5 CM Punk WWE matches you need to rewatch
7 years after his final WWE appearance at the 2014 Royal Rumble, CM Punk made his long-awaited return to professional wrestling on the August 21, 2021, episode of AEW Rampage. He capped off an emotional promo in front of his hometown crowd by setting up a match with Darby Allin at All Out 2021.
While he never became as mainstream as The Rock or John Cena, the iconoclastic Punk arguably connected more with hardcore WWE fans than any wrestler since the Attitude Era. His return has been acclaimed by that section of the audience which has eagerly followed his every move since 2014.
With Punk's long-anticipated first AEW match just around the corner, here are 5 of his WWE matches to whet your appetite.
5) CM Punk vs Brock Lesnar WWE Summerslam 2013
For the heel portion of his 434-day run as WWE Champion, CM Punk was cornered by Paul Heyman, also known as Brock Lesnar's long-time manager. Heyman played an integral role in Punk's initial ascent to the main roster and the two men were close friends in real life.
Punk and Heyman were adept at playing off of each other and turned out to be the most entertaining acts on Monday Night Raw. However, tensions started to simmer between the two after "The Second City Saint" returned to television following his defeat to The Undertaker at WrestleMania 29.
The ensuing split culminated in a no-disqualification match between Punk and Lesnar at Summerslam with Heyman in the former UFC Heavyweight Champion's corner.
The bout started with Lesnar using his size and athleticism to dominate proceedings before Punk's ringcraft put him on the cusp of a win. However, the Chicago native was ultimately foiled by Heyman, who distracted Punk long enough for Lesnar to use a steel chair to seize victory.