CM Punk was a unique talent, and he truly made the 2011-2013 period in WWE a privilege to watch when he was given the opportunity to really showcase his skills. The clearest evidence of his innate ability to craft a tale worthy of the audience is his do-or-die WWE Championship opportunity at Money in the Bank in Chicago in 2011. Punk had announced that when the clock struck midnight on July 17th, his contract would expire with WWE and he would do everything in his power to walk out those doors with the holy grail of the company, the fifty-year legacy of the WWE Title. Punk was the obvious fan favourite, and he lived up to that role in the ring. The story of the match, at a glance, was about John Cenas efforts to combat Punk and retain the companys pride and joy, but things were a lot deeper than that. Punks frequent pin attempts and submissions made it blindingly obvious how much it meant to him to walk out that night with the gold. The crowd was behind him, and while Punk maintained a calm exterior, his desperation by the end of the night was palpable. The man needed to win, and he did just that, delivering the GTS and winning the WWE Championship in one of the most shocking moments in WWE history. Punk was undoubtedly the babyface in this exchange. The commentators did their best to say otherwise, but as the hometown kid and the underdog in the match, and with the overwhelming pride in his eyes upon being handed the championship post-match, it was made very clear who the real hero was that night.
