Welcome everyone to a new weekly column here at Nerd News where we feature a hot match from Monday Night Raw every single week! 

Here, we’ll highlight some of the most amazing matches ever held on Monday Night Raw. Over the years there has been some absolutely amazing matches held on Raw, and they’ve been between a wide array of past and present WWE talent. So without further ado, let’s get right into this week’s matchup!

Monday Night Raw: 2/25/2013 John Cena V CM Punk #1 Contender Match

This match had all the makings of a potentially great match, and it absolutely delivered. CM Punk was fresh off his title loss to The Rock at Elimination Chamber, and had been doing some of the best heel work the WWE has seen in years. Meanwhile, John Cena was riding a wave of momentum after winning the Royal Rumble, and all signs pointed towards him and Rock main eventing Wrestlemania for the second straight year. Punk took exception to this and laid out a challenge to John Cena for his number one contenders spot at Wrestlemania, saying that shot should rightfully be his anyway. Behind the scenes (as with most things with Punk before his abrupt departure from the company less than a year later), this storyline essentially echoed exactly how the fans felt. They wanted Punk, not The Rock, and definitely not John Cena as the guy leading the company. Punk was playing the role of a heel but continually got cheered more than the hottest face in the company, and he also sold more merchandise. It only made sense for him to be the guy, but for whatever reason, the powers that be decided otherwise.

From start to finish, the psychology in this match was on point. CM Punk wrestled like a man possessed, while John Cena wrestled like he had everything to lose. These two had a storied rivalry in the past, and the announcers made sure to play that up  during the entirety of this match. There was a ton of back and forth action, with each man providing the perfect counter punch to the other’s arsenal. There was no shortage of wrestling in this match, and we seen both men go to great lengths to gain the pinfall over the other. Punk even went so far as to hit Cena with a Piledriver, a move that had been outlawed in WWE for quite a while. In the end, Cena’s Never Give Up Attitude prevailed, as he went on to win the match, and a main event versus The Rock. CM Punk went on to face The Undertaker at Wrestlemania.