The CM Punk Matches and Moments That Made Him a WWE Mega Star

For the uninitiated, the return of CM Punk in the closing moments of the Survivor Series pay-per-view may have left them puzzled as to what the big deal was.

He is not the biggest guy on the planet, does not have some awe-inspiring physique, nor does he have a look that stands out in a wrestling world where lots of guys have tattoos and attitudes.

For longtime fans who have watched his career rise through the indies, from the bottom up in WWE, and beyond, it was a return few thought they would ever see.

The Best in the World not only became a catchphrase but reflected the in-ring talents of a Superstar who overcame career frustration to cement his status as one of the top performers of his generation and when the creative in WWE no longer matched his efforts, he left.

Now back and ready to go on one last, great run that leaves no doubt about his legacy, he will have the opportunity to introduce an all-new generation of WWE fans to him and his in-ring offerings.

On the heels of the monumental Survivor Series comeback, these are the matches and moments that made him a megastar, listed in the order in which they occurred.

Punk Goes Extreme

WWE fans were first introduced to Punk via the rebooted ECW.

He was allowed to keep the name that fans recognized from his days in the indies while his character was one that fans could understand and relate to. It was a bare-bones presentation, but that was all it needed. Punk was a Straight Edge, tattooed pro wrestler.

The lack of over-the-top ridiculousness is probably why he was one of the few things that worked in those early days of the extreme brand.

His debut on the August 1, 2006 broadcast from New York's famed Hammerstein Ballroom saw him receive one of the loudest reactions of the entire show en route to what was essentially an enhancement victory over former ECW champion Justin Credible.

Simple and to the point, it was about as good a first impression as Punk could have made at that time and set him on a course toward bigger and better things in the company.

Even if there were a few bumps and roadblocks along the way.

Money in the Bank (Times Two)

At WrestleMania 24 in 2008, Punk shocked the wrestling world by winning Money in the Bank, an accomplishment few expected an ECW Superstar to achieve. Within three months, he would cash in, capitalizing on Batista's attack on World Heavyweight Champion Edge to win the title for the first time on the June 30 episode of Raw.

His run would be cut short that September, though, when he was jumped by Randy Orton and taken out of a pay-per-view main event, thus losing the gold without even getting to defend it.

It was the latest frustrating development for a guy who had seen every possible excuse for why he was not pushed as strongly or with as much conviction as possible from management.

He would get a second chance to run with the title, though, a year later when he once again won Money in the Bank.

This time, it was a tool to set up Punk's first heel run in the company as he cashed in on Jeff Hardy to win the same title for the second time and began criticizing The Charismatic Enigma for his flirtations with drugs and alcohol.

The two ladder match victories and the results of them would give Punk's most passionate fans hope that management did see a star in him even if they frustratingly put every possible hurdle in front of him to prevent the Chicago native from actually reaching his fullest potential.

The heel run that his second win gave way to was the strongest indication yet that management liked what they saw when the performer turned on his nasty side.

Tables, Ladders, and Chairs vs. Jeff Hardy (SummerSlam 2009)

Punk's first legitimately great match in WWE came at SummerSlam in 2009 when he challenged Jeff Hardy for the World Heavyweight Championship in a Tables, Ladders, and Chairs Match.

Limiting the high spots that had become staples of Hardy's appearances in the match type, the two delivered a physically punishing, hard-hitting encounter that showcased the babyface's uncharacteristic aggression and allowed Punk to show the world that he was a legitimate main event-caliber performer.

Punk would win that night, regaining a title he never should have lost following that initial cash-in, only to find himself on the receiving end of a surprise assault at the hands of a returning Undertaker to close the show out.

The less said about that feud with The Deadman, the better.

Happy Birthday, Dear Aliyah

In 2010, Punk underwent a drastic change in character built on the foundations of the Hardy feud. Leaning into his drug-free lifestyle, he became the leader of the Straight Edge Society and alongside Luke Gallows, Joseph Mercury, and Serena, terrorized Rey Mysterio and made the future Hall of Famer's life a living hell.

Nothing he did in that role was more creepy or unsettling, though than when he approached Rey's family and serenaded his young daughter on her birthday.

How he singled out Aliyah and turned the fairly innocent "Happy Birthday" song into a warning of sorts to his rival that no one in his family was safe, was a master stroke from a heel unafraid of generating as much heat as he possibly could.

It was the first of many journeys down the rabbit hole of the discomfort and controversy that the character would be responsible for.

Fans of Punk, though, reveled in the fact that the entire wrestling world was finally getting to see the performer their favorite wrestler could be when the restraints were loosened by WWE Creative.

The Pipe Bomb

By 2011, Punk watched his Straight Edge Society creation be beaten into the ground by WWE Creative until it was no longer recognizable as the entity he had proudly built.

He was frustrated that he had delivered the company an extraordinary act and watched them water it down to nothing, not to mention that he had watched less talented individuals bypass him for opportunities he believed he was deserving of, and as a result, he was more than ready to leave when his contract came up that summer.

WWE, recognizing his talent and connection with fans, wanted to keep him, and on the June 26 episode of Raw, gave him a live mic and the opportunity to voice his frustration.

The result was one of the most iconic promos in WWE history and the moment Punk made the jump from "sometimes main eventer" to undeniable top guy.

His words echoed the sentiments of fans who had watched the WWE product fall into a level of comfort and staleness that was no longer fun to partake in and that night, Punk gave it a much-needed shot of adrenaline.

It was a moment that not only launched the Chicago native into stardom but gave the company the jolt of life it desperately needed.

WWE Championship Match vs. John Cena (Money in the Bank 2011)

Just under two weeks after launching into a passionate promo that launched him into the stratosphere of professional wrestling reserved for the tippy-top stars, Punk arrived in his hometown of Chicago to challenge John Cena for the WWE Championship in one of the most anticipated matches of the 2010s.

With momentum on his side and an Allstate Arena full of rabid supporters, Punk delivered the performance of his career and together, he and Cena turned in a five-star instant classic that managed to live up to the lofty expectations.

Punk won the WWE title that night and took off through the crowd, blowing evil chairman Vince McMahon one last kiss as he threatened to take the top prize in the company with him wherever he was headed next.

The uncertainty surrounding Punk's contractual situation, and the energy in the arena, created an unforgettable environment that fueled both performers and led to the match's iconic stature.

Punk vs. Cena (Raw, February 25, 2013)

Cena and Punk had extraordinary in-ring chemistry.

As different as they were as men and performers, and as polar as their ideals may have been, they had a penchant for creating unforgettable matches and moments whenever they shared the ring.

In February of 2013, with a shot at The Rock's WWE Championship and a spot in the WrestleMania 29 main event on the line, they delivered another instant classic that does not get nearly enough love a decade later.

Two competitors very familiar with each other, threw everything they had at one another but were unable to keep the other down. Then, the typically grounded Cena broke out a hurricanrana that stunned Punk and set up the Attitude Adjustment that would cash the babyface's ticket to WrestleMania.

Even at a time when frustration was once again mounting for Punk as he saw his chance to headline the biggest show of the year disintegrate, he did not allow it to adversely affect his work and the result was another Match of the Year candidate with the measuring stick in the industry.

Punk vs. The Undertaker (WrestleMania 29)

Speaking of matches with measuring sticks in WWE, Punk squared off with The Undertaker at WrestleMania 29 in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

The latest Superstar to try and break The Deadman's legendary unbeaten streak on the grandest stage in professional wrestling, it was an incredible opportunity for him, even if Punk believed (and rightfully so) that the contest should have been the main event.

Driven to prove he was right and that he belonged in the same ring as the legendary competitor on the show that Undertaker had become synonymous with, Punk overcame lingering injuries to deliver another superb in-ring performance.

Punk delivered what was the last truly great Undertaker match on the WrestleMania stage and in the process, reaffirmed that he was one of the handful of great, main event-worthy competitors in the company. More impressively, he did it out of spite and anger for his position on the card given all that he had accomplished in the two years prior.

If the Cena matches and the historic year-plus-long reign as WWE champion that had preceded the match solidified him as a main event star, this match reiterated it.

No Disqualification Match vs. Brock Lesnar (SummerSlam 2013)

On the heels of a shocking betrayal by Paul Heyman, Punk found himself feuding with Brock Lesnar in a program that culminated at the 2013 SummerSlam pay-per-view in a No Disqualification Match.

The brutal, physical, hard-hitting affair tested Punk's toughness and resiliency as he was beaten down and tossed around the squared circle with reckless abandon by the larger, punishing Lesnar.

A cerebral worker, he took advantage of every opening and late in the match, even appeared to be en route to a win that would have been considered unlikely through the first half of the contest.

A later distraction from Paul Heyman, though, spoiled his pursuit of the upset and allowed Lesnar to win the match with a brutal F-5 onto a steel chair.

The match was a brilliant chess match between David and Goliath that played to both men's strengths and had the fans in Los Angeles hanging on every spot and near-fall. It told a story and was, without question, Lesnar's best match since his return a year earlier.

It was also Punk's last great match of his initial WWE run.

Beaten down, banged up, angry, and frustrated creatively, he would leave the company the following January and not return for nearly a full decade.

An Earth-Shattering Return (Survivor Series 2023)

Fans unfamiliar with CM Punk were introduced to the Straight Edge Superstar at the 2023 Survivor Series, when he stunned the wrestling world and received one of the loudest sustained reactions in WWE history as he stepped through the curtain and back into familiar territory.

It had been a long, bumpy road back to the company but one that instantly paid off, becoming the most viral moment in WWE history and an unforgettable one.

Where the road takes him from there is still as of yet to be determined but there is no denying that fans generations from now will relive the moment and tell their kids and grandkids where they were when their favorite wrestler came "home."