Real Reason Why CM Punk Was at DWTS and It Has a Connection With His Rap For John Cena

CM Punk ditched WWE RAW for DWTS to support the man who helped him create the Basic Punkanomics rap against John Cena.

CM Punk John CenaDid CM Punk miss the most recent segment of Monday Night RAW for Dancing With the Stars? The wrestling fans were buzzing when they witnessed him on the reality show.

However, his appearance was more than recreational, as he was supporting Danielle Fishelle and her husband, Jensen Karp, the man who wrote the lyrics to his Basic Punkanomics Rap against John Cena.

Check out the tweet below:

For context, CM Punk and AJ Lee are friends with actress Danielle Fishel (competitor on DWTS) and her husband producer Jensen Karp (the guy in the glasses).

Jensen Karp helped write CM Punk’s rap.

https://t.co/KOmZMSb9du pic.twitter.com/hZwgv9yAuH

— CoffeeOrViolence (@Wrestle_Misfit) October 1, 2025

During an exclusive interview with ComicBook Nation, The Second City Saint discussed how he took Karp’s help to write the rap because it was his “wheelhouse” and greatly assisted him in creating the memorable segment.

He said,

I have a good friend of mine by the name of Jensen Karp, who is to me like battle rap master’s kind of what he does.

So it was his lane.

So I definitely leaned on him, and I was like, ‘Hey, this is what we’re doing.

I could do this myself, but it was really his wheelhouse.’ So I kind of handed the ball to him.

He helped me greatly, along with another friend of ours, Ron.

Jensen Karp also shared a still from the segment on his Instagram (@jensenkarp) with a heartfelt note for both superstars and how he had a great time committing to the work.

Why Did CM Punk Channel His Inner-Doctor of Thuganomics Against John Cena?

CM Punk making his WWE entrance

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John Cena raising his Undiputed WWE Championship

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CM Punk dressed as Doctor of Thuganomics, and making his way to the WWE ring

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John Cena kicking CM Punk during their match at Night of Champions

The farewell tour of John Cena is coming to an end, but it has led to some of the best moments in the history of WWE.

One such moment was when he was feuding with CM Punk and forced him to follow him to Saudi Arabia if he wanted a shot at the Undisputed WWE Championship.

The rivalry escalated when, during a segment of SmackDown, The GOAT attacked The Best in the World, sending him through a table.

That was just the beginning because Cena went on to stomp on CM Punk’s legacy and delivered his own version of the iconic ‘Pipebomb’ promo.

The Voice of the Voiceless was not letting The 17-time WWE Champion off the hook so easily, and he decided to flip the script on him by coming out in one of his iconic gimmicks, The Doctor of Thuganomics.

During the June 27, 2025, segment of SmackDown (via YouTube), Punk came out rocking a jersey, a chain, and “Drug Free” knuckles.

The gimmick rocked Cena, as he could not believe what he was seeing, and it was evident from his facial expressions.

The fans erupted in cheers as Punk dropped verse after verse, containing personal insults and how he is leaving WWE to be a superhero in James Gunn’s DCU.

The two faced at Night of Champions, where The Cenation Leader managed to retain his title, despite disruption from Seth Rollins and his Vision.

CM Punk Explains Why His John Cena Diss Rap Was More Personal

CM Punk and John Cena in a promo face-off during a WWE SmackDown segment

It comes as no surprise that John Cena and CM Punk shared an iconic rivalry back in the day, and it was enthralling to see the two run it back one last time earlier this year.

After all, the two have immense respect for each other and have delivered epic matches.

On the surface, it would appear that the rap was throwing dirt on The Chaingang Soldier’s legacy, but it was the opposite.

In the same interview with ComicBook Nation, CM Punk stated that his rap was not another promo but the last time he shared the ring with his biggest rival, and he wanted to make it “special and memorable.” He said,

That entire week was pretty emotional for me, being the last time I was going to get to share a ring with John Cena.

And I wanted to make it special and memorable.

And I find that when I challenge myself and I put myself outside my comfort zone, that’s when the best stuff happens.

He emphasized that the promo is going to be remembered for eternity, as the crowd loved it, and how he owned the moment with his unconventional outfit.

With CM Punk going out of his way to outsmart John Cena, do you think that the two are the greatest rivals in the history of WWE? Let us know in the comments below!