5 Reasons why CM Punk is one of the most loved WWE Superstars

In one of WWE's less successful eras, CM Punk has been a rare example of a superstar that can appeal to a wide portion of the audience and still retain much of his individuality. Whether it's putting on 5-star matches at signature PPVs or sticking it to the authority of WWE, Punk was able to build himself an impressive fanbase over his time with the company.

Fans will also remember his time at ROH and the rest of the indie scene, which usually endears you to a 'smarter' fan base who appreciate people that have gone through the trials and tribulations of the non-WWE landscape.

While he might not be everybody's favourite WWE Superstar of all time, there is still a large portion of the audience that still admire him and want nothing else than to see him return to the WWE at some point in the future. Here are 5 reasons why CM is one of the most loved WWE Superstars of all time:

#1 He's a life long wrestling fan

CM Punk is very much a trend setter in WWE terms. The company has always had a reputation for being the elite of the sport, and athletes who go there normally pass through a vigours training schedule which requires time, money, and ideally some kind of name recognition or links to people on the inside.

Punk's career started under very different circumstances, closer to that of Mick Foley, as opposed to somebody like Triple H. He made a living through backyard wrestling, setting up the Lunatic Wrestling Federation (LWF) with friends and family. Unlike the rest of the LWF roster, Punk took his wrestling incredibly seriously, standing out above the rest in terms of ambition and vision.

These days it is much easier to make a name for yourself outside of WWE and still be considered a top superstar in the business. The Young Bucks and Kenny Omega are particular examples of this. Their name recognition far surpasses most people who have never worked professionally with the WWE before. Punk was doing this back in the early 2000s, nearly 20 years ago, which speaks to the sheer level of determination he must have had, and still demonstrates today.

Yet, no matter how far you get in the independent scene, there has always been this perception that Vince McMahon doesn't fully appreciate a talent unless they made it under his own guidance. AJ Styles is a very rare example of a non-WWE guy reaching the top, but usually, they are not given the opportunities that most fans think they deserve.

Again, Punk was able to shatter this ceiling early on, winning the ECW and World Heavyweight Championships not long after debuting on the main roster. Paul Heyman has spoken extensively about the company's initial unwillingness to give Punk a top spot despite his obvious talent, so the fact that he reached the heights that he did shows us all what kind of a wrestling brain the Second City Saint has.

Even his breakthrough into the very top levels of the WWE was done almost singlehandedly with a now infamous 'pipebomb' promo, launching him towards a WWE Championship feud with John Cena himself.

#2 He isn't John Cena

Despite his immense talent in the ring and on the mic, one thing that did help CM Punk connect with the WWE Universe was his ability to portray himself as the anti-John Cena.

Throughout much of the 00's, fans were growing tired of John Cena's monopoly in WWE. He was Vince's 'chosen' poster boy for the company, meaning he was given far more opportunities at the title and quickly became the media franchise piece, hogging much of the spotlight from others. Fans' reactions to the guy are pretty mixed at best, however, as a lot of the so-called 'smarter' fans who appreciate in-ring work rate have tended to reject him.

Therefore, being put in a feud with John Cena is very much a double edged sword. You will receive support from 50% or more of the fanbase who are supposed to be booing you, but it's almost impossible for you to come out of the rivalry looking strong.There has been the odd exception to this, with guys like Brock Lesnar, Randy Orton and most notably CM Punk, whose time across the ring from John Cena actually helped turn them baby face officially.

In 2011 when Punk delivered his shoot promo, a lot of it was directed at the Cena/McMahon relationship and how many of the talents on the roster go unrecognised because of it. For so many in attendance, and watching around the world, this struck so much of a chord that people began flocking to Punk as their new 'John Cena alternative' in their droves.

Punk pretty much personifies everything that John Cena isn't. He has a long history of independent wrestling, doesn't have the typical physique that the WWE normally goes for, and isn't seen to be part of Vince McMahon's inner circle. Fans appreciate this, even if they don't totally buy into the CM character itself, and this has more than helped Punk become one of the most popular superstars in WWE history.

#3 He understands where Wrestling has 'gone wrong'

Much of the frustration fans hold towards WWE can be put down to a sense of nostalgia-blindness. No matter what the company does in 2017, fans still remember the glory days of 1999, or 1985 if you're a little older. Most people's solutions to the company's problems tend to be based on going back to previous times, maybe bringing TV 14 back, or just allowing superstars free reign on the mic.

Punk was always able to channel these thoughts, and always found little sly ways of voicing them onscreen. He recognised that most people see through the blatant WWE propaganda that tries to tell us this is the best era of all time when we clearly know it isn't.

This isn't just a debate about taste either, as WWE's fortunes in terms of ratings and global reach were demonstrably better during the Attitude Era than they are now, and that's a little harder to argue against.

Punk constantly spoke about making wrestling fun again during his promos, which many fans appreciated. Although we secretly knew he probably didn't have the power to bring the Attitude or Golden Era back, we still put our hopes in him that he could at least steer the company out of the rut it had gotten itself into.

Many of the things that WWE are now embracing, like giving opportunities to former indie stars, showcasing new talent and improving the women's division, are things that Punk used to call for. Unfortunately, he did not stick around long enough to see these changes in action, but most of us still credit them to Punk's willingness to speak out.

#4 He can do it all

To make it as a WWE superstar, you need one of two things: technical wrestling ability and confident mic skills. Now, more than ever, the company's top stars get away with just one of these, but every now and then we come across individuals who can do both.

There have been eras in the company's history where a flurry of such talent came through at the same time. The Rock, Stone Cold and Triple H all debuted around a similar time, leading to one of the most successful times in the industry's history. Unfortunately, these exceptional talents are rare in 2014, with the company relying on in-ring work more than ever before.

Due to Vince McMahon's desire to keep things PG, promo scripts are also very carefully put together with little space for improvisation. Enzo Amore and Xavier Woods are rare examples of people who utilise the WWE formula but still manage to sound original.

CM Punk clearly has the ability to do it all. With a long history of indie scene wrestling behind him and an understanding of how to put together a promo, he consistently impressed audiences with how well he came across in and out of the ring and stood apart from the monotony of current day WWE.

During his infamous pipe bomb segment, he challenged the idea of John Cena being 'the best', arguing instead that nobody could touch him either in the ring, on the microphone or at commentary, and few argued against this.

#5 He is motivated by more than money

During one of the 'Summer of Punk' promos involving Punk, John Cena and Triple H, the COO challenged Punk's position as a 'voice of the underdog', claiming that all he was interested in was holding the company up for a few extra perks.

His response was characteristically honest, arguing that while he was holding out for more financial benefits from his employers, his wider goal was to get the recognition his talents deserved. His frustrations with the company, in both kayfabe and real life terms, were wider than the size of his pay cheque, and we all knew it.

Punk could have kept his mouth shut after initially been given a more prominent role in 2011, but as things were not really changing around him, he ended up walking away three years later.

Most superstars in his position would have looked at the prospect of working a Wrestlemania match with Triple H and found it much too difficult to walk away from. WWE gave him a steady income and security, but this was not enough.

And while Punk may be pursuing a UFC career, which will also bring him more than enough to live on, this was not seemingly on his agenda back in 2014 where he essentially walked away with no long-term plan at all.

Punk comes across as somebody who grows tired as soon as he has achieved what he wanted. ROH was always going to struggle to keep him around after he'd solidified himself as a top guy there. Being WWE Championship for over a year wasn't enough for him either, as he had his sights set on a Wrestlemania main event, which sadly never came to pass.

If he were to ever come back to the WWE, you can guarantee that it'll take more than a fat pay cheque to tempt him. Maybe that Mania main event will do the trick?

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Edited by Anirudh