It’s been a week since this match and I still can’t get it out of my head. I keep rewatching it over and over. It’s just so good, and maybe it's recency bias speaking, but it’s probably my favorite Punk match of all time.
I’ve been a fan of CM Punk since I was a kid, starting with his feud against Jeff Hardy back in 2009. Even back then I knew there was something special about him, and I only fell more in love with his character over the years, especially after the Pipe Bomb. When he left wrestling, it was never the same for me after that. It was learning he had come back to wrestling that convinced me to give it another shot.
The thing about it is that, even though I loved Punk so much, I never truly felt like he was the Best in the World. On some level, it always felt like a gimmick to me. I mean yes, he’s a top-tier worker, but there were others that I felt were better: AJ Styles, Daniel Bryan Danielson, Seth Rollins, etc. He was on their level, but not quite the best.
Until this match. I watched this match and thought to myself: "He really *is* the best wrestler in the world."
Because while others might be more athletic, or more technical, or smoother in the ring, nobody is a better storyteller than Punk. Nobody can grasp your attention and make you feel for a match the way that he does. It’s beyond compare.
Sorry if this feels like gushing to all of you, but I really needed to get this off my chest. Feel free to leave comments if you want to discuss.