10 Wrestling Moments That Broke The Internet

9. Punk Splits For Realsies

The Rock CM Punk
WWE

Watched back through a 2018 lens, CM Punk's performance in the 2014 Royal Rumble is telling. Notoriously protective over his character - he bitterly questioned his role as a pillow for the part-time brigade - he nonetheless allowed El Torito to floor him with a Frankensteiner. He had mentally checked out. His physical self followed the day after, setting the Internet ablaze. Had Punk really "split", or was this a worked shoot in alignment with the ongoing Authority angle? Is the prospect of a Triple H WrestleMania match as uninspiring for talent as it is for the audience? When is he coming back? Wrestlers always come back. Let's chant until it happens.

"The view never changes," Punk tweeted on the day of the Rumble itself, in a stark metaphorical dig at his employer - proving that he is a far better poet than MMA fighter. As yet, Punk, who could walk straight back into any major organisation including and especially WWE, has yet to even entertain the notion of reattaching his kickpads. He'd much prefer a severe bruising to both his famous ego and his face.

And, since his MMA debut went as well as Ronda's wrestling debut, he must have been bloody miserable.

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!