3. WWE Championship Match: Dolph Ziggler vs. CM Punk - Monday Night Raw; November 21, 2011
Just 24 hours after defeating Alberto Del Rio for the WWE Championship at the Survivor Series, CM Punk entered Hershey, Pennsylvania's Giant Center for his first Raw as the undisputed titleholder. After some back-and-forth dialogue between the Best in the World and Raw GM John Laurinaitis, Punk found himself booked in a championship defense against one of the most talented workers in the industry, Dolph Ziggler. With two skilled craftsman sharing the same ring, it was easy to be excited by the announcement. Whether the Superstars would manage to perform up to lofty expectations or not became the question. Fans got their answer as Punk and Ziggler delivered a pay-per-view quality match that not only proved that they were two of the finest in the business but that they were capable of eclipsing the much more hyped tag match pitting The Rock and John Cena against The Miz and R-Truth from the night before. Ziggler looked particularly strong, pushing the champion to the limit and scoring several close nearfalls over the elite competitor. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XtaQMqcGIPA Unfortunately for Ziggler, girlfriend Vickie Guerrero and evil GM Laurinaitis, Punk was able to successfully retain his title and continue his reign, a reign that would last a historic 434 days.
Erik Beaston is a freelance pro wrestling writer who likes long walks in the park, dandelions and has not quite figured out that this introduction is not for Match.com. He resides in Parts Unknown, where he hosts weekly cookouts with Kane, The Ultimate Warrior, Papa Shango and The Boogeyman. Be jealous.
