BS, Cena loses.
As was the case in real time, I would indeed have Rey Mysterio win the vacant WWE Championship in the tournament final against The Miz, on the July 25th Raw. But there would be no immediate John Cena title win in my timeline, and no CM Punk return right away. Instead… CM Punk would appear 2 days prior to this Raw… at the PWG ‘Eight’ show! Yes indeed, with ‘his’ WWE Championship belt in hand, he would shock the world by appearing in the famed indie-wrestling promotion. And after a huge pop to great his surprise entrance, and a following promo, he would successfully defend ‘his’ WWE Championship against someone on the then PWG roster… someone who would be a big name in years to come perhaps…
The next week on Raw, John Laurinaitis boldly claims that HE has OFFERED a deal that COULD see CM PUNK return to WWE TONIGHT to face Rey Mysterio for THE WWE Championship… He says that all CM Punk has to do is come back to WWE… publicly apologise to Laurinaitis, hand over and abandon his legitimacy claims to ‘his’ WWE title belt, and pay a fine of ONE MILLION DOLLARS… Naturally, Punk doesn’t show up to accept the offer, and instead Laurinaitis claims he ‘doesn’t want to disappoint the fans’ and so ensures there is STILL a WWE title match tonight… with Mysterio’s opponent being… The Miz… But before the match starts, John Cena comes out, telling Laurinaitis to stop being an ass and to treat the fans with some respect, he instead suggests that HE should be the one to face Mysterio tonight, and to put on a match that is worthy of Rey Mysterio and of the WWE title. Eventually Cena beats Miz to earn the title match with Rey in the main event. And then… John Cena wins the WWE title from Rey.
With John Cena now ‘WWE’s’ WWE Champion, we have another appearance from CM Punk (with ‘his’ WWE Championship), this time at New Japan Pro Wrestling’s G1 show 3 (remember how in the ‘pipebomb’ promo how Punk suggested the possibility of taking the title and defending it elsewhere, well… this is him doing that). He makes another surprise appearance and promo open challenge, that this time is answered by a true legend. Punk retains of course, but tell me this wouldn’t be cool as fuck???
On the August 8th Raw , the go home for SummerSlam, Triple H and Johnny Ace (I can’t be arsed with his surname every time so he’s Johnny Ace from now on) are arguing about what to do with the WWE Championship at SummerSlam, with both receiving word that the WWE board are holding them BOTH responsible for not having CM Punk in WWE and that should they not get the titles unified and solidified as one come SummerSlam, then BOTH will be fired! John Cena suggests that he could go to wherever CM Punk wants to face him and get back the WWE title belt he has, Johnny Ace rubbishes the idea, saying Cena belongs to WWE and contractually he is not allowed to appear anywhere else but on ‘my show’. Triple H takes exception to Ace calling Raw ‘his’, and with tempers at an all time high, and the deadline approaching and no word of Punk being at SummerSlam, CM Punk’s longtime friend PAUL HEYMAN appears, cutting a passionate promo on Punk’s behalf, and claiming in no uncertain terms that CM Punk WILL be at SummerSlam, WILL face John Cena, that there WILL BE an Undisputed and Unified WWE Champion, and that that man’s name will be CM PUNK! And that is how we close Raw! Punk vs Cena, Undisputed WWE title, SummerSlam. In my world though, no dodgy finish, no Triple H guest ref, no run in after, no Del Rio cash in. The WWE board issue notice that should ANYONE interfere in the Cena vs Punk title match, that they will be fired on the spot.
And as a result at SummerSlam, there is no bullshit. It’s a straight up singles match, CM Punk returns to WWE, with Cult of Personality, and he DEFEATS John Cena CLEAN, to become the undisputed WWE Champion!
The next night on Raw, CM Punk opens the show with the WWE title. He says he has re-signed a Non-exclusive deal with WWE, that means that as long as he is WWE Champion, he can take that title to whatever wrestling promotion he wants. He says he doesn’t just want WWE to be better, but he wants to promote and make wrestling better everywhere he can. Johnny Ace comes out to a chorus of boos, and tells Punk that he is frankly a disgrace, that he is holding WWE and the WWE title hostage, and that he wont rest until we have a worthy WWE Champion. With that… Alberto Del Rio (Mr Money in The Bank) attempts to jump-attack Punk, but he dodges it, and leaves Raw STILL WWE Champion.
Following this, on August 20th 2011, Punk makes another trip to PWG for their famed ‘Battle of Los Angeles’ show. This time successfully defending his WWE Championship against another stalwart of the scene and of the time…
On the next Raw, CM Punk comes face to face with John Cena. There is mutual respect between the two, but both state their claim of how (in their differing ways) that they are the best man to represent WWE as it’s champion. Miz and R-Truth interrupt, and eventually we get a tag match set up for the show’s main event. Mid-way through, CM Punk is brutally attacked by Alberto Del Rio, and following the assault, he attempts to again cash in his Money In The Bank contract… only to be stopped from doing so by John Cena!
The next week, with Punk not at the show due to the attack from Del Rio, John Cena opens up Raw to explain why he stopped the cash in from happening…
Cena explains that despite his differing of opinion on a number of things with Punk, he has nothing but respect for him as a competitor. And he would rather someone be WWE Champion that has earnt it, than a ‘thief’ and a ‘corporate-pawn’ like Alberto try and steal it. This brings out a furious Johnny Ace, who says Cena will suffer the consequences of his ‘betrayal’ to the company that made him… He says that begins tonight, with Cena being in a Tables match against Jack Swagger. Cena though, battles on and wins that match! But after he is attacked by The Miz and R-Truth, with Ace announcing they will be in a no-DQ handicap match with Cena the week after on Raw.
With Punk still at home recovering from his attack from Del Rio, Cena is outnumbered and overwhelmed and his valiant effort sees him come up short, with Miz and Truth getting the win.
Miz and Truth open Raw the week after, brashly stating that THEY run Monday Night Raw, having beaten John Cena, and that if anyone deserves to represent WWE, it should be them… and that is when… CM PUNK returns!!!
Punk says he has just about had enough of hearing Miz and Truth talk, and says he would much rather see them FIGHT! Later in the show, Punk faces R-Truth (and wins), before immediately being attacked with a steel chair by The Miz… who he then faces… and JUST about defeats! Once again, Alberto Del Rio tries to cash in his Money In The Bank contract, once again he is thwarted by John Cena, who again says he doesn’t want a corporate-jackass to be the WWE Champion, but with that being said, he would like to challenge Punk one final time. He tells Punk he doesn’t have to say yes, but that he thinks he knows in his heart, that he will want to go at it again with John Cena, for the WWE Championship one last time, and that if he really is the champion he says he is, he will see Cena at Night of Champions. Punk gleefully accepts, but wants to up the anti, and ensure that nobody else ruins their final title match against one another, and thus the match is made a STEEL CAGE MATCH! Before the end of Raw though, we see a FURIOUS Alberto Del Rio, who vows to do anything and everything he has to to take the WWE title from Punk… he is calmed down by Johnny Ace, who passes him the phone, and his mood soon changes after the phone call, without us knowing by who or what was said to him. Cena and Punk going face to face closes the show.
Punk then goes about making history. Defending the WWE Championship in 3 different promotions, 3 consecutive nights.
The first stop is at an IWA mid-south show, entitled ‘king of the deathmatch’ (this was a promotion Punk once competed in many years prior to his WWE run). He successfully defends the WWE title against Matt Tremont, before Alberto Del Rio runs through the crowd with his MITB briefcase in hand, but is stopped from cashing in by Tremont, who shakes and then raises Punk’s hand after.
The next night, Punk returns to his former home of Ring of Honor, at their ‘Death Before Dishonor’ show where he defends the WWE Title against fellow ROH stalwart Jimmy Jacobs. Again Del Rio tries to cash in, again he is thwarted by Punk’s opponent.
And so we go to Night Of Champions… CM Punk defending the WWE Championship in a Steel Cage match against John Cena, in a steel cage. And regardless of the result, it’s been agreed that this will be the last time the two will face off with the title on the line.
And the match goes on, and it’s great… but with both men down, Miz and R-Truth go towards the cage wanting to get in and ruin the match, even with the threat of being fired should they interfere. But as they go to do so, they are intercepted…
TRIPLE H comes out and stops Miz and Truth from getting involved in the match, but the commotion is enough to distract Cena, who turns into a GTS from Punk, and CM Punk retains. Once the cage door is lifted, Triple H consoles Cena and pats him on the back before he leaves the ring… Triple H hence a tense stare-off with CM Punk, before offering a handshake, which Punk accepts. Triple H raises Punk’s arm… BEFORE HE KICKS HIM IN THE STOMACH AND HITS HIM WITH A PEDIGREE!!!
And with that… out comes Del Rio… and very quickly after…
Alberto Del Rio wins the WWE Championship. The ‘Summer of Punk’ in WWE ends at the hands of Triple H, who turns heel in the process.
The next night on Raw, Triple H opens the show. He says sometimes in life, you have to do things you don’t like, but you do so for the greater good. You do so because it’s the right thing to do, and I will ALWAYS do what is best for the WWE, what is BEST FOR BUSINESS. He goes on to say how it wasn’t about Alberto Del Rio being the WWE Champion, but more that CM Punk wasn’t. And naturally… this brings out Punk. They go back and forth on the mic, before a pull-apart brawl ensues.
From here, in the weeks that follow, the jibes between Punk and Triple H get increasingly personal, with Punk saying that before he can focus on getting back HIS WWE Championship, he must first get through Triple H. This will eventually take us to the next PPV, Hell In A Cell, where inside the structure itself, Punk beats Triple H! After this, the focus goes on to Punk’s chase for the title, and at Vengeance as Del Rio successfully retains the WWE title against John Cena in a Last Man Standing match (as he did in real time also), Punk wins a handicap match against Johnny Ace, The Miz and R-Truth to earn an opportunity to get his title back!
Eventually, we go along with what happened in reality, with CM Punk finally defeating Alberto Del Rio at Survivor Series to win the WWE Championship.
And from this point onwards, the record-breaking WWE Title reign of Punk begins. But with MY booking prior, I think you set Punk up as far more of a hero going in, and as a result you make his eventual heel turn more justified maybe (given what he went through during the summer), and by building him up as a babyface even more so, when he does turn against the fans and become a heel, he is even more despised that he was anyway.
I have long thought the WWE ‘Summer of Punk’ was a chance for them to really do something different. In 2024, for far too many reasons than I have time to list, I think if they had the chance to do something like this, it would be a lot better executed. But hey, I’ve now had my say, and presented my ideas, and I feel much better having done so, safe in the knowledge that the cretins running WWE wont ever have the chance to ruin wrestling ever ever again.
Anyway… Hope you enjoyed reading as much as I enjoyed putting it together. Lets toast to our blog topic now, but maybe a soft drink would be more app… or a pepsi perhaps?…
Josh.