Despite not being built in the form of a prototypical WWE wrestler, CM Punk proved himself to be one of the biggest stars the company had ever seen. Whether as a face or a heel, Punk thrived; consistently delivering in the ring and on the mic, in addition to forging a strong connection with the WWE Universe.

RELATED: CM Punk: 5 Dream Matches He Could Have In WWE Today (& 5 He Could Have In AEW)

Regardless of the fact that he was robbed of several huge opportunities, Punk repeatedly knocked it out of the park in the squared circle. A number of these bouts were critically acclaimed across the world, and by industry journalist Dave Meltzer as well.

Updated on September 1st, 2021 by Kevin Pantoja: Recently, CM Punk made his already iconic return to pro wrestling after seven years away. He showed up at AEW Rampage in his hometown of Chicago to a thunderous ovation and his first match back is saved for pay-per-view. That makes right now the perfect time to look back at the history of CM Punk on major PPV events. That came while he was with WWE, where he spent eight years. His best matches on those huge stages were often met with high praise from Dave Meltzer and still rank among the greatest efforts he ever delivered in the ring.

15 Vs. Chris Jericho At WrestleMania XXVIII (3.75 Stars)

At WrestleMania XXVIII, CM Punk and Chris Jericho sought to prove who really was the 'Best in the World,' with Punk's WWE Championship on the line. As many expected, they worked a great technical match, full of finisher reversals, though perhaps too many, if anything.

Punk and Jericho were great in their respective roles, before the champion forced the challenger to tap out to the Anaconda Vice. It wasn't their best outing in the ring together but was still an extremely strong match that received 3.75 stars from Dave Meltzer.

14 Vs. Rey Mysterio At Capitol Punishment, 2011 (3.75 Stars)

The history between CM Punk and Rey Mysterio was a lengthy one. They first met on a notable stage at Armageddon 2008 to crown a top contender for the Intercontinental TItle before engaging in a bitter and personal rivalry throughout 2010. They had one more big match in 2011, though.

At Capitol Punishment, Punk and Mysterio nearly stole the show and had arguably their best meeting together. They went back and forth throughout, with Punk countering the 619 into one of his best Go to Sleeps ever. That gave him the win and momentum to face John Cena in their historic Money in the Bank clash a month later. Meltzer gave it just under 4 stars.

13 Vs. John Cena Vs. John Morrison Vs. R-Truth Vs. Randy Orton Vs. Sheamus At Elimination Chamber, 2011 (4 Stars)

Most fans will agree that 2011 was a banner year for CM Punk. It's the moment year where he rose to the top of the company and eventually won the WWE Title as the hottest act in wrestling. However, it didn't start well as he was dubbed "John Cena's TV feud" as he took over as the leader of Nexus.

One highlight of that era came at Elimination Chamber. There, Punk entered the titular match with other top stars. He was eliminated within 10 minutes but the Anonymous Raw General Manager reversed the decision. Punk entered again and stuck around for a while, getting rid of Randy Orton before Cena eliminated him officially. Meltzer gave this 4 stars.

12 Vs. The Rock At Royal Rumble, 2013 (4 Stars)

In the main event of the Royal Rumble in 2013, CM Punk defended the WWE Championship against The Rock in one of the biggest matches of his career. With Cena having won the Rumble moments earlier, the outcome of this match would dictate the main event of WrestleMania 29.

RELATED: Every Match The Rock Has Had Since Leaving For Hollywood, Ranked

Both men put on a great match, full of exciting spots as Punk guided The Brahma Bull to a strong outing in the ring. It was full of drama as well, as The Shield emerged to take out The Rock, allowing Punk to retain. The decision was ultimately overturned, with The Rock winning the championship. It was an extremely entertaining match that earned 4 stars.

11 Vs. Edge vs. Finlay vs. Jeff Hardy vs. King Booker vs. Matt Hardy vs. Mr. Kennedy vs. Randy Orton At WrestleMania 23, 2007 (4.25 Stars)

CM Punk made an immediate impact in WWE, becoming the top star in ECW and even getting more cheers than The Hardy Boyz or DX at Survivor Series 2006. He eventually made it onto WrestleMania 23 as part of a loaded Money in the Bank ladder match.

Punk was one of the best performers in a match filled with some incredible moments. From Randy Orton's RKO off a ladder to Jeff Hardy's leg drop on Edge through a ladder, audiences were wowed. Apparently, so was Dave Meltzer, who awarded the match an impressive 4.25 stars.

10 Vs. Alberto Del Rio Vs. The Miz At TLC, 2011 (4.25 Stars)

The historic 434-day WWE Championship reign of CM Punk began at Survivor Series 2011. A month later, Punk had his first pay-per-view defense when he faced two of the most prominent heels in the company, Alberto Del Rio and The Miz. It was appropriately a TLC match at the TLC event.

Punk had to overcome the odds as Del Rio and Miz often worked together to try and dethrone him. Of course, that partnership couldn't last and once they began bickering, it opened the door for Punk to rally and he eventually came out on top by pulling down the gold. The match scored 4.25 stars from Meltzer.

9 Vs. Jeff Hardy At SummerSlam, 2009 (4.25 Stars)

In the main event of SummerSlam, Jeff Hardy defended the World Heavyweight Championship against CM Punk in a TLC match. As promised, the match was full of high levels of carnage.

Both men brutalized each other with several weapons. Hardy, in particular, threw caution to the wind, putting Punk through the announcer's table with a Swanton Bomb off a ladder. They stitched the high-impact spots together with some great wrestling as well. Punk eventually retrieved the gold to become the new champion, leading to the emergence of The Undertaker for a new rivalry. The hard-hitting bout received 4.25 stars.

8 Vs. Daniel Bryan At Money In The Bank, 2012 (4.25 Stars)

With AJ Lee serving as the special guest referee, the No Disqualification match between CM Punk and Daniel Bryan for the WWE Championship was a powder keg ready to blow. Not only did the match feature fantastic action, but there was also a high level of drama as well. Lee took a bump that took her out of the match for a while and Bryan tried working the match in his favor by appealing to her as well.

Punk eventually retained the gold after putting Bryan through a table in a brutal spot. A dream match fans often forget they got earned 4.25 stars.

7 Vs. John Cena At Night Of Champions, 2012 (4.25 Stars)

John Cena and CM Punk are not strangers to each other in the ring, regularly putting on great matches in the squared circle. One of those bouts took place at Night of Champions 2012, with Punk's WWE Championship on the line.

RELATED: John Cena's 10 Biggest Losses

Punk and Cena put together a bout full of exciting reversals, big spots, and wonderful character work. They even kicked out of each others' finishers to elicit huge pops from the crowd, before the match ended in a draw thanks to a double pin. The finish wasn't the most exciting, but it served to extend their feud while protecting them as well. The match received 4.25 stars from Meltzer.

6 Vs. Christian Vs. Daniel Bryan Vs. Randy Orton Vs. Rob Van Dam Vs. Sheamus At Money In The Bank, 2013 (4.5 Stars)

Soon after CM Punk returned in 2013, he was put into some brutal matches. The most violent was at Money in the Bank 2013 where he took part in the titular match during the main event. It was dubbed an "All-Stars" match because of how much top-tier talent and former World Champions were involved.

Although Daniel Bryan was the crowd favorite, CM Punk came close to winning a number of times. In fact, he was on the verge of nabbing the briefcase when Paul Heyman interfered, turning on Punk. That set the tone for Punk's match with Brock Lesnar and allowed Randy Orton to claim the briefcase in a match that received 4.5 stars.

5 Vs. Daniel Bryan At Over The Limit, 2012 (4.5 Stars)

After winning a Beat The Clock challenge, Daniel Bryan became the number one contender to CM Punk's WWE Championship. The two maestros met in a marquee match at Over The Limit, with the gold on the line.

Bryan and Punk reminded fans of just why they were two of the best in-ring workers in the industry with an amazing match that wowed audiences and immediately elevated the rest of the event. The finish also protected Bryan, as he seemingly got Punk to tap, but ended up getting pinned in the process. Dave Meltzer rightfully gave it 4.5 stars.

4 Vs. The Undertaker At WrestleMania 29 (4.5 Stars)

After four years of instant classics against Triple H and Shawn Michaels at WrestleMania, The Undertaker defended The Streak once more, this time against CM Punk. Their feud had been intensely personal, with Punk stealing The Phenom's urn to taunt him and cause psychological damage.

Their match lived up to expectations; Punk was consistently great and The Deadman was as awesome as he has ever been. 'Taker eventually picked up the hard-fought win with a Tombstone Piledriver, extended his streak, and reclaimed the urn. The match received 4.5 stars.

3 Vs. Chris Jericho At Payback, 2013 (4.5 Stars)

Chris Jericho and CM Punk are two of the most gifted in-ring workers of all time. They could wrestle week-in, week-out and it would never grow old. They met in a big match at Payback in 2013 and did what they do best; put on a great match.

RELATED: Ranking Every Chris Jericho Gimmick From Worst To Best

It was a phenomenally wrestled match, as both guys worked audiences with ease. Punk eventually picked up the extremely well-earned win with two consecutive GTS'. It was the strongest match of the night and rightly received 4.5 stars from Dave Meltzer.

2 Vs. Brock Lesnar At SummerSlam, 2013 (4.5 Stars)

CM Punk walked into one of the hardest matches of his career when he took on Brock Lesnar in a No Disqualification match at SummerSlam in 2013. From the moment the bell rang, Lesnar began overwhelming Punk with his raw power. Punk gradually wore Lesnar down, with both men throwing more MMA moves at each other than most fans have seen in a WWE ring.

There were huge spots and the final sequence in particular, with Heyman getting involved, was one of the finest of the year. Lesnar eventually picked up the win with an F5 on a steel chair. Fans chanted Punk's name as he limped up the ramp. The match earned 4.5 stars.

1 Vs. John Cena At Money In The Bank, 2011 (5 Stars)

In the main event of Money in the Bank 2011, the stakes had never been higher. If Punk won the gold, he would leave WWE with the championship, and if Cena lost, he would get fired. Those stakes led to a once-in-a-lifetime match, as Cena and Punk put on one of the greatest contests ever wrestled in a WWE ring.

After Cena refused a tainted victory that evoked memories of the Montreal Screwjob, Punk hit a GTS to win the gold. He immediately ran with the WWE Championship in tow, blowing a kiss to Vince McMahon on his way out. It was one of the few matches in WWE history that received 5 stars from Dave Meltzer.