CM Punk delivers a subtle reminder after John Cena's retirement

After an absence, everything is felt more. That’s just the case for anybody. We remember the way they walked, talked, texted, etc. The memorized ways they held their phone or an object. The way they stood up or sat down. Every little thing is amplified.

It’s certainly been the case ever since John Cena’s retirement was announced. I remember engaging in conversations with my friends about how we were already imagining a wrestling world without Cena. Without the “Hustle, Loyalty, and Respect” signs. Without the salute. Without the entrance ramp run to the ring. Without the “SuperCena” kickouts or the Superman-esque Attitude Adjustment slams. And most of all, especially without the promos.

Cena’s best skill to me, has been his ability to charm a crowd. Even when fans thought he was overrated or burying wrestlers with his “golden shovel” (shout out to Roman Reigns), we couldn’t deny there was a certain allure to Cena’s promos. Even when we wanted to boo him, we listened to the way he gracefully strung together inspiration and insults without a stutter in sight. It was this that became a staple in my childhood, and one I knew I’d miss a lot.

Thankfully, in the void that now feels greater after watching Cena leave his gear in the ring on Saturday, it was alleviated a bit by CM Punk on Monday. Punk delivered — in my opinion — one of the best promos of his second WWE stint and there couldn’t have been a more perfect time to do so.

The same smooth talk, crowd-riling, stutter less, and charismatic style that defined Cena’s promos shone through Punk’s mic as he blasted Bron Breakker. He didn’t leave it at just Breakker, also going after his father Scott Steiner and his uncle Rick. The infamous “Steiner math” was a victim of Punk’s barrage, as he spelled it out gracefully. “Even with Steiner math, GTS equals 1–2–3.”

Of course, this polished and insulting style has been Punk’s as much as it’s been Cena’s, but I appreciated it more in the absence of one of my childhood heroes.

Punk’s mic personality differs from John’s. His talking is usually more one-toned, focusing on anger, while Cena would go through multiple emotions from anger, to hype, to smug, to friendly and to inspirational. Punk’s mic repertoire better fits his Chicago brawler gimmick, while Cena’s better fit his heroic one.

Despite the differences, I’m glad Punk delivered the reminder. That although Cena is gone, and although the style may be different, he left the WWE in good hands.

And one of the safest hands he left them in was the hands of the World Heavyweight Champion, CM Punk.