CM Punk's Best ROH Matches

CM Punk wouldn't be pro wrestling's cult classic if it weren't for his time in Ring of Honor. It was there that he came into himself as an athlete and as a storyteller. It's also where he started to incorporate his straight-edge lifestyle into his wrestling, which would give the pro wrestling world some of the best heel-work it's ever seen.

With Tony Khan's acquisition of Ring of Honor, it's likely we could be seeing Punk appear in a ROH ring once again in the near future. This would be quite the homecoming considering Punk's history with the promotion. Here's a list of some of his greatest work, though there's much more to be said about Punk's ROH run than what can fit into a top ten list.

10 CM Punk vs. Alex Shelley (ROH Third Anniversary Celebration)

Alex Shelley is perhaps the most underrated wrestler in the last 20 years. He's most known for his time in TNA as one half of The Motor City Machine Guns, his tag team with Chris Sabin. This match is a testament to how consistently good Alex Shelley has been as a technical wrestler. CM Punk, though, has the home field advantage here. Overall, this match is a good meeting between two of pro wrestling's underground icons.

9 CM Punk vs. Bryan Danielson (ROH Reborn: Stage One)

CM Punk Vs Bryan Danielson ROH Reborn Stage 1 - 04-23-2004

CM Punk and Bryan Danielson's talents helped elevate ROH to its super-indie status in the mid-2000s. This match is their first-ever singles encounter. In it, CM Punk is the cocky, slimy heel we know and love, and Danielson is a babyfaced technical maestro.

While this match isn't the best work of either man in ROH, it's a nice piece of history and one that AEW fans should definitely check out if they have the time.

8 CM Punk vs. Roderick Strong (Escape From New York)

CM Punk played the heel here, something he's especially phenomenal at. This match takes place toward the end of the first Summer of Punk, the era in which CM Punk became ROH World Champion and threatened to take the belt with him to WWE if no one could beat him for it by the time his contract expired. Roderick Strong complemented Punk well here as the young underdog trying to stand up to ROH's biggest bully.

7 CM Punk vs. James Gibson (Fate Of An Angel)

This is another title match from CM Punk's incredible title run in the summer of 2005. James Gibson, also known as Jamie Noble, attempts to dethrone the despicable Punk and bring the World title back to the ROH faithful. Ultimately, Gibson is unsuccessful in this endeavor despite an amazing showing of technical prowress. The Summer of Punk rolls on.

6 Samoa Joe vs. Christopher Daniels vs. James Gibson vs. CM Punk (ROH Redemption, 2005)

This match is the chaos of indie wrestling at its finest. All the moving parts in a four-way match mean that it can quickly go off the rails, crash and burn. However, these four were some of the best ROH had on its whole roster, and they were more than capable of keeping the chaos under control while putting on an incredible show. The match lasted 50 minutes and ended with James Gibson winning the title. Each man, though, got his own time in the spotlight and contributed to this ROH classic.

5 CM Punk and Colt Cabana vs. The Briscoes (Death Before Dishonor II)

This match had a two-out-of-three falls stipulation; for fans, this meant they were either in for a classic or a match that dragged on way more than it needed to. Fortunately, this match was an example of the former. CM Punk and Colt Cabana, known as the Second City Saints, finally captured the ROH titles together. This was their third title defense, and their biggest obstacle yet in the form of one of ROH's greatest tag teams. The match employs a lot of classic tag team strategy and is an incredible watch.

4 Samoa Joe vs. CM Punk (ROH World Title Classic)

What made this match especially notable and memorable is the fact that it was a 60-minute time limit draw, something that was virtually unheard of back in 2004. CM Punk, the strategic wrestler that he is, made a plan to dethrone the champion, Samoa Joe, by trying to outlast him. Though he was unable to dethrone Punk, they put on a showstopper from beginning to end. Both men came away looking even stronger. The hunt for gold continued for the young and scrappy CM Punk.

3 CM Punk vs. Colt Cabana (ROH Punk: The Final Chapter)

Yes, this show was named after CM Punk. That's because it was his last ROH event as a regular member of the roster. Even though he was a heel at this point, all storylines have been thrown out the window for Punk's farewell. The crowd, and Punk himself, are in tears before the bell rings. This match was the perfect send-off for Punk. He fought his best friend (at the time) and tag team partner in their hometown of all places. It's an incredible match to watch, just make sure you have some tissues with you.

2 Samoa Joe vs. CM Punk (ROH All-Star Extravaganza II, 2004)

This is the third match in the CM Punk and Samoa Joe trilogy. The two were in the same roles as they had been in their last meeting, with Samoa Joe as the promotion's most intimidating World Champion to date and CM Punk as his challenger. Since their last two matches ended in draws, the stipulation here was that there was no time limit, and if CM Punk lost, he could never challenge for the title again, as long as Joe held it.

The match is widely considered a classic by ROH fans on account of its storytelling and both men's usual toughness. It’s a real treat for those who had been keeping up with Punk and Joe's rivalry at the time, and a great match for those looking to learn about Punk and Joe's rise to fame.

1 Samoa Joe vs. CM Punk (ROH Joe vs. Punk II, 2004)

Ring of Honor did, in fact, name an entire event around this match, which tells you just how much hype there was for the rematch. Joe and Punk certainly delivered, something that's extremely difficult to do with so much bubbling anticipation. The two are arguably each other's best rival, so their chemistry was off the charts. The match was a mix of technical work, strikes, and submission holds that all worked together to make this another classic between two of pro wrestling’s biggest underground stars.