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#1 CM Punk - MITB 2011
This is the greatest celebration of a WWE Championship win in the modern era. As we’ve seen throughout the article, it’s not just the actions of the wrestler that make a good celebration. The win needs to have a build-up, a story for the fans to be invested in so they pop when it happens, and they’re loud for the festivities that follow.
It needs to feel special.
This applies to CM Punk more than any other WWE Championship win. It was more than special. It was epic, unexpected and one of the biggest moments in WWE history.
The WWE was in a transitional period in terms of eras and a lot of reality was sneaking into the storylines. It was told that CM Punk was only contracted until Money in the Bank 2011, and he had a WWE Championship match with John Cena. Vince McMahon tried everything to stop Punk walking away with the title but following a 5-star match, he was victorious.
The crowd was as loud as any other crowd I’ve heard in WWE after CM Punk had pulled off the impossible. He was now WWE Champion and out of contract. Vince sent Del Rio down to cash in but Punk got the better of him and this is where the celebration became iconic.
He posed with the title in the ring, with the cheesiest grin on his face, having cemented his legacy as the Best in the World. He then made his way to the crowd to escape and blew a kiss to Vince McMahon. That’s the image I’ll never be able to get out of my head. CM Punk as Champion, blowing a kiss towards the Chairman and his company goodbye as he rides off into the sunset with the top title in the business.
It’s unconventional as far as celebrations go, which is what makes it so special. It ushered in a new era and started the era of Punk. He went on to hold the title for a second time a few months later for 434 days, the longest reign of the modern era.
But we’ll never forget that kiss.
