5 Big changes WWE saw in CM Punk's absence

#4 John Cena quietly leaves WWE and turns into a part-time attraction

Be it the Summer of Punk, or his legendary 434-day WWE title reign, one guy who always remained at the top alongside Punk was WWE veteran John Cena. Cena was already out of the main event picture by the time Punk left, and he faced Bray Wyatt at WrestleMania 30 weeks later. The 16-time World Champion has yet to headline a WrestleMania since 2013, and wasn't even in a match at this year's edition.

Cena quietly moved away from WWE during Punk's absence, and is currently focusing on becoming a movie star. He seems to be doing a good job at it, as he'll be a part of the upcoming Fast & Furious 9 movie.

Also read: Renee Young on whether the Lana-Lashley-Rusev angle should be dropped

#3 The Undertaker's streak loses its aura

CM Punk was The Undertaker's last WrestleMania victim before his famed streak came to an end at WrestleMania 30, mere weeks after Punk's exit. Brock Lesnar broke the streak and went on to squash John Cena at SummerSlam 2014 in a legit shocker. Although The Deadman came back at next year's WrestleMania to put down Bray Wyatt, he lost another 'Mania bout to Roman Reigns two years later.

After defeating Punk at WrestleMania 29, The Undertaker's streak stood at a cool 21-0. Today, it stands at 24-2.

About the author

Abhilash Mendhe is a pro wrestling journalist at Sportskeeda with nearly five years of experience. He completed his MBA from the Symbiosis Institute of Telecom Management in 2016 and worked with multiple banking institutions, including Tech Mahindra. While he started writing WWE articles for Sportskeeda in 2019 as a hobby, it eventually became a significant part of his professional journey.

Abhilash checks his articles thrice before sending them to the editing team, ensuring his work is highly accurate and reliable.

He has interviewed prominent pro wrestling personalities like Noam Dar, Angry Miz Girl, Brendan Cobbina, and Jesse Lambert. Abhilash is a big fan of AEW star Orange Cassidy, as he believes the former International Champion’s on-screen gimmick of an extremely lazy guy resonates with him.

Given the opportunity to script WWE’s next big storyline, Abhilash would treat fans to the second installment of The Bloodline Civil War. He would book Roman Reigns to re-form The Bloodline with The Usos and Sami Zayn upon his comeback. The angle would see The Tribal Chief-led group go head-to-head with The Rock, Solo Sikoa, Tama Tonga, and Jacob Fatu in a blockbuster family feud.

When not reporting on pro wrestling, Abhilash likes to work out, go on walks, read, and explore new eateries.

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Edited by Alan John