8. CM Punk Wins WWE World Title And Then Leaves (2011)
CM Punk started out on the independent circuit, scratching around for a living, but by the turn of the 2010s, he was a bona fide superstar. Having already enjoyed two reigns as the World Heavyweight Champion (the big gold belt that was secondary to the WWE World title), he was now targeting the big one. In June 2011, Punk had the entire wrestling world talking with his infamous pipe bomb promo at the end of Monday Night Raw. He had also claimed wins over champion John Cena in a non-title match, Rey Mysterio and Alberto Del Rio and was therefore the number one contender to the title. But Vince McMahon suspended him for the pipe bomb speech. However, Cena insisted the following week that Punk was reinstated and wanted to defend the title against him at the forthcoming Money in the Bank PPV. And this is where the moon and stars aligned perfectly to make this into such a perfect angle. Feuding with McMahon had turned Punk from a heel into a maverick babyface, akin to Stone Cold Steve Austin in the previous generation of stars. Punks existing WWE contract was genuinely due to expire on July 17th 2011, the date of the Money in the Bank show (hed signed a new contract already but this was obviously kept quiet for the sake of the angle). And the PPV had been scheduled months and months ago to emanate from Punks hometown of Chicago. Punk vowed to win the title and leave the company, taking the belt with him. Everything had come together to create the perfect storm. The reaction to Punks entrance for the main event at MITB remains one of the loudest and longest pops in recent history. The crowd remained rabid throughout the entire duration of the match. Towards the end, McMahon and General Manager John Laurinaitis came out, only for Cena to jump out of the ring and deck Laurinaitis. As Cena re-entered the ring, Punk caught him with a match winning Go to Sleep as McMahon looked on in horror and the roof almost came off the Allstate Arena (formerly the Rosemont Horizon). McMahon called for that nights Money in the Bank Match winner Alberto del Rio to cash in, but Punk caught him with an elbow to the jaw before fleeing the ring, hopping the guard rail, blowing McMahon a goodbye kiss, and leaving the arena. An unforgettable match. This was, in actual fact, a replication of an angle that Punk executed in 2005 in Ring of Honor, when he won the ROH Title after it had been announced that he was leaving for the WWE. Punk even signed his WWE contract while resting the paper on the ROH title belt. He threatened to take the belt to WWE with him, before losing it in his penultimate match with the company. This angle, along with the pipe bomb promo, truly made Punk into a top-line superstar in the WWE. For a moment, he eclipsed Cena as top babyface and merchandise seller, but he was unable to sustain it. His His departure from the promotion and subsequent legal disputes have been well documented elsewhere.
Dean Ayass is a well known name to British wrestling fans. A commentator, manager, booker and ring announcer who has been involved in the business since 1993, Dean's insight into the business is second to none.
