#44 CM Punk vs. Daniel Bryan: Over the Limit (May 20, 2012)
Go back five years and you’d have a hard time convincing most
sports-entertainment fans that this WWE Title Match would one day
happen. Hell, maybe even three years. CM Punk and Daniel Bryan — those
atypical darlings of the indy set who turned high school gyms into art
houses with their dedicated ring work — competing for WWE’s biggest
prize? It was madness.Yet there they were — two guys who didn’t fit the archetypal definition
of a WWE Champion battling for the title in front of a pumped Raleigh,
N.C., crowd. As expected, the mat purists traded punishing submissions
and blistering strikes with equal aggression. The match reached its
crescendo when Bryan captured the WWE Champion in his dreaded “Yes!”
Lock. Writhing in pain, The Straight Edge Champion ingeniously countered
the hold into a pin and defeated Bryan while trapped in his
debilitating submission
#39 CM Punk vs. Chris Jericho: Extreme Rules (April 29, 2012)
The rivalry between WWE Champion CM Punk and Chris Jericho became
very personal after Y2J repeatedly insulted The Straight Edge
Superstar’s family. Even though Punk defeated him at WrestleMania
XXVIII, Jericho continued with his tirades. To end things once and for
all, Punk decided to dish out a little justice, Chicago style, in the
rematch.
The heated rivals faced off again at Extreme Rules in a
Chicago Street Fight. The WWE Champion’s family got a measure of
retribution early on, as Punk’s sister delivered a hard slap to
Jericho’s face. Jericho would not be denied, however, as he mocked
Punk’s straight-edge beliefs by pouring beer on the WWE Champion.
Y2J
thought he could win the title if he exposed the steel turnbuckle.
Unfortunately, Punk was able to send Jericho face first into the cold
steel before hitting him with a devastating Go to Sleep to win the bout
and end their bitter rivalry.#28 CM Punk vs. John Cena: SummerSlam 2011 (Aug. 14, 2011)
With newly crowned WWE Champion CM Punk leaving the company after
Money in the Bank 2011 — and the title chilling in his refrigerator —
John Cena seized the opportunity to claim an interim WWE Championship.
But when Punk returned with his title in hand, the stage was set for an
epic Unification Match at SummerSlam with COO Triple H as the guest
referee.
The match picked up right where their July classic left off, only now with the addition of the COO, who at one point dragged both Superstars back into the ring to prevent an inconclusive double count-out. From the Cenation leader hitting a dropkick to The Straight Edge Superstar applying the Koji Clutch, the two unleashed moves long absent from their respective arsenals.
Punk gained the advantage with an elbow drop and a Go to Sleep, but Cena snuck his foot onto the ropes during the pinfall. The Game missed the rope break, though, making “The Best in the World” the sole champion.
The match picked up right where their July classic left off, only now with the addition of the COO, who at one point dragged both Superstars back into the ring to prevent an inconclusive double count-out. From the Cenation leader hitting a dropkick to The Straight Edge Superstar applying the Koji Clutch, the two unleashed moves long absent from their respective arsenals.
Punk gained the advantage with an elbow drop and a Go to Sleep, but Cena snuck his foot onto the ropes during the pinfall. The Game missed the rope break, though, making “The Best in the World” the sole champion.
#4 John Cena vs. CM Punk: Money in the Bank (July 17, 2011)
Following CM Punk’s “pipe bomb” on the June 27, 2011, edition of Raw,
The Voice of the Voiceless faced John Cena for the WWE Championship on
the night Punk’s WWE contract expired. The Straight Edge Superstar made
his intentions clear — he would defeat Cena for the WWE Title and exit
WWE with the championship.
The Second City Saint lived up to his promise and beat Cena in a stellar match in front of a wild hometown Chicago crowd. Mr. McMahon immediately ordered Alberto Del Rio to cash in his Money in the Bank contract, but a well-timed kick by Punk to The Mexican Aristocrat put the kibosh on The Chairman’s plan.
With Mr. McMahon looking on helplessly, the new WWE Champion scaled the barricade, blew a kiss goodbye and disappeared into the Windy City night. With the title now in the hands of a non-contracted competitor, public fascination with the championship reached unprecedented heights.
The Second City Saint lived up to his promise and beat Cena in a stellar match in front of a wild hometown Chicago crowd. Mr. McMahon immediately ordered Alberto Del Rio to cash in his Money in the Bank contract, but a well-timed kick by Punk to The Mexican Aristocrat put the kibosh on The Chairman’s plan.
With Mr. McMahon looking on helplessly, the new WWE Champion scaled the barricade, blew a kiss goodbye and disappeared into the Windy City night. With the title now in the hands of a non-contracted competitor, public fascination with the championship reached unprecedented heights.
