5 CM Punk matches outside WWE you might not have seen
Today (Jan 26) marks four years to the day when CM Punk made his final appearance in a WWE/wrestling ring. Royal Rumble 2014 saw Punk getting eliminated from the marquee 30 men match by Corporate Kane and proceeded to walk out of the company due to being 'creatively stifled'.
A failed UFC debut later, Punk is nowhere close to making a return to the squared circle, claiming that he has 'zero passion for wrestling'. This has, however, not stopped wishful fans from hoping that Punk would make an eventual return to the WWE - with the especially optimistic fans clamouring for a return at this year's Royal Rumble.
Even if we never see the GTS being delivered again by Punk again, he has left a huge mark on the world of pro wrestling - not just the WWE. This list takes a look at five great CM Punk matches outside the WWE that casual fans might not have seen.
#1 CM Punk vs Eddie Guerrero vs Rey Mysterio - IWA Mid South
While CM Punk was making his way up the pro-wrestling ladder in the early 2000s, one future WWE Hall of Famer was apparently in freefall. Eddie Guerrero had been sent to rehab due to a painkiller addiction and would later be released by the WWE for a DWI charge.
Their paths crossed on the independent scene - namely in IWA Mid South Wrestling. Punk was the IWA Mid South Heavyweight Champion in early 2002 and he found himself standing across the ring from Eddie Guerrero and Rey Mysterio.
Mysterio had been out of a job when WCW was purchased by the WWE and had initially decided to wrestle for the Mexico based CMLL. He would soon come back to the States and one of his first bookings was in IWA Mid South.
Punk would recount later how the Three-way match for the title against two of the greatest wrestlers in the world at the time helped him improve as a performer. The match itself was a classic with Guerrero coming out on top with the Five Star Frogsplash.
Punk would regain the title from Guerrero one day later. Both Guerrero and Mysterio would sign with the WWE before the end of the year whereas Punk would spend a few more years honing his craft in the likes of ROH before signing a WWE developmental deal in 2005.