How did CM Punk's iconic 'best in the world' tagline come into existence? Reflecting on the historic moment

At Survivor Series: WarGames, CM Punk made his much-awaited return to WWE. After staying away for nine years, Punk’s return brought back many memories and made fans nostalgic. While there were several reasons to be nostalgic, the main one was Punk returning with his original gimmick.

Towards the end of his first run in WWE, the 45-year-old adopted the gimmick of “Best in the World.” While he also carried this gimmick to AEW, seeing him return with it in WWE was heartwarming for several fans. However, it also raised questions about how CM Punk got this moniker.

The answer to this question is that Punk "stole" it from Bryan Danielson. In an interview, Punk mentioned that Danielson used this gimmick in ROH, and that's where he took it from. The Best in the World said:

“I stole it from Bryan Danielson. Chris Jericho stole it from Bryan Danielson. Bryan Danielson was doing best in the world in Ring of Honor, where we both come from. It wasn’t meant to be hijacked by me or something. I said in a promo it is something I feel strongly about and I’m the best wrestler in the world.”

The gimmick became an instant hit, and no one probably could have pulled it off as well as CM Punk. Now that he is back in WWE, it will be interesting to see if he can cement his legacy by winning more titles.

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Triple H commented on CM Punk’s return

In 2014, CM Punk left WWE on harsh terms. Back then, many believed Punk would never return to the promotion. Later, when the 45-year-old joined AEW, a possible return to WWE was completely ruled out.

However, at Survivor Series: WarGames, Punk shocked the world when he made his surprise return to the Stamford-based promotion. After Punk returned, Triple H also praised him. In the press conference after Survivor Series: WarGames, The Game mentioned that Punk is a conversation starter regardless of public opinion.

"This was one of those lightning-in-a-bottle moments that came together very quickly, but we are incredibly excited about it, you know, it's been a long time. In some ways, it's been a long time coming. You can say this about CM Punk, love him or hate him, positive or negative, whatever you want to say, people talk about him all the time. He's a magnet for that, a conversation starter, and it's tough to look past that. And for me, if our fans want it, if the WWE Universe is excited to have it, then let's go," said Triple H. [0:01 - 0:54]

It is heartwarming to see Triple H and CM Punk let the bygones be bygones. It will be interesting to see how this duo works and produces magic on RAW going forward.