CM Punk's 5 best WWE opponents
Seven years removed from his WWE departure, CM Punk returned to the ring against Darby Allin at AEW All Out 2021. He displayed his ringcraft in front of his hometown crowd, ditching of the younger Allin with a GTS.
Punk is currently poised to work with the younger members on the roster before presumably moving onto feuds higher up the card. 'The Straight Edge Superstar' is a hot commodity, and AEW's emerging stars will certainly benefit from working with him.
With a plethora of new foes awaiting, let's take a look at 5 of CM Punk's best opponents in WWE.
#5 Chris Jericho brings out the best in everyone
When Chris Jericho returned in 2011, he went after then WWE Champion CM Punk. Jericho made the feud personal by bringing up the substance abuse issues Punk's father and sister endured.
When the 6-time World Champion lost to Punk via submission at WrestleMania 28, he was determined to continue the feud and drenched the WWE Champion in alcohol. The final match in this program was a Chicago Street Fight at Extreme Rules 2012.
Punk took this opportunity to exact revenge on Jericho, battering the Fozzy frontman en route to a win in front of his hometown crowd.
#4 CM Punk proved a worthy adversary to The Undertaker
As an emerging heel on SmackDown, CM Punk feuded with The Undertaker over the World Heavyweight Championship. The pair had a forgettable series of matches that failed to live up to its potential.
When Punk received an opportunity to wrestle The Undertaker at WrestleMania 29, there was no doubt he would set things right. 'The Second City Saint' was not only a far bigger star than before, but also a more seasoned performer.
During the build-up to the match, Punk earned the ire of The Undertaker by disrepecting the memory of Paul Bearer. Punk and Paul Heyman, his manager at the time, pushed the boundaries during this storyline, doing everything in their power to make themselves the most hated men on the WrestleMania card.
Once the bell rang, Punk played the part of the dastardly heel to perfection, carrying a physically-compromised Undertaker to the best match on the show.