3. He Was Part Of John Cena's Wrestlemania 22 Entrance
CM Punk vs. John Cena has become one of the great rivalries in the last ten years in WWE. Their Money in the Bank match in Chicago was one of the best moments in recent wrestling history and made Punk into the superstar that he became. However, back in 2006, Punk was just another developmental wrestler who was called upon to perform menial tasks on WWE television. During this time, Punk was down in Ohio Valley Wrestling, working under his mentor Paul Heyman and feuding with Brent Albright over the OVW television title. Heyman had taken Punk under his wing and insisted that WWE official allow Punk to maintain his indy persona that had made him so popular with hardcore wrestling fans. When Wrestlemania 22 rolled around, Punk was called up to be a member of John Cena's entrance. The event was taking place in Rosemont, Illinois, just outside Punk's hometown of Chicago. Cena was defending the WWE championship against Triple H in the main event and WWE wanted each guy to have a big, elaborate entrance. Triple H made a weird entrance as a viking warrior with a skull for a mask and a throne, looking like an extra from Conan the Barbarian. John Cena's entrance was a little more appropriate for the city of Chicago, dressing like a 1930s gangster and being accompanied by an army of gangsters who fired their machine guns in the air as they rode out on a vintage car. CM Punk played the role of one of these gangsters and actually made his Wrestlemania debut one year before his first in-ring Wrestlemania performance. Punk's appearance as Cena's lackey would later be featured in their feud, proving that you never know where your next superstar will come from.
