Were it not for the tragic incident with Jerry Lawler suffering a heart attack earlier in the evening before getting rushed backstage and revived by paramedics en route to emergency surgery at the hospital, the closing segment on WWE Monday Night Raw last night (Sept. 10, 2012) would have been considered a home run.
As it were, it may have been one anyway.
Despite the circumstances, Bret Hart, CM Punk and John Cena delivered an incredibly entertaining few minutes that elicited a large response from a shell-shocked crowd who had just witnessed a man have a heart attack not long before.
Cena cut one of the best promos of his career, finally assuming the role all babyfaces in WWE should have, which is the guy who puts the heel in his place by throwing his own truths back at him. That's what Cena did to Punk, essentially bringing to light Punk's apparent identity crisis and the flimsy nature of his hanging on to the WWE championship as though it makes him instead of he it.
Punk, in typical heel fashion, cowered away before attempting to attack Hart, an old man supporting the good guy who was caught in the middle. "The Second City Saint" was still laid out, stricken down by good just days before he puts his coveted prize on the line at Night of Champions.
It was an awesome way to the lead into the pay-per-view that was overshadowed (and rightfully so) by Lawler's heart attack.