CM Punk is set to blow up the wrestling industry with his upcoming debut in AEW. After seven years the “Best In The World” looks to be making a return to professional wrestling. To get excited about his return, let’s take a look at some of his best matches. Here is CM Punk’s top 10 best WWE matches of all time.
10. CM Punk vs. Chris Jericho – Payback 2013
Following his loss against The Undertaker at WrestleMania 29, CM Punk once again began a feud with one of his best WWE rivals, Chris Jericho. The pair had engaged in numerous matches over the years and set out to put on another classic at Payback 2013, with the story focusing on whether CM Punk needs Paul Heyman in his corner. The match itself was fantastic, with Jericho pulling out of all of the stops to put CM Punk away with multiple Walls of Jericho attempts. The Chicago crowd kept CM Punk motivated, who was able to fire up and score the win after multiple Go To Sleep finishing moves.
9. CM Punk vs. Rey Mysterio – Over the Limit 2010
CM Punk’s Straight Edge Society had a large focus on WWE television in 2010, with Punk positioning himself as a prophet and leader of a cult, recruiting Luke Gallows, Joey Mercury, and Serena as his followers. After failing to recruit Rey Mysterio, the two began a feud with a match taking place at Over The Limit 2010, if Punk won then Mysterio would be forced to join the Straight Edge Society, but if Mysterio won then CM Punk would have his head shaved. Punk ended up losing the match which meant his long hair would be shaved off, which led to CM Punk wearing a mask for a while to hide his bald head.
8. CM Punk vs. Chris Jericho – Extreme Rules 2012
The Spring of 2012 saw CM Punk and Chris Jericho feud, which included Punk successfully defending his WWE Championship against Jericho at WrestleMania 28. The following month the two clashed once again in a Chicago Street Fight. The story surrounding this feud was one of the best of 2012, with Jericho taunting Punk about his families history of alcoholism, which led to CM Punk becoming straight edge. After unsuccessfully getting CM Punk to give it and drink alcohol, the two clashed in Punk’s home town. Punk ended up winning the match with a Go To Sleep to retain his championship and end the feud.
7. CM Punk vs. John Cena – SummerSlam 2011
Just a month out from their classic Money In The Bank encounter, the two-faced off once again at Summerslam 2011 with the winner becoming the undisputed WWE Champion. To make things even more difficult for CM Punk, Triple H was named as the special guest referee. During the match every near-fall saw Triple H be blamed for slow counting, providing the anti-hero vs authority storyline. Despite the obvious tension between the two, CM Punk won the match after Triple H failed to see Cena’s foot on the bottom rope during the pinfall. While not quite as good as their Money In The Bank match, we’ll get to that later, this was still a fantastic match and a highlight of both Superstars careers.
6. CM Punk vs. John Cena – Raw, February 25, 2013
CM Punk held the WWE Championship for 434 days, the longest reign since Hulk Hogan’s 1984-1988 time as champion. He ended up losing the championship to The Rock at Royal Rumble 2013. John Cena ended up winning the Royal Rumble match, which meant that he would go on to face The Rock at WrestleMania 29. Cena put his guaranteed main event spot on the line against CM Punk to determine who would go on to face “The Great One” at the Showcase Of The Immortals. This would end up being their final encounter on WWE TV, with Cena winning and going on to defeat The Rock the following month.
5. CM Punk vs. Undertaker – WrestleMania XXIX
After being unable to retain his WWE Championship at Royal Rumble 2013, or earn a rematch after losing to John Cena the following month, CM Punk began a feud with The Undertaker, with the core of the feud centring around the real-life passing of Undertaker’s former manager Paul Bearer. This led to a fantastic match between the two at WrestleMania 29, with CM Punk putting on one of his best WWE performances. The match went for 21 minutes and 30 seconds, with it ending after The Undertaker countered a Go To Sleep into a Tombstone for the win.
4. CM Punk vs. Jeff Hardy – SummerSlam 2009
They do say opposites attract, and that was certainly the case with CM Punk and Jeff Hardy. CM Punk lives a straight-edge lifestyle, while Jeff Hardy has faced his share of substance issues. Following a heel turn in the summer of 2009, CM Punk cashed in his Money In The Bank briefcase at Extreme Rules to defeat Jeff Hardy for the World Heavyweight Championship. Hardy eventually won the title back at Night of Champions, which led to their encounter at Summerslam 2009. Both Superstars pulled out all the stops in this match, with Jeff Hardy performing a Swanton Bomb off a 20-foot ladder through the announcer’s table. CM Punk would go on to win the match and recapture the World Heavyweight Championship.
3. CM Punk vs. Brock Lesnar – SummerSlam 2013
The Best In The World faced The Beast at Summerslam 2013 in an epic match that showcased two completely different styles. Brock Lesnar had the clear weight advantage and was able to use that along with his MMA style of fighting to overpower the more high-flying and technical Punk. When it all looked over for Lesnar, Heyman interfered, which led to Punk locking in the Anaconda Vise on his former manager. This allowed for Lesnar to get the upper hand and win the match following a series of chair shots and an F-5.
2. CM Punk vs. Daniel Bryan – Over the Limit 2012
Both CM Punk and Daniel Bryan are likely debuting in AEW soon, which has led many fans to want to see the two feud with each other. But, nine years prior the two did face off at Over The Limit 2012 and it was one of the best matches in both of their WWE careers. The two had a long history in Ring Of Honor, which carried over into this match, with both looking to prove they were the best in the world. In the end, Bryan’s technical ability got the better of him as CM Punk managed to score a pinfall win after the referee counted Bryan’s shoulders on the mat during a LeBell Lock. CM Punk immediately tapped as the three count was made, leading to many speculation as to who should of won, this led to series of rematches over the following months.
1. CM Punk vs. John Cena – Money in the Bank 2011
This match is perhaps the one that CM Punk will be most known for in the history books. Following his legendary Pipebomb Promo a few weeks prior, Punk challenged John Cena for the WWE Championship in his home crowd of Chicago. CM Punk’s contract was set to expire at midnight following the event and many fans speculated as to whether CM Punk was done with WWE following the frustrations he shared during the promo. Despite Punk resigning with the company on the day of the event, the WWE played into this by having CM Punk leave through the crowd with the title following his win, leading fans to believe that he had left the company and took the championship with him. Following this match, we would see the Summer Of Punk as CM Punk was positioned as a top star in the company.debuting in AEW
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