The AEW debut of CM Punk confirms that his WWE time has all but ended in wrestling. WWE fans had hoped for an outside chance of Punk making his return back where he changed the culture. Punk clearly made his impact in wrestling based on the incredible reaction to his return for AEW.
RELATED: Every Version Of CM Punk, Ranked From Worst To Best
The WWE run started on the ECW brand and ended with his controversial walkout in 2014. Punk may believe that he left “wrestling” for “sports entertainment” during his WWE career, but that doesn’t mean he didn’t deliver some superb matches. CageMatch has become an unofficial haven for wrestling fans to witness unbiased ratings. The fans of this website listed the following matches as the best for Punk in WWE.
10 CM Punk Vs Daniel Bryan: 8.60 (Money In The Bank 2012)
WWE didn’t anticipate the summer of 2012 featuring a lengthy program between CM Punk and Daniel Bryan for the WWE Championship. Their chemistry always delivered, and the addition of AJ Lee added layers to the storyline.
RELATED: 10 Funniest CM Punk Moments
Money in the Bank 2012 featured a mix of violence and technical wrestling in the No DQ match. Lee as the special guest referee provided extra excitement for the Punk victory. CageMatch rated the match a cumulative rating of 8.60 as one of the better matches of 2012.
9 CM Punk Vs Chris Jericho: 8.66 (Payback 2013)
The short break for CM Punk in 2013 saw WWE talking him into coming back for their Payback 2013 event in Chicago. Punk returned from his break as a face after he left as a heel. Chris Jericho was the opponent for Punk to rekindle their rivalry but in the name of competition.
CageMatch rated the match an 8.66 for the exciting back-and-forth action. Chicago fans have a strong bond with Punk, and it continued here with a hot crowd. Punk defeated Jericho in one of the final great singles matches of his WWE career.
8 CM Punk Vs Jeff Hardy: 8.93 (SummerSlam 2009)
The rivalry between CM Punk and Jeff Hardy gave WWE a much-needed boost in 2009. Two stars not typically dominating the main event picture used their opportunities to thrive with their feud culminating in a TLC match at SummerSlam 2009.
Hardy put his body on the line in his final WWE PPV match before his contract expired left. Punk retained the title in the main event of the second biggest show of the year. CageMatch gave it a tremendous rating of 8.93 almost hitting the special 9/10 rating.
7 CM Punk Vs John Cena: 8.98 (Night Of Champions 2012)
CM Punk’s heel turn in 2012 saw him having a few more matches against John Cena to continue their epic rivalry. Night of Champions 2012 was one of their best PPV matches despite not having a definitive finish.
CageMatch rated it a strong 8.98 for the exciting action and tremendous storytelling. The finish of a draw left some fans unfulfilled and the rating may be even higher if someone won. Regardless, it was one of the best matches of Punk’s legendary career.
6 Royal Rumble Match: 9.01 (Royal Rumble 2007)
The Royal Rumble match is among the most beloved every year, but only a handful of the battle royals receive strong ratings. WWE had a tremendous Rumble match in 2007 that everyone mostly remembers for The Undertaker winning after an epic battle with Shawn Michaels at the end.
The Rumble match received an outstanding 9.01 rating on CageMatch for its entertainment value from start to finish. CM Punk made his first Rumble appearance as the 11th entrant until The Great Khali eliminated him. The 27 minutes and 16 seconds for Punk was the third-longest time in the match only behind Edge and Finlay.
5 CM Punk Vs The Undertaker: 9.07 (WrestleMania 29)
The Undertaker’s WrestleMania streak was still alive when CM Punk challenged him at WrestleMania 29. Punk was snubbed from the main event when The Rock returned and defeated him beforehand for the WWE Championship.
RELATED: 5 Wrestlers CM Punk Loves (& 5 He Doesn’t)
The Undertaker and Punk had a stellar match as the second most important bout on the show. The fans bought into Punk having a chance until Undertaker secured the victory as the final win of the undefeated streak before Brock Lesnar ended it the following year. CageMatch rated the match 9.07 among the best from Undertaker’s streak.
4 CM Punk Vs Daniel Bryan: 9.18 (Over The Limit 2012)
The longest WWE Championship reign of CM Punk featured him holding it throughout 2012 with his best defenses coming against Daniel Bryan. Over the Limit 2012 was their first PPV singles match against each other and it received a 9.18 rating from CageMatch.
Punk and Bryan were the two biggest independent wrestling success stories to thrive in WWE and this match signified that. The epic match ended with Punk retaining and continuing the feud. AEW fans are hoping Bryan and Punk will face off in the new promotion, with Bryan’s likely debut coming soon.
3 CM Punk Vs John Cena: 9.29 (Raw: Feb 25, 2013)
CM Punk had made it clear that he felt he deserved a WrestleMania main event spot at some point between 2011 and 2013. The inability to accomplish this goal played a role in Punk choosing to leave. One match channeled his frustrations in a positive way.
John Cena put his WWE Championship title shot against The Rock on the line in a match against Punk on Raw. Punk lost, but he performed like it was the WrestleMania main event with an instant classic. CageMatch rated it a 9.29 as one of the greatest matches in Raw history.
2 CM Punk Vs Brock Lesnar: 9.39 (SummerSlam 2013)
The return of Brock Lesnar in 2012 created dream matches against top names that weren’t there during his early 2000s run. CM Punk and Paul Heyman having a falling out when Punk turned face to led to a match with Brock at SummerSlam 2013.
CageMatch gave Punk vs Brock an incredible 9.39 rating as an instant classic. Lesnar won the match to keep his appeal as a dominant force, but Punk stepped up to make fans believe in him. The combination of this match and John Cena vs Daniel Bryan made SummerSlam 2013 a legendary PPV.
1 CM Punk Vs John Cena: 9.65 (Money In The Bank 2011)
No match had more importance to CM Punk’s career than his Money in the Bank 2011 masterpiece against John Cena. The storyline for the summer of Punk gave him a newfound life as the hottest act in the company.
Punk and Cena made the most of the perfect setting in Chicago to have an all-time great WWE match. CageMatch gave them a 9.65 rating for near perfection. Most fans would consider it flawless as Punk reached another level in wrestling with this win.
