5 times CM Punk stole the spotlight in WWE

#4 CM Punk wins the crowd at Madison Square Garden (WWE Survivor Series 2011)

CM Punk was arguably WWE's best performer in 2011, and Survivor Series also witnessed his prowess. While the event was centered around The Rock teaming up with John Cena, the lasting memory was Punk winning the WWE Championship from Alberto Del Rio before embarking on a 434-day reign.

The Madison Square Garden crowd was in love with Punk, introduced by legendary Howard Finkel. Even though Del Rio wasn't over as a heel, the two stars had an excellent match.

The crowd was invested in seeing the title change hands. Punk won via submission and celebrated with the fans.

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#3 CM Punk and Jeff Hardy main event SummerSlam 2009

After years of toiling in the mid-card, CM Punk and Jeff Hardy broke into the main event scene in 2009 and were determined to make the opportunity count. The Straight Edge Superstar also proved to be the perfect foil for Hardy, who had issues with substance abuse.

The program consisted of an incredible series of matches and even won the Wrestling Observer Newsletter's "Feud of the Year" award. Their rivalry was so intense that the match was given the main event spot at SummerSlam over John Cena and Randy Orton -- WWE's biggest stars at the time.

The decision turned out to be very profitable as Punk defeated Hardy to win the World Heavyweight Championship. The duo delivered one of the best matches of the year.