10 Best CM Punk WWE Moments
Forever and always the Best In The World!
CM Punk is one of the most iconic figures in modern wrestling. During his 9 year career with WWE, the man helped create so many iconic moments you could write an entire book about them. Calling himself 'The Best In The World' for good reason, Punk was the best man in the ring and on the microphone since the very first day that he entered the company. While the tail end of his career was quite messy behind the scenes, you can't deny that he helped change the WWE landscape forever.
His legacy is still felt throughout the wrestling world today, with fans chanting his name at almost every show that WWE presents, much to the dislike of the McMahon family. It could be argued that men like Sami Zayn, Seth Rollins and especially Daniel Bryan could all be in much different places right now if Punk hadn't fought hard for the inclusion of smaller, Indy style wrestlers, instead of giant bodybuilders who could barely make a body slam.
With a recent return to the company that nobody saw coming, in the form of sporadic host of WWE Backstage on Fox Sports, many fans have been clamouring for Punk to get back in the ring, an idea that the man himself is still far from sold on. If we are lucky as wrestling fans, we will all live to see a day when CM Punk gets back into a ring, but until then, we can only reminisce.
10. Bringing Up Jeff Hardy's Troubled Past
In the 2009 Lottery Draft, Punk was traded from Raw, to Smackdown. Setting in motion a resurgence in the star's career.
Turning heel for the first time, Punk leaned into his straight edge lifestyle, criticising the fans and roster members alike who didn't share his views on life. His first target? Jeff Hardy. In a series of worked shoot promos, Punk broke kayfabe by pointing out Hardy's real life struggles with substance abuse. Constantly booed out of the building as Punk attacked Hardy week after week. Claiming he was morally superior to the 'Charismatic Enigma' and that the fan favourite Hardy promoted a dangerous lifestyle.
"You're just a statistic!" was just one of the lines Punk threw out, along with highlighting Hardy's many company suspensions, trips to rehab and arrests. Despite uncomfortable at times, it was some of Punk's best work on the microphone. The program got the crowd so invested that it became the hottest rivalry in the company. Main eventing the Night Of Champions Pay-Per-View over a John Cena, Triple H and Randy Orton triple threat for the WWE Championship and then again a month later at SummerSlam, over another Cena Vs. Orton affair.
The program would conclude on the 28th of August edition of Smackdown, with Punk sending Hardy out of the company by defeating him in a 'Loser Leaves The Company' Steel Cage match. Hardy headed to TNA, while Punk's work continued to rise in quality.