CM Punk was edging ever closer to iconic status by 2010, with his 'Pipe Bomb' just over a year away and this match with Rey Mysterio coming about due to what was at that point his second best WWE promo ever.
It was achingly simple for a WrestleMania build - Straight Edge Society leader and hidden heel messiah Punk had harrowingly wished Rey's daughter Happy Birthday on SmackDown. It was cruel and unusual, and Punk needed to pay.
Mortal enemies they may not have been before, but the song was a heat-seeking missile targeted at the 'Littlest Big Man', and the match was at very least a showcase for their immense skill sets. Unjustly, neither clawed their way back to the main event as a result of the rivalry, but this singles scuffle and the feud that followed was partial reward.
Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation nearly 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett
