[JoeRulz]

Originally Posted by Seabs

I really hope this is just hyperbole to make your point. Are you bipolar or is there to two people using your account? It's a genuine question that I've discussed with others too. You seem to have stretches where everything you say makes sense and then suddenly you spout a load of stuff that makes zero sense in a short time frame. Swear I've seen you stand up for Cena as a great worker in other threads before. I hope you realise how the ridiculous the CZW rookies line sounds when you read it back.

I can't call someone a great worker if that someone is motivated maybe twice every year. I like his immense potential to be a world class main eventer, but that's about it. He wasn't good in the Punk match. He was awful in the recent Ziggler trilogy. But I give him massive credit where credit's due, and I've already mentioned that (strange you're forgetting that point) on many, many occasions. For example, a month ago I watched Cena/Umaga and rated it five stars. Huh. Also, the paradox - I dislike Punk, but I'm glad he lost, although his performance was excellent... and Cena was shite, but I'm glad he finally defeated Punk.

[Rah]

Quick Q: why are they marketing it as Cena hasn't beat Punk when, well, he beat him in November?

[Caponex75]

Originally Posted by Rah

Quick Q: why are they marketing it as Cena hasn't beat Punk when, well, he beat him in November?

He never beat him in a big match since MITB. This would be the first time Cena hasn't fumbled since fighting Punk with everything on the line.

[djmathers1207]

How was it without the commercials?

[Seabs]

I don't follow finer details like that but I'm pretty sure the build was Cena's never beat Punk when it really matters. Their next title match, the build will be Cena's never beat Punk with the title on the line. I hope they keep that gimmick going for years actually. There aren't many obstacles that Cena has to overcome but by somewhat of a fluke they've built that obstacle up really well and it actually makes Punk a legit nemesis for Cena's character. Cena's holding the belt for most of 2013 though and I'd be surprised if he doesn't go over Punk in a title match this year.

Cena having his flaws in that match I can understand. Disagree on most of the "flaws" raised by people but I can understand where they'd originate from. Saying he was "shite" and "unmotivated" is totally baffling and short sighted though. Especially from someone who has multiple Chuck Taylor matches rated higher.

[Rah]

I guess I can look at it like that (especially with the future prediction Seabs has given - that sounds swell).

Edit:

Match for Cena's Wrestlemania Opportunity
CM Punk Vs John Cena (WWE Raw 25/02/2013)

I'm almost sure it was JoeRulz who penned Okada/Tanahashi at the Dome as a 5-star match purely because of wrestling being storytelling first and foremost. I'm thusly also surprised at him not liking this as Cena/Punk, for me, was the very story of the Dome match with wrestling that blew Okada/Tanahashi out of the water.

Right from the get go you could feel the nerves from Cena (not casually kissing his dog chains as he usually does but, rather, adding a prayer to his routine) and the newfound levels of cockiness oozing off the usually brass Punk. Everything leading up to this point, everything that this watch was riding on, was perfectly cemented by the behaviours of both wrestlers before the match even began. The face of adversity also seemingly changed Cena's approach within wrestling. Normally he relies on his dogmatically lawful/good nature yet knowing what was at stake made him stray from his tennets. Exampilic of this was in how desperation had made Cena hold on to a submission despite the rope-break being called by the referee and only relinquished the hold in the sight of a disqualification.

I've noted the criticisms over Cena's selling, his Frankensteiner and the dubious near count-out yet I cannot find a case for any of them. Sure, the 9-count was certainly not the best application of that spot but, granted, it still popped the crowd and did its job. As for his selling, outside of the sequence that involved the dodged shoulder tackle (when Cena was still relatively fresh), there really and truly is nothing to fault - especially when issues in the matches from DDT4 are glossed over. Watch Cena try lift Punk onto his shoulders after that point, he feigns a struggle in doing so. Yet he was the guy who lifted Brock Lesnar with one frikken arm. Lastly, that Frankensteiner? Beautifully poignant and succinct to the flow of the match and its story.

You've got to understand this was a desperation move for Cena, he isn't used to delivering it and will, naturally, be rusty in its execution. Now add in to that fact that he had endured Punk's signatures, submissions and finisher as well as a vicious piledriver only moments before. Then couple in the fact of physical exhaustion and a "lazy" take on the move isn't at all hard to forgive or even admire as an additive to the narrative. It made perfect sense to be placed here, noting the cover for Cena's rustiness in its use, as opposed to switching it with the Liger Bomb as Woolcock had proposed. It wasn't done to inflict extra damage in ensuring the subsequent AA was successful, it was entirely about taking Punk by surprise with a move he wouldn't expect and allowing Cena the opportunity to apply the AA.

This was a big time match held in front of a big time crowd for a chance at a big time opportunity - all on free TV. Yeah, this was larger than life.
Rating: ★★★★ 1/2

[ywall2breakerj]

Punk-Cena was fantastic. So much for someone other than Punk being WWE 2013 WOTY, unless Bryan gets a long title reign out of nowhere or PHIL gets injured. ****+ (have yet to see the full version).

[Obfuscation]

Originally Posted by djmathers1207

How was it without the commercials?

Added a bit more to the ground work by Punker on Cena's neck. I think it can help with some who were bothered by the breaks.

[darkclaudio]

WWE RAW 25/02

-John Cena vs CM Punk ****+

[Nervosa]

cena vs. Punk
***3/4

Once again I am left to feel I am missing something. seriously ****1/2, people?

A great finishing stretch, and not much else. Early part was really blah. could have fast forwarded and missed nothing. Then Cena just diminishes pretty much all of Punk's strikes into oblivion.

The finish sucked. Yes, I get that the huricurana was for disorientation and desperation. I still think even if he had hit it clean, its way to athletic of a spot for that kind of wrestling at that point in the match. It just was so random and out of place and didn't make a whole lot of sense for me.

and that's if he hit it clean. He didn't, of course, and it looked like he took more damage than Punk did from that move. If Brock at Wrestlemania 19 is how to a do a self piledriver, this was how to do a self powerbomb.

I really don't think I have ever liked a match between these two. I guess the Summerslam match was the one I'm ok with. Everything else I just don't see stories: I see spots. Some people like back and forth with no story (Okada/Tanahashi from the dome) but I just need a little more before we get to a finisher fest.