CM Punk’s Top Mic Moments Leading Up to Royal Rumble 2025

Punk stood tall against two of the most formidable microphone maestros in WWE, leaving them speechless with his razor-sharp words. Stick with me on the baseball analogy here.

After Punk’s groundbreaking “pipebomb” promo, the excitement leading up to Money In The Bank in Chicago was at an all-time high. The match promised drama: Punk would challenge John Cena, and if Punk emerged victorious, he’d walk away with the WWE Championship, and Cena faced firing.

Vince McMahon, in a desperate attempt to keep Punk, took it upon himself to negotiate a new contract live on Monday Night Raw, just days before the showdown. True to form, Vince was as cocky and self-assured as ever until Punk reminded everyone who truly had the upper hand.

Punk boldly confronted his boss—part of the contract’s terms—demanded the return of WWE ice cream bars (we still need those!), and hit Vince with a verbal jab: “Vince, I’ll kick you in the nuts and you’ll smile at me and like it, and show me some respect!”

Soon after, John Cena entered the scene, only to have Punk lash out at his claim of losing perspective. Punk pulled no punches, delivering a hard truth about Cena’s position in the industry: The man who once embodied the underdog spirit was now the complete opposite. Cena was no longer like his beloved Boston Red Sox, struggling against the odds. Instead, he’d transformed into the loathed powerhouse known as the New York Yankees. Baseball references, again!

Cena didn’t take kindly to the jab and retaliated with a punch, causing Punk to retreat to the spot where his iconic promo took place weeks earlier. There, seated on the ramp, he shared:

“I’m glad you just punched me in the face, John… because it hit me like a bolt of lightning exactly why I no longer want to be here. It’s because I’m tired of this. I’m tired of you. I’m just tired.”

And with that revelation, Punk declared that after Sunday night’s event, the WWE would be saying farewell to its championship, its reigning superstar John Cena, and indeed, CM Punk himself.

BOOM. That’s how you build an unforgettable storyline and must-see event, standing amongst what Punk referred to as the WWE’s version of George Steinbrenner and Derek Jeter. More baseball, of course! This segment might often be overshadowed by the legendary “pipebomb,” but one could argue it was equally compelling. And absolutely epic.