No superstar has made
an impact in WWE quite like CM Punk did. The outspoken, straight-edge superstar
signed with WWE in 2005 after a five year stint on the independent circuit,
most notably his one year stint in Ring of Honor. In 2006, he made his official
debut on the ECW brand and never looked back. Punk would have a decorated
career in WWE until his abrupt retirement in 2014, becoming a two-time WWE
Champion, three-time World Heavyweight Championship, one-time ECW Champion,
one-time Intercontinental Champion, one-time World Tag Team Champion with Kofi
Kingston, and is the only person to win the Money in the Bank briefcase twice.
His final WWE Championship reign was probably his most impressive
accomplishment, holding the title for 434 days, the sixth longest reign in the
title’s history. Outside of WWE, Punk has been praised by wrestling critics for
his in-ring ability, charisma, and outstanding promo skills. He was a frequent
winner of awards from the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, and has been given two
five star match ratings. Today, I look at Punk’s top five best rivalries. His
ability to play both a face (a good guy) and heel (a bad guy) to perfection and
promo skills allowed for him to create some great personal rivalries. So, here
we go, these are CM Punk’s top five WWE rivalries.
5. CM Punk vs Rey Mysterio (2010)
In 2009, CM Punk formed the criminally underrated Straight Edge Society. His stable consisted of him and his followers Luke Gallows, Joey Mercury and Serena, who all chose to follow the straight edge lifestyle, and condemn those who used drugs, alcohol, or smoke. Punk would convert his new followers by shaving their heads, which led to a great moment where Punk shaved Serena’s head live on TV. Punk even grew his hair and beard out to resemble Jesus Christ. The group generated incredible heat from crowds, even to the point where (according to Punk) an old woman refereed to him as the devil at a live event. The stable’s greatest feud, however, would be against the Ultimate Underdog Rey Mysterio. After losing multiple matches to Mysterio, the group interrupted a birthday celebration for Rey’s daughter (why this was on TV, I’m not exactly sure), where Punk taunted and even threatened Rey and his family. The two were scheduled for WrestleMania, where if Rey lost, he would have to join the stable, but Rey won. In a rematch at Extreme Rules, where if Punk lost he would lose his hair, Mercury assisted Punk in a win, escaping unshaved. In their rubber match at Over the Limit, both stipulations were put into place, and Rey won, finally getting revenge on Punk and shaving his head. Punk’s heel work here was great, and it was one of the first times we saw Punk do something downright evil. And trust me, it wasn’t the last.
4. CM Punk vs The Undertaker (2013)
Throughout 2012 and the beginning of 2013, CM Punk demanded respect from the WWE Universe. After losing his WWE Championship to the Rock and losing the rematch at Elimination Chamber, Punk decided there was one last thing to target to cement his legacy: the Undertaker’s 20-0 undefeated streak at WrestleMania. After beating Sheamus, Randy Orton, and the Big Show, Punk earned the right to face the Undertaker. However, tragedy struck. William Moody, who played Undertaker’s long time manager Paul Bearer, passed away on March 5, 2013 of a heart attack. During Undertaker’s tribute to Bearer on RAW, CM Punk interrupted to express his “heartfelt condolences” for his loss…at WrestleMania. Punk wouldn’t stop there, though. Later that night, Punk would steal Bearer’s signature urn from Kane, the Undertaker’s half-brother. In the weeks leading up to WrestleMania, Punk would taunt the Undertaker by completely disrespecting Bearer’s memory, tossing the urn around like a football and dropping it intentionally. The best moment of this feud, however, happened on the last RAW before WrestleMania. Undertaker vowed that even if the streak ended, Punk would never live to talk about it. After that, a group of druids (a signature part of the Undertaker’s entrance) appeared on the entrance ramp, with Punk’s manager Paul Heyman appearing at the top dressed as Paul Bearer, holding the urn. When he went to attack Heyman, Punk jumped him from behind, assaulted him with the urn, and poured the contents onto the Undertaker, and even himself. This wasn’t just normal heel tactics. This was pure evil. There match at WrestleMania 29 was the highlight of the show, with Undertaker winning and expanding his streak to 21-0. There was never a time when Punk was a better heel. It was one of the best feuds on both these men’s parts.
3. CM Punk vs Chris Jericho (2012)
In the last two entries, Punk played the heel, using his incredible mic skills to attack the wrestlers personally. Well, in this one, Punk played the face getting attacked personal by the heel, in this case Chris Jericho. During Punk’s historic WWE title reign, Jericho became the #1 contender to the title at WrestleMania. After that, Jericho decided to get under Punk’s skin by revealing some very personal details about him and his family. Jericho revealed to the WWE Universe that Punk’s father was an alcoholic (true), his sister was a drug addict (not true), and that he was born to two unwed parents (not true). Jericho also told Punk that the only reason he followed the straight-edge lifestyle was because he was scarred of ending up like his family. Punk successfully retained his title at WrestleMania, but Jericho wouldn’t stop there. Jericho tried to either get Punk to drink by sending him gift baskets full of alcohol, or force him to drink by pouring beer on him after one of his matches, even smashing a bottle over his head. This led to a very funny moment where Punk had to take a sobriety test. Though he failed to walk in a straight line and recite the alphabet backwards, Punk tricked Jericho into thinking he failed before doing both at the same time and attacking him. Punk would retain his title again at Extreme Rules in a street fight. It was Punk’s best run as a face, and he did a great job of making you feel sympathy for him.
2. CM Punk vs. Jeff Hardy (2009)
Similar to the Jericho feud, Punk’s feud with Jeff Hardy also focused on his lifestyle. Although this time, Punk was a villain. After Jeff Hardy won the World Heavyweight Championship from Edge at Extreme Rules, Punk cashed in his Money in the Bank contract. This was odd considering how both Punk and Hardy were faces. Three weeks later at The Bash, Punk got disqualified after “accidentally” kicking the referee (titles can’t change hands by disqualification), which caused Hardy to attack him. As tensions were rising, the two fought again at Night of Champions, where Hardy finally won back his title. After another rematch was set for SummerSlam, Punk decided to use Hardy’s history against him. Punk would insult Hardy for his drug use in the past, and insulted the fans for supporting him. Punk was able to win the title back in a TLC match. There feud would finally come to an end on Smackdown, when Punk defeated Hardy in a “Loser Leaves Smackdown” steel cage match (in reality, Hardy was leaving WWE). And to add insult to injury, Punk came out the next week on Smackdown dressed as Hardy to Hardy’s music, telling the fans they would never see the Charismatic Enigma again. Punk and Hardy’s real life hatred of each other made this feud great, and made Punk a big threat in the WWE
1. CM Punk vs John Cena (and Vince McMahon) (2011)
Punk vs Cena was this generation’s Austin vs Rock. And it all started because of one little promo. CM Punk’s career looked like it was at a standstill in 2011. His Straight Edge Society had ended long ago, his New Nexus stable had flopped, and he was stuck fighting in the upper-midcard for the several months. It was around this time that Punk’s contract was about to expire in real life. After Punk became the #1 Contender to the WWE Championship at Money in the Bank against John Cena, he decided to air his grievances the next week on Raw. And boy did he air them. During his now famous “Pipe Bomb” promo, Punk revealed to the fans his contract was expiring, and said some very disparaging things about not only Cena, but also Vince McMahon, Triple H, the fans, and executive vice president of talent relations John Laurinaitis. Some his more famous lines included saying the only thing that John Cena was better at than him was kissing Vince McMahon’s butt (obviously not saying “butt”, but I got to keep it PG), saying the company will only get worse after McMahon dies, because it will “get taken over by his idiotic daughter and his doofus son-in-law and the rest of his stupid family”, and even saying he would go defend the title in other company’s like Ring of Honor or New Japan Pro Wrestling. It wasn’t until Punk tried to talk about the anti-bullying campaign McMahon was running that his microphone was shut off. That promo made CM Punk a star. Weeks later, McMahon tried to sign Punk to a new contract and agree to his demands, such as his own private jet and the production of “CM Punk: The Movie”. However, Punk tore up the contract. Cena and Punk would have an absolute classic at Money in the Bank, where McMahon’s unsuccessful attempt to screw Punk out of the title backfired and allowed Punk to win and leave his hometown Chicago and WWE as the company’s champion. Two weeks later, however, Punk returned, right after Cena had won the new WWE championship. Punk would again win and unify both titles at SummerSlam. This is an amazing feud for many reasons. Punk and Cena are basically polar opposites as wrestlers, with Cena being a squeak-clean, muscled up powerhouse, and Punk being an outspoken small guy. Punk’s promo work in this feud was incredible, whether it be his “Pipe Bomb” or forcing Vince McMahon to apologize to guys he had fired or misused. We may never see Punk on WWE TV again, but this feud will always live forever in our memories…and on the WWE Network for $9.99 a month
5. CM Punk vs Rey Mysterio (2010)
In 2009, CM Punk formed the criminally underrated Straight Edge Society. His stable consisted of him and his followers Luke Gallows, Joey Mercury and Serena, who all chose to follow the straight edge lifestyle, and condemn those who used drugs, alcohol, or smoke. Punk would convert his new followers by shaving their heads, which led to a great moment where Punk shaved Serena’s head live on TV. Punk even grew his hair and beard out to resemble Jesus Christ. The group generated incredible heat from crowds, even to the point where (according to Punk) an old woman refereed to him as the devil at a live event. The stable’s greatest feud, however, would be against the Ultimate Underdog Rey Mysterio. After losing multiple matches to Mysterio, the group interrupted a birthday celebration for Rey’s daughter (why this was on TV, I’m not exactly sure), where Punk taunted and even threatened Rey and his family. The two were scheduled for WrestleMania, where if Rey lost, he would have to join the stable, but Rey won. In a rematch at Extreme Rules, where if Punk lost he would lose his hair, Mercury assisted Punk in a win, escaping unshaved. In their rubber match at Over the Limit, both stipulations were put into place, and Rey won, finally getting revenge on Punk and shaving his head. Punk’s heel work here was great, and it was one of the first times we saw Punk do something downright evil. And trust me, it wasn’t the last.
4. CM Punk vs The Undertaker (2013)
Throughout 2012 and the beginning of 2013, CM Punk demanded respect from the WWE Universe. After losing his WWE Championship to the Rock and losing the rematch at Elimination Chamber, Punk decided there was one last thing to target to cement his legacy: the Undertaker’s 20-0 undefeated streak at WrestleMania. After beating Sheamus, Randy Orton, and the Big Show, Punk earned the right to face the Undertaker. However, tragedy struck. William Moody, who played Undertaker’s long time manager Paul Bearer, passed away on March 5, 2013 of a heart attack. During Undertaker’s tribute to Bearer on RAW, CM Punk interrupted to express his “heartfelt condolences” for his loss…at WrestleMania. Punk wouldn’t stop there, though. Later that night, Punk would steal Bearer’s signature urn from Kane, the Undertaker’s half-brother. In the weeks leading up to WrestleMania, Punk would taunt the Undertaker by completely disrespecting Bearer’s memory, tossing the urn around like a football and dropping it intentionally. The best moment of this feud, however, happened on the last RAW before WrestleMania. Undertaker vowed that even if the streak ended, Punk would never live to talk about it. After that, a group of druids (a signature part of the Undertaker’s entrance) appeared on the entrance ramp, with Punk’s manager Paul Heyman appearing at the top dressed as Paul Bearer, holding the urn. When he went to attack Heyman, Punk jumped him from behind, assaulted him with the urn, and poured the contents onto the Undertaker, and even himself. This wasn’t just normal heel tactics. This was pure evil. There match at WrestleMania 29 was the highlight of the show, with Undertaker winning and expanding his streak to 21-0. There was never a time when Punk was a better heel. It was one of the best feuds on both these men’s parts.
3. CM Punk vs Chris Jericho (2012)
In the last two entries, Punk played the heel, using his incredible mic skills to attack the wrestlers personally. Well, in this one, Punk played the face getting attacked personal by the heel, in this case Chris Jericho. During Punk’s historic WWE title reign, Jericho became the #1 contender to the title at WrestleMania. After that, Jericho decided to get under Punk’s skin by revealing some very personal details about him and his family. Jericho revealed to the WWE Universe that Punk’s father was an alcoholic (true), his sister was a drug addict (not true), and that he was born to two unwed parents (not true). Jericho also told Punk that the only reason he followed the straight-edge lifestyle was because he was scarred of ending up like his family. Punk successfully retained his title at WrestleMania, but Jericho wouldn’t stop there. Jericho tried to either get Punk to drink by sending him gift baskets full of alcohol, or force him to drink by pouring beer on him after one of his matches, even smashing a bottle over his head. This led to a very funny moment where Punk had to take a sobriety test. Though he failed to walk in a straight line and recite the alphabet backwards, Punk tricked Jericho into thinking he failed before doing both at the same time and attacking him. Punk would retain his title again at Extreme Rules in a street fight. It was Punk’s best run as a face, and he did a great job of making you feel sympathy for him.
2. CM Punk vs. Jeff Hardy (2009)
Similar to the Jericho feud, Punk’s feud with Jeff Hardy also focused on his lifestyle. Although this time, Punk was a villain. After Jeff Hardy won the World Heavyweight Championship from Edge at Extreme Rules, Punk cashed in his Money in the Bank contract. This was odd considering how both Punk and Hardy were faces. Three weeks later at The Bash, Punk got disqualified after “accidentally” kicking the referee (titles can’t change hands by disqualification), which caused Hardy to attack him. As tensions were rising, the two fought again at Night of Champions, where Hardy finally won back his title. After another rematch was set for SummerSlam, Punk decided to use Hardy’s history against him. Punk would insult Hardy for his drug use in the past, and insulted the fans for supporting him. Punk was able to win the title back in a TLC match. There feud would finally come to an end on Smackdown, when Punk defeated Hardy in a “Loser Leaves Smackdown” steel cage match (in reality, Hardy was leaving WWE). And to add insult to injury, Punk came out the next week on Smackdown dressed as Hardy to Hardy’s music, telling the fans they would never see the Charismatic Enigma again. Punk and Hardy’s real life hatred of each other made this feud great, and made Punk a big threat in the WWE
1. CM Punk vs John Cena (and Vince McMahon) (2011)
Punk vs Cena was this generation’s Austin vs Rock. And it all started because of one little promo. CM Punk’s career looked like it was at a standstill in 2011. His Straight Edge Society had ended long ago, his New Nexus stable had flopped, and he was stuck fighting in the upper-midcard for the several months. It was around this time that Punk’s contract was about to expire in real life. After Punk became the #1 Contender to the WWE Championship at Money in the Bank against John Cena, he decided to air his grievances the next week on Raw. And boy did he air them. During his now famous “Pipe Bomb” promo, Punk revealed to the fans his contract was expiring, and said some very disparaging things about not only Cena, but also Vince McMahon, Triple H, the fans, and executive vice president of talent relations John Laurinaitis. Some his more famous lines included saying the only thing that John Cena was better at than him was kissing Vince McMahon’s butt (obviously not saying “butt”, but I got to keep it PG), saying the company will only get worse after McMahon dies, because it will “get taken over by his idiotic daughter and his doofus son-in-law and the rest of his stupid family”, and even saying he would go defend the title in other company’s like Ring of Honor or New Japan Pro Wrestling. It wasn’t until Punk tried to talk about the anti-bullying campaign McMahon was running that his microphone was shut off. That promo made CM Punk a star. Weeks later, McMahon tried to sign Punk to a new contract and agree to his demands, such as his own private jet and the production of “CM Punk: The Movie”. However, Punk tore up the contract. Cena and Punk would have an absolute classic at Money in the Bank, where McMahon’s unsuccessful attempt to screw Punk out of the title backfired and allowed Punk to win and leave his hometown Chicago and WWE as the company’s champion. Two weeks later, however, Punk returned, right after Cena had won the new WWE championship. Punk would again win and unify both titles at SummerSlam. This is an amazing feud for many reasons. Punk and Cena are basically polar opposites as wrestlers, with Cena being a squeak-clean, muscled up powerhouse, and Punk being an outspoken small guy. Punk’s promo work in this feud was incredible, whether it be his “Pipe Bomb” or forcing Vince McMahon to apologize to guys he had fired or misused. We may never see Punk on WWE TV again, but this feud will always live forever in our memories…and on the WWE Network for $9.99 a month