5 Things you may not remember about John Cena and CM Punk's WWE rivalry

John Cena and CM Punk are set to renew their rivalry at Night of Champions in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. They had one of the greatest rivalries in history in the early 2010s, with Punk's win at Money in the Bank 2011 and walking off with the WWE Championship as one of the main highlights.

Their match later this month will be their first one-on-one match in more than a decade. However, they still share the same chemistry, as was evident when they battled inside the Elimination Chamber in Toronto earlier this year.

As many reminisce about the Cena-Punk feud, let's look at five things people may not remember from their historic rivalry:

---

#5. CM Punk started his rivalry with John Cena as the leader of The New Nexus

The rivalry between John Cena and CM Punk started in late 2010, with the latter being revealed as the leader of The New Nexus. Cena spent that entire summer trying to take down The Nexus, which was initially led by Wade Barrett.

After Barrett was overthrown as leader, The Second City Saint came in and tried to lead The New Nexus to greater heights. The group didn't last long, but Punk was able to turn himself into a bigger star with his rivalry with Cena.

---

#4. Kevin Nash attacked CM Punk after The Best in The World defeated John Cena at WWE SummerSlam 2011

CM Punk defeated John Cena at SummerSlam 2011 to become the Undisputed WWE Champion. For some reason, Kevin Nash attacked Punk after the match, allowing Alberto Del Rio to cash in his Money in the Bank contract and win the WWE Title.

Nash would then feud with Punk, almost delaying the latter's rise to stardom. Luckily for The Straight Edge Superstar, he was able to bounce back and have a 434-day reign as WWE Champion from late 2011 to early 2013.

---

#3. John Cena vs. CM Punk inside Hell in a Cell was planned in 2012

Amid his 434-day reign as WWE Champion, there were plans for CM Punk to defend the title against The Franchise Player inside Hell in a Cell in 2012 at the namesake PLE. However, Cena suffered an arm injury and was not able to properly build a feud with his rival.

This led to Punk facing Ryback in a Hell in a Cell Match. With help from Brad Maddox, who was still a referee at the time, The Voice of The Voiceless retained his title.

---

#2. CM Punk helped R-Truth beat John Cena in a Tables Match before his infamous pipebomb

Quite possibly the most iconic moment of CM Punk's career was his pipebomb promo during the June 27, 2011, episode of WWE RAW. But many probably forgot that Cena was in a feud with R-Truth at the time, and they faced each other in a Tables match in the main event.

With help from Punk, Truth was able to secure a win over Cena. Once the dust settled, The Second City Saint dropped his pipebomb promo that changed wrestling forever. It started the "Summer of Punk" that lasted for two years.

---

#1. John Cena vs. CM Punk last happened in February 2013

The last singles match between John Cena and CM Punk happened more than 12 years ago. On the February 25, 2013, edition of RAW, The Franchise Player and The Best in The World faced each other in a number-one contender's match, with the winner facing The Rock at WrestleMania 29 for the WWE Championship.

After a fantastic back-and-forth that included Punk hitting Cena with a Piledriver, The Cenation Leader got the win after pulling off a Hurricanrana followed by the Attitude Adjustment. It will be interesting to see if the rivals have another magical match in Saudi Arabia later this month.