WWE Raw Gallery: 25 Years Of Iconic Monday Nights
5. 2013 - One On One With The Great One
Dateline: 7th January, 2013
CM Punk never received the main event respect he craved so desperately from Vince McMahon, but for one night, he outperformed WWE's most successful mainstream crossover star ever.
Delivering an underrated and forgotten sequel to his Las Vegas 'Pipe Bomb' before being cut off for a commercial break, the longest-reigning WWE Champion in modern history was already bitter about his overlooked position before The Rock hit the ring for their Royal Rumble hard sell.
Punk sneered down the barrel of 'The Great One's usual vitriol, palming away a tired 'Cookie Puss' nickname to draw his ire with the sheer conviction of his delivery. Carefully remaining heel but espousing the oppression that briefly made him the world's hottest babyface, Punk's closing spiel ("You can't leave a mark on the champ's face. Come Royal Rumble, understand, when you step in the ring, your arms are just too short to box with God") was immaculate.