10 Most Controversial Wrestling Match Finishes Ever

6. CM Punk Vs. John Cena (Money In The Bank 2011)

Hulk Hogan Jeff Jarrett Bash at the Beach 2000
WWE.com

By the time CM Punk blew Vince McMahon a big wet kiss goodbye after snatching the WWE title from John Cena at Money in the Bank 2011, the ink on his hastily rewritten contract had already dried. But many fans didn't know that.

The situation surrounding CM Punk's successful title win was equal parts reality on the one hand and storytelling sublimity on the other. As far as everybody knew, when 'The Voice of the Voiceless' cut that incendiary promo with his legs-crossed on the Raw ramp in Las Vegas, he was legitimately gambling his own future. The famous 'pipebomb' diatribe was so chock full of inside references and genuine grievances that it seemed for all intents that Punk had gone rogue, and when he announced his contract was set to lapse at the upcoming Money in the Bank PPV, almost everybody bought it.

With so much ambiguity surrounding Punk's future, the wrestling world was abuzz with anticipation before the show, which saw the apparent want-away contest John Cena for the WWE title. One of the all-time great WWE matches followed, and when Punk put Cena to sleep, his hometown of Chicago went ballistic.

Of course, the whole thing was a work - there was never any chance Punk would win the match unless he was set to remain with the company - but for a moment, they had people going.

Editorial Team
Editorial Team

Benjamin was born in 1987, and is still not dead. He variously enjoys classical music, old-school adventure games (they're not dead), and walks on the beach (albeit short - asthma, you know). He's currently trying to compile a comprehensive history of video game music, yet denies accusations that he purposefully targets niche audiences. He's often wrong about these things.