WWE Champion The Rock and CM Punk engaged in a war of words

After having his WWE Title stolen from him on Raw, The Great One re-emerged on SmackDown, informing his Straight Edge No. 1 contender that his act of thievery will only increase the severity of the beating his challenger will receive on Sunday, one that will “haunt [Punk] the rest of his life.”

Punk then appeared on the TitanTron — with the WWE Title still in his possession. Again insisting that the illustrious gold actually belonged to him, he reminded The Most Electrifying Man in All of Entertainment just how much the odds are stacked against him this Sunday. For if The Rock gets counted out or disqualified, he will lose the championship.

Completely discarding his usual pageantry in a way that truly captured the severity of that new stipulation in the impending title conflict this Sunday, The People’s Champion made it clear to Punk that it was not going to happen.

After WWE Champion CM Punk called out The Shield, The Rock responded

A letter from WWE Chairman Mr. McMahon has made it official that if The Shield interfere in the WWE Championship Match at Royal Rumble — the way they did when they attacked The Rock four days ago on Raw.

(WATCH | PHOTOS) — CM Punk will be striped of the WWE Title. In response, CM Punk and Paul Heyman journeyed to SmackDown, the final stop before the biggest battle of his life.

The Straight Edge Champion admitted he was scared, but only of his own potential. Because he knew The Shield could now get in the way, Punk called out the dangerous faction. The Shield emerged from the crowd and surrounded the WWE Champion. Punk claimed he never asked for or wanted their help and told them that if they believed in justice, they would stay out of his way. In response, The Shield opted to leave without incident.

But when Punk began to talk again about his WWE Title Match against The Rock, The Great One stepped onto “his” show. A very focused People’s Champion called Punk a liar for saying he was never working with The Shield. But more importantly, Rock said it won’t matter this Sunday when he becomes the WWE Champion for the eighth time!

WWE Champion CM Punk delivered a message to The Rock

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Just days after their epic confrontation Monday night on Raw that ended with WWE Champion CM Punk on the wrong end of a Rock Bottom, Punk and Paul Heyman delivered a pair of pointed messages to The Rock. Emanating from Sun Life Stadium in Miami, Punk made it clear to his Royal Rumble challenger that The Rock’s glory is in the past. He claimed that “This is my house now. This is CM Punk’s WWE. We live in the CM Punk era.”

Ryback informed WWE Champion CM Punk that they will battle for the WWE Title on the first Raw of 2013

The always outspoken CM Punk journeyed to SuperSmackDown LIVE to chastise the WWE Universe for voting for John Cena as the Slammy’s Superstar of the Year instead of him.

After mocking them relentlessly, he also criticized Cena for presenting “his” Slammy to WWE Hall of Famer Ric Flair. Punk claimed Flair’s 16 World Championships over a span of a “95-year” career was simply not as impressive as holding the WWE Title and not losing it for nearly 400 days.

The crowd exploded as the irate WWE Champion was interrupted by Ryback. As Paul Heyman urgently insisted Punk was not medically cleared to compete, Ryback informed them both that when Punk is medically cleared on the first Raw of the New Year on Jan. 7, he will become WWE Champion!

WWE Champion CM Punk def. Dolph Ziggler

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After CM Punk came to SmackDown to confront Mr. Money in the Bank, Dolph Ziggler, over leaving him “high and dry” on Monday’s Raw (WATCH), GM Booker T opted to put the two Superstars into a match against each other in the SmackDown main event.

In the height of the phenomenal, back-and-forth contest between two absolute masters of the ring, The Showoff caught the WWE Champion on the top rope, hurling him down to the canvas with an explosive bodyslam. When Ziggler tried to follow-up by charging Punk in the opposite corner, however, The Second City Saint had enough presence of mind to move. Ziggler slammed into the turnbuckle, allowing the WWE Champion to execute the Go to Sleep for the SmackDown victory.

Moments after the bell, CM Punk climbed on top of the announce table to toy with the WWE Universe. He sarcastically explained that because he needed to face John Cena at WWE Hell in a Cell to get the respect he deserved, he would not compete against him at the upcoming pay-per-view.

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Michael Cole interviewed AJ about her actions on Raw SuperShow

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Week after week, the eccentric AJ has shocked and confused the WWE Universe with her off-the-wall actions in the direction of WWE Champion CM Punk and Daniel Bryan. On Monday’s Raw SuperShow, she took things to the next level. For a moment, it seemed as if the puzzling beauty was going to hurl herself off the ring ropes and onto a table that she set up at ringside. Instead, when Punk got in her way, AJ kissed him, distracting The Second City Saint long enough to throw him backward, onto Bryan and through the table. Then, as Raw went off the air, she began chanting “Yes!” (WATCH)
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(WATCH | PHOTOS) Before AJ could offer an explanation as to why she kissed Kane on Monday’s Raw SuperShow, she was interrupted by Vickie Guerrero. WWE’s resident Cougar preferred to introduce the Superstar who, four days earlier, won the right to challenge World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus at No Way Out, Dolph Ziggler. (MATCH PREVIEW)

In the midst of The Showoff and his “excuse me!”-wielding cohort’s attempt to take over, Vickie slapped AJ for calling her a “grandma” and ordered her out of “Dolph’s ring.” Rather than launching a counter attack, AJ just leered back with a twisted smile.

After WWE Champion CM Punk emerged and laid a sea of insults on both Vickie and Ziggler, Daniel Bryan also opted to join the fun. WWE’s “Yes” man expressed his elation that both Punk and Kane were, in his estimation, making the same “mistake” he made of getting mixed up with AJ – since her “bad luck” would allow him to walk out of No Way Out the WWE Champion. (MATCH PREVIEW)

Sheamus then entered the mix in explosive fashion. While once again disputing that AJ had anything to do with Bryan losing to him in 18 seconds at WrestleMania, The Great White informed Ziggler that by capturing Alberto Del Rio’s spot as the No. 1 contender, he had simply given the first Irish-born World Heavyweight Champion the chance to beat him again.

With all the principals in the ring together, The Celtic Warrior proposed that they have their scheduled main event tag team match right then and there. But before they could, AJ looked to take care of “old business,” lunging toward Guerrero in an absolute frenzy as Punk held her back.

Daniel Bryan & Dolph Ziggler def. WWE Champion CM Punk & World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus

(WATCH | PHOTOS) In the culmination of SmackDown’s tag team slugfest that pitted the two World Champions against two of their respective No Way Out challengers, Sheamus looked ready to hit the Brogue Kick on Dolph Ziggler for the victory. This brought Vickie Guerrero to the apron, only to be dumped into the ring by AJ. Though her actions proved crowd-pleasing, the bedlam allowed the quick-thinking Showoff to roll up the World Heavyweight Champion for the huge three-count!

As a shocked and defeated Celtic Warrior proceeded to chase his No. 1 contender into the crowd, AJ joined Vickie in the ring with a frightening steadiness. In Guerrero’s biggest mistake of the night, she proceeded to push her pursuer, bringing an out-of-control assault upon herself by the twisted beauty. AJ’s hysterical prey would only escape the fevered onslaught by kicking her attacker into the ring apron and running for dear life.

Then out of nowhere, Kane – the third combatant in the WWE Title Triple Threat Match at No Way Out – emerged, picking up the downed AJ and carrying her up the ramp. This ignited further warfare between The Big Red Monster, CM Punk and Daniel Bryan – ending with The Devil’s Favorite Demon chokeslamming both Superstars to the canvas.

As the monstrous Superstar locked eyes again with AJ once again, the wild Diva dropped to her knees in an almost possessed looking frenzy.

WWE Champion CM Punk vs. Kane’s WWE TItle Match ended in a No Contest

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After embarrassing General Manager John Laurinaitis on Monday’s Raw SuperShow four days earlier, CM Punk would have to put his WWE Championship on the line against Kane — in the first WWE Title Match on SmackDown in four years!

Prior to the match, Punk predicted that The Best in the World would make The Devil’s Favorite Demon Go to Sleep. In the heated showdown that followed, however, things would not prove that cut and dry. Although Kane had not held WWE’s top prize in 14 years, his true priority from the word go was the same as it always was – inflicting pain and anguish on anyone who dared to step in his path. Continue reading »

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WWE Champion CM Punk interrupted General Manager John Laurinaitis

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On the May 14 episode of Raw SuperShow, the WWE Board of Directors handed down a surprising series of mandates to the permanent General Manager of Raw and SmackDown, John Laurinaitis: His match against John Cena at WWE Over the Limit would be one-on-one, if anyone helped him, they would be terminated and if “Big Johnny” lost, he would also be terminated!

As a result, the WWE Universe got to see a whole different side of the GM at the start of Friday night’s SmackDown. A humbled “Mr. Excitement” claimed that, because of the Board’s ruling, his looming battle against the 10-time WWE Champion was like “leading a lamb to slaughter.” He went on to ask the WWE Universe to pray for him in his “lopsided” match. Continue reading »

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WWE Champion CM Punk & Sheamus def. World Heavyweight Champion Daniel Bryan & The Miz

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The Second City Saint journeyed to Friday nights, just nine days before he will put his WWE Title on the line against Chris Jericho in what has become an extremely personal WrestleMania showdown (MATCH PREVIEW). Together with Sheamus, he would battle World Heavyweight Champion Daniel Bryan – whom The Celtic Warrior will challenge at The Show of Shows (MATCH PREVIEW)– and The Miz – who has been completely unsuccessful at getting a match on The Grandest Stage of Them All.

Just when Bryan looked be in trouble with The Great White in the fierce tag team main event, the calculating champion quickly tagged himself out, leaving Miz to fend for himself as he took off up the ramp with AJ and his title following close behind him. Sheamus finished off his remaining opponent with the Brogue Kick.