20 Best WWE Matches Since 2000
1. CM Punk Vs. John Cena (Money In The Bank 2011)
The white-hot Summer of Punk angle ultimately ended in disappointment, but nothing was bigger in July 2011. CM Punk had blown the wrestling world apart with his groundbreaking "Pipe Bomb." He became an avatar for the fans' frustrations towards the comany, and he launched a reality-fuelled tirade against the WWE hierarchy and John Cena, their perceived poster boy, and by the time Money In The Bank rolled around, the build was perfect.
Punk's WWE contract was set to expire, and if he defeated Cena, he was taking the WWE Championship with him. The stakes had never been higher for Punk, Cena, or Vince McMahon himself, and this created a raucous atmosphere in Punk's hometown, Chicago.
The entrances were note perfect: Punk was treated like a folk hero, and Cena received some of the loudest jeers you'll ever hear at a wrestling show. It took a while to get going, but Cena and Punk worked through the gears to eventually race towards the finish line. Vince McMahon and John Laurinaitis made their presence felt and tried to work a Montreal Screwjob-style finish, but neither Punk nor Cena would be denied.
Cena struck Laurinaitis as he tried to execute the screwjob, but it proved to be his downfall. Punk blasted Cena with the GTS as soon as he re-entered the ring, and Chicago lost its collective mind as the referee's hand hit the canvas for a third time. Vince immediately ordered Alberto Del Rio out to steal the title back via briefcase cash-in, but it didn't work: Punk blasted him too, and after blowing kisses on the barricade, Punk left through the crowd.
McMahon did absolutely everything to prevent Punk from leaving with the belt, and the conclusion was absolutely shocking. For all the circumstances surrounding it, this isn't just the best WWE match of the last 16 years, but one of the most important of all-time.