It's been nine years since CM Punk and John Cena blew the roof off the Allstate Arena in Chicago at Money in the Bank 2011. In the nine years since, the two have moved away away from wrestling -- albeit for much different reasons -- but that didn't stop them from reminiscing about their five-star classic.
Punk took to twitter on the nine-year anniversary of the match to thank Cena, WWE referee Scott Armstrong and "most importantly" the fans who were in attendance that night. Cena responded to the tweet, thanking Punk for allowing him to be a part of the match. He even poked fun at himself and the "You can't wrestle" chant which he's become accustomed to hearing whenever he's in the squared circle. The match was truly a classic, featuring a tremendous back story, high stakes, great in-ring action -- and perhaps most importantly, a hot crowd.
The story was that CM Punk had earned a WWE title shot, but his contract was set to expire at midnight following the Money in the Bank Pay-Per-View. Wanting to avoid another screwjob scenario, Mr. McMahon did everything he could to get the #1 contender to extend his contract, but Punk declined, citing his displeasure with how he had been treated. He even stated in his infamous "Pipebomb" promo that he wanted to defend the belt in New Japan and Ring of Honor, saying he was going to go into his hometown, win the WWE Championship and disappear from WWE forever.
Hype for the match really started to pick up after the "Pipebomb" promo. The self-proclaimed voice of the voiceless sat cross-legged atop the ramp and masterfully blurred the lines between storyline and reality, launching a scathing attack on his employer for seemingly under-promoting him, while simultaneously shouting out Hulk Hogan, "Dwayne" and Colt Cabana.
Punk lamented the fact that Cena was seen by the company as the best in the world and questioned why he wasn't featured on promotional items such as souvenir cups, the WrestleMania poster and RAW's opening video package. He then went on to ponder aloud if WWE would be better off after Vince McMahon's death before having his mic cut-off shortly after. McMahon suspended Punk in the aftermath of the promo, but Cena pleaded with the boss to reinstate the Chicago native. McMahon obliged, but told Cena that he would be fired if he did not leave Chicago as the WWE Champion.
Inside the Allstate Arena, the crowd was absolutely electric. It's hard not to get goosebumps during Punk's entrance, as everyone in the building was on their feet, chanting his name and the camera picks up the "If Punk loses, we riot" sign in the crowd. As enthusiastic as the crowd was for Punk's entrance, they were equally hostile for Cena's. The normally animated champion was very subdued during his entrance -- no salute, no talking to the camera, just a direct, stoic walk to ring. Cena was behind enemy lines and he knew it.
The match began with a slow build and both men feeling each other out, giving the crowd a chance to catch their breath after the emotional entrances. Everyone in the arena remained standing for pretty much the entirety of the match, and numerous chants can be heard throughout it. On commentary, Michael Cole drew a comparison to the "Montreal Screwjob," in what proved to be a lovely bit of foreshadowing from the much-maligned announcer. Cole, Booker T and Jerry Lawler were all firmly behind Cena throughout the match, not wanting to see Punk leave with the WWE title.
As the action began to pick-up, both guys pulled off a series of counters. After one sequence, Cena found himself on the floor outside the ring and Punk took this opportunity to high-five his then-friend Colt Cabana, who was sitting in the front row. The crowd ate it up and erupted in pro-Cabana chants. The pair then traded finisher attempts and the set piece ended with Punk trapped in the STF. For a split second, it looked like that might be it for Punk, but the hometown hero was able to make it to the bottom rope, sending the crowd into an absolute frenzy.
Towards the end of the match, Punk connected with a GTS, but Cena fell out of the ring. You can see the look of sheer disappointment on the face of the challenger. That is when Mr. McMahon and John Laurinaitis showed up in another nod to the infamous Montreal Screwjob. With the boss and his stooge looking on, Cena locked in the STF in the middle of the ring and McMahon prematurely called for the bell in an attempt t0 save the championship. Good-guy Cena wanted no part of this and dropped Laurinaitis with a right hand, preventing the "Chicago Screwjob" from taking place. The champion mouthed "Not like this" to Vince, got back into the ring and immediately walked into a GTS. Punk pinned Cena to pick up the victory and become the new WWE Champion, resulting in one of the loudest pops in WWE History.
McMahon panicked and in an act of desperation, called for Money in the Bank briefcase holder Alberto Del Rio to cash in on the new champion. With a swift kick to the head, Punk fended off Del Rio and headed for the crowd. He blew a kiss to Mr. McMahon before disappearing into the Chicago crowd with the belt, capping off one of the most intriguing storylines in wrestling history.
While both Punk and Cena have largely moved on from wrestling, it's nice to see that they have as much fun looking back at this five star classic as their fans do.