WWE 2K23 brings with it one of the most entertaining and unique Showcase Modes, where players will not control John Cena, but rather all the opponents that have beaten him in the past. It is not only a great way to show John Cena’s tenacity and his involvement in the WWE through the years, but it also celebrates some of the most beloved and celebrated WWE superstars to have competed in the business including RVD and Kurt Angle. However, one glaring omission from WWE 2K23’s Showcase Mode featured a highly-rated match against a superstar that cannot be used in a WWE 2K game: CM Punk.
John Cena and CM Punk had one of the most memorable rivalries, and fans were able to relive that on WWE 2K15’s Showcase Mode, which included both the John Cena vs CM Punk Money-in-the-Bank title match, and the Undisputed WWE Championship bout. However, now that CM Punk is wrestling in rival company AEW, WWE 2K23 can't feature him as a past superstar, which means that players will miss out on the opportunity of dropping a pipe bomb or leaving the WWE as champion. While this does not bring down the Showcase Mode, it would have been a great addition, especially since those matches were some of Cena’s biggest losses, and kickstarted CM Punk’s career.
WWE 2K23 Showcase Mode
WWE 2K23 follows John Cena’s career in Showcase Mode, chronicling his greatest defeats. This highlights not only some big wins for other superstars, but also shows the longevity of John Cena’s WWE career. As with other WWE 2K Showcase Modes, players need to perform certain tasks in order to complete the fight and progress to the next, and the transitions between the game and the televised version of the matches only adds to the excitement.
WWE 2K23’s Showcase Mode hosts some great matches which includes superstars such as RVD, Kurt Angle, Randy Orton, Batista, and many more, each of whom picked up vital wins over John Cena. While these matches are truly legendary in their own right, missing out on CM Punk robs fans away from not only one of John Cena’s most iconic matches, but also from one of the most legendary moments in all of WWE: CM Punk leaving the WWE with the WWE Championship. Yet, the new John Cena Showcase Mode is still enjoyable and the new twist to the game mode can impress both fans and haters of John Cena, all while bringing in some nostalgia for the older fans.
Why CM Punk Is Not In WWE 2K23
CM Punk’s WWE career is the stuff of legends, starting out small until he eventually won his first WWE Championship after cashing in his first Money-in-the-Bank briefcase. However, arguably his most memorable stint was the iconic pipe-bomb storyline where Punk put the entire business on blast, pointing out everything wrong with the company. Ultimately, this led to CM Punk’s contract not being renewed, which caused him to walk out of the WWE with the most coveted title in the company, until his eventual return and victory against Cena, starting the sixth-longest WWE title reign in the company.
Following this storyline, CM Punk stopped receiving big title shots and this led to him leaving the company. He would eventually sign with AEW, a direct competitor to WWE for which he currently wrestles, and since he held on to his character, WWE have lost the rights to feature him in any game. This has disallowed the John Cena and CM Punk rivalry from featuring in WWE 2K23 Showcase Mode, robbing fans from experiencing some of Cena’s most memorable losses, and arguably a major turning point for the WWE.
While WWE 2K23’s Showcase Mode is still an enjoyable journey narrated by the featured superstar himself, the absence of his CM Punk match is surely a blow to many fans. While fans may not see CM Punk appear in a future WWE game, he may make an appearance in the upcoming AEW: Fight Forever video game which is set to compete with the WWE 2K franchise. As AEW’s popularity continues to grow, and WWE 2K games hopefully continue to improve, fans may be able to see the two superstars compete to prove which wrestling game deserves the top spot.
WWE 2K23 is available now for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
