Show
Raw
Results
Date and Location
Monday, Oct 1 | 8/7 PMC
Where to watch
Raw: Oct. 1, 2012
Raw Results : Quick Hits
Raw results: Punk crashes J.R. Appreciation Night; Team Hell No finds its groove Dropping Pipe Bombs: CM Punk's 15 greatest momentsRaw Results : Full Details
WWE Champion CM Punk and Paul Heyman demanded an apology from Raw General Manager AJ Lee
PHOTOS | RAW HIGHLIGHTS | RAW EXCLUSIVES
OKLAHOMA CITY — The Voice of the Voiceless, CM Punk, took to the airwaves as Raw began, throwing accusations of cowardice in the general direction of both John Cena and Mick Foley. Punk condemned them for their actions the previous week (Cena for battering Punk with a lead pipe while the WWE Champion's back was turned and Foley for a perceived act of disrespect in the locker room area as Raw went to black). While The Second City Saint showed little to no remorse for his attack on The Hardcore Legend in the locker room, he did say that Mrs. Foley's Baby Boy managed to reach Punk with his impassioned plea to face John Cena at Hell in a Cell for the WWE Title. That said, he must not have reached the WWE Champion all too well, because despite Foley's "eloquent" speech, the match was still not going to happen.
With that business settled, The Voice of the Voice of the Voiceless, Paul Heyman, was next to step up to the mic. He took Raw General Manager AJ Lee to task for striking him last week following the mad scientist's marriage proposal and called for her termination as GM for violating a previous edict by the WWE Board of Directors preventing AJ from putting her hands on any competitors, managers or the like ever again. And who would fill the power void left by Miss Lee's hypothetical removal from power? Paul Heyman.
Vickie Guerrero, however, was not having it. Flanked by Dolph Ziggler, the "Queen Diva" strode to the ring with great purpose and made her case for assuming the GM position. Jaw-jacking followed, which left The Showoff to assume the unlikely role of peacekeeper: What if, Ziggler posed, Vickie and Heyman were to team up as Co-GMs following AJ's potential ouster.
This left AJ no choice but to make her presence known, revealing to her assembled, would-be usurpers that the Board of Directors had placed her on probation, and she had hired an "Executive Coach" to help her through an evaluation period. Which promptly brought out ...
Daniel Bryan?
Yes (yes, yes, yes), Team Hell No's bearded technical maven stormed down to the ring, somehow managing between his apoplectic screams of "NO!" to assert that AJ's issues have been compounded by her dumping at the hands of Bryan following his WrestleMania loss. Bryan nefariously twiddled his beard as he extolled his own physical virtues ("I AM HANDSOME!!!!") and championship acumen ("I'M THE TAG TEAM CHAMPIONS!!!!"). This brought out Kane, who tossed a compliment AJ's way ("she is a phenomenal kisser!") before correcting one of Bryan's points: that Kane, not Bryan, was the Tag Team Champions.
Chaos followed, with Kane, Bryan, Ziggler, Punk, Vickie and Heyman all screaming over each other before AJ regained control of the masses. "This is my show," seethed the boss lady, decreeing that the night's main event would be Punk & Ziggler facing the WWE Tag Team Champions, Team Hell No.
Rey Mysterio & Sin Cara def. Primo & Epico to advance in the WWE Tag Team Championship No. 1 Contenders' Tournament
Sporting newly matching ring gear and an abundance of energy even for them, Rey Mysterio & Sin Cara took to the ring like two Tasmanian devils en route to dispatching Primo & Epico and sending the lucha icons one round deeper into the WWE Tag Team Championship No. 1 Contenders' Tournament.
The victory didn't come without its difficulties, nor did it come without its distractions. The Prime Time Players made a grand show of seating themselves at the top of the entrance ramp to scout their potential competition, and Primo & Epico hardly went quietly into the good night against the two luchadores. Epico, in particular, seemed to have Sin Cara in a tight spot, nearly neutralizing The Mexican Sensation before Sin Cara rebounded with a tornado DDT and a quick tag to Mysterio.
The Ultimate Underdog was all aces from there, displaying his trademark quickness and eventually hitting both Primo and Epico with a 619, taking flight from the top rope and Dropping the Dime on Primo to send the duo one round deeper into the tournament.
U.S. Champion Antonio Cesaro def. Brodus Clay
How do you say "wow!" in five different languages? Because that's precisely what the WWE Universe was left saying when U.S. Champion Antonio Cesaro collided with The Funkasaurus, Brodus Clay, in a fast and furious match that saw the powerful polyglot deal a rare loss to The Funky One. The difference-maker, as it turned out, was Cesaro's pure power when, after a furious back-and-forth that saw Cesaro take flight with a springboard elbow, the champion wrenched the massive Brodus up for the Neutralizer. Cesaro kept Clay airborne a few seconds for good measure before pummeling The Funkasaurus face-first into the canvas, notching a three-count and putting big Brodus down for the week. Sacre bleu!
Intercontinental Champion The Miz def. Zack Ryder
It's been a rough weekend for The Miz, following his loss to Ryback on Raw and "Miz TV's" descent into chaos last Friday on SmackDown, but The Awesome One managed to get himself a much-needed victory on Raw when he felled a surging Zack Ryder in Oklahoma City.
Sporting a new T-shirt, The Miz took to the ring with great purpose against Long Island Iced-Z, withstanding a strong barrage of offense from the social Superstar and displaying the tenacity and skill typically associated with the holder of the Intercontinental Title. Ryder (who had a new shirt of his own) looked for a moment to get the “W” over The Awesome One when he gave Miz a faceful of foot with the Broski Boot. Miz's counter of the Rough Ryder, though, gave the champion just enough breathing room to mount a comeback. With Ryder stunned, Miz planted The Ultimate Broski with a Skull-Crushing Finale to earn the victory.
World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus and Big Show had a World Championship Debate
It's safe to say there won't be too many debates like this up on Capitol Hill.
Hot on the heels of earning the No. 1 contender's spot for Sheamus' World Heavyweight Title, Big Show was called to dust off his public speaking skills when he squared off against The Celtic Warrior in a World Championship Debate in Oklahoma City.
Big Show was first to take the mic, and his opening statement was nothing if not to the point: He would walk into Hell in a Cell, KO Sheamus, take the World Title, potentially rip Sheamus' leg off should a Brogue Kick attempt ensue and leave. Sheamus' rebuttal was typically jovial, jokingly asking the giant to refrain from taking his leg off.
Moderated by SmackDown General Manager Booker T, the debate began in earnest when the two Superstars were asked to reveal what they found to be the most challenging aspect of their opponent, Sheamus extolled the strength and power of The World's Largest Athlete (although he did have some less-than-kind words about Show's supposed B.O.). "My biggest concern is that this match lasts longer than 45 seconds," Sheamus sneered, referencing the giant's short-lived World Title reign last December at the WWE: Tables, Ladders and Chairs pay-per-view. This provoked the ire of the giant, but once Booker T calmed the big man down, the back and forth continued.
Asked to reveal which was more devastating, the Brogue Kick or the WMD, Show began to list the positive attributes of his signature strike, only leading to Sheamus hitting him with another "45 seconds" jab. As the debate threatened to spiral into physicality, Sheamus attempted to calm things down by cuing up a Tout from his "cousin," Rey Mysterio O’Sullivan. A mocking, masked visage suspiciously resembling The Great White appeared on the TitanTron, demeaning Big Show with derogatory jokes before ending in a good-spirited "arriba!"
What followed was the proverbial calm before the storm, as Show dropped all pretense of civility and stared The Celtic Warrior down with fury in his eyes.
"Do you have something serious to offer?" Show snarled at Sheamus.
"How does it feel to lose the World Heavyweight Championship to Daniel Bryan in 45 seconds, only to have him lose it to me in 18 seconds?" The Great White said with a grin.
For a moment, then, it seemed like the gloves were going to come off, and the big fight come before Hell in a Cell. But after a long, internal debate of his own, Big Show decided to fight another day. The only question left is: Will the big fight be as lighthearted an affair for Sheamus? The answer: debatable.
Ryback def. Tensai
Once wasn't enough, as it turned out: The two titans of WWE, Ryback and Tensai, collided again in a rematch of their epic clash last Friday on SmackDown. And while the result was ultimately the same, victory nearly eluded the mighty Ryback after Tensai was able to counter several of the big man's strikes. Tensai, clearly prepared for much of Ryback's arsenal, countered the "human wrecking machine" with vicious elbows to the face, but Ryback found his groove quickly, hoisting Tensai up for a powerslam and decking the monstrous gaijin with an earth-shattering clothesline to keep his undefeated streak alive.
Divas Champion Eve def. Beth Phoenix
If you can't get it done in the boardroom, it's time to bring the fight to the squared circle. After attempting (and failing) to suspend Beth Phoenix on SmackDown last Friday, Divas Champion Eve took to the ring against The Glamazon to settle their differences the old-fashioned way: a one-on-one contest between the ropes. Happily for Eve, it went much better than her administrative attempt to remove The Glamazon, as she picked up a big win over Beth in Chesapeake Energy Arena.
The contest was evenly matched for the majority of its duration, although Eve proved herself the wilier of the two competitors when she rammed Beth into the ring apron, knocking the wind out of The Glamazon in an attempt to stop the former Divas Champion from gaining momentum. Beth rallied, though, leaving Eve to resort to yet another dubious tactic. Seemingly exaggerating an injury to her midsection, Eve retreated to the ropes until Beth let her guard down before planting The Glamazon with a neckbreaker to seal the contest.
Santino Marella def. Heath Slater by DQ when "The Band" interfered
The show ended early for Santino Marella on Raw when Santino Marella, seemingly ready to pick up a win over Heath Slater, faced the curtain at the hands of what Jim Ross called "The Band": Slater, Drew McIntyre and Jinder Mahal.
The Italian Stallion was well on his way to sending Slater to the showers, countering The One-Man Band's top rope strike with a boot to the face, followed up by his signature hiptoss. But when the Cobra came out, the performance was cut tragically short. "The Maharajah" Mahal and "The Chosen One" McIntyre, who had been lurking ringside, made their presence known with a vicious beatdown of the former U.S. Champion. Having displayed their strength in numbers, "The Band" took their final bows. We think it's safe to say, however, that the show is just getting started.
World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus def. Damien Sandow
In the battle of brains and brawn, brawn does not necessarily always win. But it sure did on Monday night, after World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus made a resounding example of Damien Sandow after The Enlightened One deigned to demean the World Title holder following Sheamus' World Championship Debate against Big Show.
"The Intellectual Savior of the Masses" put up a mammoth effort against The Great White and attempted to make use of his swift athleticism in the battle against the punishing Sheamus, but time and again, The Celtic Warrior was able to stop Sandow before he could get into his rhythm. A Sandow headlock would typically lead to a power move from Sheamus that rattled every point of Sandow's IQ, although the "Rhodes Scholar" was able to escape a potential disaster when Sheamus grabbed a fistful of Sandow's immaculately kempt beard.
Teamwork from Sandow's partner Cody Rhodes, who joined the announce team, helped keep The Enlightened One in the hunt for a victory, though, after Rhodes distracted Sheamus long enough for Sandow to level The Great White with a big clothesline outside the ring. Sandow followed up that reprieve with a strong surge of offense, grounding Sheamus with a series of technical holds, culminating with the Elbow of Disdain to the ribs of the World Heavyweight Champion.
An attempted comeback from The Great White was slow getting off the ground as well, after Sandow turned Sheamus' own momentum against him and trapped him in yet another series of intricate holds that seemed to spell doom for the brawling champion. But for all of Sandow's athleticism, proficiency and somewhat surprising rage on the mat, he was unable to keep Sheamus down for the three-count.
And that, as it turned out, was his undoing. Down but not out, Sheamus managed to create some separation from The Enlightened One. Despite Sandow expertly dodging a last-gasp Brogue Kick, the punishment continued when Sheamus strung Sandow up in the ropes for his signature forearm clubs, pausing only briefly to dole out an extra shot to Rhodes when he tried to interfere. Having caught a monstrous second wind, Sheamus threw both Rhodes and Sandow into the ring and knocked both members of Team Rhodes Scholars to the mat with a double Brogue Kick, catching their craniums with one boot. Despite a top-notch effort from Sandow, class was dismissed.
WWE Champion CM Punk crashed Jim Ross Appreciation Night
It was supposed to be J.R.'s night in Oklahoma City, as the WWE Hall of Famer was set to receive an "appreciation night" in his home state. But before Good Ol' J.R. could get his words of thanks in to the Chesapeake Energy Center crowd, "Cult of Personality" ripped through the loudspeakers and WWE Champion CM Punk made his presence known for the second time in the evening.
After dismissing Michael Cole and offering J.R. some strong words praise ("you're the best announcer we have and I respect the hell out of you"), Punk promptly snatched the thunder from the Okie native's hands and proceeded to demean and insult the assemled Oklahoma crowd, who he claimed "[didn't] know the first thing about respect." However, since J.R. does know about respect, The Second City Saint attempted to rope the Hall of Famer into teaching the WWE Universe about respect "by telling them that I'm the Best in the World."
J.R. didn't bite, turning Punk's intrusion on its head by saying The Second City Saint had been doing a fantastic job of making a "jackass" out of himself over previous weeks. Sincerely floored by J.R.'s insult, Punk turned bilious in a matter of moments, mocking J.R.'s accent and his famous cry of "STONE COLD! STONE COLD! STONE COLD!" and threatening Good Ol' J.R. with bodily harm if he refused to bend to Punk's will and declare him the Best in the World.
Again, J.R. didn't bite. And he threw Punk's anger right back in his face, asserting that, if the champion truly wanted to be the Best in the World, he would face John Cena at Hell in a Cell and prove himself in the place where rivalries are settled. Should Punk manage that, J.R. said, he would be the first one to offer the champion his proper congratulations.
By way of a reply, The Second City Saint knocked J.R.'s hat off his head and offered him an ultimatum: "You fight me or you leave."
Defeated, J.R. chose the path of peace and attempted to resume his place at the announce table, but Punk wasn't having it: He demanded that Ross leave the arena through the ramp, prohibited by order of the Best in the World from doing what he loved the most. Overpowered, J.R. made his walk back up the ramp, when the familiar cry of "FEED ME" boomed out and the Hall of Famer found himself a monstrous escort. With Ryback at his side, J.R. made his way back to the ring and Punk, once again at a loss for words, backed away from the titan's imposing stare for the second time in as many weeks.
Alberto Del Rio def. Kofi Kingston
Alberto Del Rio was a man on a mission Monday night when he clashed with the Ghanaian dynamo, Kofi Kingston, in a hotly contested battle that saw The Essence of Excellence make yet another statement by brutalizing an opponent past the bell’s final toll.
Kofi, perhaps riding the wave of his thrilling battle with Dolph Ziggler last week, was unfazed by The Mexican Aristocrat's aggression, executing a highlight-reel worthy crossbody off the turnbuckle that left Del Rio sprawled about the entrance ramp. Del Rio rallied against The Boom Squad General's high-octane offense, though, locking Kofi up in a torturous abdominal stretch. Del Rio dodged Trouble in Paradise before decimating Kofi's midsection with a series of vicious kicks, finally locking in the Cross Armbreaker and refusing to break the hold after Kofi tapped. It was only after R-Truth ran in to make the save that The Essence of Excellence finally let up — his point made and his mean streak continuing.
WWE Tag Team Champions Team Hell No def. WWE Champion CM Punk & Dolph Ziggler
Looks like Team Hell No is finally getting their groove: the infighting was minimal, the chemistry was strong and the end result was undeniable when the odd-couple champions picked up a win over WWE Champion CM Punk & Mr. Money in the Bank Dolph Ziggler, with Punk himself suffering the deciding pinfall of the evening.
There was one wrinkle that did threaten to derail the whole enterprise: Following a tense job evaluation at the hands of her "Executive Coach," AJ Lee decided to prove her mettle as a leader by suiting up in the zebra stripes and taking the referee's job for the evening's main event. But despite her romantic history with the majority of the in-ring competitors, the Raw General Manager called the match fair and down the middle.
Punk & Ziggler worked surprisingly well together given their status as an odd couple. Ziggler mounted a strong offense against The Devil's Favorite Demon when he locked the monstrous Tag Champion in a sleeper hold while Punk and Bryan briefly resumed their epic, technical rivalry when the two found themselves in the ring together. The mounting synergy of Team Hell No won out in the end, however, with Kane & Bryan executing a series of tandem moves and, despite a few unwanted tags, displaying a newfound proficiency and protectiveness toward each other. Kane, in particular, seemed incensed when Ziggler attempted to batter Bryan outside the apron.
Ultimately, the team that demanded the most validation found itself short when AJ ejected Paul Heyman and Vickie Guerrero. Vickie promptly commanded Ziggler to leave as well and The Showoff, though conflicted, obliged. With Punk left alone in the lion's den, it fell to Kane to spell The Second City Saint's doom with a bone-rattling Chokeslam that left The Voice of the Voiceless staring up at the lights.
True to form, Team Hell No couldn't celebrate the victory without a little bit of infighting, as Kane and Bryan resumed their "I'm the Tag Team Champions" back and forth in Raw's closing minutes. It would appear that true harmony (and CM Punk's quest for validation) will have to wait at least one more week.
Featured Superstars
WWE Champion CM Punk’s cult of personality is about to get a whole lot bigger, as The Second City Saint invades DVD and Blu-ray shelves everywhere with the release of his first home video title: “CM Punk: The Best in the World.” Amassing footage from Punk’s independent wrestling days (seriously, and yes, it’s awesome) and his time in WWE’s developmental system, as well as encompassing The Second City Saint’s entire, storied career thus far, “The Best in the World” is as in-depth a look at one of sports-entertainment’s biggest firebrands as the WWE Universe can ask for.
But what’s a story without a bit of extra commentary thrown in? In celebration of Punk’s latest milestone, WWE.com went back through Punk’s WWE career (nothing here from the indies, sorry) and plucked out his 15 greatest moments. The best of “The Best,” if you will. So, without further ado, here’s the list. Pipe bombs away!
Aug. 1, 2006: Defeats Justin Credible in his WWE debut
It’s safe to say The Second City Saint’s reputation preceded him out of the independents and into ECW, where he was handpicked by Paul Heyman to make his debut, and had already amassed a considerable following heading into his first WWE-sanctioned contest at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City. The ravenous crowd, waving signs in the air baring their allegiance to the latest WWE blue-chipper (“I PAID TO SEE CM PUNK”), erupted in “CM PUNK!” chants from the moment The Straight Edge Superstar burst forth from the curtain. Punk’s ascension to the big leagues was, in their opinion, a long time coming. Taking on one of the original denizens of ECW, Justin Credible, Punk immediately proved himself worthy of the WWE banner by picking up a victory, tapping out Credible with the Anaconda Vise and foreshadowing a near-unparalleled career of brazen, brutal competition.
Sept. 1, 2007: Defeats John Morrison for ECW Championship in a "Last Chance" match
In a process that would repeat itself throughout CM Punk’s career, championship gold did not come easily to him. But when he finally did get his taped-up claws on a title, he did so with gusto and catharsis that somehow made all the attempts before worth the one shining moment. The Second City Saint’s first dance with a WWE championship came when he clashed with John Morrison over the ECW Championship. Punk challenged Morrison in a series of matches that saw Morrison retain for weeks on end until the determined Punk was finally granted a “last chance” opportunity at the title. On Sept. 1, 2007, the two dynamos met one last time with the prize on the line, and The Second City Saint came through in flying colors, grounding The Prince of Parkour to secure his very first championship under the WWE banner. But, needless to say, it would not be his last.
Jan. 3, 2011: Takes control of The Nexus
Under the preening Englishman Wade Barrett, the NXT season one rookies — collectively known as The Nexus — were a brawling goon squad whose predominant occupation was to terrorize the old guard of WWE into a subversive reverence of their collective abilities. However, the group soon became tired of Barrett’s magnanimous style of leadership and ousted him in favor of Punk, who, through several grisly “initiation” processes, transformed the crew into his personal cult-like mercenaries. Granted, it was not as extreme a case of Kool-Aid drinking as the first time Punk amassed a series of followers (we’re getting to that), but with the fearsome foursome of David Otunga, Michael McGillicutty, Husky Harris and Mason Ryan backing him up, it was certainly the most formidable squadron Punk has had at his disposal.
SummerSlam 2011: Defeats John Cena to unify the two WWE Championships
Unsurprisingly, The Second City Saint’s ascension to the WWE Championship was shrouded in controversy in the weeks both leading up to and after he won the title at Money in the Bank 2011. Only two weeks after Punk captured the supreme prize and sauntered out the door of WWE with the title firmly in hand as his WWE contract expired, the vacant title eventually made its way back into the hands of John Cena. This, of course, was when Punk decided to make his grand return, leaving the WWE Universe with not one but two WWE Champions going into the summer classic.
With WWE COO Triple H donning the referee’s stripes, The Voice of the Voiceless defeated Cena to unify the two championships. The victory was short-lived, though, as Kevin Nash burst forth from the crowd and planted Punk with a Jackknife Powerbomb, opening the door for Alberto Del Rio to cash in his Money in the Bank contract on the powerless Punk. It would be a few months before The Second City Saint would win the championship again, but don’t worry: We’re getting to that.
Retains the WWE Championship in the 2012 Elimination Chamber
Not perhaps Punk’s most well-remembered moment, but easily one of his toughest physical tests, The Second City Saint proved his fortitude as WWE Champion in the 2012 Raw Elimination Chamber when he defended the WWE Title against five ravenous competitors — Chris Jericho, Dolph Ziggler, Kofi Kingston, R-Truth and The Miz — looking to knock him off his lofty perch. Against all odds, The Voice of the Voiceless prevailed within the confines of the torturous chamber, last defeating The Miz to retain his championship and ensure that he would, for the first time in his career, head to WrestleMania as the WWE Champion.
March 12, 2010: Menaces Rey Mysterio on SmackDown
Let’s just call it what it is: CM Punk can, when he wants to, be an evil, evil man. He can also be pretty terrifying when it comes to small children, as this instance from March 2010 famously illustrates. Interrupting the birthday celebration for Rey Mysterio’s daughter Aalyah, The Straight Edge Savior sauntered down to the ring, challenged Mysterio, threatened his family and delivered not one but two creepy serenades of “Happy Birthday” to “Princess” Aalyah. While there’s nothing to go on here in the way of in-ring competition, the party-crashing incident remains a lasting testament to The Second City Saint’s ruthlessness in the face of an opponent and one of his signature moments as a WWE Superstar. Frankly, the footage speaks for itself. Just take a look; the more we watch it the more chills we get.
Jan. 19, 2009: Defeats William Regal for the Intercontinental Championship
The significance of a championship win is often marked by the man a Superstar beats for the title. Punk's WWE Title wins against John Cena and Alberto Del Rio will always be remembered because of Cena's dominance in the squared circle, as well as the storied, in-ring lineage of The Mexican Aristocrat's family tree. But Punk's inaugural Intercontinental Championship victory against William Regal carries a special significance. Not only is Regal's in-ring history the stuff of sports-entertainment legend, but also his rebound after health issues nearly forced him to retire cemented him as one of the toughest "old pros" to ever lace up his boots.
But as anyone who knows CM Punk can attest: show him tough and he'll match you blow for blow. To wit: His gritty victory over Regal for the Intercontinental Title showed the kind of determination and proficiency that has marked the title for the entirety of its history.
Forms The Straight Edge Society
Show of hands, WWE Universe: Who saw this coming? Recalling his earlier, ramshackle sermons on the independent scene, Punk’s long-awaited coming-out party under the WWE umbrella came when he decided to take his straight edge philosophy and transform it into a weapon of mass instruction. Punk plucked members of the WWE Universe at random, cleansing them of their wicked ways by shaving their heads and initiating them into his own personal congregation, The Straight Edge Society.
United by their commitment to a clean and (they claimed) superior lifestyle, The SES was Punk’s early-career speechifying writ large, a stadium-scale campaign of salvation led by a man completely convinced of his own grandeur. And, well, um … it worked. The impact of The SES was undeniable: Not only did The Straight Edge Savior expand his stable to include two WWE Superstars and a Diva (Luke Gallows, Joseph Mercury and Serena), but his tactics also proved so inflammatory that he nearly incited the WWE Universe to riot on numerous occasions. Shockingly, nearly instigating mass anarchy is still not Punk’s most famous use of a microphone (and we’re definitely getting to that), but still, not bad for a tattooed upstart from Chicago, right?
The SES ultimately folded in on itself, but should you ever, even now, feel the compulsion to place your hands to the screen in reverence whenever Punk appears, we’re sure he won’t mind. That was kind of the idea all along.
Survivor Series 2011: Defeats Alberto Del Rio for the WWE Title
They don’t come much sweeter than CM Punk’s triumph at Survivor Series 2011, where he reclaimed the WWE Title from the opulent clutches of Alberto Del Rio in a punishing, emotional championship match under the bright lights of Madison Square Garden. In front of the passionate New York crowd (and following a tearful introduction by Punk’s personal ring announcer for the evening, WWE Hall of Famer Howard Finkel), Punk wrenched The Essence of Excellence into the Anaconda Vise and squeezed until Del Rio cried uncle, cementing his status as WWE’s premier competitor for the second time in four months and roaring to the heavens in elation when the official passed him back the title.
All this would have been exciting enough, really. But what truly made this victory was Punk’s win tasted, if possible, even sweeter for the WWE Universe itself. Punk’s first WWE Title victory could have been written off as a last, Herculean gasp before his foray into the unknown, a man seizing his chance because of the statement it would make (more on that later). This win smacked of retribution and vindication; that same hero coming to reclaim his rightful title from the man who stole it from him. It was more than earned. It felt righteous. And the celebration was a fitting one. Punk’s victory leap into the crowd recalled his defiant exit at Money in the Bank, with one key difference: He was there to stay as champion this time. For one shining moment, CM Punk was the people’s champion, and the WWE Universe could take solace in the fact he wasn’t going anywhere.
June 30, 2008: Cashes in Money in the Bank on Edge to win the World Heavyweight Championship
It can be tough for a Superstar like CM Punk to make it to the upper echelon of WWE. Considered undersized and too counter-culture for the Land of the Giant Entertainers, competitors like The Second City Saint can often go overlooked or worse, written off as too small or too much of an “indie darling” to hold their own in a WWE ring. But sometimes things go a certain way, and a Superstar goes from underdog to the mountaintop in a matter of minutes. Sometimes it takes a little help along the way — a Money in the Bank contract in hand and a vulnerable Edge lying prone in the ring — and sometimes even then, there’s that fleeting thought that the impossible might not come to pass. And then it does, and CM Punk hoists the WWE Championship, and you get that feeling of affirmation in the pit of your stomach that tells you a blue-chipper has finally achieved what he was always meant to.
WrestleMania XXVIII: Retains the WWE Championship against Chris Jericho
Emotions were running high when CM Punk stepped into the Miami moonlight for WrestleMania XXVIII, and not just because of his cerebral rivalry against Chris Jericho, who had spent the two months since his return attempting to slander Punk and violate his straight edge lifestyle. In a culmination of the chain of events set off by the “pipe bomb” in summer 2011 — and yes, we’re getting there, too — it was The Second City Saint’s first trip to The Show of Shows as the WWE Champion. In one of the night’s most hotly anticipated contests, Punk and Jericho put on a wrestling clinic, taking the match down to the wire before Punk ultimately retained the championship the same way he had won it: by trapping The Ayatollah of Rock ‘n’ Rolla in the Anaconda Vise. And as millions of fans joined in the chorus of The Voice of the Voiceless, the realization that The Second City Saint’s 10-month journey to The Grandest Stage of Them All had come full-circle. He had arrived, and left, as the WWE Champion. Victory and vindication were his.
WWE Over the Limit 2012: Defeats Daniel Bryan in a "dream match"
CM Punk and Daniel Bryan were, perhaps, two of the most decorated wrestlers in the history of independent wrestling, amassing a cult following and worldwide recognition for their abilities before they ever signed with WWE. They even had a bit of history coming up together ( we actually covered it a bit), but by and large, it was a consensus among hardcore wrestling fans that, due to their unconventional skill sets and body types, Punk vs. Bryan for the WWE Championship would be the one dream main event that was destined to remain a dream.
Well, as it turns out, stranger things have happened: Bryan laid down a challenge for Punk’s title after losing his own World Heavyweight Championship to Sheamus at WrestleMania XXVIII, and The Second City Saint obliged. The two indie darlings grappled in an instant classic at WWE Over the Limit 2012 in what was arguably the most anticipated match of the year at the time. The contest was a back-to-basics, technical clinic between two intricate masters of the mat, with the crowd oscillating furiously between which Superstar it should support (all together now: “DAAAN-IEL-BRYYY-AN/C-M-PUNK!!!!”). The match came down, literally, to a matter of seconds, when Punk tapped to Bryan’s then–“Yes!” Lock a mere instant after he’d rolled up his opponent to score an out-of-nowhere pin over the “American Dragon.” The dream is real, WWE Universe, and CM Punk was left sitting pretty when the bell tolled.
Wins Money in the Bank (and then wins it again)
Winning a Money in the Bank Match is not only one of the toughest tests a Superstar can achieve because of the nature of the match itself, but it’s also one of the biggest indicators that a competitor is about to break from the pack. To retrieve the coveted briefcase from a mix of stout veterans and hungry up-and-comers takes a certain kind of fortitude. Given his modest beginnings, the WWE Universe was shocked when CM Punk was the one to snatch the championship contract at WrestleMania XXIV, which later led to his World Heavyweight Championship win over Edge some months later. Given that Money in the Bank was a relatively new concept back then, it’s safe to say that The Second City Saint had done quite enough to cement himself as a top-tier Superstar.
And then, of course, he won it again. The next year, at the 25th Anniversary of WrestleMania, Punk outlasted yet another crop of Superstars to make history by winning a second Money in the Bank contract and, later, a second World Title as a result. That’s a feat, by the way, which has never been replicated.
June 27, 2011: The "Pipe Bomb"
Ever have one of those moments where your cup runneth over and you just start unloading on anyone and everyone who has ever disrespected, overlooked, underestimated and ignored you? Ever feel like burning the bridge won’t suffice and instead you want to blow it up, vacuum up the ashes and then blow up the dustbuster? Ever feel like airing dirty laundry because hey, why not at this point? In that case, you and CM Punk certainly have a lot in common. The only difference is your outburst probably won’t A) occur on live television, B) make headlines the world over and C) inarguably change the course of WWE for more than a year and open the door for every underdog who was told he couldn’t make it. Hey, it’s nothing to be ashamed about. We can’t all be CM Punk, and The Second City Saint’s scorched-earth manifesto is just another testament to that. Still, it doesn’t quite match what he did next …
Money in the Bank 2011: Wins the WWE Championship and leaves through the crowd as his contract expires
A few weeks ago, John Cena told The Second City Saint that the night Punk made the most noise was the night he had his mic turned off during the “pipe bomb.” Well, with all due respect to Mr. Cena, we’re on the bandwagon of the events that immediately followed: When Punk defeated The Champ in his hometown of Chicago. He fulfilled his own prophecy and won the WWE Championship from Cena before thwarting an attempt of a Money in the Bank cash-in by Alberto Del Rio with a well-timed kick to the head. He then absconded with the supreme prize through the throngs of the Windy City faithful, though not before blowing WWE Chairman Mr. McMahon a devilish kiss goodbye. We’d say that’d be the night he made the most noise. Or maybe that was us screaming at the TV. We honestly can’t be sure. Enjoy the home video, folks.
