CM Punk: Greatest Hits

CM Punk : Greatest Hits



Now that I have the WWE Network working perfectly for myself, I'm gonna start doing this little series going through some of the best matches of some select superstars that can be found on the Network. With the recent episode of Raw centred in Chicago with some of the loudest CM Punk chants you'll ever hear, this seemed like the most appropriate wrestler to start with. Obviously since I'm just using the Network, there will be no matches from ROH. So let's begin with some of Punk's greatest in-ring hits.



As a note I may not include some of his matches that are as well remembered. For example I won't review his MITB wins at Wrestlemania as I've reviewed them plenty of times already. I might stick some old reviews of things like MITB 2011 and last year's Summerslam in, as they're some of his best matches ever. Also there will be some spoilers.



The Hardy Boyz / DX / CM Punk vs Rated RKO / Mike Knox / Johnny Nitro / Gregory Helms
From Survivor Series 2006 and traditional Survivor Series rules apply for this one. This is Punk's first PPV match, and is quite notable as the fans had a big chant for Punk rather than the Hardys or DX, which did seem to surprise DX. I think that's the last time you'll see a smile from HHH for a Punk chant. Punk was still pretty new here, but he looked good as he quicky eliminated the former IC Champ, Nitro. This one was a lot of fun, even if it seemed a little like a squash match at times, but I enjoyed it. ***1/4



CM Punk vs John Morrison vs The Miz
From Survivor Series 2007. Who would've known that five years later, Punk would become the biggest phenomenon in the business, Miz would be a former WWE Champion, and Morrison would leave without having any big accomplishments. Anyway the match itself is very entertaining with all three guys putting on a nice performance. It looked like there were some stiff shots in there too. Punk hits the GTS to retain the ECW Title. ***1/4



CM Punk vs Chavo Guerrero
From No Way Out 2008 and the ECW Title is on the line. Chavo had stolen the Title a couple of months previously by nefarious means, as he used La Familia (Vickie Guerrero & Edge's faction) to his advantage. Unfortunately they didn't help him when he lost the Title in 8 seconds at Mania. The crowd didn't approve of Punk trying to use the three amigos. A good opening match with some nice pacing and stayed entertaining throughout. ***



CM Punk vs Batista
From the Great American Bash 2008 and the World Title is on the line. I wouldn't put this as one of Punk's best matches, but it just seems very appropriate given the current circumstances in the WWE (future readers: Punk leaving and Batista being given the heel treatment from the fans). This was Punk's first World Title defense on PPV. I did enjoy the story of power vs speed here. Batista gave Punk a lot of offense here and made him look pretty damn good. The DQ ending was annoying, but at least the match was good before that. ***



CM Punk vs Rey Mysterio
From Armageddon 2008 and this is the finals of an IC Title tournament in which the winner would face William Regal for the Title. I believe this was the first time in WWE that these guys locked up, and fortunately for us it would not be the last time. A great match here showing the talents of both men, and their series would only get better as it went on. I think Mysterio may have suffered a broken nose though. Great stuff here. ***3/4



CM Punk vs Jeff Hardy : TLC Match
From Summerslam 2009. One of the best feuds of 2009 hits its breaking point with a TLC match. Jeff Hardy's specialty matc . Nice to see they got the main event spot, even though nothing could have followed them. Jeff being dropped onto a set-up chair looked brutal. The superplex on the ladder looked very sick and dangerous. Jeff's swanton onto the announce table was the holy shit moment of the match and still looks insane. One of the best one on one TLC matches ever. Incredible stuff. ****1/4. After the match the Undertaker returns to let Punk know that he's coming for him.



CM Punk vs Rey Mysterio
From Extreme Rules 2010. If Punk loses this match he must shave his head bald. I still believe that it's a travesty that these two guys were only allowed six minutes to work at Wrestlemania. We all know what they can do when they're given time. Luckily they were given plenty of time here. Punk wore Mysterio down here, and the crowd went nuts when he finally got his comeback. The crowd was begging to see Punk bald. He wouldn't be shaved until the next PPV. Great match from these guys. ***3/4



CM Punk vs Randy Orton : Last Man Standing
From Extreme Rules 2011. I thought for sure that Punk would be going over here since he lost at Wrestlemania, but Orton was given the win instead. Probably because he'd go on to steal Christian's World Title two days later (yes I'm still bitter). This is one of the better LMS contests I've seen, and, at the time, it was probably the best since the No Mercy 07 one. This had some nice weapon spots, and the counts were pretty dramatic and didn't drag the match down at all. ****




CM Punk vs Rey Mysterio
From Capitol Punishment 2011. This is the last PPV match these guys had together, and sadly it'll probably remain their last. Weirdly enough this match marked Punk's first PPV victory since beating Mysterio at Extreme Rules 2010, well over a year before this one. No wonder he wanted to leave. This wasn't as good as their other matches, but these guys still managed to give us a great match with nearfalls and back and forth action. ***1/2


Shortly after that match, CM Punk dropped the first pipe bomb in Las Vegas, and became one of the top guys in WWE.



CM Punk vs John Cena
From Money in the Bank 2011 and the WWE Title is on the line. What can I say about this match that hasn't already been said? It's one of those matches where you need to have the volume turned way up to enjoy it even more, due to the awesome crowd. One of the best WWE Title matches of all time and one of the best matches of the entire decade. Sadly the impact of the storyline was lost once HHH decided to ruin it himself. Still this will be a match that can be enjoyed for years to come and if you haven't seen it, find it right now. *****


CM Punk vs John Cena
From Summerslam 2011 to decide who the Undisputed WWE Champion was. There was no way in hell that these guys were gonna be able to replicate the MITB classic, but they damn sure tried their best. Both guys being Champion made things interesting, and their insane chemistry only added fuel to the fire. HHH wasn't needed here though. The counter wrestling was great and kept the match unpredictable until the controversial finish. Classic stuff. ****1/2



I was gonna put HHH vs Punk from Night of Champions here, but I think we can all agree that that's better kept for HHH's greatest hits.



CM Punk vs Alberto Del Rio
From Survivor Series 2011. I think by this time, everyone knew that Del Rio just wasn't gonna cut it as the top champion. Thankfully they realised that Punk should be the top guy (behind Cena) and so started the 434 day reign of Punk. This was an awesome match that had the crowd's attention throughout. A great way to start an historic Title reign. ***3/4



CM Punk vs Alberto Del Rio vs The Miz : TLC Match
From TLC 2011. This was Punk's opportunity to show that he deserved to be at the top of the card. I think that he did show that he could easily put on a main event performance, but for some reason he wouldn't get another PPV main event until the 2012 Night of Champions with Cena. This was an awesome match, and I enjoyed the innovation of the handcuffs on Punk that got the crowd behind him even more than they already were. Great stuff by everyone involved. ****



CM Punk vs Chris Jericho
From Wrestlemania XXVIII. This is a match I always seem to change my rating on, but I think I've finally reached my final verdict on it. I think this match is pretty damn underrated, but that's probably because it's on the same show as Cena/Rock and Taker/HHH. This is one of the best WWE Title matches in Wrestlemania history, and my favourite match between these two guys. The crowd didn't seem interested at first, but these guys managed to get the crowd on their feet and cheering. Awesome stuff. ****1/2



CM Punk vs Chris Jericho : Chicago Street Fight
From Extreme Rules 2012. This is another match that is pretty damn underrated, as most people seem to remember Sheamus/Bryan and Lesnar/Cena rather than this forgotten gem. Both guys wore street clothes which added to the drama. Jericho was great as a heel here, going from threatening Punk's sister to pouring beer on Punk. An awesome street fight filled with nice weapons spots, nearfalls, and both guys came out looking like a million bucks. ****1/2



For those wondering why I'm not including Punk's match with Bryan at Over the Limit, I plan on using that one for Bryan's greatest hits. The rating for that one is *****.



CM Punk vs Daniel Bryan : No DQ
From Money in the Bank 2012 and AJ Lee is the guest referee. This is quite an overlooked classic from 2012. Of course it is looked on as an awesome match, but the Over the Limit classic gets all the attention (which to be fair it should seeing how good it is). These guys went out there and put on their expected classic, and they showed that they didn't need technical wrestling to do it. Plus AJ was just adorable as the ref. The pace did really slow down towards the finish, but it didn't affect it too much. ****1/4


CM Punk vs John Cena
From Night of Champions 2012. In my opinion, this should have been one of the main events of Summerslam, but unfortunately Lesnar/HHH wasn't allowed to be upstaged. Cena was in his hometown and was still being booed. As expected, these guys gave us another awesome match, and I didn't even mind the cop out ending the match was that good. They've had better, but I don't think we'll ever get enough of seeing Punk and Cena go one on one. ****1/2



CM Punk vs The Rock
From Royal Rumble 2013 and the WWE Title is on the line. This match was pretty huge at the time and was pretty much a dream bout, so big that it came after the Rumble, and it definitely deserved to with a good build up. Punk's amazing 434 day Title reign came to an end here. The ending with the Shield interfering did hurt it a little bit, but this was still a great back and forth match that had that big match feel throughout. Rock hits the People's Elbow to win the Title for the first time in over ten years. ***1/2


The Undertaker vs CM Punk
From Wrestlemania 29. Almost a year later and this is still one of the best matches of 2013. For the past seven years, the Deadman's streak hasn't failed to deliver and this is no exception. Punk looked terrific in defeat as he seemed to take Undertaker to the very limit and even outsmarted him at times, sometimes with help from Paul Heyman. Undertaker looked amazing for a 'broken down old man' as some people seemed to be calling him. An awesome match worth watching again and again. ****1/2


CM Punk vs Chris Jericho
From Payback. I can't believe I've only watched this match once. It seems like the kind of match I would back and watch again and again. I hope this isn't the last time we see these guys square off because they seem to get better and better each time they fight. This was Punk's return after a couple months away, and what a way to return in his hometown of Chicago with a huge reaction. He was also sporting the Wolverine look he still has today. I loved the finish with Punk hitting two Go to Sleeps to win. Terrific match and easily one of the best matches of 2013. Excellent stuff. ****1/2

CM Punk vs Brock Lesnar : No DQ
From Summerslam. I've already heaped so much praise onto this match, but I'm gonna add some more, because this is my fifth time watching it and it's still one of the best matches I've ever seen. The intensity is off the charts, and both guys looked extremely motivated. Lesnar deserves more credit for his work in the ring, such as his trash talk because it can make a match that little bit better, and it was awesome here. It's just a shame that the Punk/Heyman storyline didn't end here and ended up going on for way too long with guys like Curtis Axel and Ryback. Anyway this is still quite easily the Match of the Year and the only other match coming close is the next match on the set. Absolutely fantastic stuff here. *****




Well that's the end of my first Greatest Hits post. I really enjoyed doing this so I'm gonna do it some more. Coming up next: Daniel Bryan