2. CM Punk's 'Pipebomb' Promo - Monday Night Raw - June 27th 2011
CM Punk's 'pipebomb' promo is the single best example of microphone work in WWE's PG Era, bar none. The amount of honest emotion that Phil Brooks got into that speech is scintillating. In the years since, many have speculated about how much of the promo was a 'shoot' (wrestling parlance for a superstar giving their real feelings) and how much was a 'work' (part of a fictional storyline). The true genius of the promo is that there is probably equal amounts of both in there, with some of the harsh words Punk reserved for the likes of Triple H chiming with long-standing rumours that the two men don't exactly get on very well. Fans in the arena couldn't get enough of it and this one night really solidified Punk as one of the greats in the business. So much of the angst that he had clearly been feeling regarding his 'spot' in the company and his dismay at management was laid out for everyone to see, and yet Punk was careful not to go too far. It is clear whenever one watches the promo again that he is still well within the boundaries of his CM Punk character, who has always been anti-authority, but he blurred the lines so well between reality and fiction that it was intoxicating to listen to. It all led to the 'Summer Of Punk' in which he won the WWE Title from John Cena at the end of a classic match at the Money In The Bank PPV, then 'left' the company, taking the title belt with him. Punk was now a made man in wrestling, and his star continued to rise, leading to another reign as champion that lasted for 434 days - the sixth longest of all time. And it all started with the 'pipebomb' promo.
