5. CM Punk Leaves With WWE Title - Money In The Bank 2011
Money in the Bank 2011 featured one of the hottest matches in the companys history with John Cena defending his world title against CM Punk in Punks hometown of Chicago. CM Punks contract was set to expire at midnight that night and Punk had promised to leave the company with the title, repeating his Summer of Punk angle in Ring of Honor. With his scathing Pipe Bomb speech, Punk became the biggest babyface in the company, drawing the ire of Vince McMahon and setting the stage for one of the most anticipated matches in WWE history. What followed was one of the best matches in recent WWE history in front of one of the hottest crowds in history. Punk was obviously the huge babyface and Cena played the role of the corporate stooge for one night. The pace of the match was perfect, as the two men started slowly and then built towards the finish. Punk looked to have the pin with a GTS but Cena tumbled out of the ring, sinking the heart of everyone in attendance and looking like a setup for another screwy finish. Vince McMahon and John Laurinaitis (making one of his first on-camera appearances) made their way to ringside and try to rehash the Montreal Screwjob when Cena applies the STF. Cena, however, does not want to win that way and releases the hold. Punk quickly recovers, delivers a GTS, gets the pin, and wins the title to the shock/joy of everyone in attendance. McMahon calls Money in the Bank winner Alberto Del Rio down to the ring to win the title but Punk fights him off and leaves through the crowd, blowing a kiss to McMahon on his way out of the promotion. While the booking that followed the match was substandard to say the least, the Money in the Bank pay-per-view featured one of the best and most unique endings in WWE history.
