Debating the Best CM Punk Match of the Last Decade Ahead of AEW Return

This Saturday night, CM Punk will make his first televised appearance since the debacle following All Out last September.

Sometimes, it seems like we spend more time speculating about the Chicago native's return to the squared circle and what he brings to the table than his illustrious career. For seven years, one of the most controversial figures in pro wrestling became a coveted what-if as fans hoped to see him enter a ring again.

After all, The Second City Saint left WWE at the height of his popularity in 2014. Viewers rejoiced when he made his AEW two years ago at the United Center, but the mood around his latest return to the venue is decidedly mixed.

Over the past decade, Punk has inspired his share of fanatics and aroused the ire of just as many enemies and detractors. Nevertheless, the Ring of Honor Hall of Famers remains one of the most talked about wrestlers in the world.

For better or worse, he's still one of the most fascinating men in the industry even though his latest faux pas caused his mystique to die down a bit. This weekend, he will face his greatest rival, Samoa Joe, for the first time since their iconic ROH feud. In the meantime, let's revisit his best matches of the last ten years.

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The AEW Run So Far

Despite the controversy surrounding his backstage presence, Punk has mostly delivered since he debuted with AEW. His promos are still just as scathing and thought-provoking as usual, and he had great matches with new faces like Lee Moriarty, Powerhouse Hobbs, Daniel Garcia, and Dax Harwood.

There was so much pressure on his first pay-per-view bout in seven years. Nevertheless, he and Darby Allin put on a solid 16-minute performance in front of his faithful hometown crowd.

Still, his next two PPV matches proved that he was merely scratching the surface. Ahead of their encounter at AEW Full Gear in 2021, Punk and Eddie Kingston got into a personal war of words that brought out the closest glimpse at the unpredictable straight-edge star that we used to know up to that point.

Their backstage and in-ring segments were wildly entertaining, but their eventual showdown was much better than most of us expected. The Mad King quickly blindsided his opponent with a spinning back first, and it was off to the races.

Kingston has a knack for showing up in big matches like his incredible performance against Chris Jericho last year. Similarly, he brought the fight to Punk, but he eventually fell victim to the GTS.

Punk vs. Kingston was an early bright spot in his AEW run, but his feud with MJF was easily the best work he has done with the company. The two produced a pair of excellent matches together including their escape from the frigid Chicago winter on the Feb. 2 episode of Dynamite.

He and Friedman treated the crowd that braved the weather with a 38-minute masterclass of wrestling storytelling. Then, they upped the ante at Revolution in 2022 with a brutal dog collar match.

The Addition Financial Arena provided a tremendous atmosphere as Punk entered sporting an homage to his ROH ring gear. Even more, he dusted off his old theme song, AFI's "Miseria Cantare," to create one of the most memorable entrances of the year.

The 44-year-old proceeded to steal the show in the most anticipated match of the night. It was a violent culmination of months of incredible television and a satisfying second chapter of what could be a trilogy.

This was his best match with All Elite Wrestling. Hopefully, Punk and Friedman get another chance to create magic together as they seemed primed for a third installment at the end of All Out before the disastrous post-show scrum.

Speaking of which, it's a shame that the most embarrassing moment in the history of the company overshadowed a fantastic main event. That night, the two-time champion and Jon Moxley delivered an underrated gem for the AEW world title.

Photo credit: All Elite Wrestling

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The End of CM Punk's Time With WWE

Following a historic year-long reign as WWE champion, Punk was the hottest wrestler on the roster in 2013. Still, The Straight Edge surprisingly dropped the title to The Rock at Royal Rumble to set up a second "Once in a Lifetime" matchup with John Cena.

It was a shrewd business decision because the company garnered an astonishing buy rate of 1.2 million and set a new record for the highest-grossing WWE live event. However, it was still a disappointing end to Punk's tenure with the richest prize in pro wrestling.

Nonetheless, it didn't stop The Voice of the Voiceless from continuing to make an impact. After all, the self-proclaimed Paul Heyman guy competed in three of his most critically-acclaimed outings that year.

At WrestleMania 29, he attempted to end The Undertaker's streak in one of the highlights of The Phenom's stretch of classics at the event. In his final appearance at The Showcase of the Immortals, Punk ultimately lost to Taker, but the two decisively outperformed the main event.

A few weeks prior, he and Cena produced an instant classic on the Feb. 25 episode of Raw. Their clash of styles brings out the best in both men and this remarkable tv match was only second to their celebrated encounter at Money in the Bank in 2011.

They masterfully referenced their previous matches, countering each other's last-ditch efforts to earn a chance to face The Rock. Out of desperation, Punk executed a piledriver, which was banned in 2000.

The Leader of Cenation survived and famously pulled off a hurricanrana to set up the final blow and punch his ticket to WrestleMania. This unexpected high mark on the road to The Granddaddy of Them All had fans on the edge of their seats, but the best was still yet to come.

Punk's clash with Brock Lesnar at SummerSlam is still the peak of his last year with WWE. Honestly, he hasn't managed to top this amazing performance since his return in 2021.

We all enjoy watching The Beast Incarnate lock horns with another big behemoth every once in a while. Still, he's at his best when he works with smaller opponents who force him out of his comfort zone.

Lesnar is much better at selling an opponent's offense than most viewers think, and he proves it every time takes part in a hotly competitive match like this. Punk withstood everything Heyman's most well-known client could dish out and outmaneuvered him every time he got the chance.

Photo credit: WWE.com

There were enough submission holds, awe-inspiring reversals, and inventive spots in this match to ensure that it will have plenty of rewatch value for years to come. It isn't a stretch to say it's Punk's best showing of the last decade.

If he manages to tap into that gutsy, never-say-die approach again, it will be hard for even the most staunch critics to admonish him. The divisive star has a tough road ahead and his better years are arguably behind him.

He has performed well for AEW, but he hasn't reached the heights of his most productive years with WWE yet. Injuries and lingering bad habits have robbed him of time to end his career on a high note, but his certified banger with Lesnar proved that he thrives as an underdog.