10 Best CM Punk Matches In WWE

If the speculation proves to be correct (and all indications are that it will be), CM Punk will make his return to wrestling tonight when he debuts on AEW Rampage.

The Second City Saint's return to the business has been highly anticipated since he decided to walk away from WWE in early 2014.

The prospect of Punk working with a new roster full of talented performers like Kenny Omega, MJF, Darby Allin, Hangman Page, Jungle Boy and others is an alluring one and it'll be interesting to see the dynamic he has with them both on the microphone and in the ring.

As celebrated as Punk is as a personality and talker, he will be expected to keep up and produce the goods with a roster that is, by and large, a lot younger and without the ring rust he is sure to have accumulated during his time away.

When he's on his game, though, there are few better than Punk, as evidenced by his resume of classic matches that span various indies, Ring of Honor and WWE.

In order to whet the appetite for the Straight Edge Superstar's return, I've went back and looked at ten of his best matches from his WWE run.

If Punk can produce anything close to these belters for Tony Khan's promotion, then it's safe to say that AEW fans are in for a treat...

10. Vs. John Morrison - ECW (September 4, 2007)

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Chosen as two the faces of the rebooted and revamped ECW, CM Punk and John Morrison had a trilogy of ECW Title matches on pay-per-view in the summer of 2007.

In the first, The Shaman of Sexy beat the Straight-Edge Superstar to win the vacant belt at Vengeance: Night of Champions, before he retained in consecutive bouts at the Great American Bash and SummerSlam.

Regrettably, the matches weren't great, hampered by time constraints and with Punk admitting years later that they were trying to do too much stuff in the few minutes they had to play with.

Luckily, it all came together on the September 4, 2007 episode of ECW on Sci-Fi when Punk was granted a final opportunity at the championship.

On that night, everything clicked and they had a very compelling TV main event. It helped that they were given a considerate sixteen minutes to work with and were thus able to draw the crowd in more effectively by slowing down the pace a little while telling their story.

There were some really neat false finishes and Punk even kicked out of Starship Pain before rallying and hitting the GTS to win his first title in WWE.

Those paying attention to the behind-the-scenes happenings at the time wouldn't have been surprised to see Morrison lose, of course, since he was about to sit out a 30-day suspension after being implicated in the Signature Pharmacy scandal, but the two managed to produce much drama despite the inevitability of the result.

9. Vs. Chris Jericho - Payback 2013

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Unlike their memorable 2012 series of matches together, Punk versus Jericho at Payback 2013 didn't have a strong storyline supporting it.

It didn't need to, because this was Punk's return after taking a (too short) sabbatical following his WrestleMania 29 loss to The Undertaker. Plus, it was in Chicago, so you knew the heat was going to be there regardless.

The Straight-Edge Superstar naturally got a raucous ovation and the crowd didn't let up for the duration of the contest.

They started off with some slick mat wrestling before the tempo started to increase, little by little. One of the great things about the match was, as it progressed, there were more and more callbacks to their previous matches together and you could see that they had each other truly scouted at times.

Punk kicked out of two Codebreakers and survived the Walls of Jericho, but Y2J shocked everyone by raising his shoulders on two after being drilled with a GTS.

A second and third GTS finally kept Jericho down and saw Punk emerge as the very popular victor. A great comeback for him and another in the long list of standout Chris Jericho matches.

8. Vs. Rey Mysterio - Over The Limit 2010

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Punk's messianic personality change as the leader of the Straight Edge Society in 2010 was an interesting and well-timed one.

It transformed him into one of WWE's most intriguing characters and strongest heels, with Rey Mysterio perfectly positioned as his babyface adversary.

The pair had some cracking matches at WrestleMania XXVI and the following month at Extreme Rules (as well as on television), but saved the best for last with their big blowoff at Over the Limit.

The juicy stipulation - if Rey lost he would have to pledge allegiance to the Straight Edge Society, while Punk's hair would be shaved off if he failed to win - certainly added to the drama, as too did WWE doctors stopping the bout in its early stages to check on a cut to Punk's head.

He angrily shook it off and ramped up the intensity with some fierce kicks and other high impact moves. Rey, ever resilient, kept finding new ways to come back and, following a series of gripping nearfalls, rolled up a cocky Punk for the three.

In the post-match scene the Society (who had been banned from ringside during the match) ran in and attempted to prevent their saviour's haircut, but were chased off by Kane and Mysterio did his best Brutus Beefcake.

7. Vs. Jeff Hardy - SummerSlam 2009

After something of a false dawn in 2008, CM Punk really came into his own in the summer of '09 while battling Jeff Hardy over the World Heavyweight Title.

The feud saw Punk go from babyface, to tweener, to full-on heel and do some of his (at that point) strongest work, as he chastised the Charismatic Enigma for his lifestyle and bad judgement.

Defending champion Hardy was at a significant advantage in their SummerSlam main event, which was fought under TLC rules.

Two-time Money in the Bank ladder match winner Punk adapted quickly and showed that he wasn't afraid to either give it or dish it out, something that was evident when he dropped Jeff spine-first onto the edge of a steel chair, which set the tone for what was to come.

There were the requisite big stunts and bumps, with Jeff taking most of the abuse, including a nasty superplex onto a laying ladder. He managed to hit his gigantic Swanton Bomb off the VERY big ladder through the announce table, but it took just as much out of him as it did his opponent, and Punk was able to land another big shot and regain the title.

This wasn't the best TLC match ever by any stretch, but it was very, very good and one of Punk's most assured WWE performances since debuting three years earlier.

The post-match scene with the return of The Undertaker was also really well done.

7. Vs. Jeff Hardy - SummerSlam 2009

After something of a false dawn in 2008, CM Punk really came into his own in the summer of '09 while battling Jeff Hardy over the World Heavyweight Title.

The feud saw Punk go from babyface, to tweener, to full-on heel and do some of his (at that point) strongest work, as he chastised the Charismatic Enigma for his lifestyle and bad judgement.

Defending champion Hardy was at a significant advantage in their SummerSlam main event, which was fought under TLC rules.

Two-time Money in the Bank ladder match winner Punk adapted quickly and showed that he wasn't afraid to either give it or dish it out, something that was evident when he dropped Jeff spine-first onto the edge of a steel chair, which set the tone for what was to come.

There were the requisite big stunts and bumps, with Jeff taking most of the abuse, including a nasty superplex onto a laying ladder. He managed to hit his gigantic Swanton Bomb off the VERY big ladder through the announce table, but it took just as much out of him as it did his opponent, and Punk was able to land another big shot and regain the title.

This wasn't the best TLC match ever by any stretch, but it was very, very good and one of Punk's most assured WWE performances since debuting three years earlier.

The post-match scene with the return of The Undertaker was also really well done.

6. Vs. Chris Jericho - Extreme Rules 2012

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Extreme Rules 2012 was a sensational pay-per-view presentation, with all four rematches from the prior month's WrestleMania exceeding the original.

That included Chris Jericho and CM Punk's WWE Title meeting, which was fought under Street Fight Rules.

Make that Chicago Street Fight rules, as this was another bout between the two stalwarts that took place in Punk's hometown. Once more, the partisan crowd infinitely helped things, as they were red-hot for everything their man did.

A very different affair to their 'Mania outing, Punk and Jericho's rivalry had escalated to the point that violence was required. The two went hell for leather, beating each other up with anything that wasn't nailed down while finding inventive way to work with the weaponry.

There was also some great sports entertainment storyline touches here, with the inclusion of Punk's sister Chaleen and other assorted family and friends at ringside, as well as Jericho trying to give his drug-free opponent a mid-match beer bath.

They went long (25 minutes) but the match never outstayed its welcome and built beautifully until Punk hit the GTS to retain his title.

5. Vs. John Cena - Raw (Feb 25, 2013)

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When it comes to Punk versus Cena, you're really spoiled for choice, as the two men have had some truly epic matches on pay-per-view over the years.

I could have chosen any number of great Punk/Cena PPV bouts, but for my other Punk/Cena pick (you can probably guess the other one) I've went for their Raw main event from February 25, 2013.

With a spot opposite WWE Champion The Rock in the WrestleMania headliner on the line, Punk and Cena had one of the best bouts ever broadcast on WWE's flagship.

By this point, the two were more than familiar with each other and had developed an enviable chemistry and so there were lots of counters (and counters to counters), with numerous callbacks to their earlier matches dotted throughout.

They did some nice wrestling in the early stages, before Punk took over for a while, cutting off Cena as he tried to rally. The closing stretch was excellent, with both digging deep into their bag of tricks and pulling out moves rarely - some never - seen from them before.

Cena hit a huge sitout powerbomb, for example, but Punk took things to the next level by unleashing a (banned) piledriver, no doubt sending Vince McMahon into a rage at the Gorilla position.

It wasn't enough to take Punk to 'Mania, however, as Cena came back with (the world's worst) hurricanrana before another AA finally settled it.

4. Vs. The Undertaker - WrestleMania 29

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Though he was disgruntled with not being in the last match at that year's Showcase of the Immortals, Punk was given a pretty decent consolation prize in the form of a match with The Undertaker and vowed to steal the show.

It was a promise he made good on, as he and The Deadman had the best match on the show by a long way.

'Taker and Punk had wrestled each other previously - most famously in the fall of 2009 - but this was different, as Punk was on another level and clearly a more polished performer.

Played to the ring by the band Living Color, who produced a blistering version of Cult of Personality, The Second-City Saint was on defence for most of the early going, before gaining an advantage and hitting his own version of 'Old School'.

He then hit most of his signature stuff, before The Phenom came back with some old favourites of his own. Punk looked to win things after a huge diving elbow onto the Spanish announce table, and moments later traded submissions with his opponent, leading to a great visual where Punk had a pissed-off 'Taker in the Anaconda Vice.

The pair of them really had people believing The Streak might be in jeopardy during the closing stages, as Punk resorted to using the stolen urn for a close fall.

In the end, a GTS was countered into a Tombstone to preserve 'Taker's WrestleMania record (for another year at least).

Follow that, John and Dwayne!

3. Vs. Daniel Bryan - Over The Limit 2012

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If you put prime Daniel Bryan and CM Punk in a wrestling ring, give them almost 25 minutes to play with, make the bout a World Title match and give them instructions along the lines of 'have fun out there, guys', then it would be foolish to expect anything other than magic.

Two of the greatest talents of their generation, Punk and Bryan clearly relished the opportunity to show what they could do in that setting at Over the Limit 2012.

The early technical, submission and strike exchanges were reminiscent of their early Ring of Honor days, and the match built steadily and strategically, with both men targeting body parts and employing punishing holds to wear the other down.

In the second half of a bruising battle, the match more closely resembled something you would see in Japan, rather than a WWE ring, as they busted out some heavy strikes and were really fighting hard over every move or counter.

The finish was novel, too, as Punk rolled up Bryan will trapped in the LeBell Lock, getting the pinfall victory just moments before he tapped out.

The not-exactly-decisive finish led to rematches at No Way Out (also with Kane) and Money in the Bank, the latter of which is also well worth seeking out and one of Punk's better WWE outings.

2. Vs. Brock Lesnar - SummerSlam 2013

After Paul Heyman turned on him at Money in the Bank 2013, Punk was back to officially being a babyface and on a collision course with Heyman's other client, Brock Lesnar.

The two met in one of the featured attractions of that year's SummerSlam, in what was certainly a fresh and enticing matchup.

The build had been very well done and the two wasted no time laying into each other, given free reign to do as they pleased in a match that had No Disqualifications.

The Beast Incarnate looked as good as he had done since his return to the company, ragdolling Punk around at will before the heavy artillery came into play.

This was not a Brock destruction job, as he gave Punk a tonne of offense and similarly bumped around at will. It was back and forth and unpredictable, with some really crafty reversals and some novel MMA-inspired sequences.

It looked as though either man could win it at several stages, with fans totally buying into Punk and seeing him as being on the level of someone who could beat Lesnar, especially when he hit a chair-assisted diving elbow and a GTS.

Thanks to interference from Paul Heyman and some brutal chair shots, the former UFC Heavyweight Champion managed to walk out of the STAPLES Center with the win, but he was made to work for it and then some.

2. Vs. Brock Lesnar - SummerSlam 2013

After Paul Heyman turned on him at Money in the Bank 2013, Punk was back to officially being a babyface and on a collision course with Heyman's other client, Brock Lesnar.

The two met in one of the featured attractions of that year's SummerSlam, in what was certainly a fresh and enticing matchup.

The build had been very well done and the two wasted no time laying into each other, given free reign to do as they pleased in a match that had No Disqualifications.

The Beast Incarnate looked as good as he had done since his return to the company, ragdolling Punk around at will before the heavy artillery came into play.

This was not a Brock destruction job, as he gave Punk a tonne of offense and similarly bumped around at will. It was back and forth and unpredictable, with some really crafty reversals and some novel MMA-inspired sequences.

It looked as though either man could win it at several stages, with fans totally buying into Punk and seeing him as being on the level of someone who could beat Lesnar, especially when he hit a chair-assisted diving elbow and a GTS.

Thanks to interference from Paul Heyman and some brutal chair shots, the former UFC Heavyweight Champion managed to walk out of the STAPLES Center with the win, but he was made to work for it and then some.

1. Vs. John Cena - Money In The Bank 2011

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Outside of the 'pipe bomb' promo, Punk's WWE Title match with John Cena at Money in the Bank 2011 is his crowning WWE moment.

The most talked about man in the business following his worked-shoot speech on the June 27, 2011 episode of Raw, Punk walked into Chicago's Allstate Arena with a previously unseen level of fan support.

A hometown crowd were on hand to see him challenge the face of the company in the main event, with Punk stating prior to the showdown that he intended to walk out of the promotion after beating Cena for the title.

There was simply too much action to do justice with a recap, but needless to say this was one of the very best WWE matches ever and one that hasn't lost any of its power over a decade on.

There was some great wrestling, unrelenting crowd heat and an appropriate amount of sports entertainment shenanigans with the appearance of Vince McMahon, John Laurinaitis and Alberto Del Rio (who failed to cash in his MITB briefcase after Punk's historic victory.

This was the perfect storm of two wrestlers having exceptional chemistry, a rabid crowd and a killer storyline, knocking it out of the park and setting the standard going forward.

The action wasn't always pristine, but you cannot fake passion and Punk and Cena were both feeling it here.

Five stars. Fight me.