Believe it or not, it's been over three years since CM Punk left WWE. However, his departure is yet to sink in for some fans. He was such in an integral part of programming for so many years that it isn't entirely surprising there are those who long for him to be back in WWE, despite the fact he is currently under contract to UFC.
There is no denying that Punk, along with Daniel Bryan, was directly responsible for notable names from the independent scene getting a second look by the powers that be because of how they changed the landscape of the business and what makes a “star” in this day and age. It was the success he obtained that led to the likes of Seth Rollins, Sami Zayn, and Neville being signed.
Although it is extremely unlikely that Punk will return to WWE anytime soon, let's take a second to imagine a scenario where that was possible. Regardless of what brand he went to, he would have a plethora of awesome dream matches awaiting him.
#5 Finn Balor
Not only did the summer of 2014 mark the official departure of CM Punk from WWE, but Finn Balor also arrived on the scene around that same time. He immediately reported to NXT and wasted no time in making an impact, winning the NXT Championship in seven month's time.
While Balor had an extended stay in NXT, his main roster debut was worth the wait in July 2016 when was drafted to Raw and quickly captured the Universal Championship. We received one dream match with him at SummerSlam when he faced off with (and beat) Seth Rollins, but an injury prevented him from mixing it up with the rest of the roster.
Before coming to WWE, Balor honed his craft on the Japanese wrestling scene, so the paths of Punk and Balor never once crossed. Pitting the enigmatic icon against the self-proclaimed best in the world would be nothing short of spectacular.
#4 Cesaro
Interestingly enough, Cesaro was reportedly supposed to beat CM Punk the night he walked out of Raw to qualify for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship Elimination Chamber match. Before that point, the two had never gone one-on-one in WWE, and due to Punk leaving, they never would.
It's quite a shame because Cesaro didn't start to catch fire as a singles star until right after Punk's departure, eventually winning the inaugural Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal and becoming a certified “Paul Heyman Guy.” Granted, his push fizzled out a short time later, but he has remained an upper-midcard competitor ever since.
The one thing that has kept Cesaro from the main event scene has been the lack of a breakout rivalry with a top-tier talent, and Punk could help elevate Cesaro to that next level. Not to mention that these two would undoubtedly be capable of delivering an incredible match.
#3 Kevin Owens
In the few years, he has been in WWE, Kevin Owens has quickly cemented himself as one of the best talkers in the entire company. Of course, he has filled a void that was previously occupied by CM Punk, who was killing it on the mic each and every week from 2011 through 2013.
The promo battles between these two alone would have been legendary. Meanwhile, Owens has proven to be quite a good worker in his brief WWE tenure, and he’s put on great matches with John Cena, Sami Zayn and Seth Rollins.
Only just recently has Owens hit his stride as a serious heel, and Punk was similar in that respect at the height of his run. Giving them live microphones and letting them go at it before engaging in one-on-one action would be best for business.
#2 Samoa Joe
It's difficult to call CM Punk vs. Samoa Joe a dream match when it's a bout that fans have seen countless times in the past. However, they have never before done battle inside a WWE ring, and their last clash came over ten years ago.
During their ruthless rivalry in 2005, Punk and Joe brought the best out of each other and contested classic after classic over the ROH World Championship. They eventually went their separate ways with Punk going to WWE and Joe signing with TNA, but fans have been clamouring for a rematch ever since.
In fact, Joe himself has said in past interviews that he feels Punk returning to wrestling isn't completely out of the question in his opinion. Surely Punk would consider one last in-ring run in WWE if it meant going to war with one of his closest friends for a final time.
#1 AJ Styles
I didn't realise until just last month that CM Punk and AJ Styles had their fair share of matches over the ROH Pure Championship many years ago. However, the fact that I never knew about those bouts goes to show how underrated they are, especially considering the elite levels both men would ascend to in the following years.
While Punk was riding high in WWE as the company's champion in 2011, Styles was having Match of the Year candidates with members of the TNA roster. Punk and Styles were considered the best wrestlers in their respective companies for a very long time with fans salivating at the mere thought of them squaring off.
Of course, once Styles finally arrived in WWE at the onset of 2016, Punk was long gone from the company, but it was one of those “what if” situations. Even if Punk had a little ring rust on him in his years away from wrestling, there is zero question he and Styles could have a fantastic match based on how The Phenomenal One has yet to have anything less than an outstanding outing in WWE.
Send us news tips at [email protected]
