WWE: Why CM Punk Has the Best Gimmick in WWE History

White Division

Muzzy Daud vs TC Vreeland

Best gimmick in WWE history not named Undertaker

Muzzy Daud's article here

I'm not really sure why we had to include the "not named Undertaker" part in the topic of this competition.  Quite frankly, as far as gimmicks go, The Undertaker is pretty terrible.

Take a look at him. Whether you take the "Deadman" or the "American Bad Ass" gimmick, you end up with a hokey character that just doesn't feel real to anyone.  In order to have a successful gimmick, it must be one that the fans truly believe in; one that the fans will either cheer for day in and day out, or one that they despise with every ounce of hate in their body.  And although the fans can truly get behind and support their favorite superstars, there is no more powerful feeling than the felling of hatred.

That is why CM Punk has the best gimmick in WWE History.

Though he has changed very little about the original gimmick that he used when he first arrived in WWE back in 2006, Punk was not always the superstar with the best gimmick in WWE. In order to achieve that status; he had to undergo a heel turn. 

He debuted on ECW with the same straight-edge lifestyle gimmick he had used for years in ROH, one that mirrors how he lives each day in real life. However, being a face with the straight-edge superstar gimmick gave Punk relatively little to work with, and it simply wasn't as effective as it could have been.

That all changed at Extreme Rules in 2009, when CM Punk cashed in his second Money in the Bank briefcase on the fan-favorite champion, and newly crowned World Heavyweight Champion, Jeff Hardy. 

Finally, Punk had something to work with.  As a heel, Punk would claim to be better than Jeff Hardy due to his drug-free lifestyle, a way of life that Jeff Hardy would never be accused of living.  Even though you would think that someone living without alcohol, tobacco or drugs would be considered a model citizen, Punk was still looked upon as the bad guy for calling out Jeff Hardy's lifestyle.  Many times, Punk would proudly bash Jeff Hardy and Hardy's fans, claiming to be better than everyone else, smiling as he accepted each and every "boo" and "you suck" that was thrown at him.

Shortly after defeating Jeff Hardy in a "Loser Leaves WWE" match and ridding the company of a drug-addicted mess, CM Punk started what was one of the most creative and hated groups in WWE, The Straight Edge Society.

Punk started the SES after claiming that he had converted Luke Gallows, who was formerly known as the mentally challenged wrestler Festus, to the straight-edge lifestyle, thus ridding him of all his mental troubles. 

Punk continued to spread the word of the straight-edge lifestyle, converting members of the audience who would enter the ring and have their heads shaved, symbolically ridding their bodies of the drugs that were previously destroying their lives.  It was during one of these conversion sessions where Punk found a new member of the SES, Serena.

Punk took on the additional gimmick of a cult-like savior, even receiving comparisons to Jesus in the way he let his hair, beard and chest hair grow out.  He claimed that he could save anyone from a life of filth and decay if they converted to the straight-edge lifestyle. 

He went as far as to give several sermon-type lectures during matches where there was a break in the action. One of the best versions of this came at the 2010 Royal Rumble (see video), where he tossed superstar after superstar and continued to claim that his lifestyle choice made him better than everyone else.

Punk was so hated during his time with the Straight Edge Society that he was involved in several fan altercations.  At one house show, an elderly woman reached out and slapped Punk, telling him that "you're not Jesus."  Punk took it in stride, genuflected, made the sign of the cross and continued on his way to the ring.

Punk was also involved in a fan altercation with a young fan, who Punk was instigating at a WWE Live event.  Punk told the 10-year-old boy to slap him in the face repeatedly, which he did, only to have Punk grab the young fan by the shirt, claiming that the fan had scratched him in the eye.  Though this was based more in real-life, it no doubt contributed to the hatred that the fans had towards him.

If you are evil enough to get these sort of reactions from the fans, even at house shows, you have to have one of the most powerful gimmicks in WWE.  Punk has proved time and time again that he can portray one of the most evil characters in WWE history.

Punk was also involved in a feud with Rey Mysterio, which brought Mysterio's children into the picture.  Punk sang happy birthday to Mysterio's daughter Aliyah and claimed that he wanted to fight Mysterio in front of his family.  It was one of Punk's most evil moments.

Currently, Punk is in the midst of one of the biggest feuds of this year.  If you haven't seen or at least heard of what happened on last week's edition of Monday Night Raw, I suggest you take moment and click here.  What you are about to witness is pure magic on the mic.

So after all of this, why should you believe me when I tell you that CM Punk has the best gimmick in WWE history?  After all, what is so special about it?

What makes CM Punk so unique is the fact that he has taken his own lifestyle and turned it into such a powerful character, as opposed to portraying someone completely different than who he truly is. 

He wasn't a school teacher who became a monster in the ring because Vince thought it would make a good storyline.  He didn't develop a persona in WWE and become an egomaniac who still thinks that he is the same relevant character he was 20 years ago.  CM Punk is his own character; the same one you see on television is the same one you will meet on the street.

Sure, he probably takes his heel remarks on television farther than he might actually feel, but CM Punk has said it before, and he'll say it again...

"I'm Better Than You."

CM Punk is such a great character because he believes that he is better than all of us.  Quite frankly, we all probably do too.