10 Best Heels Of WWE's PG Era
3. CM Punk
In the summer of 2009, WWE effectively removed the training wheels from the CM Punk experiment and let him run wild as an holier than thou heel on SmackDown. As the the head of The Straight Edge Society, Punk was able to draw true hatred from audiences with the simple argument that his clean lifestyle made him inherently better than them.
The maniacal 'Straight Edge Savior' character was not only a continuation of Punk's work on the independent scene, but it was a clear extension of the man himself. The growing religious undertones of the gimmick and Punk's incredible promo work led to an unforgettable feud with Jeff Hardy.
Only the most charismatic and talented performers have the ability to garner as much resentment from fans and then win them over to the degree CM Punk did in 2013. The 'Voice of the Voiceless' was arguably the most popular babyface of the PG Era but another heel turn allowed him to reach far more impressive heights.
Accompanied by Paul Heyman, Punk embarked on a record breaking WWE Championship reign before falling (rather anti-climitically) to a returning Rock.
From his run as head of the Nexus, to his greasy Straight Edge days and his deplorable antics against the Undertaker, CM Punk was perfectly unlikeable.