100 Greatest WWE WrestleMania Moments
52. CM Punk Goes After ‘Taker’s Streak (WrestleMania 29)
There was a chip on CM Punk's shoulder the size of the mammoth Statue Of Liberty set piece WWE erected at WrestleMania 29. He'd started the year as top champ, but would be slapped about by The Rock and then shoved out of a potential 'Mania main event pile due to Vince McMahon's desire to go back on his own "Once In A Lifetime" branding with Rocky and John Cena.
To make it up to him, McMahon placed Punk in the next best imaginable position. He'd be gunning for The Undertaker's lofty winning streak and trying to become "the 1 in 20-1". Realistically, most buying the pay-per-view knew that wasn't going to happen, but doubts were cast during the build when Punk stomped all over tributes to Paul Bearer and stole 'Taker's urn like many before him.
Punk then instantly melted the thing down into an ornamental can of Pepsi and placed it on his fireplace. OK, enough joking.
Come crunch time, Punk was raring to go and show WWE what they were missing by pulling him out of the headline pack. Meanwhile, Undertaker was always ready to bing his 'A' game to 'Mania back then, and he still had the benefit of a flawless win/loss record on the grand stage to bolster his aura.
Several close near falls taunted and teased those who never wanted to see the legend lose at WrestleMania. Punk came eerily close to beating Brock Lesnar to the punch 12 months earlier, and he had to be fairly satisfied with his night's work even though an elusive main event slot would've been even better.