Best WWE and NXT matches of each year of the decade - Part I

#2 2011 - John Cena vs CM Punk - Money In The Bank

CM Punk after winning the WWE Championship at Money In The Bank 2011

As mentioned in the previous slide, many fans consider The Undertaker vs Michaels at WrestleMania 25 as the greatest WWE match ever.

For those who disagree, many of them will look to this clash as not just the choice, but also the match and rivalry that gave the company a jolt in the arm.

Going into the summer of 2011, CM Punk’s booking was rather stagnant. The acclaimed Straight Edge Society had been poorly booked by WWE from 2009 and 2010 and their attempts to reinvent him as the leader of The Nexus fell rather flat as well.

Such creative decisions lead to rumours emerging that Punk was on his way out of the company - something which became part of his story-arc as spring turned into summer.

After becoming the No.1 contender to John Cena’s WWE Championship, Punk announced that he was leaving WWE the night after Money In The Bank with the belt in tow.

This proved the catalyst to the most must-see WWE feud in a long time. One week later, Punk would cut the now-infamous Pipebomb promo that would skyrocket him to mainstream popularity.

The lines between real life and story were blurred as fans couldn’t tell whether the Voice of the Voiceless was staying or going. All these factors helped add to the occasion when the pair finally squared off at the PPV in Punk’s home town of Chicago.

It was arguably the most partisan anti-Cena crowd since One Night Stand 2006, but they couldn’t argue that The Champ contributed greatly to what was a five-star classic.

Punk’s win was arguably a moment in itself as he left the arena, and potentially the company, as he promised with belt in hand. If WWE had been patient with when they brought Punk back, it could have been something special. Instead, they pulled the trigger on his comeback just over a week later.