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Triple H and CM Punk had a memorable rivalry in 2011 that culminated in a No Disqualification match at Night of Champions, but their rivalry beyond went kayfabe into real life.
The first instance of issues between The Game and The Second City Saint started way back in 2005. CM Punk was a darling among fans of independent wrestling when he called Triple H the "CM Punk of WWE."
Punk was compared to Triple H for other reasons as well, especially for the Pepsi Plunge finisher that the Chicago native used. The move was essentially a pedigree off the top rope. Triple H did not take too kindly to the comparisons.
When Punk joined WWE and wrestled a dark match in his first outing, The Game and Shawn Michaels were anything but impressed and made their thoughts clear, as explained by Bruce Prichard who said the DX members wanted to bury him.
Later, Punk was cheered over The Hardy Boyz and DX while teaming up with the four men at Survivor Series 2006. The Voice of the Voiceless claimed the King of Kings was jealous of him because of what happened at Survivor Series.
CM Punk and Triple H squared off in a singles competition for the first time in 2010 on an episode of WWE SmackDown. During a battle on the mic, the 14-time world champion made fun of CM Punk's look and hair.
The match ended in a disqualification win for Triple H.
CM Punk targetted Triple H during his iconic Pipebomb promo
While many people fired off at Vince McMahon, nobody really went hard at Triple H for his corporate role. CM Punk crossed that boundary when he referred to The Game as the WWE Chairman's "doofus son-in-law."
The pipebomb promo saw CM Punk's popularity skyrocket and gave birth to The Voice of the Voiceless gimmick. After Kevin Nash cost the current AEW star the WWE Championship, CM Punk and Triple H were officially involved in a feud for the first time. The promos often leaned into their genuine dislike for each other.
Their match at Night of Champions was a letdown for various reasons, the biggest being that the former Evolution leader came out victorious. CM Punk was riding a wave of momentum after the Summer of Punk storyline, and he felt that the loss derailed his momentum.
The pair were reportedly going to face each other at WrestleMania 30 but, as history has documented, CM Punk walked out of WWE before the match could transpire. Triple H ended up facing Daniel Bryan, and CM Punk left the business for over seven years.
CM Punk is in AEW while Triple H is immersed in a corporate role within WWE. When CM Punk joined WWE on Fox as a talk show host, there were murmurs of a return, but his decision to join AEW has killed any hope WWE fans had of seeing him in Vince McMahon's company again.
