CM Punk joined WWE in 2005 after a very successful stint in Ring of Honor. He even came into WWE with a lot of steam thanks to what was called The Summer of Punk. At that time, CM Punk signed a deal to join WWE, which turned Ring of Honor fans against him, and then he shockingly won the ROH title after that. It turned the entire company upside down since a WWE wrestler just won their title.
It was a huge angle, but then CM Punk did one better when WWE decided to create their own Summer of Punk six years later. Now, when people talk about the Summer of Punk, they don't think of that original Ring of Honor angle, but instead, the summer that CM punk dropped the Pipe Bomb, beat John Cena, and ended up as one of the top stars in the entire WWE.
THE RISE OF CM PUNK
CM Punk moved up the rankings quickly, winning the OVW title almost immediately after joining WWE and then moving up to the main roster, where he won the ECW Championship. When Punk moved on after that, he won the Money in the Bank match and then cashed in to beat Batista for the World Title. In 2009, he won another Money in the Bank match and cashed it in to win his second World Title.
Punk was a two-time World Champion, winning both titles by cashing in the briefcase. By 2009, he was leading a stable in the Straight Edge Society and then the New Nexus in 2010. However, things turned around for Punk in 2011.
NUMBER ONE CONTENDER
In 2011, CM Punk finally got back on track when it came to the World Title picture. After his New Nexus stable broke up, CM Punk was back on his own and in June, started moving back up the rankings. He beat WWE Champion John Cena in a non-title match, then defeated Alberto Del Rio and was named the new number one contender to the WWE Championship.
This win led to the upcoming WWE Championship match against John Cena at Money in the Bank in July. However, there was one problem. CM Punk's WWE contract was about to expire — the night of the Money in the Bank PPV.
THE PIPE BOMB
With his contract about to expire in WWE, CM Punk felt he had nothing left to lose. Punk came out during a match between John Cena and R-Truth and interfered, putting Cena through a table. Then, as Cena tried to recover in the ring, CM Punk went to the top of the stage and cut his infamous Pipe Bomb promo.
The Pipe Bomb saw CM Punk tell John Cena that he doesn't hate him, but he hates the idea that WWE considered him the best when CM Punk is the best. He talked smack about Hulk Hogan and The Rock kissing Vince McMahon's butt to get to the top and said what many fans online had been complaining about for years. It was what put CM Punk over the top.
CM PUNK REFUSES TO SIGN NEW CONTRACT
Shortly after CM Punk cut his Pipe Bomb promo, the fans bought into his character completely. Punk was the most popular wrestler in the company and was heading into Money in the Bank in Chicago as a clear babyface.
WWE tried to reverse the fan's opinions by having CM Punk try to ask for ridiculous perks to re-sign with the company, and had Cena call him out as a hypocrite, but the fans didn't buy it. CM Punk, the heel, was their guy now — the voice of the people.
CM PUNK BEATS JOHN CENA FOR WWE TITLE
As mentioned, Money in the Bank in 2011 took place in Chicago, which happened to be the hometown of CM Punk. He came into the arena getting a hero's welcome, and John Cena received louder boos than he ever had before. Punk and Cena put on a great match.
By the end, Vince McMahon and John Laurinaitis came out. When Cena locked in a submission, McMahon tried to send Laurinaitis down to ring the bell and screw Punk. John Cena wouldn't let it happen, and Punk won the title.
CM PUNK LEAVES WWE AS CHAMPION
It was July 17 when CM Punk won the WWE Championship, and the company said that he refused to sign a new contract. What would CM Punk do next, and would he show up somewhere else with the title? It was the biggest story in wrestling at the time.
Four days later, Punk showed up Comic-Con International in San Diego with the title. He made fun of WWE and mocked new COO Triple H while he was there. He learned that Rey Mysterio had become a finalist for the vacant WWE Championship and offered him a title match in Chicago. Punk was talking a lot, so it was clear he was returning.
CENA WINS TITLE, PUNK RETURNS TO RAW
On July 25, WWE held the finals of the tournament to determine the new WWE Champion. Rey Mysterio won it by beating The Miz and became the WWE Champion for the first-time (Mysterio was a former World Heavyweight Champion, which was a different title).
After that, John Cena ruined Rey Mysterio's night by asking for a title shot and beating Rey in the main event of Raw that night, making Mysterio's title reign last only mere hours. However, CM Punk then ruined Cena's night by returning with a new theme song in "Cult of Personality" and his WWE title in hand.
TRIPLE H EXPLAINS RE-SIGNING PUNK
Despite CM Punk talking smack about Triple H at Comic-Con, it was The Game who re-signed him to return to WWE. Even though the WWE COO is who brought Punk back with a new, big contract, Punk refused to bow down and become a minion.
Instead, CM Punk talked crap to Triple H even after the fans learned that he was the reason Punk was back. John Cena came out and tried once again to be the hero by taking the high road, but fans were solidly behind CM Punk and wanted him to reign supreme.
CM PUNK BEATS CENA AGAIN
Triple H made the ruling that both John Cena and CM Punk were WWE Champions since Cena had beaten Mysterio for his title and Punk had never lost his title. So, the two ended up in a match to determine who was the real WWE Champion.
The match happened at SummerSlam in August. However, the referee was Triple H, and most people expected him to screw over CM Punk. Of course, with Jonn Cena involved, that wasn't likely to happen. It didn't, and Punk won the rematch by beating John Cena again.
KEVIN NASH RUINS THE END OF SUMMER OF PUNK
However, the Summer of Punk had a terrible ending. After a summer that saw CM Punk become the biggest name in WWE and proved that he had John Cena's number, WWE screwed him over in the end. Fans wanted to follow Punk and WWE wanted to create more drama.
However, it ended right after CM Punk beat John Cena at SummerSlam despite Cena having a foot on the ropes. As Punk was celebrating his tainted win, Kevin Nash made his WWE return and took out CM Punk, allowing Albert Del Rio to cash in his Money in the Bank briefcase to win the title. The Summer of Punk ended at that point.