Ranking CM Punk’s top 10 matches of his career

2. CM Punk vs. John Cena – Money In The Bank, WWE, 2011

When someone asks, “What is the best CM Punk match?” the match that comes to mind for many is his match against John Cena at Money In The Bank in 2011, and rightfully so. This match is an excellent battle between WWE’s Superman, Cena, and their Anti-Hero, Punk. The story heading into the match was that Punk’s WWE contract was set to expire at midnight on July 17th, immediately after the Money in the Bank PPV ended, where Cena was set to defend his WWE Championship against Punk in the challenger’s hometown of Chicago.

The partisan Chicago crowd is behind Punk from his entrance to the PPV’s final moments. The high stakes of the match added even more tension, along with the crowd’s atmosphere. If Punk won, he declared he would leave WWE with the WWE Championship, while WWE Chairman Vince McMahon had threatened to fire Cena if he did not retain. While the wrestling in this match may not be as technical or smooth as some of Punk’s other matches, the atmosphere and storytelling make this match much better. Throughout the match, Punk and Cena hit their finishers several times; however, both men fail to get the pinfall. More than 30 minutes into the match, Punk hit a GTS striking Cena’s ribs and causing him to fall out of the ring. As Punk rolled Cena back into the ring, Vince McMahon and John Laurinaitis emerged from backstage and distracted Punk, resulting in Cena placing Punk in the STF submission.

Punk did not submit, but McMahon signaled the referee to award Cena the match and sent Laurinaitis to ring the bell. Not wanting a tainted victory, Cena broke the hold and attacked Laurinaitis. As Cena returned to the ring, Punk performed a Go to Sleep on him and pinned him to win the championship. McMahon ordered the winner of the Raw Money in the Bank match, Alberto Del Rio, to cash in his contract on Punk; however, Punk performed a roundhouse kick on Del Rio before he could do so. After blowing a kiss to McMahon, Punk fled the arena and left as WWE Champion.

This instant classic was awarded five out of five stars by Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, making it the first WWE match since 1997 to receive such a rating.

And the no.1 match of CM Punk’s career is…

1. CM Punk vs Samoa Joe II – ROH Joe Vs. Punk II, Ring of Honor, 2004

The second match of the Punk and Joe trilogy is their best, and it was expected to be great as Ring of Honor chose it as the namesake for the event. Being held in Punk’s hometown, Chicago, the crowd, even though they like Joe, is pro-Punk.

Throughout the match, Punk utilizes the headlock, which he used thoroughly in the two men’s first match months earlier, while Joe uses his signature strikes. In the final moments of the match, Punk hits a flurry of his signature moves, and he hits Joe with a Shining Wizard, Pepsi Twist, and a moonsault. As the final seconds count down, Punk attempts the biggest gun in his arsenal, the Pepsi Plunge; however, Joe counters into a second-rope muscle buster just as time runs out. The second Punk vs. Joe championship match ended in a 60-minute time-limit draw, just as the first did. Both men had desperately wanted to win, pulling out all the stops, but each had failed.

This match had everything. It had technical moves, high-flying spots, and submissions. Both men pulled out all of their usual tricks while also trying unfamiliar strategies in an attempt to get the win. This match inspired independent wrestlers to strive for the level of competition and skill that Punk and Joe had each achieved in this match. Dave Meltzer rated the match five out of five stars, making it the first North American match to receive a five-star rating since 1997. The fame of the match made the Joe vs. Punk II event DVD become Ring of Honor’s best-selling DVD of all time. Not every wrestling fan would have seen this match or even know it exists, but it is one that they absolutely should see and know. There is a reason why it is considered one of the greatest matches of all time.