John Cena has plenty of love for CM Punk, but there is one thing about Punk’s career mentality that Cena believes became a problem: his obsession with main-eventing WrestleMania. Cena initially went as far as calling it a “weakness” before immediately clarifying what he really meant.
During an appearance on Busted Open Radio, Cena was explaining why wrestlers shouldn’t become consumed with being WWE’s top star. The conversation started with Cody Rhodes and the pressure that can come with being labeled WWE’s “QB1,” but Cena quickly brought Punk into the discussion as another example. Cena made it clear that he loves Punk, but believes Punk spent too much time carrying the WrestleMania main-event goal around with him.
“My love for Punk and his obsession with main-eventing WrestleMania, I think it’s been a weakness.”
Cena didn’t leave that statement hanging. He immediately talked about the growth he has seen from Punk personally and made it clear that he wasn’t attacking him.
“If you talk to him now, he’s evolving as a human being every time I see him. He’s evolving as a man.”
Cena then reconsidered the word “weakness” and clarified that his problem wasn’t Punk wanting something big for himself. In Cena’s view, Punk simply put an unnecessary burden on his own shoulders. Cena quickly corrected himself.
“That’s just a personal preference of mine. I think he carries weight that he doesn’t need. It’s not a weakness. I think he carries weight that he doesn’t need.”
That WrestleMania goal was never a secret for Punk. He previously explained that his obsession with main-eventing WrestleMania was connected to the payday, saying the main-event position historically affected how talent was paid. Cena’s point wasn’t that wrestlers should have no ambition. Instead, he believes attaching personal fulfillment to labels like champion, face of the company or WrestleMania main eventer can create pressure that has nothing to do with actually performing well. Cena tied the entire point back to Cody Rhodes.
“As far as Cody wanting to be that thing, you’re carrying weight you don’t need. Just do great work and people will come.”
Cena then used a weightlifting analogy to explain how he views that pressure. Wrestling already asks enough of performers without them voluntarily piling more expectations onto themselves. He also stressed that being the undisputed top star in WWE is temporary no matter who you are.
“You’re adding weight to the bar that you don’t need to put there. The bar is heavy enough already. That’s the whole point. We have to go out there and perform.”
“You only own it for seconds. Even though I was in this business for 23 years, I had it for seconds.”
Cena cited Steve Austin and Hulk Hogan as examples, pointing out how even wrestling’s biggest boom-period stars only controlled the top position for a relatively small part of the industry’s history.
“Look at Steve’s run. From ’96 to 2001. Even the great Hulk Hogan, from ’83 to ’88, then a break and another short run. Those are just grains of sand on the beach of existence in the wrestling world. You own it for a moment.”
Cena’s comments aren’t coming from a place of disrespect toward Punk either. He recently went in the completely opposite direction when discussing Punk’s current work, saying CM Punk is doing some of the best work of his career. Cena has also spoken openly about how meaningful their relationship became by the end of his own WWE run.
For Cena, the issue is the weight wrestlers choose to carry when they measure themselves against accomplishments that can disappear in an instant. Punk eventually got the WrestleMania main event he spent years wanting, but Cena believes the journey might have been easier if he hadn’t allowed that goal to define so much of his career.
Do you agree with John Cena that CM Punk put too much pressure on himself over main-eventing WrestleMania, or was Punk right to chase that goal as hard as he did? Let us know what you think in the comments.
