‘I’ve Taken A Page Out Of John Cena’s Book’

Throughout his career, CM Punk has been known for being vocal about his creative direction, frequently clashing with management over ideas he disliked. However, since his return to WWE, Punk says he has adopted a much more relaxed and collaborative approach to the creative process, taking inspiration from a surprising source: his former rival, John Cena. Speaking on the Pardon My Take podcast, Punk explained that he no longer feels the need to be rebellious and is more open to executing ideas from WWE’s creative team.

Punk detailed this shift in his mindset, noting that he now trusts the experienced minds he works with and finds enjoyment in bringing their ideas to life. “There are a lot of great minds that I work with and a lot of people who have more experience than me. Maybe, back in the day, I would say, ‘No, I know what to do.’ Now, I guess I’m just kind of chill. Before, it was more rebelious,” Punk said. He continued, “To me, there is a magic about taking something that you didn’t see or you didn’t think of, somebody else’s idea, and going, ‘Okay, I can do that with this. What if we did this?’ I don’t really pitch things. I’ve taken a page out of (John) Cena’s book. They deal them, I play them. I have ideas and suggestions, and more often now, it’s for other people and not for me. I just roll with it”.

His initial exit from the company in 2014 was fueled by creative burnout and frustration over his booking, which he detailed in his infamous “Pipebomb” promo and in later interviews. In contrast, John Cena has long maintained a public philosophy of being a “company man,” taking whatever creative direction was given to him and committing to making it work to the best of his ability.

This approach appears to be working well for Punk in his current run. His ongoing program with Seth Rollins has been a marquee feud for WWE, blurring the lines between their real-life history and storyline. The feud has been a central focus of WWE programming since late 2023 and has now expanded to include his wife, AJ Lee, setting the stage for a mixed tag team match at the upcoming Wrestlepalooza premium live event.

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