WWE SmackDown results, recap, grades: John Cena delivers 'pipe bomb' on CM Punk after Ron Killings match

Cena parodied Punk's iconic 2011 promo

John Cena had some things to get off his chest. In 2011, CM Punk famously dropped the "pipebomb" promo, a scathing speech targeting Cena, Vince McMahon and Paul Levesque. Cena had his own pipebomb to share 14 years later on WWE SmackDown.

Cena aimed at Punk ahead of their undisputed WWE championship match at Night of Champions. The exchange came after Cena weasled his way out of Friday's main event against Ron Killings.

SmackDown also featured progress in the King and Queen of the Ring tournament matches. The finals are halfway set after one man and one woman advanced from the semifinals.

Cena drops a pipebomb on Punk

Killings' appetite for revenge permeated throughout the show. Early in the evening, Killings took his aggression out on Kit Wilson as the latter made his entrance for a match. Killings demanded Cena's attention while torturing Wilson in Cena's signature STF. Backstage, Killings' actions caused friction with Aleister Black, who was scheduled to wrestle Wilson. Damian Priest prevented tensions from escalating before encouraging Killings to hone that aggression towards Cena. 

Ron Killings def. John Cena via disqualification after Cena hit Killings with the undisputed WWE title. Killings and R-Truth were polar opposites in their attitudes toward Cena. Killings intended to punish Cena as opposed to Truth's gleeful approach. Killings mimicked Cena's moveset, but it was designed to embarrass, not emulate his estranged "childhood hero." Cena gained control briefly, but tucked his tail and ran when Killings regained momentum. Killings chased Cena up the ramp, running headfirst into the title belt. Cena's actions forced the disqualification. 

Post-match, CM Punk sprang an attack on Cena. The champion, who defends his title against Punk at Night of Champions, kicked Punk in the groin. Cena set up a table and drove Punk through it with an Attitude Adjustment. 

Cena perched onto the corner post while Punk lay lifeless on the broken table. Cena did a parody of Punk's infamous 2011 "pipebomb promo." Cena reframed Punk's famous quotes, calling Punk the "best bullshitter in the business." He name-dropped several released WWE superstars: Claudi Castagnoli (Cesaro), Nic Nemeth (Dolph Ziggler) and Matt Cardona (Zack Ryder). 

SmackDown's main event segment fell completely flat for me. WWE completely snuffed out Killings' big moment. He and Cena wrestled a short and dull match, ultimately serving as fodder for something else. Cena's "pipebomb" promo was too watered down. It was a parody, sure, but it's hard to get invested when he pushes the envelope halfway. Cena had plenty of ammunition too: Punk travelling to Saudi Arabia after publicly denouncing WWE's deal with them, Punk's mixed reputation backstage, and his history of workplace conflicts. Cena didn't acknowledge any of that, making the segment feel cheap. Cena vs. Punk should be an easy build, but WWE rushed it. Also, where was Killings? He should've recovered from Cena's cheapshot in time to retaliate. Grade: C

What else happened on WWE SmackDown?

• Queen of the Ring Tournament Semifinals -- Asuka def. Alexa Bliss via pinfall with Empress Impact.
• Cody Rhodes and Jey Uso discussed their impending King of the Ring tournament semifinals match.
• King of the Ring Tournament Semifinals -- Randy Orton def. Sami Zayn via pinfall with an RKO.
• Nia Jax and Tiffany Stratton brawled before next week's last woman standing match for the WWE women's championship. Jax also thwarted Naomi's attempts to cash in the Money in the Bank briefcase.
• Charlotte Flair def. Chelsea Green via submission with the Figure Eight. Post-match, Bliss rescued Flair from the Secret Hervice's attacks. Flair walked off when Bliss tried to shake her hand.
• Jacob Fatu challenged Solo Sikoa to a United States title match at Night of Champions. Jey Uso evened the odds after Sikoa and JC Mateo attacked Fatu.
• LA Knight def. Bronson Reed via disqualification after Bron Breakker hit Knight with a spear. Post-mach, Breakker and Reed beat down Knight