5 Indie darlings who changed WWE for the better

# 1. CM Punk

Punk is the longest reigning WWE Champion in the modern era

The imprint that CM Punk left on the psyche of wrestling fans is something that can't be expressed in mere words. Punk was perhaps the first of his kind, a star before he arrived in WWE, who went to scale great heights in Vince McMahon's company. But, Punk's road to super stardom wasn't an easy one. From constantly butting people in power to getting dissed by several members of the locker room for having a bad attitude, Punk's chances of getting to where he eventually ended up were slim to none when he first signed with the company in 2005.

Punk wouldn't have made it past developmental if it weren't Paul Heyman, who mentored him during the initial stages of his WWE career and vouched for the Chicago-native with the powers that be. The early part of Punk's run with the company saw him become an afterthought on RAW despite holding the World Heavyweight Championship.

Punk's ability to constantly reinvent himself and elevate his opponents endeared him to fans. And then, the pipebomb happened. On June 26, 2011, Punk went on a verbal tirade against John Cena and the WWE in a promo that has become part of wrestling folklore. Punk's intensity combined with the blurring of lines during the promo has made it one of the best wrestling promos in history.

Punk's win over John Cena at Money In The Bank 2011 is widely regarded by many as the best WWE match of the past decade. His 434-day reign as WWE Champion solidified his status as one of the greatest WWE Superstars of the modern era.

Despite abruptly leaving the company in 2014 and not returning to the squared circle since his appearance in the 2014 Royal Rumble, Punk continues to be one of the most revered figures in the wrestling world.