Who REALLY Carried WWE Every Year (1985-2026)
1. 2026 (CM Punk)
If someone told you that CM Punk would be WWE's focal point in 2026 when he walked out on the company in 2014 and you believed it, they'd have then offered to sell you some magic beans and spouted some nonsense about a beanstalk. In other words, that seemed like a fairy tale, and Punk wasn't in the mood for viewing the company as some dreamscape.
His 2023 return shocked everyone. Injuries have pressed pause on his career since then, but 2026 started off with Punk in position as World Heavyweight Champ. He had watchable bouts vs. Bron Breakker and Finn Bálor on TV and PLE, then dropped the strap to Roman at 'Mania 42. After that, CM took some time off to heal injuries before returning with a bang to beat Sami Zayn for the WWE Title on the 6 July episode of Raw.
Since then, Punk has been SmackDown's main man. A SummerSlam win over Cody suggests even better to come from a guy who's relishing being one of WWE's aging storytellers. Punk knows he doesn't have a limitless supply of major matches ahead of him, so he's determined to make the most of this run by just enjoying it as best he can.
There's still time yet for someone else to turn 2026 into their year, but they better act fast. 2K26 is already the 'Year Of The Punker'.
Do you agree with these choices? For more WWE and wrestling content, check out 13 Things We Learned From Dark Side Of The Ring: Zach Gowen and 10 Forgotten WWE Experiments That Didn't Last!