10 Must-See CM Punk Matches Before WWE Survivor Series War Games
Erik BeastonNovember 27, 202410 Must-See CM Punk Matches Before WWE Survivor Series: WarGames0 of 10
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CM Punk returns to the squared circle Saturday night at the Rogers Arena in Vancouver at Survivor Series: WarGames in the premium live event’s same-titled men’s match, his latest opportunity to add another classic contest to a resume brimming with them.
In advance of his latest in-ring appearance, and his first since conquering Drew McIntyre inside Hell in a Cell at Bad Blood on Oct. 5, relive these 10 must-see Punk matches and find out why they stand out from the rest.
10. Bash in Berlin 2024 vs. Drew McIntyre1 of 10
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After his emotions got the better of him and cost him victory against Drew McIntyre at SummerSlam, Punk and The Scottish Warrior ran it back at Bash in Berlin in a strap match.
The brutal affair saw both men’s bodies painted with welts, bruises and cuts, and it kept fans in Germany invested throughout. With the added drama of the winner having to touch all four corners in succession, and two expert storytellers bringing their own twists to an old concept, the bout exceeded all expectations and quickly became one of the best of the year.
Punk won and earned a measure of revenge against his tormentor, but it would not be the last time they squared off in their epic rivalry in 2024, nor is it their last appearance on this countdown.
9. WrestleMania 27 vs. Randy Orton2 of 10
Credit: WWE.com
Take two of the best wrestlers in the world, give them 15 minutes on The Grandest Stage of Them All, exclude all of the bells and whistles, and let them work their magic.
WWE did just that at WrestleMania 27 in April 2011 when Punk battled Randy Orton in the latest chapter of a rivalry that began at Elimination Chamber.
The Second City Saint worked Orton’s knee, looking to take his taller opponent’s size advantage away while doing all he could to avoid an RKO.
He succeeded for a while before deciding to take to the air for an ill-fated springboard clothesline that ended with him suffering the three most deadly letters in professional wrestling.
The Viper won the match, but it was the latest show-stealing effort from Punk, who made 2011 one of his finest years on record.
8. SummerSlam 2009 vs. Jeff Hardy3 of 10
Credit: WWE.com
An intense rivalry between Punk and Jeff Hardy, which featured the Superstars trading the World Heavyweight Championship back and forth in the summer of 2009, culminated at that year’s SummerSlam in a Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match.
Hardy’s death-defying spots, including a Swanton Bomb from the top of a ladder and through the announce table, mixed with unbridled physicality and Punk’s knack for in-ring storytelling, resulted in a match that was not as risky as others of the same type but equally as good.
A heel Punk won the match and the title, completing a breakout summer that proved he could be a top-tier performer for WWE, even if it took another two years for those in power to recognize it.
7. WWE Payback 2013 vs. Chris Jericho4 of 10
Credit: WWE.com
Punk and Chris Jericho had several matches against each other, but their best came in the middle of The Second City Saint’s best career year, 2013, in his hometown of Chicago at WWE Payback.
Punk overcame everything Jericho threw at him over the 21-minute contest, including a springboard clothesline attempt that his rival answered with a picture-perfect Codebreaker for a near-fall.
Like his opponent, Punk knew what to look for when and leveled Jericho with two consecutive Go To Sleeps to secure the victory.
It’s not the historically significant match that others on this list are, but it’s proof of the otherworldly level Punk was on that year and a reminder that two greats don’t have to have an overly complicated story to captivate fans.
6. Over the Limit 2012 vs. Daniel Bryan5 of 10
Credit: WWE.com
Two of the most respected and celebrated in-ring performers of their generation, champion and challenger arrived in Raleigh, North Carolina with the weight of expectation on their shoulders.
All they did was deliver a Match of the Year candidate, a technical wrestling match highlighting Daniel Bryan’s in-ring arsenal, putting Punk on the defensive.
Everything the WWE champion threw at the heel, Bryan answered with a counter or reversal. On more than one occasion, it looked like Punk’s run with the title would end at Over the Limit…until Bryan applied the Yes Lock.
Showing great situational awareness, Punk countered the hold into a pinfall and scored the victory, not so much winning as surviving.
5. WrestleMania 29 vs. The Undertaker6 of 10
Credit: WWE.com
On the heels of a two-year run that saw him silence his doubters by establishing himself as a legitimate main event guy in WWE, Punk took to the WrestleMania stage to challenge The Undertaker’s unbeaten streak in 2013.
Entering to a live performance of Living Colour’s “Cult of Personality” and performing in front of over 80,000 fans at MetLife Stadium, Punk seized the moment and turned in one of the best individual performances of his career.
He hung with The Deadman and convinced fans in East Rutherford, New Jersey that for a moment, he might just do the unthinkable and end the fabled streak.
However, Punk fell prey to the same Tombstone piledriver that felled countless others over 23 years, but he did etch his name in WrestleMania lore with a Match of the Year candidate and one of The Phenom’s best on the grandest stage.
4. Bad Blood 2024 vs. Drew McIntyre7 of 10
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The culmination of a year-long rivalry that saw each man test the other’s psyche with personal attacks and thwarted championship opportunities, Punk and McIntyre clashed inside Hell in a Cell and returned that gimmick to the violent war of attrition it once was.
Both competitors bled buckets, and their will to continue was stronger than their bodies’ willingness to at times. A scary bump off a missed Claymore by McIntyre on the ring steps led to Punk filling his mouth with the beads from a bracelet that had been at the center of the feud and delivering one last Go To Sleep to secure the victory.
A Match of the Year contender in 2024, it not only put an exclamation point on the best feud of the year but was also the latest example of Punk proving age is but a number and that master storytellers will always produce greatness.
3. WWE Raw vs. John Cena (February 25, 2013)8 of 10
Credit: WWE.com
Punk and John Cena had countless matches with each other entering the February 25, 2013 episode of WWE Raw. On that night, they battled for the right to challenge The Rock for the WWE Championship in the main event of WrestleMania 29.
What they did do was produce the best pure match of their rivalry, a dramatic back-and-forth that conveyed how well they knew each other between the ropes and forced them to produce new and inventive ways to beat each other.
Punk dipped into his vast knowledge of wrestling history to produce the same piledriver made famous by Jerry “The King” Lawler, but it was Cena breaking out a hurricanrana and adding the Attitude Adjustment that secured the win in the best TV match in modern wrestling history.
2. SummerSlam 2013 vs. Brock Lesnar9 of 10
Credit: WWE.com
David vs. Goliath is a formula that will continue to endure when executed properly, and Punk and Brock Lesnar delivered one of the best incarnations of that at SummerSlam 2013.
Lesnar rag-dolled Punk, overwhelming him with his size, strength and fury. Relying on the resiliency that had defined his career, The Second City Saint fought from underneath and appeared to be on his way to an upset win until the rage he had for former friend Paul Heyman diverted his attention.
Lesnar took advantage, delivered an F-5 on a steel chair and secured the win. Still, in a year in which he turned in his best work, Punk delivered another show-stealing performance.
1. Money in the Bank 2011 vs. John Cena10 of 10
Credit: WWE.com
Following his famous pipebomb promo that injected life into a stagnant pro wrestling industry and elevated him to the forefront of WWE, Punk rolled into his hometown of Chicago for a WWE Championship match with Cena at Money in the Bank in July 2011.
With the weight of the wrestling world on his shoulders to pay off the momentum he suddenly had on his side, The Best in the World delivered one of the greatest matches of all time with a man with whom he would forever be intertwined.
A gripping classic with dramatic near-falls, Punk’s promise to leave the company with the WWE title and a crowd as hot as any ever, it was as close to a perfect wrestling match as possible and the one that silenced doubters questioning his ability to excel as a main event competitor in wrestling’s most prominent promotion.
A screwy finish involving John Laurinaitis and Vince McMahon docked it ever so slightly, but not enough to erase the images of Punk beating Cena and absconding with the WWE Championship through the crowd and out the door as the show came to a close.
It was the seminal Punk match and moment.
