WWE: The Different Faces of CM Punk

#2. Making a Brand in ROH and TNA (2004-2006)

On the path to greatness

Punk joined Ring of Honor in 2002 and soon became one of their top stars. His most memorable rivalry there was against Raven, which took most of 2003 and led to many disqualification finishes between the two. This feud was also considered as one of ROH's top feuds of that year. Afterward, he won the ROH tag team championship with Colt Cabana twice and participated in the tournament to crown the first ROH Pure Champion.

In 2004, Punk set his eyes on the ROH World Championship. He faced the champion, Samoa Joe, in back to back 60-minute classic matches with each ending in a draw. Punk vs Joe II also received a 5-star rating from Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Punk's first. He finally won the ROH World Championship in June 2005 by defeating Austine Aries, but since he had already accepted a deal with WWE, he soon dropped the title to James Gibson in August that year.

While working for ROH, he also joined TNA as a member of Raven's TNA alliance, The Gatherings. But his stint there was short-lived, as he left the promotion in 2004 due to a controversy involving TNA demanding that their contracted talents could not wrestle in Ring of Honor.

From his days here, it was clear that he had a special talent and was destined to be a great wrestler. ROH gave him the space to experiment with his gimmick and he showed early glimpses of his ability to switch his character on the fly, which became his unique brand later.