CM Punk's recent injury may have paused the second era of Punk, but audiences know there is a ton of legacy still to be written for "the best in the world." His wrestling story is one of the greatest sagas in the history of the business, but Punk is also one of the best wrestlers to ever compete in the ring.

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Like most greats, it hasn't always been world championships and the main event matches for Punk. Yes, throughout his career he's defeated (and partnered with) some of the biggest names in the game from John Cena to The Undertaker, but there are plenty of losses that might leave fans scratching their heads to this day. This list examines 10 of the most unbelievable losses in the long career of CM Punk.

11 Matt Striker

Before he was a commentator, Matt Striker was a part of the WWE reboot of ECW. When he joined the "hardcore" brand of wrestling, his gimmick was that he was a teacher. We've seen the teacher or professor time and time again in wrestling and they usually end up forgotten just like Striker when he used the gimmick. He and CM Punk arrived at the new ECW around the same time and although the potential for Punk was clear, Striker struggled to catch on. Despite the far different trajector the two wrestlers would eventually live, Striker can say he did get a win over Punk in ECW in 2007.

10 Colt Cabana

Colt Cabana and CM Punk have a long saga as friends outside of wrestling. Some of the earliest matches in CM Punk's career included Cabana both as a tag mate and a foe. Although the two would never cross paths in the WWE or AEW (so far), in various other promotions, Cabana has a few wins over Punk. No one would consider these two in the wrestling conversation despite their history.

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Cabana and Punk's match history reads like early Edge and Christian, where the two best friends floated from promotion to promotion together. Unfortunately, thanks to one podcast session, Cabana and Punk have been at odds, but maybe a reunion could happen in AEW.

8 Val Venis

Val Venis is most known for his gimmick as an adult film star. A gimmick that would not see the light of day in the new PG WWE. Although he had some moments in the limelight during the Attitude Era, he spent most of his career as a midcarder that never rose close to the levels of Punk. In one of CM Punk's early stints in WWE, before his ECW arrival, CM Punk lost to Val Venis in an episode of Sunday Night Heat in 2005. Three short years after that loss, Punk would be competing for the World Heavyweight Championship and Venis would rarely be seen on WWE television.

7 Brian Kendrick

Before he was known as Brian Kendrick in the WWE, he was "Spanky" in Ring Of Honor (ROH). Kendrick beat CM Punk in a near 15-minute bout in ROH. Ironically, Kendrick's time in ROH was where he found little success compared to the rest of his career. The two never crossed paths as foes in a WWE ring, but if Kendrick got a win over Punk at any time after their time in ROH it would be one of the biggest wins of his career. He was mostly known for his time in the tag team division and never rose beyond the midcard in WWE.

6 Marcus Cor Von

In TNA, he went under the name "Monty Brown," where he showed a ton of potential as a talent. He was agile, smart, and strong and put on a great match with Jeff Hardy in 2005. In ECW, all the potential amounted to nothing as "Marcus Cor Von" was a total dud. Many of the stars from Punk's early era of the ECW WWE reboot never caught on for various reasons, but Cor Von just lacked any identity as a performer. Despite good moments, his win over CM Punk in a singles match on an episode of ECW being one of those moments, Cor Von ended up retiring from wrestling after his stint at ECW.

5 Big Daddy V

Big Daddy V was Viscera's second new gimmick in three years. By the time he arrived in ECW, it was clear the big man (who once competed for the WWE Championship in the '90s) was looking for an identity in the WWE.

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"The world's largest love machine" was arguably his worse gimmick, but Big Daddy V also did nothing to relaunch the wrestler. His time in ECW was mostly forgettable, but he did get a win against Punk via count-out. He left the WWE shortly after his time with the ECW reboot.

4 Scotty 2 Hotty

Scotty 2 Hotty is one of the most lovable wrestlers of the Attitude Era. His time with Too Cool is often considered the most memorable part of his career. To imagine he and CM Punk even competed is interesting, but what's even wilder is that Scotty 2 Hotty picked up the win over Punk. It happened during a dark match on an episode of Velocity in May 2005, so it has been forgotten, but it was the only bout the two stars ever competed in. Technically, Scotty 2 Hotty can say he's on a list next to Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns of superstars who Punk has never avenged a loss from.

3 Roderick Strong

Strong had a ton of success in ROH where he even held the world title. He had the potential to rise through the ranks in WWE, but he never rose beyond NXT as a star. Even in his prime in NXT, a win over Punk would be massive for Strong. He did pick up a win against Punk in the indies at FIP. The almost half an hour bout is an amazing match for the two stars who were very early in their careers. This match would occur on Day 2 of FIP Heartstroke 2005. They'd battle in singles matches in ROH, but Punk would come out on top in those encounters.

2 Elijah Burke

Elijah Burke was another one of the stars that arrived in ECW with some skill, but a poorly executed gimmick. His time with former MMA fighter Sylvester Terkay never made a huge impact. Neither did Burke's time in The New Breed. Punk and Burke fought a few times in OVW. Their matches at ECW were not that bad considering that both were up-and-comers on the roster. Burke did get a win over Punk in a 14-minute no disqualification match on ECW.

1 Adam Pearce

Before Adam Pearce was a suit on WWE television, he was a former NWA World Heavyweight Champion. CM Punk and Pearce crossed paths early in Punk's career. They have bouts dating back to 1999 and Pearce was victorious on numerous occasions. Although his wrestling career is often forgotten, Pearce has been in a ton of matches and his win over Punk in 1999 is not that surprising when you consider the context of both of their careers. Still, for modern fans to imagine Pearce not only putting on a good fight but actually beating Punk is shocking.