WWE Classic of the Week: CM Punk vs. Chris Jericho from Payback 2013

The inaugural Payback pay-per-view featured a number of quality matches, including a Three Stages of Hell match between John Cena and Ryback for the WWE Championship and a very good Divas Championship match between AJ Lee and Kaitlyn.

On what was an excellent night of in-ring action, one match stood head and shoulders above the rest as the best on the card.

After months on the sidelines following a physical war with Undertaker at WrestleMania 29, CM Punk returned to his hometown of Chicago for a match against old rival Chris Jericho.

Two of the finest in-ring performers of their generation locked horns, determined to prove their greatness in a match that erased any doubts as to whether they could replicate the quality of their first series of contests.

With pride on the line, they set foot inside suburban Chicago's historic AllState Arena for the most anticipated bout of the night.

The Build

In 2012, Punk and Jericho engaged in a series of matches for the WWE Championship. While the title was at stake, the focus of each man was on proving that they were the Best in the World.

At consecutive pay-per-view extravaganzas, Punk staked his claim to that label, defeating Jericho in a brilliant wrestling match at WrestleMania XXVIII, then outlasting him in a grueling Chicago Street Fight a month later at Extreme Rules.

A year later, with their feud nonexistent, Jericho's determination to prove that he—not Punk—was the Best in the World fueled him to confront the Straight Edge Superstar's friend, Paul Heyman, on the May 27, 2013 episode of Raw.

Heyman accepted a challenge from Jericho on behalf of Punk, who had been missing in action after stepping away from the squared circle following a loss to Undertaker at WrestleMania.

It set the stage for a triumphant comeback that would see Punk return to his hometown, in front of his family, for what many felt would be an instant classic if both men brought their very best.

A week after accepting the challenge, Heyman met Jericho inside the ring again, this time for the official contract signing.

With no sighting of Punk, whether he would actually show up for the match, how he felt about Heyman accepting challenges for him and if he still had the burning desire to be the best remained unclear.

In his final warm-up for his latest match with Punk, Jericho battled Curtis Axel on the June 7 episode of SmackDown.

Thanks to some well-timed interference on the part of Heyman, using Punk's "Cult of Personality" theme song to distract Y2J, Axel was able to score the victory and allow Heyman's camp to roll into Payback with the mental edge over Jericho.

The Match

The Analysis

One thing Jericho and Punk have been able to translate in their matches with each other is how well one knows the other. Their contests typically feature a great deal of counter-wrestling and the trading of submissions, but they never venture into repetition.

Each match of theirs feels completely fresh and new, and that is a testament to the performers themselves.

Early in the contest, it looked like Punk was trying to shake off some rust, but by the time things got going, the match evolved into a tremendous one, with the two wrestlers proving why they were the best at what they did at the time.

Jericho catching Punk in midair with the Codebreaker off a top rope clothesline attempt was excellent, as was Punk delivering the GTS twice to finally put Y2J down.

This was a phenomenal match, a well-deserved homecoming for Punk and further proof of Jericho's ability to have an outstanding contest each and every time out—especially when he is motivated to do so with a great opponent.

That is why it was such a shame to see both Superstars go their separate ways, never to have another truly great match again after this.