10 Reasons The Undertaker Rivalry Was CM Punk's Greatest Feud

8. Reflection Of Real Life Frustrations

It wasn't just the exploitation of Bearer's death that added a realistic edge of the Punk vs Taker feud. There was a sense throughout the rivalry that, as well as the Bearer angle, kayfabe crossed over into reality in terms of Punk himself. It felt as if the feud reflected the frustration of both CM Punk, the character, and also Phil Brooks, the man portraying him. Despite being WWE Champion for more than a year and one of the most over guys in the whole company as either face or heel, Punk had never headlined WrestleMania. Phil Brooks' attitude towards this booking is well-documented. He disliked the fact that The Rock and John Cena headlined over him in 2012 and genuinely believed that he was being screwed over. Within kayfabe, Punk saw defeating the Undertaker as a way of pushing his career to all-time great status, with WrestleMania main events sure to follow. This real-life edge made the rivalry intriguing to fans now used to a neutered product in the 'Reality Era'. CM Punk was always a character who felt like a throwback to the edgier 'Attitude Era' and this rivalry was the perfect showcase for that gimmick.