10 WWE Title Reigns That P*ssed Off The Fans

CM Punk's struggle to be seen as a legitimate performer in the eyes of the WWE brass have been well documented, and his first run as the World Heavyweight Champion in 2008 is what really kicked off years of frustration.

Receiving a major WWE championship is an honour for any WWE performer as it signifies that the company believes in them to be its 'face'. However, CM Punk's initial major championship run was the polar opposite, not advancing up the card of shows and being treated like a second class citizen behind the other feuds happening at that time. Punk not even being involved in the match in which he lost the title was a further kick in the mouth.

Although he wasn't the only one to be held down and given limited opportunities in the late 00s, anyone with half a brain could see CM Punk's potential as a major WWE player from a mile away. Yet somehow, WWE did not show the same faith and fans were disgusted with the treatment of such a budding talent.

The only positive is that we likely would have never got to experience that infamous pipebomb or his 434-day WWE Championship reign had CM Punk been treated like a proper world champion.