6 Wrestling Moments That Had A Major Long-Term Impact

5. CM Punk And Daniel Bryan's Code Of Honor

Melina splits
WWE Network

Though the champion vs. champion feud between CM Punk and Daniel Bryan which'd pepper the Raw and SmackDown supershows of early 2012 would eventually grow tetchy, it began on a note of honour. As Michael Cole inanely discussed the innards of the latest edition of WWE Magazine, the respective title holders graciously bowed towards one another and shook hands. A regular display of sportsmanship between peers, you might presume, but it actually went a little deeper than that.

As implicitly confirmed by Punk, who re-tweeted a fan voicing his approval of the act, the show of respect was intended as a 'Code of Honor' handshake, hearkening back to the pair's days in Ring Of Honor, where such a gesture is mandatory. Some eight years prior, the fresh-faced pair met in a near-30 minute classic at ROH's earnestly titled 'Reborn', helping bring the budding starlets to the attention of the wider masses. The Raw encounter, similarly won by Bryan (albeit via DQ) started just as their first meeting nearly a decade previous.

After the match, Lance Storm wondered on social media whether anyone in WWE spotted the 'Code of Honor' nod. Given the way Bryan had been booked to that point, we'd wager they'd never even heard of Ring Of Honor.

In this post: 
Melina
 
Posted On: 
Editorial Team
Editorial Team

Benjamin was born in 1987, and is still not dead. He variously enjoys classical music, old-school adventure games (they're not dead), and walks on the beach (albeit short - asthma, you know). He's currently trying to compile a comprehensive history of video game music, yet denies accusations that he purposefully targets niche audiences. He's often wrong about these things.