CM Punk was actively involved in WWE leading up to his departure in January 2014. Despite being frustrated and burnt out with many aspects of his career there, he did his best to produce good matches with his opponents and make his rivalries engaging for the fans. CM Punk feuded with various wrestlers up and down the card during his final year in WWE, from The Undertaker to Chris Jericho and The Shield.
Punk's final 10 matches on WWE's pay-per-views ranged from good to classic, which allowed him to show his talents and prove why he is a star in the eyes of his fans.
10 CM Punk vs. Ryback - Battleground 2013
This match came about due to CM Punk's feud with Paul Heyman after Heyman betrayed Punk at Money In The Bank a few months prior. Ryback's role in this match was to do Heyman's dirty work and to try to prevent Punk from getting revenge on Heyman. The in-ring action here was unmemorable, with Ryback working heel and Punk fighting from underneath as a sympathetic babyface.
Punk would win with a low blow behind the referee's back following Heyman's attempted interference. Punk's victory progressed the feud, but the match itself was the worst of Punk's last 10 pay-per-view matches in WWE because of the lack of in-ring chemistry between Punk and Ryback.
9 CM Punk vs. Paul Heyman & Curtis Axel - Night Of Champions 2013
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This match was a two-on-one handicap match with no disqualifications. Therefore, the kendo sticks and tables were involved between Punk and Axel. Since there were elimination rules in this match, Punk took care of Axel after some back-and-forth action by making him submit to the Anaconda Vice. Punk then dragged Heyman into the ring, handcuffed him, and began wailing on him with a kendo stick.
Heyman's selling of the kendo stick shots was consistent with his typical and amusing selling abilities. However, Ryback stormed into the ring and drove Punk through a table. Ryback dragged Heyman over Punk and allowed the famed manager to win the match. This match had some memorable moments, but it would be topped later on.
8 CM Punk vs. Ryback & Paul Heyman - Hell In A Cell 2013
This match signaled the end of Punk's feud with Paul Heyman, while Ryback's part was to brawl with Punk as Heyman cowered on top of the Hell In A Cell cage. After Punk won the match with a Go To Sleep on Ryback, Punk climbed up the cage, with a kendo stick in tow, to exact revenge on Heyman.
Punk proceeded to beat down Heyman with the kendo stick several times and then hit him with the Go To Sleep. This booking ended the feud appropriately, and while the in-ring action was basic, Punk's revenge was satisfying.
7 CM Punk vs. The Shield - Tables Ladders and Chairs 2013
Punk ended his final year as a WWE wrestler in a three-on-one feud with The Shield. This feud was short, but it gave Punk the chance to work with three up-and-coming wrestling stars, Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins, and Roman Reigns.
Punk wrestled The Shield at TLC and while Punk did a good job selling for his opponents, it was obvious that Punk was feeling the burnout from his frustrations about his career. Nevertheless, Punk pinned Ambrose following an inadvertent spear from Reigns for the victory.
6 CM Punk & Daniel Bryan vs. Luke Harper & Erick Rowan - Survivor Series 2013
Soon after ending his feud with Paul Heyman, Punk transitioned into a short tag team feud for one pay-per-view to help Daniel Bryan in his feud with The Wyatt Family. The dynamic of this match was interesting since the babyfaces in Punk and Bryan were smaller and the heels in Harper and Rowan were bigger and taller.
The four men put on a great match here, with Punk and Bryan paying homage to the Hart Foundation with the Hart Attack move on Harper at one point. Punk would ultimately hit Harper with the Go To Sleep to earn his team's victory.
5 Royal Rumble Match - 2014
CM Punk's final WWE match, to date, was his participation in the 2014 Royal Rumble Match. He put on a good performance in this match, remaining from the beginning to the final four. His elimination came from an already eliminated participant, Corporate Kane. Kane caught Punk from behind, dragged him over the top rope for the elimination, and chokeslammed him through a commentary table.
The following night, Punk left WWE during RAW, signaling the end of a run for a wrestler who exceeded expectations there in many ways.
4 Money In The Bank Ladder Match - Money In The Bank 2013
CM Punk's role in the main event Money In The Bank Ladder Match was one of the focal points of the match overall. Punk took some punishment as is expected in that match, including a brutal exploder suplex from Randy Orton onto a ladder in the corner turnbuckles. As Punk appeared ready to climb and win the briefcase, Paul Heyman took a ladder and hit Punk in the head with it, causing Punk to bleed the hard way.
That moment took Punk out of the match, but it started Punk and Heyman's feud with an engaging story behind it for the coming months.
3 CM Punk vs. Chris Jericho - Payback 2013
Following WrestleMania 29, Punk took some time off from WWE to heal and give himself a break. He would only get two months for that, as Chris Jericho goaded Punk into returning in June by questioning Punk's claims of his Best In The World moniker. Punk's return at Payback was in Chicago, Illinois, his home city and state, so the crowd was happy to see him.
Punk and Jericho performed a great match here, with several false finishes and finishers to add to the drama. Punk would earn the win with two consecutive Go To Sleep moves on Jericho, marking a great match for his return.
2 CM Punk vs. Brock Lesnar - Summerslam 2013
This match put Punk at an obvious size disadvantage, but it was a dream match as well. Punk and Lesnar told quite the story here about Punk trying to overcome the odds and get revenge on Paul Heyman. Punk did not relent despite Brock's vicious beatdowns throughout the match. Punk managed to hit his Go To Sleep at one point, but it was not enough.
Following Heyman's legal interference since this match had no disqualifications, Lesnar executed his F5 on Punk onto a steel chair for the victory. Punk put over Lesnar very well in this match and created a memorable match for the fans.
1 CM Punk vs. The Undertaker - WrestleMania 29
This was CM Punk's best pay-per-view match of his final 10 in the WWE because of the story being told and the high quality of the in-ring action. Punk and Undertaker put on a modern-day classic here, even with Punk working through a knee injury following an elbow drop onto a commentary table that went awry.
It took multiple Tombstone Piledrivers from Undertaker to defeat Punk in a highly memorable match which played a role in cementing Punk as a WWE wrestler who had worked hard to get to a high-profile position against The Undertaker.