For me the Summer of Punk was the catalyst of change. CM Punk was finally someone who said what they thought and didn't give a damn who heard it. It gave the fans someone to voice their opinions, that they're tired of the same rubbish we see every week, he really was the voice of the voiceless.
We look at the product today after that shoot promo and you can tell Punk really has improved the WWE for the better, you can tell the whole vibe of the show has a much more edgier feel to it. Although as great as the summer of Punk was, there was one problem that we never got rid of and that's John Cena.
There is one big similarity between the WWE of 2011 and the WWE of 2012, John Cena is still in the main event. In fairness that's fine but what my issue is, is that he's always the focal point of the show despite the movement that Punk started.
Rolling up to Wresltemania it was Rock vs. Cena and that was the big selling point and I felt after Cena lost I really thought that symbolized the end of Cena as the top guy. All his motives and beliefs had to be put in question after giving everything but still losing. He'd maybe finally snap and we'd see the character change that we finally have been dying to see for all these years and give someone else that torch to run with.
In an ideal World I'd have wanted a John Cena heel turn (typical IWC solution I know..) and that ushered in Punk as the top face of the company and deservedly so. Unfortunatley that wasn't the case. Despite 8 years of the fans booing John Cena, vocally stating that they're sick of him hogging the spot light, he still is the same old Cena, hogging up that same old spotlight.
He is then put into a feud with Lesnar, you see slight character progression. He's actually scared and doubtful (very unlike Cena), maybe THIS could be the start of a new Cena. Nope. He goes on to beat Lesnar superman style like we've seen for the last 8 years and begins to feud with Lauranitis. The same Lauranitis by the way is only on TV because of Punk and they're getting they're Cena to jump the bandwagon and start feuding with the guy in a pathetic attempt to once again win the fans over when in reality Cena is probably as much of a yes man as Johnny ironically and people will still boo Cena regardless of who he faces.
So now we're stuck here in the same situation with Cena still closing the show despite millions of fans vocally stating that they're sick and tired of him. I'm not going to be irrational and say take Cena out of the main event but at least give him some character progression and let Punk close the show but they don't even do that. It's the same old Cena and the same old WWE.
I'd have really thought the WWE learnt something from the Summer of Punk, and that's to listen to what the people want but obviously I was wrong. When Rock was on RAW every week, I was more excited to see CM Punk, when Lesnar was on RAW it was the same thing. I'm not bothered about these guys coming in with their 1 year contracts and being put into a programme with Cena, I want to see Punk as the number 1 guy and finally see John Cena, after 8 long years to step back and let someone else be the man.
Stone Cold was only the number 1 guy for a few years, same goes for Rock. Although Cena has been that guy longer than the two combined. 2012 was Cena's time to step down or at least change but we've gotten neither, we've got the same old Cena..