Wrestling: 10 Biggest Surprises and 10 Biggest Disappointments of 2010

After a disappointing review of my last slideshow by veteran writers here, I decided to go back to the drawing board and follow up with something new, something never done before on the B/R. After weeks of seemingly fresh ideas, many of which were too similar to others, I was lost in the crowd.

After posting the weekly Drive With Rize, one of the most prominent writers on the B/R sparked a fire within me and gave me the idea for this slideshow. Thanks, A.Version 2.0.

No one on the B/R would've predicted that 2010 would be the rise of the mid-carder. Some superstars have made triumphant returns to the squared circle. Others have finally reached the summit. After being held back their whole careers, some have branched out.

Finally, the Rookies have the spotlight. Guys we had never heard of before last year are taking the places of veterans. But while they rise, others fall.

Former World Champions have slowly turned into jobbers for the up-and-comers. While there is no apparent reason for their swift fall from the top spot, it's easy to see they won't be reigning over the WWE any time soon.

Management has made it PURE HELL for some of the guys. But let's begin on a positive note with the top 10 surprises: the superstars that truly broke out.

10. Dolph Ziggler

How things change. Last year Dolph Ziggler was in the chase for the Intercontinental title, taking part in some of the best matches of 2009.

Despite more than a couple title opportunities, Ziggler could never pull off the win. Somehow John Morrison and Rey Mysterio held on to the IC Championship, due largely to the fact that Mysterio never wanted to relinquish the title to Ziggler.

At the beginning of 2010, Ziggler's future with WWE seemed very dim. He was losing most of his matches. He participated in the "Money in the Bank" at Mania but didn't come close to securing the honor. Then along came Mrs. Eddie Guerrero.

Much like Edge before him, Ziggler's career was dramatically effected by Guerrero. Being the consultant for Smackdown, she quickly drove Dolph to the Intercontinental title picture. After defeating reigning champion Kofi Kingsto, numerous times, he finally got his title match.

With a little help from Guerrero, Dolph got the better of Kingston, finally receiving the title which has so long alluded him.

Now the idea of Ziggler becoming the WWE Champion doesn't seem so far-fetched. With his relationship with Vickie in jeopardy, it may be only a matter of time before he is in the main event scene.

Sooner or later it will be, "Hi I'm Dolph Ziggler, World Heavyweight Champion."

9. Jay Lethal

Arguably the hottest young wrestler in professional wrestling today, Lethal was still parading around in that ridiculous Macho Man gimmick last year. He was tagging with the equally talented Consequences Creed.

They challenged unsuccessfully for the TNA Tag team championships on multiple occasions. 

Lethal seemed to be heading toward the unemployment line with Sonjay Dutt. That's where Hulk Hogan and Eric Bischoff came in—they were very high on Lethal and immediately had him drop the Machismo gimmick.

His partner Creed was released from his TNA contract, and Lethal's push as a singles competitor resumed. He entered a feud with the Nature Boy, Ric Flair a few months back.  Defeating  AJ Styles, Kaz, and even Flair himself has taken Lethal to a whole new level.

Like Ziggler, Lethal may be only a short time away from the main event scene. He's the current X Division Champion, and he's improving with every week.

8. Cody Rhodes

The Dashing One, Cody Rhodes. Last year Rhodes was Randy Orton's lacky, as he had been Triple H's in Evolution. He played a major role in Orton's three WWE title reigns last year. But around the time the Royal Rumble approached, he and Dibiase became more rebellious against Orton.

He cost Orton the WWE title on two separate occasions before he got punted in the head at Mania. Rhodes disappeared for a while until he was drafted to Smackdown.

An obvious blue chipper, Rhodes debuted on Smackdown by defeating the Shaman, John Morrison. After the WWE Divas voted Rhodes the most handsome WWE Superstar, he became obsessed with his appearance, referring to himself as "Dashing" Cody Rhodes. 

Obviously it worked—he defeated the likes of Christian, Matt Hardy and even Kofi Kingston. His promo ability began to strengthen with his new found conceitedness, and with Drew McIntyre, is now the current WWE Tag Team Champion.

Rhodes will obviously be a World Champion in the future. And they said Dibiase would do better than him...

7. Kane

The World Heavyweight Champion. The Big Red Monster. After almost 13 years, he is finally at the top of the WWE. What's a list about stars that broke out without this guy? It's been a long road to the title for Kane, but he's FINALLY Champion.

In case you didn't know, Kane's last World Title reign lasted less than 24 hours. Ever since he has taken the back seat to guys like Austin, Hunter and The Undertaker.

Last year was like any usual year for Kane. The most shocking thing he did was slap around Khali a few times. Nothing special. At Wrestlemania he competed in the MITB match only to lose...again. After that he appeared on Smackdown sporadically for singles competitions.

That is until the Undertaker was found in a "vegetative" state. Kane went on a rampage, destroying almost all his opponents, changing the blame almost every single week. As the "Money in the Bank" pay-per-view approached it seemed Kane was just going to be a stepping stone... again.

But no, Kane won the Ladder match. Later on in the evening, Rey Mysterio defeated Jack Swagger to retain his World Championship. After Swagger attacked Rey again, Kane saved him, chasing Swagger to the back only to return moments later with the briefcase, easily defeating Mysterio to become World Champion. 

Now look at Kane. He's defeated his brother, Undertaker, twice in a row. He's cutting some of the most terrifying promos every week, and to top it off his title reign lasted longer than a day this time.

6. Kaval

NXT Season 2 Winner, Kaval.

The Warrior competed for TNA for years as Low Ki before signing with the WWE in 2008. After a few dark matches on Smackdown, Kaval was officially sent down to FCW. He was supposed to debut on Smackdown, sparking a feud with Rey Mysterio.

However, a leg injury in early 2009 kept him sidelined until October, wrestling only a few dark matches before returning to FCW.

Kaval defeated the likes of Bryan Danielson, Wade Barrett, Michael Tarver and Alberto Del Rio before being called for NXT Season 2.

Like Danielson before him, Kaval was an obvious favorite because of his prior wrestling history. His in-ring style caught the attention of the WWE Universe and was voted No.1 in every Pro's poll except one.

Belittled and embarrassed by LayCool, Kaval's win-loss record on NXT proved to be his downfall in that poll. After putting on some of the most exciting matches on the show, he unsurprisingly won the competition, guaranteeing him a title opportunity.

And all of this in a few months.

Now when it comes to World Title qualifications, some say Kaval's size works against him. Shawn Michaels overcame the same factor to become the WWE Champion, though.

Why can't the Warrior?

5. Wade Barrett

The Leader of Nexus, Wade Barrett. This man has truly broken out this year. Around this time last year, Barrett was still wrestling down in FCW. Having signed with the WWE in late 2007, Barrett debuted in Ohio Valley Wrestling until they parted ways with the WWE.

He was placed on teams with Drew McIntyre and Paul Burchill on numerous occasions, becoming a multiple time tag team champion before he began working as a commentator. Then he was called up for NXT.

Debuting on NXT Season 1, Barrett, along with the other rookies, were undoubtedly overlooked by fans because of Daniel Bryan—but the Brawler didn't disappoint. 

He held the win-loss record until Gabriel overtook him, came in at No. 1 in almost every pro's poll excluding the first, and to top it off he had Chris Jericho as his pro. What more could he ask for?

After Daniel Bryan was eliminated from the competition, the winner seemed inevitable. Wade easily overtook Gabriel and Otunga to win the first season.

Barrett has already pinned Randy Orton and John Cena, the faces of the WWE. Not many can say they've achieved that honor. Remember, this is all in Wade's first year as a WWE Superstar.

He's got the size, mic ability and is a devastating finisher. The only thing missing is the WWE Title. Sunday awaits Barrett. 

You're wondering why I alluded to the Nexus? Well.....

4. The Nexus

One moment they were a bunch of rookies on NXT Season 1. Now they're one of the most dominant stables in WWE history. Like so many have said a thousand times before, last year we didn't know who they were. Now they're the hottest angle in the WWE.

With multiple attacks on every single WWE Superstar, they've kept John Cena out of the title picture, costing him his WWE Title on two different occasions. 

Half of it's original members have been exiled or gone down with an injury. Skip Sheffield suffered a severe leg injury sidelining him for the next few months, and Daniel Bryan..well you know the story.

Darren Young was the group's weak link and was exiled after a loss to John Cena.

Michael Tarver was beat down by John Cena, though he was ultimately removed due to an injury. But one man makes up for all three:

John Cena.

Cena is a part of The Nexus. Unless it folds, he will continue to be.

As for the future, I don't see them going past December. Gabriel and Barrett are indeed destined for the main event. The others... not so much.

Either way, The Nexus has definitely left their mark on the WWE in 2010.

3. Rob Van Dam

What's this list without the Whole F'n Show?  Van Dam has had undoubtedly the best first year in TNA History. Around this time last year, Van Dam was still working in the Indys. He had left the WWE in 2006 after being held back for the better part of a decade.

RVD made his shocking debut by beating the Icon Sting in a few seconds after weeks of denying his signing with TNA.

At first, RVD's time in TNA seemed to be very similar to his beginnings in WWE which left most of his fans wondering if he would ever hold the TNA Title.

After branching out of the Hogan/Flair feud, Van Dam quickly set his sights on the TNA Title. Defeating former foe Jeff Hardy in a number one contenders match, RVD once again defied the odds, besting AJ Styles in a title match.

RVD began a wave of momentum afterwards, defeating AJ Styles, Samoa Joe and Abyss on numerous occasions. He hadn't lost a match. After contract issues, TNA wrote him off television and stripped him of the TNA Title.

Van Dam returned a few weeks back, and once again defeated Abyss only to have Jeff Hardy betray TNA. RVD has set his sights on the TNA Title, and it will only be a matter of time before he regains it.

2. Daniel Bryan

The American Dragon, the U.S. Champion, has faced so many obstacles this year. But Bryan rose above them all and is on the ride of his life. Last year Bryan was still in the Independent scene until being signed by WWE in August.

After wrestling a few dark matches on RAW, Bryan asked to be sent to FCW to get off the "ring rust." He lost his debut to the equally talented Kaval.

Bryan's time in FCW was indeed brief. Called up to the main roster for NXT Season 1. Undoubtedly overshadowing all of his competition, Bryan finished No.1 on the pro's poll, despite having a win-loss record of 0-5.

During his time on NXT, he was belittled by Miz and Michael Cole. Ultimately, Bryan was eliminated from the competition, though Bryan still appeared on NXT, attacking Michael Cole and shoving down the Miz. He even defeated Mr. Awesome on a episode of RAW.

When NXT ended, we all wondered where the Dragon would go from there. That is until the first Nexus attack when he destroyed John Cena, and everyone around ringside. During the attack, Bryan spit in Cena's face and choked announcer Justin Roberts with his tie.

For some reason, WWE didn't think it fit the "PG" standard. Someone with a lot of "pull" within the WWE believed it reminded fans of Chris Benoit. Bryan was later released from his contract. This outraged longtime Bryan fans and even upset current WWE Fans. They chanted his name at WWE pay-per-views. The WWE couldn't ignore how popular Bryan had become. Though his return seemed unlikely, Bryan returned to the WWE at Summerslam.

There he dominated his former Nexus cohorts before being attacked by the Miz.

After a number of weekly attacks on each other, Bryan challenged the Miz for his title at Night of Champions. Bryan defeated the Miz with the Lebell Lock to win his first major title in the WWE.

Can Daniel Bryan become World Champion? Definitely.

1. The Miz

Who would've ever thought that big mouth punk from the Real World would ever be close to becoming the WWE Champion? He was a reality star. He was an absolutely horrible wrestler. But through all our criticism, he improved.

Last year, Miz began by facing John Cena. It really didn't do anything for him, as Cena squashed him in every match. He was then fired from RAW after losing to Cena again. Returning to RAW the next week as the Calgary Kid, he won a WWE Contract from Eugene.

Debuting a new theme, finisher, and wrestling attire, it seemed the Miz was finally on the right track. After numerous title opportunities against U.S. Champion Kofi Kingston, he finally beat him in a match on RAW.

Then forming ShoMiz with Big Show, they won the Unified Tag Team titles from DX. After being overlooked at Wrestlemania and becoming a paper Champion for rarely defending his title, Miz sparked a feud with the Harts. He eventually lost his titles to Bret Hart and the Hart Dynasty.

Later he regained the title from R-Truth in a four-way match, and he began to develop a mean streak. At the same time, setting his sights on the WWE Title, he won the MITB Briefcase after tossing the Viper off a ladder. His feud with Daniel Bryan eventually cost him the U.S. Title.

The Miz has accomplished so much this year but has yet to win the WWE Title. It's only a matter of time.

10. John Morrison

From one member of the Dirt Sheet Duo to the other. John Morrison has undoubtedly disappointed all of us in 2010. Our Golden Boy has yet to achieve the goals we set for him. Last year it seemed as if Morrison was only a few short months from claiming the World Title.

He defeated the then World Champion CM Punk two times in a row. He was featured in great matches with Edge, Shelton Benjamin and Umaga. The future seemed bright for JoMo. Morrison then received a World Title match against Jeff Hardy.

After a decent showing, even kicking out a Swanton, Morrison ultimately lost to Hardy. After that, Morrison was dropped out of the title picture into a IC Title match with Rey Mysterio. Arguably one of the best matches of the year, Morrison topped the Ultimate Underdog with Starship Pain.

Oh how all of his fans were excited. He was holding a second tier title. However, I was disappointed and saw what was coming: Drew McIntyre.

Morrison lost his title to Drew and was bested by him numerous times afterwards. Really, WWE? Really. After that Morrison dropped down to the lower mid-card.

Now he's on RAW, lost in the mix, used as a jobber multiple times to Nexus. He was defeated by Dibiase Jr. on numerous occasions and was stuck teaming with R-Truth again. The future seemed dim for JoMo. But then he got placed in a match with Y2J.

He bested the Savior and eliminated him from Night of Champions. Afterwards he had an awesome showing against WWE Champion, Sheamus. They even began displaying his parkour.

That's great, but not enough to keep him off this list.

9. Kofi Kingston

Perhaps no other young superstar's light shined as bright as Kofi Kingston's. He was on one hell of a roll last year, winning the U.S. Title from MVP. Kingston and defending it against all challengers, winning at four straight pay-per-views. 

Then he dropped it to The Miz on RAW. No one would've predicted where he would go from there. After defeating Y2J on RAW, Randy Orton tossed Kofi Kingston off the stage, blaming him for his loss to John Cena at Bragging Right.

No one would've predicted that Kingston would retaliate, but indeed he did, destroying RKO's new nascar before covering it with paint. Over the next few weeks, they were placed as Team Captains on Survivor Series. Once again, Kingston shocked us all.

With all of his members being eliminated, Kingston was left alone with CM Punk and Randy Orton. After a crossbody and a quick Trouble in Paradise, Kingston shocked the WWE Universe, pinning the former World Champion and WWE Champion.

Kingston continued his feud with Orton, including his unforgettable destruction of Orton in MSG. Orton came out on top in the end. 

A number one's contender match on RAW ended Kingston's rise to the top. After a mistake in the ring, and Orton complaining to Management, Kofi was pushed back down to the mid-card. Though he competed in RAW's Elimination Chamber, he only managed to pin Ted Dibiase before being eliminated by Sheamus.

Drafted to Smackdown, Kofi started out phenomenally, besting Dolph Ziggler and Christian in a tournament for the IC Title, though Drew took it back because of McMahon. Kofi defeated Drew at Over the Limit to begin his title reign.

Successfully defending against Drew two more times, he eventually lost to him in a non-title match. He was entered in the Smackdown MITB Match but lost to Kane.

Losing his title to Ziggler after multiples matches, Kingston began to show a mean streak—destroying Dolph after a slap to the face from Vicky. After Vicky cost him the title, he destroyed Dolph, again. The feud continued, with no match ending in a clean win for either until Dolph beat Kingston at Night of Champions.

This year has been up and down for Kofi. Like Morrison before him, some of the impressive things he has done can't exclude him from this list. He has yet to break into the upper card.

8. Ted Dibiase

Personally, I'm really disappointed by this guy. Dibiase was obviously the better part of Legacy, but for some strange reason, he's been stuck with his Dad's gimmick and has been used for comic relief multiple times.  Last year, he was Orton's lacky.

Basically helping him win the WWE Title three times in a row, Dibiase grew rebellious against Orton over time eventually pinning him in the Elimination Chamber match. 

We were all delighted by what was transpiring. For months we had been hearing Dibiase turning face for the release of the Marine 2. But it never came to fruition. After being destroyed by Randy at Wrestlemania, Dibiase started using his Dad's gimmick, even bringing back Virgil. What a waste.

He was entered into small feuds with John Morrison and R-Truth before both abruptly ended. Adding Maryse as his manager/GF, he was entered into the RAW MITB but lost when The Miz pulled the briefcase down.

Now he's chasing Goldust for his Million Dollar Title.

Not what we all expected for Dibiase.

7. Desmond Wolfe

The Indies star Nigel McGuinness certainly made an impactful debut on TNA, destroying the Olympic Gold Medalist time after time and almost lmost decapitating him with a lariat. Wolfe's future seemed bright. We all predicted he'd be World Champion in no time.

Well things changed, dramatically. He entered a feud with The Pope, but in the end lost to him in a number one contenders tournament. He joined Ric Flair against Hulk Hogan and Abyss. Even challenging Styles for his title in a four way match.

Styles unsurprisingly retained his title, and Wolfe went on to Team Flair for Lethal Lockdown. Team Flair lost when Wolfe was pinned by Abyss. In a shocker, Wolfe was voted No.1 in a Championship ranking system. Despite being a heel, fans voted him No.1 ahead of Mr. Anderson, Jeff Hardy, Sting and Kurt Angle.

He received a title match with RVD but lost decisively. Things went downhill from there. He entered into a feud with Abyss, whom he lost to at two straight pay-per-views.

Officially on jobber status, Wolfe continued his string of losses following a match with Jay Lethal. Being left out of Fourtune by Ric Flair, Wolfe began teaming with Brutus Magnus.

London Brawling were set to take on MCMG at No Surrender, but Wolfe pulled out due to a undisclosed medical issue. He will be sidelined for months.

How far this guy has fallen—now it's talk of retirement.

6. Christian

A man that truly deserves to be World Champion, Captain Charisma himself, Christian. Last year Christian was the most dominant ECW Champion in its WWE History. He had multiple title reigns. and defeated every single challenger to his title.

From Jack Swagger to Ezekiel Jackson, Christian beat 'em all. I, along with everyone else, foresaw ECW's impending destruction and predicted Christian would be in the World Title picture in no time. When he was drafted to Smackdown! earlier this year, I expected him to begin his meteoric rise to the top.

But it never happened. Vince McMahon evidently has a problem with WWE talent who left for TNA. Management's treatment of Christian and Gail Kim epitomizes this.

Instead of challenging for the World Title like he should've, he was stuck in a tournament for the second Tier title, ultimately losing.

After some small feuds with Cody Rhodes and Drew McIntyre, it seemed that Christian couldn't catch a break. A small rivalry with Alberto Del Rio lead him nowhere except the hospital. Sidelined for almost four months, Christian has fallen hard.

We all hope for a triumphant return in the mold of Edge or John Cena, with the exclamation point being a Royal Rumble win—not if Vince McMahon says so,though.

5. Samoa Joe

The Samoan Submission Machine. Joe has had an absolutely horrible year thus far. Last year Joe was a heel under his Nation of Violence gimmick.  He joined the Main Event Mafia and dominated everyone set in front of him like he has always done.

Entering various feuds with the likes of Sting, AJ Styles, Homicide and Bobby Lashley and even taking part in the rematch of the decade, AJ Styles vs Samoa Joe vs Daniels, he lost to AJ once again. After winning the feast or fired briefcase, Joe disappeared from TNA television for weeks.

He returned after AJ Styles turned heel to challenge him for the World Title. Once again, Joe lost. Over the next few weeks he lost multiple matches to Anderson, Wolfe and Orlando Jordan.

What a shame.

He was then abducted by members in a van. Joe returned two months later. For some stupid reason, TNA never gave an explanation to why and who abducted Joe. Figures.

Joe had indeed become a stepping stone for guys like RVD and Hardy. Though he returned to his winning ways with wins over AJ Styles and Hernandez., he was later suspended for an outburst on the TNA Production Crew for giving away the finish to his match with Jeff Hardy.

This is how TNA treats their most dominant wrestler?

Joe's future in TNA seems very dim.

4. Evan Bourne

The most misused talent in WWE right now, Evan Bourne. This guy is super talented, but ever since joining the RAW Roster he has been degraded to jobber status. A win on Superstars here and there doesn't make up for Bourne's treatment on RAW.

His time on ECW was plagued by a leg injury, but he was better utilized by management there, receiving a ECW Title match against Matt Hardy, pinning former Champion Mark Henry and winning a slammy award for Best Finisher.

Bourne never did anything special on RAW, besides qualifying for the MITB ladder match. He was so close to winning but instead dove off the ladder onto Christian. Bourne soon continued his jobber status by losing matches to Sheamus, Zack Ryder, and The Miz.

Before the Fatal Four Way pay-per-view, Bourne challenged Edge for his spot in the WWE Title match. Later in the night, he pinned Sheamus in a tag team match.

It seemed Bourne was finally on his way up the card. He defeated Y2J at Fatal Four Way and was announced as a participant in the RAW MITB Ladder match.

After swift losses to the Miz and Sheamus, it was apparent that Bourne's push was indeed over. He was dropped into a tag team with Mark Henry, until being sidelined with an shoulder injury.

Wasted talent.

3. AJ Styles

This is supposed to be the face of TNA? Don't get me wrong AJ started out 2010 incredibly. He was the TNA World Champion, defeating Kurt Angle multiple times. He turned heel and had the Nature Boy managing him. He was the longest reigning Champion in TNA history.

He retained he title in bouts with Samoa Joe, Abyss and The Pope, but one move by TNA Management turned it all around for AJ. He lost the title to Rob Van Dam. It made AJ look like a paper champion. RVD had already partaken in a match with Hardy earlier in the evening.

AJ challenged Van Dam for the Title at Sacrifice but once again fell to the Whole F'n Show. After dropping out of the World Title picture, Styles feuded with Kazarian and Jay Lethal. Kaz was being molded as Flair's new protege because of Styles' shortcomings against RVD.

Lethal was Flair's biggest foe at the time, and he lost multiple matches to Lethal. 

Styles and Kaz were inserted into Flairs Fourtune, and he quickly won back the Global Championship, renaming it the TNA Television Title.

He entered a feud with EV2 afterward, dominating them at every turn before losing to them in a Lethal Lockdown match.

AJ Styles is quickly dropping down the card. Maybe TNA is trying to establish a new Face?

2. Jack Swagger

Like Styles, Swagger was having one hell of a 2010. He surprisingly won the MITB Ladder match at Wrestlemania, quickly seizing the opportunity by attempting to cash in on John Cena before Cena almost locked the STF in on him.

Swagger saved the briefcase for another time. Smackdown! World Champion Chris Jericho was already in rough shape due to his match with Edge at Wrestlemania. A spear through the barricade didn't help either. After refusing to give Edge a rematch, Edge speared him again.

Swagger knocked Edge out with the briefcase, before dropping Y2J with a Gutwrench Powerbomb to win the World Title.

After almost a whole year of jobbing to others, Swagger made a meteoric comeback and was on top as the World Champion. At the same time, Swagger's demeanor began to change. The usual smile accompanied by the push-ups were gone.

He successfully defended the World Title in a Triple Threat match with Edge and Jericho. While on RAW, he was being dominated by the Viper which lead up to a matchup at Extreme Rules, where Swagger finally defeated Orton.

Swagger's next task was the Big Show. He lost to Show after intentionally getting himself dq'd.  Next step, the Ultimate Underdog. Rey, Punk and Show challenged Swagger for the title at Fatal Four Way. Mysterio pinned Swagger after a 619.

Downhill Swagger went. Even after injuring Rey with his ankle lock, Mysterio still defeated him at Money in the Bank to retain. Afterwards Swagger lost to Mysterio, MVP,and Kofi Kingston on many occasions,cementing his status as a mid-carder.

For Swagger to rise so fast and then fall so hard is amazing. 

1. CM Punk

You wanna talk about disappointing? Look no further than the Straight Edge Messiah, CM Punk. 2010 has been pure hell for CM Punk. Last year Punk was on top of the world. He had won his second straight MITB Ladder match at Wrestlemania.

Drafted to Smackdown and entering a feud with Umaga, he became one of the few men to defeat him during his WWE Tenure. Punk was on a role. He had already been World Champion, and he had a sure fire Title Reign in his hands.

The Sky was the limit for Punk. 

He surprisingly cashed in his MITB on Jeff Hardy. Both being faces at the time, most of his fans were upset over his decision. Slowly showing signs of a heel turn, Punk lost the World Title to Hardy at Night of Champions. He delivered a vicious beatdown on Hardy, cementing his heel status.

His mic skill had dramatically improved. With everyone aware of Hardy's impending departure, it was only a matter of time before he regained the World Title. He did just that at Summerslam last year. Immediately afterwards, he entered a feud with the Undertaker.

By this time, Punk was the most hated Superstar on the WWE Roster. We all knew Taker was going to reclaim the World Title. After a screwy lost to Punk at Breaking Point, Undertaker quickly dominated Punk at Hell in a Cell to win the World Title.

This started the downward spiral of CM Punk. He started the Straight Edge Society. Doomed from the start, the SES added Serena and Luke Gallows to the mix. He then entered a feud with Rey Mysterio, who he blamed for not winning the World title in the Elimination Chamber.

Rey destroyed Punk at Wrestlemania, leading to a rematch at Extreme Rules with Punk's hair on the line. With an assist from a masked assailant, Punk won the match. A third match between the two was scheduled at Bragging Rights. Rey bested Punk and his head was shaved bald.

Down.

Punk began to wear a mask similar to Rey Mysterio's, and his SES was beginning to fall apart. After losing a Fatal 4-Way, Punk entered a feud with Big Show. Show slowly destroyed the SES, as he unmasked Punk during a segment on Smackdown.

He defeated Mercury, Punk and Gallows in a handicap match at Summerslam. Serena was released, Mercury was out with an injury and Punk turned on Gallows. The SES was officially over.

Punk was reduced to beating jobbers like JTG on Smackdown. Big Show defeated Punk at Night of Champions ending their feud. Punk was slowly dropping to jobber status, being dominated by the Undertaker in two matches.

Now he's back on RAW, but I doubt if things begin to change for Punk.