4 of CM Punk's greatest WWE moments
Since his abrupt departure from the WWE in 2014, CM Punk has moved on to different avenues. There has been a lot of controversy surrounding his departure since he left, and he has stated multiple times that he's never going back to the company.
In a podcast with his friend Colt Cabana, he revealed that he had not resigned from the company, but was fired from it on the day of his wedding with former WWE superstar AJ Lee.
Although Vince McMahon has apologized for the manner of his termination in a podcast with Stone Cold Steve Austin, Punk has made no mention about his possible return to the company.
A lot of reasons contributed to his departure from the business including booking frustration and injuries. He has also stated that by the time he left the company, he had zero passion left for the business. He is currently a part of the UFC roster with a 0-2 MMA record.
But his departure does not mean that his excellent work over the years can be ignored. Punk has produced some of the greatest story-lines and rivalries since his debut in 2006. Today we count down the most significant moments in his illustrious career.
#4 The Beast vs The Best – SummerSlam 2013
At Money in The Bank 2013, CM Punk competed in the ladder match for the Money in The Bank contract. Around the 30-minute mark, the Intercontinental Champion Curtis Axel came down to the ring and proceeded to attack Daniel Bryan and CM Punk.
Paul Heyman then came to the ring and helped Punk to climb up the ladder to clutch the briefcase. While Punk was climbing, Heyman thrashed him with another ladder - thus taking the match away from his grasp.
What followed was one of the most intriguing story-lines of this decade. Next Monday Night Raw was when CM Punk demanded answers, Heyman emerged with his client - Brock Lesnar.
Lesnar proceeded to beat up Punk within an inch of his life. Over the weeks leading up to their encounter, Lesnar repeatedly beat down Punk with the latter occasionally trying to defend himself. In the process, WWE orchestrated a perfect buildup to their match at SummerSlam.
Their SummerSlam bout was one of the best matches in the PPV's history due to the pure storytelling and the match's brutal physicality. Punk did everything in his power to try to beat The Beast Incarnate while trying to get his hands on Heyman.
A few highlights of this match involves Punk hitting a low blow to avoid a chair shot, Punk chomping on Lesnar's ear and Lesnar pounding Punk throughout the duration of the match. Although the rivalry faded after some time, this match was unarguably one of 'The Best in the World'.