CM Punk's Top 8 Other Mic Moments

CM Punk’s now famous rant on Raw in June has not only helped catapult him into the spotlight but has gotten people other than diehards talking wrestling again. 

Punk may well have ushered in a “reality” era with that brilliant bit of mic work, but it is certainly not the only time he’s made magic with words.

Whether he’s doing the weather, holding an invisible mic or appearing on Jimmy Kimmel, Punk’s tirades make for captivating television.  These eight moments demonstrate his range, from tongue-in-cheek comedy to self-righteous villainy, as well as his ability to think outside of the box.   We’re not being subjected to just “bad guy has it in for good guy” anymore.

Here are the top moments of the consummate master of the mic, CM Punk.   

8. Raw 900th Episode

Not many wrestlers could take a blasé clip show and transform it into something far superior.  There are good jokes sprinkled throughout, but the real meat here is from 4:36-6:55 on the video.  Here, Punk calls out Stone Cold Steve Austin and upon hearing the Rattlesnake’s music, dramatically cowers in fear.

Except Stone Cold is not coming out.

Rolling on the floor, laughing, Punk uses the Austin absence as a launching point for more straight-edge holier-than-thou ranting.   

7. Snow Angels

First of all, Punk gets props for mocking the whole anonymous GM angle.  It is an idea that has dragged on for too long and many WWE fans must have enjoyed seeing him deride it.

He sits in the center of the ring, which in itself is a minor innovation as most wrestlers do their ranting standing up.  Punk conceives of the simple idea that sitting down to talk is different, so at least temporarily, it is interesting. 

After making his demands to the anonymous GM to get a championship title shot, he entertains the audience by doing snow angels in the ring.

Like many of his moments, he takes a simple idea and uses his unique mix of charm and repugnance to create amusing and enthralling television.

6. Sermon on the Royal Rumble

 At last year’s Royal Rumble, CM Punk was in full-fledged straight-edge savior mode. 

After eliminating Evan Bourne and Dolph Ziggler, he manages to throw in a clean living sermon.  I don’t remember seeing another wrestler cut a promo mid-match, especially the Royal Rumble.   

CM Punk is the best at tweaking his persona and growing continuously.  His Jesus-like Messiah phase was money. 

5. I Hope Your Parents Die

Punk, during his indy days, responds to a kid’s taunt with one of the most biting and hilarious pieces of improv ever. 

His gift of rolling with the punches verbally, developed in the independents and Ring of Honor, has reached an elevated level. 

Nash found this out when he tried to go toe-to-toe with him on Raw recently and couldn't quite hang.

4. Poses as Jeff Hardy

During a feud with Jeff Hardy, CM Punk imitated the Charismatic Enigma.  Funnier than Punk’s mockery of Jeff Hardy’s spastic dance routine is the crowd reaction.

The kids in the audience are absolutely stunned.  Dropped jaws fill the arena.

Punk then begins to clean his face paint off and remove his Hardy-style armbands while trashing his rival.  Punk, at the time, used his straight-edge gimmick more often, so pairing him with someone with a history of drug abuse was brilliant.  He calls Hardy “The Charismatic Enabler” as he goes off about how weak and lacking in morals both Hardy and the audience are.  He arguably goes too far, deriving his material from too personal a source, but this just demonstrates how Punk constantly tries to push the envelope.

 He is so adept at garnering hatred from the crowd that it’s almost a shame that he is now growing so popular.

3. Contract Signing on Raw

Pre-SummerSlam, John Cena and CM Punk were supposed to sign the contracts for this match live on Raw.  Punk points out early on in this segment that all contract signings end up the same way: a squabble, a turned-over table, two or more bulky men brawling in the ring. 

Once again, he manages to elevate a normally boring platform. 

There is more breaking of the fourth wall, mentioning the recent release of Chris Masters and others.  With all the people involved (The Rock, John Cena, John Laurinaitis, Triple H and CM Punk) it gets a little messy at times but manages to hold our attention throughout.  Punk transforms real anger and frustration with the way WWE does things and turns it into a television spectacle.  

Throughout their recent feud, CM Punk has not only done his job superbly but has pushed John Cena to up his game both in and out of the ring.  It’s been a treat to watch.

2. Ice Cream Bars

Punk managed to perfectly tap into everyone’s fantasy of telling off their boss when he publicly negotiated his contract with Vince McMahon on Raw. 

The entire time, as he spouts off about not being respected and wanting his face on ice cream bars, Punk has us wondering what of this tirade is real and what is scripted.  His latest buzz-creating promos have been all about walking that line. 

Though anti-McMahon feuds have happened before, Punk’s humor and total emasculation of his boss manage to make the angle fresh.  

1. Crashing Comic-Con

While still holding the WWE Championship, and remaining unsigned, CM Punk made a surprise appearance at Comic-Con.  He strode up to the mic and addressed Triple H who was doing promo work.

“I have a question,” he said in his trademark snarky tone.

The banter that followed between Triple H and himself wasn’t anything amazing, but the stunt itself was unexpected, original and typical of Punk in that it pushed the boundary between the outside world and the one that WWE creates on its programming. 

Best of all, people were talking about it afterwards. 

Rather than rehashing the same tired wrestling clichés and plots we’ve heard time and time again, CM Punk refuses to stay stagnant. 

With stunts like this, he is reshaping our expectations for wrestling.  Wrestling has had to evolve over time, transforming from hairy guys grappling in front of cigar-smoking white men to what it is today and what wrestlers like CM Punk are shaping it to be.