10 Wrestling Moments That Shocked The World

6. CM Punk's 'Pipebomb' Promo

It's a testament to how out-of-nowhere CM Punk's promo was on the June 27th, 2011 edition of Monday Night Raw that people are still talking about it today. In many ways, this one segment is Punk's legacy, the day he stood up and really aired his thoughts about Vince McMahon, Triple H and the entire WWE system. Throughout, fans responded by being giddy. Punk used reality brilliantly during his time on the mic, and it was very compelling television. Assuring everybody that he'd beat John Cena and leave WWE when his contract expired the night after the Money In The Bank Pay-Per-View in July was a brilliant move. Instantly, people were invested in the match, one which was set to take place in Punk's backyard of Chicago. Part of what made this particular moment so earth-shattering was the fact that fans weren't accustomed to seeing things like it at the time. In 2011, WWE had been coasting for years, ever since going 'PG' in 2008. Now a kid-friendly company again, the creative team avoided controversy as best they could. CM Punk changed that, without breaking the stringent, sponsor-friendly rules.
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Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood. Jamie started writing for WhatCulture in 2013, and has contributed thousands of articles and YouTube videos since then. He cut his teeth penning published pieces for top UK and European wrestling read Fighting Spirit Magazine (FSM), and also has extensive experience working within the wrestling biz as a manager and commentator for promotions like ICW on WWE Network and WCPW/Defiant since 2010. Further, Jamie also hosted the old Ministry Of Slam podcast, and has interviewed everyone from Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels to Bret Hart and Trish Stratus.