Although CM Punk has been recently surrounded by controversy at AEW, he is still one of the best wrestlers to ever step foot in a wrestling ring. His promo skills are on par with any legend, and he has competed in multiple matches that are critically acclaimed.
Punk is never one to hold his tongue and has often criticized many opponents outside the ring. His issues rarely affected his matches. Despite his issues with Adam Page, for example, the two still put on a great bout. This list will examine five times CM Punk made an opponent look legit and five times he made them look like a joke.
10 Made Look Legit: John Cena
It's hard to argue that CM Punk's feud with Cena isn't the best of his time at the WWE. He was a perfect anti-hero opponent who was the polar opposite of Cena, and they told a great story. The pair had two matches, but their Money in the Bank 2011 match was their best.
Punk was able to make Cena look as strong as he always did, but also made him look like a true wrestler. Cena has often been criticized for his limited in-ring skillset, but that's hardly noticeable between him and Punk in this match. The two also competed in the only five-star match of Cena's career.
9 Made Look Like A Joke: JBL
CM Punk had a decent first run as World Heavyweight Champion. A rough spot was arguably his bout against JBL. The two put on a subpar match where JBL looked way past his prime.
Punk did his best to sell Bradshaw, but he mostly dominated before putting him away to make it a successful title defense. The fact that he was taken out by Legacy and gave up the title soon after ended up making their whole match at SummerSlam 2008 feel forced.
8 Made Look Legit: Samoa Joe
Joe Vs. Punk II at ROH changed wrestling history. The two not only helped launch ROH to a new level among wrestling fans, but they also set themselves up for future world title runs. CM Punk and Joe both deserve credit for this bout.
The two made each other look great. Punk was at the top of his game and not only helped sell every aspect of Joe's gameplan but also proved Joe was no slouch as a grappler. It's a wrestling classic that deserves its place in history.
7 Made Look Like A Joke: Ryback
Although CM Punk rarely let issues outside the ring interfere with the quality of his matches, his bout with Ryback was one of the exceptions.
Years after the match, Punk revealed that Ryback was not a safe worker and accused him of intentionally breaking his ribs. Their match at Hell In A Cell 2013 was a low effort from Punk, and it ended up making both stars put on a bad match. The fact that Ryback lost his main event push soon after was no coincidence.
6 Made Look Legit: MJF
Although he was at AEW (without drama) for a little over a year, Punk easily put on one of the greatest rivalries in the history of the company. His story with MJF was perfect. The two were the best promos at the company and put on classic segments inside and outside the ring.
Their Dog Collar Match at Revolution 2022 not only proved that CM Punk was still a great wrestler, but it was arguably the best match of MJF's career. Their feud was so great that AEW was going to run it back before the drama at the All Out Media Scrum.
5 Made Look Like A Joke: Triple H
One of the dumbest losses of CM Punk's career happened at Clash of Champions 2011. He and Triple H squared off in a bout that Triple H did not need to win.
The effort from Punk was decent, but the loss made Triple H look like a person trying to prove a point. Punk losing highlighted the internal hierarchy in play, and while he couldn't do anything to change the outcome, Punk's loss served as a detriment to The Game and robbed him of a lot of goodwill.
4 Made Look Legit: Daniel Bryan
Over The Limit 2012 featured the first major WWE Pay per view event between Daniel Bryan and CM Punk. It may be hard for some fans to remember now, but Bryan was not a revered technical superstar. This match helped fans start seeing Bryan at a whole new level.
Bryan needs little help to look "good" in the ring, but their WWE Championship bout proved Punk can elevate even great superstars. Few fans questioned if Bryan was the future of the WWE after this classic. The fact that this match was not the main event was a travesty.
3 Made Look Like A Joke: Shawn Spears
Shawn Spears was at OVW with CM Punk. The two competed against each other when Colt Cabana and Punk were still friends. The pair had a twelve-second match in AEW that made Spears look like a jobber.
Instead of putting on a classic, that could show how much of a veteran Spears is, Punk made Spears look like an absolute joke during his feud with MJF.
2 Made Look Legit: Brock Lesnar
Some fans forget that Brock Lesnar is a great wrestler until he has matches like his SummerSlam 2013 match against CM Punk. It was one of the best matches of Lesnar's career and Punk made him look better than any dominating win booked in Lesnar's favor.
The two had a midcard match that stole the show. It was the first and only match against Lesnar for CM Punk, and arguably gave the Beast the momentum he needed to end The Streak at WrestleMania 30.
1 Made Look Like A Joke: Curtis Axel
CM Punk spent a large part of 2013 trying to make Curtis Axel look like a wrestling star. The two had below-average matches, but their bout at SmackDown in November 2011 is the worst.
Their last singles match lasted less than fifteen minutes and was another failed attempt to make Axel look like a decent wrestler. Not even Paul Heyman could help the two sell this awful match. Punk's not entirely at fault here, but it was obvious he wasn't really interested in getting Axel over.