CM Punk helped create the iconic ending to John Cena’s WWE Elimination Chamber win.
In the men’s WWE Elimination Chamber match, John Cena, CM Punk, Seth Rollins, Drew McIntyre, Logan Paul, and Damian Priest battled inside the steel structure. The match ended with Cena winning after Seth Rollins, who, in anger and frustration, attacked CM Punk with a Curb Stomp.
Seeing an opportunity, John Cena — in an unlikely and desperate move — took advantage of the situation and locked CM Punk in the STFU submission. Punk passed out, and Cena walked away with the victory while a satisfied Seth Rollins looked on, pleased to have cost Punk the match.
The Netflix docuseries WWE: Unreal, released on July 29, 2025, revealed that CM Punk actually helped design the finish of the match. In Episode 4, titled Heel Turn, Punk and the other participants sat down with WWE producer Michael Hayes to plan the ending.
CM Punk shared his idea for his match finish. He wanted John Cena, who was desperate for one last shot at WrestleMania, to look conflicted yet determined. Punk suggested a sequence where he kicked out of Cena’s finisher Attitude Adjustment to build tension.
Punk explained that in the final moments of the match, Seth Rollins would hit him with the Curb Stomp, and Cena would act quickly by locking in his submission move. Punk’s idea came to life when Cena used that moment to secure the win and punch his ticket to the WrestleMania main event, where he faced Cody Rhodes for the Undisputed WWE Title.
WWE: Unreal featured many notable takeaways, including early pitches for WrestleMania 41 matches, and The Rock declaring The Final Boss as the great villain in pro wrestling history.
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