Viral moment from John Cena’s Night of Champions match compared to WWE legend’s AEW debut

A popular wrestling personality has drawn parallels between a WWE legend's AEW debut and a viral moment that occurred during the main event of Night of Champions.

For the first time in over 12 years, John Cena clashed with long-time rival CM Punk for the Undisputed WWE Championship in the main event of Night of Champions in Saudi Arabia. The match was eventful as expected, with both men displaying their iconic move sets, reminiscent of their iconic clash in the main event of SummerSlam 2011. The bout was also marked by multiple interferences, including an appearance from Penta and a failed cash-in attempt from Mr. Money in the Bank, Seth Rollins.

Recently, radio host and popular wrestling analyst Sam Roberts addressed Penta's interference during the title match and likened it to WWE legend Jeff Hardy's debut in AEW.

Speaking on his Notsam Wrestling Emergency Podcast, Roberts said:

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"By the way, the length of time that Penta took to get to the ring, it was very similar to Jeff Hardy's AEW debut, where Matt Hardy's getting beat up, but Jeff still has to do the dance as he's coming to the ring, like you know what I mean? Like, no rush, like let me just still, 'They're here to see the entrance, so I'm going to do the entrance before I get to the ring and actually help you.'" [10:04 - 10:23]

Check out his comments in the video below:

Cope unlikely to leave AEW for WWE, says Sam Roberts

Last month, wrestling analyst Sam Roberts was asked about the possibility of Cope (FKA Edge) returning to WWE for one last match against John Cena as part of the GOAT's farewell tour.

Roberts addressed the matter on his Notsam Wrestling podcast and promptly shut down the idea.

"Come on, dude. Edge ain't coming. I mean, he's in AEW. I don't know what you, like, people bring this up like you could just say, 'Okay, cool. I think MJF is going to be John Cena's final opponent.' If that were to be the case, that'd be great." [From 1:16:50]

Meanwhile, Cope is yet to return to All Elite Wrestling programming since Dynasty 2025 and had mentioned earlier that he plans to retire next year.

If you use quotes from the first half of the article, please credit Notsam Wrestling Emergency Podcast and provide an H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription.

About the author

Karan Raj is a senior writer in Sportskeeda's AEW division. He holds an engineering degree from Manipal University, but his passion for sports motivated him to pursue an MSc in Sports Business from the University of Liverpool. Karan has been in the sports marketing industry for the past seven years.

As a lifelong WWE fan and enthusiast of wrestling entertainment, he has always been drawn to the industry's unique blend of sports and storytelling. Karan was introduced to the business by his elder sister when he was 10 years old.

Before assuming his current role at Sportskeeda, Karan worked for several reputable organizations, such as Ting Works LLP and Sportz Interactive, wearing different hats. He also wrote the anthem of UP Rudras, a hockey team that played in the Hockey India League. Karan conducts thorough research while writing articles and only relies on credible sources for information.

Karan's favorite pro wrestler is Seth Rollins. He admires The Visionary's versatility as a performer and his ability to play both heel and babyface characters to perfection. Besides Rollins, Karan looks up to Roman Reigns for his storytelling skills and ability to captivate audiences.

In AEW, he enjoys watching Will Ospreay compete inside the ring. Karan loves The Aerial Assassin's technical in-ring ability and athleticism. If Karan could go back to the Attitude Era, he would combine forces with Jericho and promise to elevate his career to the same level as The Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin.When not writing about pro wrestling, Karan loves to play and watch football. It is a huge part of his life.

He is also a massive fan of tennis and is learning to play the sport. Apart from sports, he also knows how to play the ukulele.

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Edited by Harish Raj S