5 of CM Punk's best WWE matches

Shock waves were sent across the wrestling world when CM Punk made a surprise return to WWE TV.

‘The Straight Edge Saviour’ appeared towards the conclusion of the latest episode of WWE Backstage. FOX would later confirm that the former WWE Champion would be making regular appearances on the FS1 show.

Whilst it had been speculated that Punk had auditioned for the show, it was still a shock to see him appear, given the frostiness of his relationship with the WWE.

He infamously walked out on the company following the 2014 Royal Rumble, and hasn’t wrestled anywhere since. Whilst his new TV deal is with FOX and not WWE, many are already touting a future in-ring return for Punk, with Vince McMahon himself not ruling out the possibility.

The question would be if Punk can still go to the level he was at during his original run, where he was arguably one of the best the company had to offer. Over the course of eight years, he put on many top-caliber matches that stand as some of the best in WWE history.

Here are five of the best matches of CM Punk’s WWE career.

#5 Jeff Hardy - SummerSlam 2009

Punk and Jeff clashed in a SummerSlam epic

Having been a face for the entirety of his WWE run to that point, Punk would turn heel in the summer of 2019 and engage in what many class as one of his most acclaimed feuds.

Following Jeff Hardy’s victory over Edge in the main event of Extreme Rules, the ever-opportunistic Punk would cash in his Money in the Bank briefcase on Hardy to win his second World Heavyweight Championship.

After his win, Punk would begin flaunting his Straight Edge lifestyle as a way of showing himself to be better than others. This included Hardy, who Punk aggressively targeted given Jeff’s well-documented troubles with substance abuse.

The pair would trade the title in the months that followed, leading to a blow-out TLC match at SummerSlam. The bout is best remembered for Hardy’s death-defying Swanton Bomb from a ladder through a table on to Punk.

‘The Cult of Personality’ would find a way to regain his title though in what remains one of the finest matches in the situation's history. It would be the high point of Punk’s reign as he was attacked post-match by The Undertaker, who would eventually dethrone Punk just a few months later.

#4 Daniel Bryan - Over The Limit 2012

At Over The Limit, Punk and Bryan battled for nearly 25 minutes in a technical masterclass

You often hear the phrase ‘Indy Darling’ used to describe wrestlers who made a name for themselves outside of WWE, and in 2012, there were arguably no two Superstars who epitomised this phrase more than CM Punk and Daniel Bryan.

So when Bryan won a Beat The Clock challenge to earn a shot at Punk’s WWE Championship, fans were understandably excited.

The pair’s last meeting had come in Ring of Honor eight years prior, so this match highlighted just how far both had come in that period.

At Over The Limit, Punk and Bryan battled for nearly 25 minutes in a technical masterclass. Both men dug deep into their arsenal as they traded off moves not seen by many others in the company at that time.

There were no flashy gimmicks or pomp and circumstance in this one, just two of the absolute best trying to prove that they were better than the other.

In the end, Punk rolled up Bryan to pick up the victory and extend his record-breaking title run. This was the first in a series of three PPV matches involving the two in a feud that would later involve Bryan’s future tag team partner Kane and Punk’s now real-life wife AJ Lee.

#3 Brock Lesnar - SummerSlam 2013

The match ranks among the best in the careers of both men

During his famous Pipe Bomb promo, CM Punk coined the phrase ‘Paul Heyman Guy’, highlighting how ‘The Advocate’ had gone to bat for him when he first arrived in WWE.

So when Heyman began managing Punk in late 2012, it proved to be a match made in heaven. Sadly though, it wouldn’t be a long-term thing as Heyman would soon turn on his client at Money In The Bank 2013.

With ‘The Best In The World’ now hell bent on revenge, Heyman would turn to his other famous associate as back-up - Brock Lesnar.

Billed as ‘The Beast vs The Best’, Punk vs Lesnar was one of the marquee matches for that year’s SummerSlam in a No-Disqualification battle.

In a match before the days of ‘Suplex City’, Punk wouldn’t be outclassed by Lesnar in the early exchanges, using his in-ring IQ to out-think ‘The Beast Incarnate’ at every turn. Despite this, he still ended up on the receiving end of a bit of a beating from Lesnar.

When it looked as though Punk had found a way to put down Brock though, Heyman would run interference. This proved enough to allow Lesnar to get the victory.

The match ranks among the best in the careers of both men, and is easily the best part of the whole feud between Punk and Heyman - who would later resort to using Curtis Axel and Ryback to fend off his former friend.

#2 Undertaker - WrestleMania 29

It was a match that turned out to be a consolation prize, but my god, what a runner-up trophy this was.

CM Punk went into 2013 having spent the entire previous calendar year as WWE Champion. As a result, ‘The Voice of The Voiceless’ believed he was deserving of a place in the WrestleMania main event, even after losing his championship to The Rock at the Royal Rumble.

Despite his pleas, WWE decided to go with the Rock-John Cena rematch to close their biggest show, with Punk instead given the honour of trying to end The Undertaker’s undefeated WrestleMania streak.

The build for the match centred around Punk mocking the career of 'Taker’s recently deceased manager Paul Bearer. This included Punk stealing Bearer’s famous urn, throwing it around backstage and then proceeding to pour ashes from said urn onto ‘The Deadman’ in the final image of the go-home RAW before 'Mania.

The match itself continued a pattern that had been established in the years prior. It was a near perfect classic which was described by some journalists as ‘a masterclass in timing, emotion and expression.’

It was a marked improvement on the pair’s battles back in 2009, and is arguably Undertaker's last great WrestleMania match.

Despite going on third from last that night, many still believe it is the true Main Event of that year’s show.

#1 John Cena - Money In The Bank 2011

It had to be this match didn’t it? It couldn’t have been anything else. The match and feud that catapulted CM Punk to superstardom.

Having earned the right to become number one contender to John Cena’s WWE Championship, the-then leader of The Nexus proclaimed that he would leave the company after Money In The Bank - with or without the title.

It was a stipulation that mirrored Punk’s real-life scenario, as his contract was due to expire not long after the PPV. It created a sense of realism for the fans and allowed Punk to let loose on his promos.

Doing this saw the birth of the famous Pipebomb Promo by Punk on RAW, where he berated the company’s backstage politics.

With a near perfect build-up, the stage was set for Money In The Bank in Punk’s hometown of Chicago, who were firmly on the side of the challenger, creating a hostile atmosphere which elevated the match before it even began.

When the two men finally got in the ring though, they created magic for over half an hour. The chemistry Punk and Cena had was always great, but it peaked in this flawless encounter, rightfully rated five stars by the Wrestling Observer.

The atmosphere was electric as Punk won and then left the building, and seemingly the company, with the title in hand.

Sadly, WWE got too impatient with the story. Instead of holding out and keeping the mystery over Punk’s contract status brewing longer, they had him return a week later on RAW.

Punk would still become one of their most popular wrestlers, but he could have been even bigger if the end of the storyline had played out better.