10 Wrestling Stories That Blurred Reality

3. CM Punk's Pipebomb (2011)

CM Punk pipebomb
WWE
"Do I have your attention now?".

Nobody has been more frustrated with WWE's corporate structure than CM Punk. The former indy darling defied the odds to become an important star in Vince McMahon's company, but he still wasn't the top guy some thought he should be. Then, he cut his famous 'Pipebomb Promo' and became a legend.

Admittedly, it was slightly hilarious to see fans at the time claim that Punk went rogue and said things that hadn't been vetted by WWE beforehand. You do not get to speak that freely on McMahon programming without it being part of the act - anybody who thought different was fooling themselves.

However, Punk did have some leeway to be controversial on the 27 June 2011 episode of Raw, and it's true that he was sick and tired of WWE's suit and tie, yes man style. Seeing him lambaste Vince, Stephanie, Triple H and John Cena, then namedrop ROH and New Japan, felt like groundbreaking stuff.

If only WWE had stuck to their guns after he won the title at MITB. If only.

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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.