All of CM Punk’s five star matches in history ft. WrestleMania 42 main event vs Roman Reigns

The list is based on ratings by WON’s Dave Meltzer.

‘The Second City Saint’ CM Punk kicked off his pro-wrestling career in the late 1990s with the Lunatic Wrestling Federation. He then went on to work in NWA: Total Nonstop Action and Ring of Honor (ROH). In ROH, Punk held the ROH World Championship once and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2022.

The Second City Saint then joined WWE in 2005, transforming into a megastar adored by fans. During his first WWE tenure, Punk managed to capture the World Heavyweight title three times, the ECW, Intercontinental, and the World Tag Team Championship once each, and the WWE Championship twice.

However, due to growing frustration and a rift with the management, Punk walked out of WWE in 2014. For years, fans chanted his name, hoping for his return, which did materialize in 2021, but in AEW. It wasn’t until the 2023 edition of Survivor Series that Punk returned to the WWE.

Since kicking off his second run in WWE, Punk has completed his dream of main-eventing WrestleMania; in fact, he has now headlined both Nights of Mania. The return also saw him feud with fellow legends and even capture the World Heavyweight title once again.

Even during his second run, Punk has defied age, delivering some iconic performances inside the squared circle. Here we will take a look at such matches featuring Punk that garnered a five-star rating from Wrestling Observer’s Dave Meltzer.

4. vs Samoa Joe – Ring of Honor 2004

CM Punk’s match with Samoa Joe on October 16, 2004, in Ring of Honor (ROH), which was advertised as “Joe vs Punk II,” is the first match of Punk’s career to receive five stars by Dave Meltzer. Additionally, it was also the first match in ROH history to receive a rating and the first to do so in the United States in seven years.

The ROH World title was on the line during the match that emanated from the Frontier Fieldhouse in Chicago Ridge, Illinois. The match, however, ended in a time-limit draw, with Joe retaining the title.

Also Read: All of CM Punk’s five star matches in WWE

3. vs John Cena – Money in the Bank 2011

Punk’s feud with John Cena in 2011, which led to their clash at Money in the Bank, where Cena’s WWE Championship was on the line. Punk managed to defeat Cena to capture the title in an iconic match with a deafening crowd reacting to every move.

The match is Punk’s first career first-star match in WWE by Metlzer, and the storyline around it is also one of the most iconic in history. Punk’s contract was set to expire at the PLE, and he vowed to win the title and leave the company with it. What followed was the legendary “pipebomb” promo.

2. vs Drew McIntyre – Bad Blood 2024

Another memorable feud in CM Punk’s second stint was his storyline against Drew McIntyre, which emerged from a legitimate injury Punk sustained during the 2024 Royal Rumble after a botched move by McIntyre. Drew continued to taunt and mock Punk on social media, and Punk retaliated by costing him the World Heavyweight title at WrestleMania 40.

Their Hell in a Cell match at Bad Blood 2024 to end their rivalry was the highest-rated match among the three during the aforementioned feud, even receiving a five-star rating by Meltzer.

1. vs Roman Reigns – WrestleMania 42

The latest addition to the list is CM Punk’s World Heavyweight title defense against Roman Reigns in the main event of Night 2 of WrestleMania 42 on April 19 in Las Vegas. Although Punk ended up losing the match, dropping the title to Reigns, the match received praise from fans and industry experts.

Notably, the match received a five-star rating from Meltzer and became Reigns’ career-first five-star match, while it went down as Punk’s career fourth and third in WWE.

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