History Wrestling / CMPunk

However, his rise to WWE superstardom came in the year of 2011, namely during the summer of that year, which has since been dubbed the "Summer of Punk"[[note]]also a name given to the summer of 2005, wherein Punk had a heel storyline as part of Ring of Honor shortly after accepting a deal with WWE, where he threatened to bring his ROH championship to WWE[[/note]]. On the 7/27/11 episode of ''[[Wrestling/WWERAW Raw]]'', he dropped his first (and most acclaimed) WorkedShoot on Wrestling/VinceMcMahon, which would come to be known as a "Pipe Bomb"[[note]]"Pipe bomb" originally referred to CM Punk's microphone, and he had been calling them that years before WWE, but people started calling his promos "pipe bombs" instead[[/note]]. Then, after that year's Wrestling/MoneyInTheBank PPV on July 17th, he became one of the very few men to walk out on WWE still holding the WWE Championship. After his return and regaining the belt, he held the title for 434 days, becoming the longest-reigning WWE Champion of the Modern Era.

[[caption-width-right:350: [[Music/LivingColour Look in my eyes, what do you see?]]]]

-->--'''CM Punk''', ''Wrestling/WWESmackDown'', [[http://www.cagematch.net/?id=93&nr=563 September 11, 2009]]

On January 27, 2014, the night after that year's Wrestling/RoyalRumble, Punk walked out on WWE. He then announced his [[http://pwtorch.com/artman2/publish/WWE_News_3/article_78695.shtml#.U5ZPJXbfOt8 official retirement from professional wrestling as of May 29]]. On November 26 of that year, Punk would appear on the ''Art of Wrestling'' podcast with longtime friend Colt Cabana [[https://youtu.be/i4DHxnfsJBk?t=8m58s to explain the reasons and ongoing factors that led to his departure]], which included a number of CreativeDifferences and backstage tension[[note]]including being paid less than other wrestlers for no explained reasons, doing unreciprocated favors for Wrestling/VinceMcMahon, feeling that Wrestling/JohnCena was the only person given a clear long-term plan, and the fact that he never main-evented a Wrestling/WrestleMania, which he considers his greatest failure[[/note]] as well as accumulating negative effects on his health[[note]]His final months in WWE were spent working through several concussions, broken ribs, injured knees, and an untreated MRSA infection that could've killed him[[/note]]. However, he publicly stated that the manner in which he was fired (being [=FedExed=] his termination papers on his wedding day) was the last straw for him[[note]]although Vince [=McMahon=] described this as an incredibly unfortunate coincidence[[/note]], along with the extended legal fallout he went through after going public about his grievances, solidified that he would essentially never have a working relationship with WWE again.

After causing a backstage altercation with Jack Perry, which was over the use of real glass in a spot for ''AEW Collision'', Punk was fired from AEW on September 2, 2023.

Over his career, Punk has amassed a bevy of accomplishments across numerous promotions. In addition to a collection of title wins in small and independent promotions, he is a one-time ROH World Champion, a two-time ROH tag team champion, a one-time ECW Champion, a three-time World Heavyweight Champion, a two-time WWE Champion, a one-time WWE Intercontinental Champion, a one-time WWE Tag Team Champion, two-time AEW World Champion, and AEW Real World Champion, an unofficial title of his creation.

** And as of September 2022 in RealLife, Wrestling/ColtCabana, "Hangman" Wrestling/AdamPage, Wrestling/KennyOmega and Wrestling/TheYoungBucks, all of whom worked in AEW and did not approve of Punk arriving in the company, leading to rumors of them accusing him of using his influence on Tony Khan to kick Cabana downstairs to ROH. They would, according to Punk, leak details on this to the wrestling dirt sheets and Page would cut the now infamous 'worker's rights' shoot promo on Punk which Brooks claims jeopardized a million dollar gate for their main event at Double Or Nothing. Punk would go on to air all these grievances in a media scrum following the events of AEW All-Out 2022 which lead to a backstage altercation between him and the Elite, resulting in all participants, Punk included, being suspended and their world titles stripped.

After causing a backstage altercation with Jack Perry, Punk was fired from AEW on September 2, 2023.

Phillip Jack Brooks (born October 26, 1978), better known by his ring name CM Punk, is an American {{professional wrestl|ing}}er, actor, mixed martial arts commentator, and former mixed martial artist currently signed to Wrestling/AllEliteWrestling.

In the time that he spent away from wrestling, Punk's stance on returning in any capacity, let alone entering the ring again -- one of his most routinely asked questions -- shifted back and forth between "under the right set of circumstances" and "never in a million years". However, the summer of 2021 saw intense speculation in the wrestling world that Punk was not only gearing up for a return, but that it would happen under AEW. Due to a number of factors, including a great deal of subtle teases from AEW's executives and wrestlers alike, the company would end up generating so much hype without explicitly confirming Punk's signing that its second episode of ''Rampage'' and its ''All Out'' pay-per-view -- both held in the Chicagoland area[[note]]''Rampage'' in Chicago proper, ''All Out'' in Hoffman Estates[[/note]] -- sold out almost immediately. Sure enough, it was on August 20, 2021, during the ''Rampage'' episode, that CM Punk would make his official return to professional wrestling after seven years[[note]]2,763 days, but who's counting?[[/note]] by debuting in AEW. The moment must truly be seen to be believed ([[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ByAXCjqBzLg 1]], [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KrZXDqREmaU 2]]).

After underwent a backstage altercation with Jack Perry, Punk gets fired from AEW on September 2023.

Over his career, Punk has amassed a bevy of accomplishments across numerous promotions. In addition to a collection of title wins in small and independent promotions, he is a one-time ROH World Champion, a two-time ROH tag team champion, a one-time ECW Champion, a three-time World Heavyweight Champion, a two-time WWE Champion, a one-time WWE Intercontinental Champion, a one-time WWE Tag Team Champion, two-time AEW World Champion, and current AEW Real World Champion, an unofficial title of his creation.

* SlutShaming: Straight Edge doesn't just mean no substance abuse or recreational drugs, it also means no promiscuous sex, which became a running theme of his IWA Mid-South put downs. Although his [[MemeticMutation best known instance]] was in Full Impact Pro, during a falls count anywhere match with Homicide that strayed close to an erotic display. The [=ROHbots=] threw this back at him for his inability to keep a relationship.

** Many people note that his anti-corporate rebel character is remarkably alike to Wrestling/StoneColdSteveAustin, especially if you want to see Cena as his version of The Rock. The only real discernible differences is that Punk prefers talking instead of beating the hell out of everybody, (though that didn't mean he didn't enjoy kicking ass as much as Austin did) and doesn't drink at all, due to being UsefulNotes/StraightEdge. They've even both walked out on the company now in RealLife, making it surprisingly odd when detractors who slam Punk for having done so decide to use Austin as an example of guys who were "far more loyal/dedicated/professional" than Punk. The main differences there are that Austin wasn't friends with Dana White, didn't have Creator/MarvelComics to fall back on and didn't have another [[Wrestling/AllEliteWrestling domestic product]] to jump to.

** He dismissed Colt Cabana from The Second City Saints' tag team title defense at ''ROH Survival Of The Fittest'', opting to face three other teams ''and'' their managers alone, so Cabana, who had advanced in the first round of the tournament, could have a better chance at winning the whole thing. It wasn't to be, as Cabana was knocked off by Mark Briscoe, but it's the thought that counts, and he did pin Samoa Joe with a sunset flip.

* TheChewToy: Ever since his latest face turn, Punk's been dealing with an inordinate number of feuds that feature him against two or more heels. His long-running feud with Wrestling/PaulHeyman extended to Heyman's clients, Wrestling/{{Ryback}} and Wrestling/CurtisAxel. Then, after feuding ''very'' briefly with Wrestling/TheWyattFamily, he found himself beaten beaten to a pulp by Wrestling/TheShield. At least he had some help here from the New Age Outlaws... [[spoiler: until ''they'' [[EtTuBrute turned on him]] as well not long into the new year.]]

** He did an elbow drop with a ring bell on Ricky Steamboat in 2004 as Randy Savage had in 1985.

** His plans on leaving the WWE with the WWE Championship just like he did in ROH.
** He is one of the few Superstars who really does keep continuity as much as possible. In addition to the Kelly and Orton moments above, he also hung a lampshade about Vince's stip to have Cena fired if Cena did not beat Punk at ''Money in the Bank'', stating that Cena's stipulated "retirement" in 2010 lasted all of a week. He also brought up the failed runs of Wrestling/ColtCabana and [[Wrestling/DrewHankinson Luke Gallows]] during his worked-shoot run during that feud.

* DelinquentHair: Especially as a [[http://www.wrestlingsuperstars.info/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/108.jpg teenager.]]

** Put aside his feud with Ricky Steamboat when Generation Next also decided to after him and back him up with The Second City Saints.

** When he really grew his hair out during the Straight Edge Society angle, Punk came to look a lot like a certain other, if completely different savior, Chris Hero.

** Many people note that his anti-corporate rebel character is remarkably alike to Wrestling/StoneColdSteveAustin, especially if you want to see Cena as his version of The Rock. The only real discernible differences is that Punk prefers talking instead of beating the hell out of everybody, (though that didn't mean he didn't enjoy kicking ass as much as Austin did) and doesn't drink at all, due to being UsefulNotes/StraightEdge. They've even both walked out on the company now in RealLife, making it surprisingly odd when detractors who slam Punk for having done so decide to use Austin as an example of guys who were "far more loyal/dedicated/professional" than Punk.

** The storyline is so well-known for propelling Punk into superstardom that TNA attempted a storyline that was a blatant rip off of this one two years later, with Wrestling/AJStyles as Punk and Dixie Carter as Vince [=McMahon=]. It failed for several reasons, the main reason being that this trope used to be known as the Seven Year Rule, because that's how long it takes fans to forget a storyline, allowing it to be rehashed for new wrestlers. Since this was two years after the original storyline and Punk was still in the WWE at the time, everyone could clearly see that this was one TNA's effort to recreate its magic. The last (and most ironic) reason is because Punk, who was well-known for his disputes with management, ended up re-signing because of this storyline. AJ Styles, for all his years loyally working for TNA, was also in similar RealLife contract disputes at the time during the storyline -- but unlike Punk, he ''didn't'' re-sign, having finally gotten sick TNA's poor treatment of him and his coworkers, forcing the company to take the title off him and kill his career in TNA in the most convoluted way possible.
** The storyline also incorporates elements of the Wrestling/MontrealScrewjob after [[WorkedShoot Punk rants about everything that is wrong with the WWE]], and Mr. [=McMahon=] responded by suspending him, ending his career with the WWE, until Cena convinced [=McMahon=] to reinstate Punk. [=McMahon's=] response to the plea take more from the prelude which involved [=McMahon=] being worried that one of his wrestlers would jump ship with a belt which turned out to be for a reason; he attempted to pull the same thing off against Punk, and it didn't work out thanks to Cena punching out Wrestling/JohnLaurinaitis, the one sent to tell the timekeeper.
** Also, the character of Punk, the straight-talking AntiHero who resonates so well with the fans that will ultimately lead to a new era of DarkerAndEdgier programming, is very similar to the push of Wrestling/StoneColdSteveAustin in the late 90s before the start of the Wrestling/AttitudeEra. Fans have been comparing Punk to Austin, and this being the foreshadowing to the second Attitude Era. Punk even gave John Laurinaitis the GTS in the same way Austin gave the Stone Cold Stunner to the authority figures of his era.

*** Also, he feuded with Triple H (which somehow [[SpotlightStealingSquad metamorphosed into]] Triple H vs. Kevin Nash, but hey, who's counting?)

*** Kenny Omega was seen wearing "Cookie Monster" and "Chick Magnet" shirts.

* {{Guyliner}}: During his OVW days.

* HeelFaceRevolvingDoor: An interpromotional case from the early days of TNA and ROH. In ROH, Punk was playing a sadistic KnightTemplar heel feuding with Wrestling/{{Raven}} over the latter's constant drug use. At the exact same time, Punk was one of Raven's followers as a member of the face group The Gathering in TNA. Obviously these were never brought up on the other show, but it did lead to a Hair vs Hair match in ROH being vetoed so Raven could have one against Shane Douglas in TNA instead.

** With The Embassy, Jimmy Rave in particular, after Rave disregarded Punk's advice about Prince Nana and tried to blind Punk. Before that they were just annoying guys who happened to be get in his way sometimes while he pursued more important things, like The Prophecy.

* KnockingTheKnockoff: During the first half of the TurnOfTheMillennium, CM Punk wrestled for many promotions, one of them being Wrestling/{{CHIKARA}}. After an abrupt (bad) ending to his career there, CHIKARA's creative team came up with CP Munk, a wrestling Straight Edge chipmunk, as a form of TakeThat towards him. Punk himself at first was enraged by this but then declared that he shouldn't be offended by this, because "nobody from Chikara will ever be over enough anywhere for anybody else to parody them". Ironically, CHIKARA would end up closing in 2020, a year before Punk's pro wrestling return.

* LargeHam: He actually avoided veering into this territory when he did the Straight Edge gimmick on the indies, but the WWE version of it saw Punk turn up the hamminess after Wrestling/LukeGallows showed up and Punk started adding religious overtones to his promos. Matt Striker giving Serena the distinction of being "Punk's Mary Magdalene" aided the religious overtones, so it's not just Punk's doing. On Punk's DVD, he confirmed that this was the intent, and he could get away with much of it because he was at Smackdown at the time.

** After losing the Ring of Honor World Championship to James Gibson, CM Punk had what was thought would be his final match for ROH with Colt Cabana, where he could be seen tearing up after it conclusion.

* BashBrothers: In order, CM Venom, Colt Cabana, Ace Steel, Julio Dinero, Lucy, Seth Skyfire, Kofi Kingston, [[Wrestling/DrewHankinson Luke Gallows]].

However, his rise to WWE superstardom came in the year of 2011, namely during the summer of that year, which has since been dubbed the "Summer of Punk"[[note]]also a name given to the summer of 2005, wherein Punk had a heel storyline as part of Ring of Honor shortly after accepting a deal with WWE, where he threatened to bring his ROH championship to WWE[[/note]]. On the June 27th ''Raw'', he dropped his first (and most acclaimed) WorkedShoot on Wrestling/VinceMcMahon, which would come to be known as a "Pipe Bomb"[[note]]"Pipe bomb" referred to CM Punk's microphone, and he had been calling them that years before WWE, but people started calling his promos pipe bombs instead for whatever reason[[/note]]. Then, after the ''Money in the Bank'' PPV on July 17th, he became one of the very few men to walk out on WWE still holding the WWE Championship. After his return and regaining the belt, he held the title for 434 days, becoming the longest reigning WWE Champion of the Modern Era.

On January 27, 2014, the night after that year's Wrestling/RoyalRumble, Punk walked out on WWE. He then announced his [[http://pwtorch.com/artman2/publish/WWE_News_3/article_78695.shtml#.U5ZPJXbfOt8 official retirement from professional wrestling as of May 29]]. On November 26 of that year, Punk would appear on the ''Art of Wrestling'' podcast with longtime friend Colt Cabana [[https://youtu.be/i4DHxnfsJBk?t=8m58s to explain the reasons and ongoing factors that led to his departure]], which included a number of CreativeDifferences and backstage tension[[note]]including being paid less than other wrestlers for no explained reasons, doing unreciprocated favors for Wrestling/VinceMcMahon, feeling that Wrestling/JohnCena was the only person given a clear long-term plan, and the fact that he never main-evented a Wrestling/WrestleMania, which he considers his greatest failure[[/note]] as well as accumulating negative effects on his health[[note]]His final months in WWE were spent working through several concussions, broken ribs, injured knees, and an untreated MRSA infection that could've killed him[[/note]]. However, he publicly stated that the manner in which he was fired (being [=FedExed=] his termination papers on his wedding day) was the last straw for him[[note]]although Vince [=McMahon=] described this as an incredibly unfortunate coincidence[[/note]], and between that and the extended legal fallout he went through after going public about his grievances, the whole experience solidified that he would essentially never have a working relationship with WWE again.

Over his career, Punk has amassed a bevy of accomplishments across numerous promotions. In addition to a collection of title wins in small and independent promotions, he is a one-time ROH World Champion, a two-time ROH tag team champion, a one-time ECW Champion, a three-time World Heavyweight Champion, a two-time WWE Champion, a one-time WWE Intercontinental Champion, a one-time WWE Tag Team Champion, and a two-time AEW World Champion.

** Wrestling/{{Raven}}, Wrestling/RandyOrton, Wrestling/JohnLaurinaitis, Wrestling/PaulHeyman, Wrestling/{{MJF}}... it's easier to name Punk's allies.

On January 27, 2014, the night after that year's Wrestling/RoyalRumble, Punk walked out on WWE. He then announced his [[http://pwtorch.com/artman2/publish/WWE_News_3/article_78695.shtml#.U5ZPJXbfOt8 official retirement from professional wrestling as of May 29]]. On November 26 of that year, Punk would later appear on the ''Art of Wrestling'' podcast with longtime friend Colt Cabana [[https://youtu.be/i4DHxnfsJBk?t=8m58s to explain the reasons and ongoing factors that led to his departure]], which included a number of CreativeDifferences and backstage tension[[note]]including being paid less than other wrestlers for no explained reasons, doing unreciprocated favors for Wrestling/VinceMcMahon, feeling that Wrestling/JohnCena was the only person given a clear long-term plan, and the fact that he never main-evented a [=WrestleMania=], which he considers his greatest failure[[/note]] as well as accumulating negative effects on his health[[note]]his final months in WWE were spent working through several concussions, broken ribs, injured knees, and an untreated MRSA infection that could've killed him[[/note]]. However, he publicly stated that the manner in which he was fired (being [=FedExed=] his termination papers on his wedding day) was the last straw for him[[note]]although Vince [=McMahon=] described this as an incredibly unfortunate coincidence[[/note]], and between that and the extended legal fallout he went through after going public about his grievances, the whole experience solidified that he would essentially never have a working relationship with WWE again.

Phillip Jack Brooks (born October 26, 1978), better known by his ring name CM Punk, is an American {{professional wrestl|ing}}er, actor, mixed martial arts commentator, and former mixed martial artist currently signed to Wrestling/AllEliteWrestling, where he is presently serving out a suspension.

** His return to professional wrestling after seven years in August 2021, in an episode of ''AEW Rampage'' was much with a ''rapturous'' pop. In his hometown of Chicago no less.
*** The AEW on TNT Twitter account [[https://twitter.com/AEWonTNT/status/1428900802656043013 accompanied that moment]] with a cheeky ShoutOut to [[UsefulNotes/MichaelJordan another Chicago hero]].
---->Chicago, IL. (August 20, 2021)- The following statement was released today by CM Punk in response to his career and future plans.\\\

* PyrrhicVictory: This was the situation Punk (unintentionally) created for Mike Jackson after his second UFC match where he lost yet again. While Jackson won the match and dragged it out to prove that he was Punk's better and that Punk had no business being there, he was raked over the coals verbally by Dana White despite being the winner of the match, with Dana going so far as to say Jackson would never fight in the UFC again and that as far as he, White, was concerned, Jackson's record was still 0-2 in his mind.

* {{Jerkass}}: As a {{Heel}}. As Rey Mysterio soon proved during their feud together circa 2010, the fans didn't hate Punk because he was UsefulNotes/StraightEdge -- they hated him because he was an arrogant asshole. At least Lesnar justifies his JerkJock attitude because he's a very secluded FarmBoy from Minnesota who is NotGoodWithPeople, but CM Punk is a straight example to the point of ''being an ass towards kids'' out of being asked for an autograph.

** When Wrestling/{{MJF}} mocked him for being second-best in WWE, whether to [[Wrestling/JohnCena the "You Can't See Me" Man]] or the [[Wrestling/TripleH King of Kings]], he gladly accepted the title of second both for himself and on behalf of Chicago, to which he said that his hometown owns the nickname of "the Second City" "not because there's a city that's better than it, not because there's a city that was first...[but] because when it burned to the ground, we just built right back up on top of the smoldering embers."

* WeaponOfChoice: A microphone, which he refers to as a pipebomb in his hands. While this usually refers to what he has to say, Jeff Hardy, Triple H, and Wrestling/ZackRyder found it has another meaning...

On January 27, 2014, the night after that year's Wrestling/RoyalRumble, Punk walked out on WWE and [[http://pwtorch.com/artman2/publish/WWE_News_3/article_78695.shtml#.U5ZPJXbfOt8 officially retired from professional wrestling as of May 29]]. On November 26 of that year, Punk would later appear on the ''Art of Wrestling'' podcast with longtime friend Colt Cabana [[https://youtu.be/i4DHxnfsJBk?t=8m58s to explain the reasons and ongoing factors that led to his departure]], which included a number of CreativeDifferences and backstage tension[[note]]including being paid less than other wrestlers for no explained reasons, doing unreciprocated favors for Wrestling/VinceMcMahon, feeling that Wrestling/JohnCena was the only person given a clear long-term plan, and the fact that he never main-evented a [=WrestleMania=], which he considers his greatest failure[[/note]] as well as accumulating averse effects on his health[[note]]his final months in WWE were spent working through several concussions, broken ribs, injured knees, and an untreated MRSA infection that could've killed him[[/note]]. However, he publicly stated that the manner in which he was fired (being [=FedExed=] his termination papers on his wedding day) was the last straw for him[[note]]although Vince [=McMahon=] described this as an incredibly unfortunate coincidence[[/note]], and between that and the extended legal fallout he went through after going public about his grievances, the whole experience solidifed that he would essentially never have a working relationship with WWE again.

As Punk had begun to dabble in MMA training following his departure, he confirmed on December 6, 2014 that he had signed a multi-fight contract with UFC, and debuted at UFC 203 on September 10, 2016. He was released following two consecutive losses, after which he began working as a commentator with Cage Fury Fighting Championships (CFFC). [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KNfOR8sSiGU He made a surprise return to the wrestling world]] on November 12th, 2019 by appearing at the very end of an episode of FOX's ''WWE Backstage''[[note]]It's an important distinction that Punk was employed by FOX at this time, not WWE[[/note]], which he later joined as a special contributor and analyst.

In the time that he spent away from wrestling, Punk's stance on returning in any capacity, let alone entering the ring again -- one of his most routinely asked questions -- shifted back and forth between "under the right set of circumstances" and "never in a million years". However, the summer of 2021 saw intense speculation in the wrestling world that claimed Punk was not only gearing up for a return, but that it would happen under AEW. Due to a number of factors, including a great deal of subtle teases from AEW's executives and wrestlers alike, the company would end up generating so much hype without explicitly confirming Punk's signing that its second episode of ''Rampage'' and its ''All Out'' pay-per-view -- both held in the Chicagoland area[[note]]''Rampage'' in Chicago proper, ''All Out'' in Hoffman Estates[[/note]] -- sold out almost immediately. Sure enough, it was on August 20, 2021, during the ''Rampage'' episode, that CM Punk would make his official return to professional wrestling after seven years[[note]]2,763 days, but who's counting?[[/note]] by debuting in AEW. The moment must truly be seen to be believed ([[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ByAXCjqBzLg 1]], [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KrZXDqREmaU 2]]).

Over his career, Punk has amassed a bevy of accomplishments across numerous promotions. In addition to a collection of title wins in small and independent promotions, he is a one-time ROH World Champion, a two-time ROH tag team champion, a one-time ECW Champion, a three-time World Heavyweight Champion, a two-time WWE Champion, a one-time WWE Intercontinental Champion, a one-time WWE Tag Team Champion, and a one-time AEW World Champion.

** His first championship reign had these. He became champion after Wrestling/{{Batista}} gave Wrestling/{{Edge}} a Batista ''Bomb'': Punk took advantage of the ambush and cashed in his Money In The Bank. He lost his championship after Wrestling/KevinNash gave him a Jackknife ''Powerbomb'' and Wrestling/AlbertoDelRio cashed in ''his'' Money In The Bank.

** On the 900th episode of ''Raw'', Punk showed some clips from Raw's past shows to show the show's lack of "Family Values". One clip he showed was from Episode #691 where John Cena threw Wrestling/{{Edge}} into the Long Island Sound. After watching the clip, Punk quoted "Ladies and Gentlemen, I, for one would never throw another competitor into any body of water". This {{Blatant Lie|s}} is in all likelihood a direct reference to Punk's "Gulf of Mexico Match" that he had with Wrestling/ChavoGuerreroJr on ECW in February 2008.

** One of the main contributing factors to Punk's second and permanent rise to the main event scene was Wrestling/{{Edge}}'s first retirement, which left only Wrestling/JohnCena and Wrestling/RandyOrton as the only full-time main event talent on the roster[[note]]Wrestling/TheMiz was in the main event at the time, but he was never quite considered a main event talent like Cena and Orton were; WWE was also heavily pushing Wrestling/AlbertoDelRio and Wrestling/{{Sheamus}} at the same time, but neither were really able to connect with the audience as main event talent, just like Miz[[/note]]. Almost all of the other main event talent for the past few years had either retired (Wrestling/ShawnMichaels, Wrestling/{{Batista}}), semi-retired (Wrestling/TheUndertaker, Wrestling/TripleH), were on hiatus (Wrestling/ChrisJericho), or temporarily downgraded to the midcard (Wrestling/ReyMysterio), leaving WWE desperate for a new top star. Hence, the second "Summer of Punk", which saw Punk ascend to superstardom and claim Edge's spot for the rest of his career. Naturally, Punk's own departure from the company two and a half years later ripped its own hole in the main event, which was ultimately filled by Wrestling/DanielBryan, and even later on the members of Wrestling/TheShield after the stable broke up.

** Punk and the ''Money in the Bank'' concept in general. Punk is the only one to have ever won the Money in the Bank Ladder match twice - and back-to-back to boot - and is the second person to cash in the briefcase twice. In fact, he cashed in his first one and won his first world title off of the ''other'' guy who's cashed in the briefcase twice - Wrestling/{{Edge}}. Then he won the WWE Championship at the 2011 ''Money in the Bank'' pay-per-view off of John Cena in his hometown of Chicago, in a match that would catapult him into superstardom after he ran off with said title on the night his contract expired - which happened to be the same night as the PPV. He would lose the WWE title to Wrestling/AlbertoDelRio, who cashed in ''his'' Money in the Bank briefcase, which he won at the very same pay-per-view that Punk had won the title. Punk even lampshaded it, harboring no hard feelings to Del Rio and solely blaming Triple H and Kevin Nash.

* RoguesGallery: Punk developed a cast of recurring enemies during his WWE career, whether as a heel or a face. This includes Wrestling/TheMiz and Wrestling/JohnMorrison (who initially bonded over their hatred of Punk when they were forced into a tag team together), Wrestling/ChavoGuerreroJr, Wrestling/SheltonBenjamin, Wrestling/{{Kane}}, Wrestling/DolphZiggler, and Wrestling/AlbertoDelRio. He also occasionally crossed paths with Wrestling/{{Edge}}, who cost him the ECW Championship at the beginning of 2008 (Punk got the last laugh by cashing in on Edge to win his first World Heavyweight Championship). Then there's his actual arch-enemies: Wrestling/{{Raven}}, Wrestling/JeffHardy, Wrestling/JohnCena, Wrestling/RandyOrton, Wrestling/ChrisJericho, and Wrestling/PaulHeyman. After Punk returned to wrestling by signing with AEW, you can add Wrestling/EddieKingston, Wrestling/{{MJF}}, and Wrestling/AdamPage to the list.

* UnwittingInstigatorOfDoom: Punk's decision to cash-in on Wrestling/{{Edge}} in 2008 for his first world title is what started Edge's summer-long VillainousBreakdown that saw him become completely unhinged and terrorize ''[=SmackDown!=]'', especially after his wife Wrestling/VickieGuerrero reinstated the Undertaker and forced Edge in a Hell in a Cell match against him in retaliation for him cheating on her with their wedding planner Wrestling/AliciaFox. This eventually culminated in him losing the match and being to "sent to hell" for three months. In short, by taking advantage of this one vulnerable moment, Punk completely and utterly wrecked ''[=SmackDown!=]'' for several months through no real effort of his own.

** Punk pulled this on Jeff Hardy in 2009; after Hardy had just beaten Wrestling/{{Edge}} in a Ladder Match for the World Heavyweight Championship, Punk cashed in his Money in the Bank contract and made Jeff's reign as champion a very, very short one.

** Also in RealLife, Teddy Hart, while both employed by [[Wrestling/ImpactWrestling TNA]] they got into a shoot fistfight that got Teddy blackballed from the company over unannounced spotfest Teddy did after a match with ROH that ended up not only endangering several of their coworkers but also Teddy himself.[[note]]Contrary to popular belief, Punk was not fired for this -- he left because creative had nothing for him and in protest of TNA's decision to back out of their partnership with ROH after the RF video scandal; the two events happened around the same time, hence the confusion.
** And as of September 2022 in RealLife, Colt Cabana, Hangman Adam Page Kenny Omega and The Young Bucks, all of whom worked in AEW and did not approve of Punk arriving in the company, accusing him of using his influence to kick Cabana downstairs to ROH. They would allegedly leak details on this to the wrestling dirt sheets and Page would cut the now infamous 'worker's rights' shoot promo on Punk which Brooks claims jeopardized a million dollar gate for their main event at Double Or Nothing. Punk would go on to air all these grievances in a media scrum following the events of AEW All-Out 2022 which lead to a backstage altercation between him and the Elite, resulting in all participants, Punk included, being suspended and their world titles stripped.[[/note]]

** And as of September 2022 in RealLife, Colt Cabana, Hangman Adam Page Kenny Omega and The Young Bucks, all of whom worked in AEW and did not approve of Punk arriving in the company, accusing him of using his influence to kick Cabana downstairs to ROH. They would allegedly leak details on this to the wrestling dirt sheets and Page would cut the now infamous 'worker's rights' shoot promo on Punk which Brooks claims jeopardized a million dollar gate for their main event gate at Double Or Nothing. Punk will air all these grievances in a media scrum from hell following the events of AEW All-Out 2022 which lead to a backstage altercation between him and the Elite, resulting in all participants, Punk included, being suspended and their world titles stripped.[[/note]]

Phillip Jack Brooks (born October 26, 1978), better known by his ring name CM Punk, is an American {{professional wrestl|ing}}er, actor, mixed martial arts commentator, and former mixed martial artist currently signed to Wrestling/AllEliteWrestling.

** Also in RealLife, Teddy Hart, while both employed by [[Wrestling/ImpactWrestling TNA]] they got into a shoot fistfight that got Teddy blackballed from the company over unannounced spotfest Teddy did after a match with ROH that ended up not only endangering several of their coworkers but also Teddy himself.[[note]]Contrary to popular belief, Punk was not fired for this -- he left because creative had nothing for him and in protest of TNA's decision to back out of their partnership with ROH after the RF video scandal; the two events happened around the same time, hence the confusion.[[/note]]