Defeat Mark Henry on Raw and Punk gets WWE Championship Match at Survivor Series
October 29, 2011
Careful what you wish for, CM Punk. After asking for a WWE Title Match against Alberto Del Rio on Monday night’s Raw Supershow, it appears the anti-establishment Superstar may finally get what he wants – but only if he can overcome The World’s Strongest Man.
The Executive Vice President of Talent Relations and Interim General Manager of Raw, John Laurinaitis, issued a statement arranging a match on Monday night between Punk and World Heavyweight Champion Mark Henry. Should Punk prevail, he will earn a WWE Title Match at Survivor Series against Alberto Del Rio. For Mr. Laurinaitis’ full statement, please see below:
"After giving this CM Punk situation serious consideration, I’ve reached a decision. In my deliberations as Executive Vice President of Talent Relations and Interim General Manager of Raw, I concluded that although Punk is extremely talented, he has lost several matches recently. As a result, I’ve decided that he must prove he’s worthy of a WWE Title opportunity. This Monday night, Punk must compete against World Heavyweight Champion Mark Henry. If Punk wins, he will face Alberto Del Rio for the WWE Championship at Survivor Series. I wish both men a good match."
Triple H & CM Punk vs. The Miz & R-Truth
The Miz and R-Truth are once again legally contracted WWE Superstars and will face off against WWE Chief Operating Officer Triple H – the man who fired them – and his partner CM Punk – the man who insulted The Game and his entire family.
We’ve always said anything can happen in WWE and this match proves it!
Ironically, The Second City Savior leaving with the WWE Championship at SummerSlam in July started a domino effect of anarchy that ultimately led to the WWE Board of Directors relieving Mr. McMahon of his day-to-day duties as WWE Chairman and appointing Triple H as Chief Operating Officer of WWE.
Punk was no easier for The Game to manage than he was for Mr. McMahon to manage. The war of words between CM Punk and Triple H escalated exponentially on a weekly basis. Their mutual animosity came to a head at Night of Champions when the COO traded in his suit and tie for his tights and boots to try and silence the self-proclaimed “Voice of The Voiceless” at Night of Champions.
WWE Championship Triple Threat Hell in a Cell Match
Over the course of his 10 reigns as WWE Champion, John Cena has come to learn many of the hardships that come with holding that coveted title, but The Champ has never dealt with anything quite like this. For the first time in the brutal history of the Hell in a Cell Match, three Superstars will enter the unforgiving steel structure for a dangerous Triple Threat bout — and Cena’s WWE Championship will be on the line.
Two weeks after defeating Alberto Del Rio to win the title at Night of Champions, Cena will once again lock up with the underhanded Mexican Aristocrat, but this time the controversial CM Punk will be a part of the mayhem.
CM Punk vs. Triple H
CM Punk’s fervent quest for answers will lead him to an intense confrontation with WWE’s Chief Operating Officer at Night of Champions, where The Straight Edge Superstar battles 13-time World Champion Triple H.
Competing in the ring for the first time since his cataclysmic encounter with The Undertaker at WrestleMania XXVII in April, The King of Kings would have at one time admired Punk’s anti-authority attitude. However, trading in his D-Generation X gear for a sharply pressed suit and tie, the outlaw-turned-executive intends to silence the self-proclaimed “voice of the voiceless” after months of mouthing off.
Even though Punk’s Undisputed WWE Championship victory at The Biggest Event of the Summer was the result of some questionable officiating by The King of Kings himself, The Second City Savior nevertheless basked in the adulation of his screaming fans at the STAPLES Center after defeating fellow WWE Champion John Cena to become the sole bearer of the illustrious prize. Yet, the self-proclaimed “voice of the voiceless” was soon viciously silenced by The Game’s longtime friend Kevin Nash, who charged the ring and laid out Punk with his iconic Jackknife Powerbomb, a maneuver that has destroyed many a foe during the 7-foot former WWE Champion’s storied in-ring career.
John Cena vs. CM Punk – Undisputed WWE Championship Match
Having each earned the right to call themselves the WWE Champion, John Cena and a returning CM Punk will collide at SummerSlam in Los Angeles. There, these dynamic Superstars will determine who deserves the right to become the undisputed bearer of the WWE Title at The Biggest Event of the Summer.
For the first time since the title’s inception in 1963, two ring warriors are in possession of the WWE Championship, thanks to Punk’s shocking re-emergence on the July 25 edition of Monday Night Raw. Just moments after Cena had bested newly crowned WWE Champion Rey Mysterio that night to win the title for a ninth time (his eleventh World Title overall), a smirking Punk confidently strode down the entrance ramp to offer his own unique form of congratulations to The Champ – by confronting Cena and holding his own WWE Championship high above his head.
Aiming to provide some semblance of order to this complicated WWE Championship scenario, WWE’s Chief Operating Officer, Triple H, mandated the following week that both titleholders clash at SummerSlam, with the victor going down in the history books as the one, true WWE Champion.
On his last night in WWE, the calculating and determined CM Punk challenges WWE Champion John Cena at Money in the Bank, emanating from his hometown of Chicago. Not only does Punk intend to humble The Champ and the entire WWE Universe with a decisive final victory on July 17, but leave WWE with its most coveted prize fastened around his waist.
After defeating his longtime nemesis Rey Mysterio at Capitol Punishment, The Second City Savior performed what he called “the most honest thing the WWE Universe has ever seen” by brazenly and vehemently demanded a WWE Title Match with The Champ at the second annual Money in the Bank event. However, Raw’s General Manager wasn’t too keen on having his authority overstepped, and placed The Straight Edge Superstar in a Triple Threat Match that forced Punk to earn the No. 1 contendership he boldly claimed to already possess.
Rey Mysterio vs. CM Punk
Forgive and forget? Not likely for either Rey Mysterio or CM Punk any time soon. The enemy pair rekindles its hotly contested rivalry at WWE Capitol Punishment in Washington, D.C.
Whether it was an eerily sung "Happy Birthday" to Rey’s young daughter, attempted unmasking or good old fashioned physical malice, Punk left an indelible impression on Mysterio that’s now carried to Monday Night Raw.
Arguably, WWE’s Ultimate Underdog prevailed in his months-long SmackDown struggle with CM Punk, who was forced into a mask himself as a result of one of the more memorable clashes between the two. Drafted to Raw, Mysterio quickly swung back into the sticky web of The Straight Edge Superstar, now the self-righteous liege of the nefarious New Nexus.
Previously, Punk captained The Straight Edge Society during his enmity-ridden rivalry with The Master of the 619. Today, the Chicago-born Superstar’s ranks have evolved and grown, now including a beastly specimen in brute Mason Ryan as well as WWE Tag Team Champions David Otunga & Michael McGillicutty (who were, in fact, crowned after Punk’s personal intervention). The yellow and black, “N”-armbanded faction may be unruly at times but also downright lethal if aligned under the guidance of Punk’s wristbanded fist. Perhaps not even WWE’s Ultimate Underdog can counter the odds of a belligerent army at the mercy of a malevolent leader like CM Punk.
Mysterio and Punk have traded blows, victories and losses thus far, but at the first-ever Capitol Punishment event, both competitors will seek a definitive triumph on the historic inaugural pay-per-view of its kind. Who will leave D.C. with the “W” in this fierce encounter? Tune in this Sunday, live on pay-per-view.
WWE Tag Team Champions Big Show & Kane vs. CM Punk & Mason Ryan
Tackling the formidable challenge of WWE Tag Team Champions Big Show & Kane would seem a fool’s errand. Despite the obvious pitfalls, however, their opponents at WWE Over the Limit, CM Punk & Mason Ryan, are hardly dupes.
On the contrary, The Second City Savior, a man so sinister he was inducted into the inaugural class of WWE.com’s Hall of Infamy, has proven himself as wily a Superstar as has ever inhabited WWE. Paired with the chainsaw temper and menacing muscle of Ryan, the New Nexus leader and his disciple have ample opportunity to seize their first-ever WWE Tag Team Titles.
Easier said than done. To capture the championships, Punk & Ryan must first pull off the in-ring equivalent of snatching raw salmon from the jaws of two hungry grizzlies. Since combining their sizable strengths, The Big Red Monster & The World’s Largest Athlete have dominated the rosters of both SmackDown (where Kane reigns), and Raw (which recently drafted Big Show).
In the weeks leading up to their showdown in Seattle, the four have been entangled in an ever escalating war, each eager to punish the other. Will the towering terrors continue to cast a shadow over the WWE landscape? Or will the New Nexus duo manage to take out the lofty leviathans at the knees? To find out, order WWE Over the Limit, May 22 at 8/7 CT, live on pay-per-view, or be a part of the action live at Seattle’s KeyArena by ordering tickets here.
Randy Orton vs. CM Punk (Last Man Standing Match)
In what is sure to be their most chaotic and career-changing encounter yet, bitter rivals Randy Orton and CM Punk will collide at Extreme Rules in a Last Man Standing Match.
The only way to emerge victorious in a Last Man Standing Match is to brutalize one’s opponent to the point where they can no longer rise to their feet in response to a referee’s 10-count. Judging by the tumultuous history between The Viper and The Second City Saint, these two competitors aim to settle the score under appropriately hazardous circumstances.
Since there are no disqualifications in a Last Man Standing Match, Punk – backed by The New Nexus – would seem to have an advantage at Extreme Rules. However, Orton will no doubt look to capitalize on the group’s apparent instability as of late … and perhaps its waning faith in The Second City Savior.
Preview:Randy Orton vs. CM Punk
Since emerging as the leader of The New Nexus, CM Punk has made plenty of enemies on Raw, but none of his adversaries are quite as dangerous as Randy Orton. With the rivalry between The Viper and The Second City Savior escalating exponentially in recent weeks, it seems there is only one place where their myriad differences can truly be settled: WrestleMania.After The Viper and his Legacy cohorts cost Punk the World Heavyweight Championship in September 2008, the unforgiving Straight Edge Superstar launched a long-gestating premeditated attack against Orton at Royal Rumble, preventing WWE’s Apex Predator from attaining The Miz’s WWE Title. Read the rest of this entry »
