This is another entry in this list that stands out as being particularly glaring with the benefit of hindsight. 2012 was CM Punks hottest year as both a babyface and as a heel. His pipe-bomb earlier in the year had resonated with the smart fans in a way that hadnt been seen before, and his ongoing battles with authority figures within the WWE made him look like the second coming of Stone Cold Steve Austin. During this time he would hold the WWE title for a record 434 days, which is a record that will probably take a while for any current member of the roster to surpass with the same interest he maintained during his run. In October things came to a head again on Raw, and Punk berated the WWE Universe, WWE legends like Stone Cold Steve Austin, and of course Vince McMahon himself. After telling Vince that he had repeatedly slapped Punk in the face with the way he had been treated, he gave Vince a staggering blow that knocked the Chairman over in the middle of the ring. McMahon would actually challenge Punk to a fight later that evening after that, which would get blown off when Ryback interrupted on behalf of McMahon and Punk had to escape. But if you ever want any evidence of just how hot CM Punk was in 2012 listen to how much heat he manages to draw from the crowd, and how they react to everything he says and does in particular that slap. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x4TtrKFusZI Its also interesting now with the context of CM Punks podcast revelations over the past month because now we can see where the fiction and the reality of what was happening in WWE was becoming quite blurred. It would be fascinating to know how the crowd would react to such an instance if it happened today instead of October 2012.
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