10 Times WWE Totally Fooled The IWC
3. CM Punk Leaves With The Title
Following on from the pipebomb, CM Punk entered Money in the Bank 2011 with one goal in mind: to leave the company as WWE Champion.
He'd previously announced that his main event with John Cena would be his last bout in the promotion, as his contract expired later that evening. Punk's plan was to win the belt in his hometown of Chicago, take it with him, and leave Vince McMahon & co. without their top prize, sending the company into a tailspin.
The situation was grounded in reality. Punk's contract really was set to expire that day, but he actually signed an extension before the show, though the crowd obviously weren't wise to this. Thus, his eventual victory created one of the most memorable atmospheres that the company has ever seen. Fans were so caught up in the moment that they legitimately believed Punk was kissing WWE goodbye as he sat on the barricade, and it extended to the internet, and hordes of IWC members bought in.
Fans were quick to figure out that it was all a work after the initial euphoria wore off, however. Punk returned to television, and his angle went complete off the rails, culminating in a brutal loss to Triple H at Night of Champions.