CM Punk’s 10 Best WWE Matches, Ranked

January 27, 2014, is a day that lives in infamy in the Wow Universe like the day that CM Punk Appeared on the label moments before Monday Night Raw went on the air and a day after his final televised match with the label, the Royal Rumble. He was old, hurt and tired of working with WWE enough to walk away from the wrestling business.

Fast forward to a decade later, the year is 2024 and, miraculously, the former WWE Champion is not retiring as an active wrestler, but as a WWE Superstar. Granted, this came after a highly publicized stint in AEW riddled with controversy and backstage brawls, but that’s semantics. What is most important is the fact that at age 45, Punk is still delivering quality, classic matches Under the WWE banner, just like he was doing more than a decade before.

For fans who want to look back at the type of ring action that earned CM Punk the right to call himself “Best in the World,” here are some examples of his best performances.

10

CM Punk vs Drew McIntyre – Strap Match

WWE Bash in Berlin 2024

Let’s start the list with the last match and one that is already touted as CM Punk’s best match since returning to the WWE. It was certainly a vast improvement from their previous match at SummerSlam if nothing else. Although the tension between Drew McIntyre and CM Punk is good in itself, it was minimized and overshadowed by the presence of special referee, Seth Rollins.

Their rematch in a strap match for Bash in Berlin had no distractions. Just a feud between two people who couldn’t stand each other. Some will say the match type is hindered by the four corners stipulation, and understandably so. However, this could not stop their shared intensity from making this one of the more violent contests of the new era in WWE.

9

CM Punk vs. Randy Orton

WWE WrestleMania 27

2011 would be the breakout year for CM Punk in WWE, but before that breakout would begin, he would have his biggest WrestleMania bout yet when he gave Randy Orton one of his best matches. This match would be a few years removed from Orton costing Punk his first World Heavyweight Championship at Unforgiven 2008, and months from Punk costing Orton his own title opportunity at Royal Rumble 2011.

For fans who followed the feud that quietly simmered for years, it was rewarding too Finally, the two fierce personalities lock horns. With or without the backstory, the match proved to be a showcase worthy of The Immortals’ showcase. For two men who haven’t locked horns often in their careers, their chemistry was crisp and it helped that it was in front of an energetically maniacal crowd.

8

CM Punk vs. Alberto Del Rio vs. The Miz – Tables, Ladders and Chairs match

WWE TLC 2012

It’s easy to forget the triple threat TLC match for the WWE Championship, considering how eventful TLC 2012 was as a show. It was the night that The Shield made their debut match in one hectic TLC match, AJ Lee turned on John Cena during a thrilling Ladder Match with Dolph Ziggler’s Money in the Bank Case on the line, and Big Show retained the World Heavyweight Championship Championship by hit. Him with a ridiculously large steel chair. Needless to say, a lot happened at TLC and it made it easy for the WWE Championship match to be overshadowed.

That said, that doesn’t change just how utterly fun this match is to watch. One notable turning point that turns the match from an entertaining match to a surprisingly suspenseful must-see ladder match is When CM Punk gets handcuffed to the ring. The final moments of the match become a race against the clock as he tries to think outside the box to free himself in time to save his WWE Championship.

7

CM Punk vs. John Morrison

WWE ECW, September 4, 2007

Although not quite as significant as the infamous Summer of Punk, the summer of 2007 on ECW television was dominated by the Straight Edge Superstar’s feud with the then-newly-rechristened John Morrison over the World Championship. Punk was practically the shaman of Sexy’s only contender for his entire reign, but struggled to defeat him PPV after PPV, until one fateful night in September to remember on free television.

Punk did One final shot at the ECW ChampionshipAnd he made it count to win his first title in an electric bout. This is a match that in his Best in the world Documentary, punk touts like The one where his and Morrison’s chemistry truly clicked, and it’s easy to see why. All the right pieces fell into place through each transition and the two men were firing on all cylinders.

6

CM Punk vs. Chris Jericho

WWE WrestleMania 28

Speaking of getting overshadowed, this has been kind of a running theme of CM Punk’s WWE Championship run. Despite its historical significance as among the longest ever, Above him, there was always a greater market attraction On a card that often shuts him out of so much as main eventing PPV events, let alone getting a proper spotlight. WrestleMania 28 was no different, as his WWE title defense against Chris Jericho shared a card with The Rock vs. John Cena for the first time ever, and Triple H vs. The Undertaker inside Hell in a Cell.

However, perhaps the lack of a spotlight served as a motivator for both men. Although they are not the main event, They were on course to steal the show in one of the better matches of the night, and year for that matter.. It was two of the best technical wrestlers on the WWE roster at the time in a personal feud that added another layer to the match. A monthly mention goes to their no disqualification rematch a month later at Extreme Rules, which is fun in itself.

5

CM Punk vs. The Undertaker

WWE WrestleMania 29

There was a time when The Undertaker putting his undefeated winning streak on the line was all it took to sell out a WrestleMania crowd, and a hungry challenger thinking they had what it took to end it all was all the storyline needed to gravitate interest. . Paul Bearer’s timing passes shortly before WWE WrestleMania 29, however, allowing the competitors the opportunity to twist the formula. Taker’s former mentor and manager, who has passed away, added one last minute to the storyline, Giving Punk a proverbial bear to poke, thus adding intensity to their match.

The personal ingredient added a level of ferocity that is rare to find in any streak match. It really felt like Undertaker was fueled, even blinded by hatred for a man eager to capitalize on Taker’s heightened emotions in hopes of securing a victory. The match is at once an exciting match and a final farewell in tribute to the Deadman’s late manager.

4

CM Punk vs Jeff Hardy – Tables, Ladders and Chairs match

WWE SummerSlam 2009

While CM Punk would really break out as a top star in 2011, it was It was in 2009 that he really started to feel like a big league main eventer. His (at the time) newfound turn to the dark side allowed him to play up his straight edge mentality while condemning Jeff Hardy for his struggles with addiction, which proved to be the most captivating storyline Punk would have at the time. It would culminate in the two main eventing the second-biggest show of the year.

Not only that, but they did it in Hardy’s signature TLC match. The match type had been around for almost a full decade at this point, but surprisingly, The two managed to find creative ways to introduce new elements into the match To make for a wildly entertaining bout.

3

CM Punk vs. Daniel Bryan

Over the 2012 limit

Daniel Bryan and CM Punk were once considered The most unlikely candidates to become WWE’s top superstarsBut this is how they became. Neither man was one of the tall, jacked juggernauts that dominated WWE’s main event scene at the time, but they shined and connected with audiences for two reasons: their personalities and their ring ability. This was always the case during their time on the independent wrestling circuit, and it was the case when they competed for the WWE Championship.

It was yet another night where Punk’s WWE title bout didn’t main event the PPV, but it was another opportunity for him to steal the show. He has no problem doing so with a fellow Ring of Honor alumnus. The two slowly built to a crescendo throughout, leading to a smart finish that led to more entertaining title matches between the two for months to come.

2

CM Punk vs. Brock Lesnar – No Disqualification Match

WWE SummerSlam 2013

That’s probably it The last big match – Really Great match – that CM Punk would have before embarking on an almost decade-long retirement. Although he would still have about four months left before leaving the company, it would prove a heck of a match to go on. In a final year where Punk has been notoriously burned, he seemed visibly motivated in this match – perhaps the last time before his exit – and there is no better motivator than staring down a former UFC Champion and WrestleMania main eventer from across the ring.

The free-range to use weapons added a special caveat to the match while Paul Heyman provided an X-factorBut in the ring, the match was a simple David vs. Goliath tale. The outmatched underdog fights tooth and nail fully aware that the odds are out of his favor, but refusing to go down without a fight. It’s hard not to get caught behind such a story in the ring.

1

CM Punk vs. John Cena – WWE Championship

WWE Money in the Bank 2011

Anyone who saw the title of the list probably predicted this one to take the top spot immediately. This is the predictable option, yes, but Some things are predictable because they always stand out as the best option. This example is no different. It’s a match and storyline that changed the trajectory for a lot of things in WWE, largely on the strength of it being as good as it is.

More importantly, this was a make-or-break moment for CM Punk. He was coming off the heels of his pipe bomb and sparking massive, renewed interest in WWE from fans old and new, while also challenging for the title in his hometown against the company’s top stars. One bad performance on this night could have ended Punk’s WWE career, but instead, it birthed a new superstar and gifted both men each other’s best match in the company. Hopefully, CM Punk will also be a part of John Cena’s retirement tour, give Wow Fans still get a chance to see their great chemistry.