To celebrate the one-year anniversary of CM Punk's return (yes, I do know it was in November, but work with me here) we're going to list the ten best promo segments of CM Punk's career! Of course, this is all based on my opinion so if you have a list then feel free to drop one below. This list isn't strictly based on Punk's promos in WWE, so his stuff in Ring of Honor and AEW counts as well. Let's quickly get started.
Two Strikes - CM Punk and Jeff Hardy
CM Punk’s second money in the bank cash-in was brilliant. It created an interesting storytelling device on whether Punk was in the right for what he did. Morally, Punk did nothing wrong. Just like he cashed in on Edge, Punk did the same with Jeff Hardy under similar circumstances. But the slow burn of Punk’s heel turn helped because Hardy was the perfect foil for the former World Heavyweight Champion.
Once WWE made it clear that CM Punk was a heel, the WWE star tearing into Hardy’s drug addiction issues were gold. The fact that Punk was able to interweave Jeff’s past with their world title match at Night of Champions was amazing. What makes CM Punk’s promos so rich is the conviction he puts behind his words. They never feel scripted, and the spark of truth only adds fuel to his rivalries.
Punk vs. Hardy was the best rivalry of 2013. And this feud pretty much confirmed what Paul Heyman saw in CM Punk: as a special talent who can step up to the plate if he’s given a chance to succeed.
Are You Afraid I'm Gonna Kick Your Ass? CM Punk and Seth Rollins Promo
The brewing rivalry between Seth Rollins and CM Punk has been masterfully told so far. While it sucks that the rumored match didn’t happen at WrestleMania 40, creative found a clever way to keep the feud going without overexposing it.
Admittedly, it sucked that the men’s Money in the Bank briefcase was just used as a prop, but the bright side is that prop advanced two stories. The most obvious one is CM Punk's intense feud with Drew McIntyre. Seth “Freakin” Rollins just so happened to be caught in the crossfire.
Rollins calling CM Punk out for his selfishness and hypocrisy was great, so was CM Punk’s half-assed apology. Rollins' anger over never being able to challenge for the World Heavyweight title was on point and the theme of “actions have consequences” was a perfect irony for CM Punk.
It’s a shame that WWE killed a big motivation for this feud an hour later by allowing Damien Priest to grant Rollins a rematch. Though CM Punk did act like a selfish jerk, Rollins doesn’t have any motivation to go after the former WWE Champion because his ban was instantly lifted. Plus, exploring Punk’s inherent selfishness and lack of accountability could’ve been an excellent storytelling device that opened new layers in both characters. Nevertheless, the segment was still great, even if the stakes were dropped a short time later.
The Pipebomb Promo - CM Punk
The moment CM Punk came down wearing a Stone Cold Steve Austin shirt should’ve been a strong indication of just how special this moment would be. If there’s one promo that people will remember him for is that infamous moment on June 27, 2011, where he sat down on the ramp and cut a scathing promo on his frustrations about WWE.
Nobody walks away unscathed in this promo. CM Punk trashed Cena, Hogan, Dwayne, John Laurnatis, Triple H, Stephanie “The Dumb Daughter” McMahon, and even the fans. CM Punk’s contract was expected to expire at Money in the Bank and WWE masterfully played off that story.
To hear CM Punk cut such a ruthless promo on some of the company’s biggest names was quite unheard of during this period. In fact, this was CM Punk’s Austin 3:16 moment. CM Punk sold his match against John Cena because of this one promo. The promo still tied back to their match at Money in the Bank, and why Punk wanted to beat Cena for the WWE Championship. But it did something greater for the former WWE Champion. It instantly skyrocketed him to the top of the card and created a moment that will always be remembered in the history books of wrestling.
Nobody Wants You Here - CM Punk and Eddie Kingston
When you have two of the best talkers in professional wrestling then it’s not surprising that they pull out a spectacular promo. This was CM Punk’s first official feud in AEW and it didn’t disappoint. What made AEW promos so special is that they feel realistic.
Kingston digging back into his history with Punk was smart. It made his hatred for Punk personal and revealed an interesting layer about the AEW star himself. We as an audience were hanging on every word that the former ROH World Champion was saying.
Punk pushing back and saying that he was trying to hold him to a higher standard was a great retort. This back-and-forth wasn’t based on heel or babyface logic as both came across as heelish at points, but the nuggets of truth here provided several memorable quotes including Kingston telling CM Punk to quit again after he beats him up at Full Gear.
The Greatest Trick The Devil Ever Pulled - CM Punk and MJF
It was only a matter of time before CM Punk and MJF feuded. The wrestling fans were counting down the days until the former AEW World Champion confronted Mr. Straightedge. Their first promo segment was good, but it didn’t live up to the expectations fans hoped it would.
However, the story didn’t start cooking until MJF revealed the beginning of his villain origin story. It was about how he looked up to CM Punk until he walked away from professional wrestling. It was an excellent promo and an unexpected twist in the Punk/MJF saga.
The segment the following week was a strong follow-up. CM Punk trying to appeal to the humanity of MJF came across as believable, and it created doubt on how their match would go down.
MJF showing his true colors would’ve been a better twist saved for their match, but it silenced the doubt of who was the babyface and heel in this rivalry. It was the perfect final segment before their incredible match, and the blend of realism made this feud stand out from your typical wrestling story.
I Returned To Professional Wrestling on August 20, 2021 - CM Punk’s Return
Though the relationship between AEW and CM Punk ended on a sour note, there’s no denying the magic that the former AEW World Champion had during his brief period in the promotion.
The marketing for CM Punk’s debut was pretty clever. Tony Khan essentially told everyone that CM Punk was returning. Still, seeing was believing and the pop Punk received when “Cult of Personality” hit was unreal.
Fans were cheering and crying throughout Chicago, as they saw a man that sworn off of professional wrestling for seven years. Punk’s promo was rather brief, but it needed to be. He didn’t try to over-explain his absence or ramble on his hatred for WWE, CM Punk spoke from the heart and that resonated deeper with fans of their love and respect for the guy.
For him to say he left pro wrestling on August 13, 2005 and returned on August 20, 2021 was a nasty burn to WWE. There will always be fond memories of CM Punk’s time in AEW, even if the ending was filled with non-stop drama and chaos.
Tell Me When I’m Telling Lies - CM Punk and Jon Moxley
Now this promo is most remembered for Punk’s blatant burial of Hangman Page. Challenging the former AEW World Champion and labeling him a coward for not coming out was nasty work, but once you get past that then the fire between Moxley and Punk was astounding.
Just like his feud with Eddie Kingston, this promo played off the past of both men. In the case of Moxley, Punk buried him by claiming that he’s always behind someone in every promotion that he’s been in. When you look at Moxley’s time in WWE, it’s hard to argue with him. Punk didn’t completely dismiss Moxley, but his words were somewhat of a burial since Moxley was AEW’s number one guy for a long period of time.
But Moxley came back with some great zingers as well. Saying that Punk isn’t even the best wrestler in catering, or that he writes a check that his body can’t cash was a great retort. Him calling out Punk for only showing up in AEW because of the money was another sly burn.
The Moxley/Punk feud had strong potential. Going The Rocky III route is a sound idea, but the problem was that the way it played out was extremely rushed. Even so, what we got was an excellent back-and-forth segment between the former AEW World Champion.
This is PG Brother - CM Punk, Drew McIntyre, and Seth Rollins
CM Punk’s return to WWE has been surreal. His first face-to-face meeting against Seth Rollins was tremendous, but the wild card here has been Drew McIntyre. CM Punk vs. Drew McIntyre may be the best feud of 2024 based on the strengths of the promos alone.
What’s great about CM Punk’s feuds these days is that there is a touch of realism in every story he tells. From Drew McIntyre’s jab about him never drinking or doing drugs, yet still being in rehab, to Seth Rollins calling them both children, this was a masterclass on advancing multiple feuds.
The heat felt between these three was magnetic, and even McIntyre’s snide comments and mannerisms during the Rollins/Punk portion were great. The only downside of this segment was the strange decision to put Punk at the commentary booth when all signs pointed to him being a Special Guest Referee.
Granted, Punk being on the sidelines ended up being an excellent idea, but the way they got there was a bit awkward since everyone preferred the former.
You’re Boxing With God - CM Punk and The Rock
The Rock and CM Punk.
This should’ve been your WrestleMania main event. The Rock is one of the greatest wrestlers of all time. He’s definitely in the top echelon when it comes to promos, but there are times when his childish insults get annoying. Not here. The purpose of this promo was to sell tickets and damn it Rock and Punk did.
The layout of the segment was perfect. Have Punk come out and insult the crowd. Then The Rock comes out and sticks up for them. The Rock’s jabs were sharp, but his serious side was just as strong. Him talking about CM Punk’s failure to revolutionize the business like he promised made this match feel even deeper than it was going in.
It connected the dots to CM Punk’s character and was a full circle moment on the man who promised change but didn’t succeed. But CM Punk was phenomenal on his end. Him not being phased by Rock’s jabs and the Box with God line was an unforgettable quote.
Punk never felt out of place standing toe-to-toe with The Rock, and though “The Great One” stood tall in the end, CM Punk proved again why many consider him a once-in-a-generation talent.
This is Phil Brooks Talking To Paul Levesque! - CM Punk and Triple H
You know a segment is serious when wrestlers drop government names mid-promo. Now admittedly, CM Punk’s return following that incredible Money in the Bank angle was too soon. Plus, the whole side quest of Punk dropping the belt and fighting Triple H was unnecessary.
However, it wasn’t surprising that these two feuded since Punk called him and Stephanie McMahon out in his pipebomb promo. There’s an element of Austin/McMahon here as CM Punk is the anti-authority figure who isn’t afraid to speak his mind and kick some ass, but this whole feud with Triple H did derail some of his momentum since “The Game” got one over Punk in their match.
Still, Punk can create magic with anyone when it comes to promos and it was no different with Triple H. Triple H tearing Punk down by stating that he wasn’t good enough to reach the top level allowed CM Punk to fire back with some true gems that had fans salivating over the former World Champion beating the crap out of Triple H.
The last moments of this segment were especially well done. Triple H using his power to silence CM Punk was a real dick move. CM Punk clocking him with the microphone was the perfect way to cap it off.
CM Punk Negotiates A New Contract With Vince McMahon
We all know how contract segments in professional wrestling go these days. Thankfully, this segment took a different approach to the tired formula. As mentioned earlier, CM Punk is the Stone Cold Steve Austin here, so to see him tear down Vince McMahon is glorious in more ways than one.
To watch the former CEO cowering to CM Punk’s demands made the segment a winner alone.
But this segment represents something deeper than one moment. CM Punk used to call himself the “Voice of the Voiceless”, so when Vince McMahon told the crowd that he didn’t care what they thought it resonated with the fans. For years, Vince McMahon has notoriously been stubborn in making changes to a product that was quite stale during this time.
CM Punk represented the frustration that the fans had with Vince and the company. John Cena coming in to save Mr. McMahon from this “terrorism” was a head-scratcher. WWE abandoned the heel/babyface dynamic in this feud early on, but Cena came across as incredibly heelish here.
His childish mocking just wasn’t funny and his dismissal of CM Punk’s demands were non-seniscal. Vince McMahon is a BILLIONAIRE, so he can afford a second private jet and the Ice Cream bar suggestion would’ve been a huge profit for WWE.
Plus, if Cena hates Vince, then why was he against the boss owing CM Punk and the fans an apology? I understand the story that was told since Cena was portrayed as the good company boy, but his portion of the segment wasn’t particularly great. Luckily, Punk fired back with great ammunition against the former WWE Champion. A strong segment, despite the Cena portion of it.