10. The Pipe Bomb
The definitive moment of CM Punk's career, perhaps more so than any match, was his unforgettable "Pipe Bomb" on Monday Night Raw in 2011. This was a real Austin 3:16 moment, a promo of such stinging resonance it elevated Punk from midcarder to hottest star in the company in one 7 minute segment. That's genius right there seven minutes on a mic and the entire course of the wrestling industry changes. Every aspiring wrestler should study this tape and learn from Punk. Of course, what really made it unforgettable was the worked shoot element. Punk was speaking from the heart. He really did feel overlooked in the WWE. He really did feel the McMahons were out of touch. When he stated "Maybe this company would be better when Vince McMahon was dead ... but then it would be taken over by his idiot daughter and doofus son in law", the audience was stunned. Nothing is more engaging than a taboo-breaking reality. If people hadn't perceived Punk as a star before this promo, they instantly sat up and took notice. Credit should also go to the WWE of course. It was Vince McMahon and Triple H who gave Punk the green light to say what he liked. They knew he was going to say negative things, it was his character role. When Punk got backstage after the promo, the WWE were delighted.