10 Uplifting Wrestling Moments To Cure Your 'Mania Hangover

8. CM Punk's First WWE Title Win

Cm Punk Money In The Bank 2011
WWE.com

2011 was a dismal, dismal year in WWE - but the month of June was one of the bright spots.

Prior to it, there were few talents who even approached WWE Champion John Cena's stratospheric level - at least those WWE deigned acknowledge. The Miz was a great act, but was below the in-ring headliner standard. Randy Orton was embroiled in the World Heavyweight Title picture, and it was sweet relief for those who suffered through their endless 2009 rivalry. Things grew so desperate that comedy undercard act R-Truth was hastily turned heel purely to provide Cena with an opponent on a B-level pay-per-view.

That left CM Punk, who was originally set to put Cena over on his way out before shaking the industry with his Pipebomb promo on the June 27, 2011 episode of Monday Night RAW. Being afforded creative freedom rejuvenated his desire to stay on, and its success presented WWE with a superstar in waiting. We know how that all turned out, but we'll always have Chicago.

Their classic match, at Money In The Bank, was plagued by botches, but the nuclear heat and urgent in-ring story - which saw Punk counter absolutely everything in Cena's arsenal to foreshadow that he was going to, as promised, escape with WWE Title - more than compensated for it.

WWE was a bloated and illogical mess in 2011, but Punk's incendiary moment of glory would have been overwhelming even if it weren't sandwiched by sh*t.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick (Creative Writing BA Hons) is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over a decade of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential UK institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!