John Cena Vs. CM Punk WWE Title Match Official For Night Of Champions In Saudi Arabia

By Max Everett
CM Punk challenges John Cena for the WWE Championship WWE

CM Punk versus John Cena for the Undisputed WWE Championship at Night of Champions has been made official. 

Cena opened "WWE Raw" two nights after he was pinned by Cody Rhodes during Money in the Bank, only to be confronted by CM Punk as he declared his desire for the WWE Championship. He told Cena that he could pick the night, although he would have preferred to do it on the night, and the champion said that he would only defend the title against Punk in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on June 28 – seemingly playing into Punk's prior refusal to work events in the Kingdom. 

The match was conspicuously left unconfirmed by the end of the segment, with Mr. Money in the Bank Seth Rollins making his entrance, closing the segment by brandishing his cash-in contract. "Raw" General Manager Adam Pearce took to social media after the segment, polling fans as to whether the match should be made official. But the bout has since been made official, with a match graphic posted to X prior to the end of the show.

"IT. IS. OFFICIAL. CENA vs. PUNK. Undisputed WWE Championship. NIGHT OF CHAMPIONS," the announcement reads. 

The scheduled bout between Punk and Cena is due to be their first in 12 years, last wrestling on "Raw" for the opportunity at The Rock for the WWE Championship at WrestleMania 29. It's also been 14 years since Punk famously dethroned Cena as WWE Champion at Money in the Bank. They shared the ring this year in the Elimination Chamber, with Cena last eliminating Punk to secure the opportunity that eventually saw him dethrone Rhodes at WrestleMania 41. 

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