CM Punk Ranked #1 In The 2012 PWI 500 List

[Jack-Hammer]

The PWI 500, PWI awards & WON awards are done every year and often provide a fun topic of conversation, debate and even a little controversy here and there. Some people think of PWI as wrestling gospel, some see it as a waste of time, but I think most find them a fun little topic to talk about if nothing else.

I read an article at wrestlinginc.com last night stating that PWI senior writer Dan Murphy announced that CM Punk is ranked #1 in this year's PWI 500. This marks the 22nd year of the list and during the list's "evaluation period", which the article states is from 6/1/11 to 5/31/12, Punk successfully defended the WWE Championship at 7 consecutive ppvs. Punk is the reigning WWE Champion and this past Monday marked the beginning of the 9th month of his reign, giving him one of the longest WWE Championship runs since the magazine began annually ranking the top 500 wrestlers in the world.

So what do you think? Should Punk be #1 or should it be someone else?

When you consider everything that Punk's been involved in over the course of the past 14 months or so, I really don't see how it could be anyone else. Punk's overall ability in terms of personality, promo skills and in-ring abilities are second to none & his general interest among fans has been consistently high since his "shoot promo" in June of last year. Even though Punk has had to deal with being overshadowed at times by various feuds like Cena vs. Rock, Cena vs. Lesnar & Triple H vs. Lesnar; he's still consistently had good to great feuds as champion and has been involved in some of the best wrestled matches of the year in any promotion.

 

[Ethelion]

Should Punk be #1 or should it be someone else?

Yes - and it's not just because that I'm biased.

First of all, he can wrestle. Anyone who's watched his matches at least since Money-in-the-Bank 2011 to Summerslam 2012 can't argue that he's delivered high-profile matches - from John Cena to Chris Jericho to Daniel Bryan. Hell, PWI also awarded Punk, along with Cena, the 2011 Match of the Year and 2011 Feud of the Year.

Second of all, he can talk. From his impersonation of Jeff Hardy to his harrassment of Rey Mysterio's family to his 2011 Pipe Bomb on Cena/Vince/Steph/HHH/Laurinaitis, his mic skills are enviable to 95% of the WWE Roster today. Indeed, Punk is truly the "Voice of the Voiceless".

I also read another PWI 500 News Version from wrestleview.com - and it's official - CM Punk is definitely Number One in the eyes of the PWI. In conclusion, CM Punk is truly The Best Wrestler in the World, at least for the year 2012.

 

[Wald]

I would have personally gone with Daniel Bryan, but CM Punk is a good enough choice for me not to complain about it.

Well done to Punk on the accolade too

 

[Bioshock Infinite]

CM Punk is a great choice to put at number 1 for the PWI 500.

Honestly though, I would rather have Austin Aries take that # 1 spot. In 1 years time Austin Aries went from competing for a TNA contract to becoming the longest reigning X-Division Champion in history and then taking the big one from Bobby Roode and ending Roodes monstrous streak. Not only that,but also Austin Aries is great on the mic, he carries himself as a believable champion and is one of the top five in ring performers (among guys like Dolph Ziggler, Daniel Bryan, Kurt Angle Aj Styles & CM Punk (personal preference)) in the business today.

 

[Pedigree1]

As OP posted CM Punk being no1 i wholeheartedly agree with. If you did indeed see any of his matches from 2011 the match of the year with Cena at MITB,to him wrestling Jericho at WM to his feuds with Daniel Bryan there is no doubt outside of Bryan that Punk is indeed the best in the world. The man has mad wrestling skills and im convinced that if he wrestled a fucking broom stick i be convinced the broom stick could win.

His Mic skills cannot be touched. He is indeed the best talker in wrestling today no one can cut a promo like him. His famous pipe bomb last year shit i still watch that and its golden to this day and it was last year. His speech on this previous mondays night raw was gold IMO. The way the man can get inside your head and then have the wrestling ability to back it up,no one can really touch punk.

 

[THTRobtaylor]

Sorry but Aries should not be anywhere near #1, he is barely top 20.

Punk is a worthy winner although I have a feeling Bryan will be 2nd and Jericho possibly rising despite not winning matches on PPV.

Punk has been the best overall but the margin between he and Bryan is so close, I personally would have gone with joint winners for once. Without reading I think Punk has edged it due to holding the title solidly, whereas Bryan has bounced around the card more.

I will be interested to see where IWC darling Dolph Ziggler places...

 

[IHW]

I have to say Punk certainly deserves number one. He has had the best wrestling year in not only WWE, but wrestling as a whole. He has been the WWE Champ for nine months, he has retained his title at the last 7 PPV's, he has beating damn near everybody. If he isn't at the top, I would be surprised.

If Punk isn't at the top, it should be Daniel Bryan or Bobby Roode. Others near the top 25ish should include Bully Ray, Austin Aries, James Storm, John Cena, Rhodes, Ziggler and maybe even Big Show. All these guys have had phenomenal runs in this "evolution period."

 

[Chokeslam Fan]

Please do elaborate why Aries shouldn't be anywhere near # 1.

Austin Aries, while in the middle of a GREAT run with the TNA X Division Title, did not win the TNA World Championship until 07/08/12. The end of the grading period for the 2012 PWI 500 was 05/31/12.

CM Punk on the other hand, had Two (or three if you count the Money in the Bank win of 2011 as a separate reign from his win at Summerslam) WWE Championship reigns, totaling over over half the grading period. CM Punk was the right choice.

Austin Aries, in my opinion, should be ranked between five and eight in this years edition. As for next years, Aries has to be an early favorite to win the top spot...

 

[xavyer]

I think CM Punk is the right choice, he's the total package, he can wrestle, everyone knows he can talk on the mic very well, and wether he's a face or a heel he can play the part to perfection, there are guys who are extremly good, there is no question about that, but CM Punk is truly one of a kind......

 

[Bioshock Infinite]

Austin Aries, while in the middle of a GREAT run with the TNA X Division Title, did not win the TNA World Championship until 07/08/12. The end of the grading period for the 2012 PWI 500 was 05/31/12.

CM Punk on the other hand, had Two (or three if you count the Money in the Bank win of 2011 as a separate reign from his win at Summerslam) WWE Championship reigns, totaling over over half the grading period. CM Punk was the right choice.

Austin Aries, in my opinion, should be ranked between five and eight in this years edition. As for next years, Aries has to be an early favorite to win the top spot...

Thank you for elaborating.You have valid points and I agree with you wholeheartedly. I just hate how the other poster completely wrote off Austin Aries as if Aries was mediocre.

 

[bigandpissed]

While its hard to really argue with punk as #1, I personally disagree. I feel this really should have been Bobby Roode's year as (in my eyes) he's become one of, if not the best heel in wrestling.

I mainly think he should of won because I think his title run was alot better than punk's. While punk has had a long title reign, its been a luke warm run that has almost always been overshadowed by something else (namely anything involving john cena). While Roode's run was always the center of the show and main evented every pay per view.

 

[George Steele's Barber]

This was probably far more of a slam dunk versus the Miz in last year's poll.

He has held the top prize in wrestling longer than anyone else during the time period. This award seems to be about winning. Winning big matches and holding titles. Punk has done this better and more consistently than anyone else in all of America. I can't speak for internation promotions. Bobby Roode should probably be number 2. The rest of the top should be a mix of Sheamus, Angle, Cena, Bryan and Henry. Maybe Orton, Show, Del Rio as well (can't really remember all of the title and big consistent winners from this time period).

 

[Rayne]

If there was any competitor for the #1 spot, it would be Bobby Roode. Him and CM Punk had pretty much the same kind of year; the major difference between the two being that CM Punk was doing it in front of a much larger audience. Y'all know me, I'm a money guy, and drawing like that counts for something.

The rest of the list hasn't leaked yet, but as I hear it there will be much more controversy over it than usual this year.

 

[wrestlingexpress2000]

As Rayne pointed out, CM Punk and Bobby Roode are the two most talented wrestlers in the business today. The only reason why he didn't get the number 1 slot in my opinion is because he's in TNA.

 

[The Great King]

I agree that Punk has had the biggest year out of everybody else. Back in June he was at best an upper mid card heel leading a faction that should have died after the Royal Rumble, and now he is one of the top stars in WWE.

 

[StaRRStruck]

Seeing that the evaluation period was basically the start of where Punk began his year of dominance. After falling to Orton at Mania and Extreme Rules and a pointless feud with Kane & Big Show, we enter June. Punk starts off hot with a victory of Mysterio at Capitol Punishment and slowly started shifting from the New Nexus. Fast forward to June 27th and we enter the Summer of Punk. And even after that, Punk continued to dominate Raw for the rest of the year against the likes of Del Rio and The Miz. Even though Punk has yet to main event a PPV in 2012, he would put on great matches with likes of Jericho, Bryan and Kane. Along with this cementing himself as permanent main eventer which I believe only 4 other full time superstars also possess. So yes, I believe Punk should be #1 as the only superstar I see coming close from the 'E would be Daniel Bryan.

 

[HBsam31]

I agree Punk should be number 1, but Daniel Bryan has to be a close number 2. Punk has undoubtedly had the best year in wrestling, and I would say that his long title run edged him past Daniel Bryan. He is awesome on the mic and backs it up in the ring. I am wondering where Roode will be on the list.

 

[Hollywood Naitch]

I don't see how anyone could argue logically against CM Punk being number one in this year's PWI 500. He is the only choice, with Daniel Bryan and Bobby Roode being worthy runners up in my eyes, although Austin Aries must be within the top ten and be the early frontrunner for the top spot next year.

Punk has been THE MAN in WWE this year, although he hasn't been headlining PPVs. which is a disgrace. He cut the most memorable promo of the last 5 years, put on the match of the year with Cena, gave us a great show at WM against Jericho and has been on fire all year.

CM Punk is the right choice, definitely.

 

[ヒュー　G.　レックション]

I don't hold any stock in the PWI 500 whatsoever personally I think in general it's a complete joke, but Punk being #1, can't dispute that at all. While I thought Roode's title reign was better, WWE is obviously the bigger company, and of course you had the promo Punk did to take into account which I'm sure will be talked about for years to come. He hasn't mainevented a PPV this year but we all know he deserves that main event spot.

 

[Mustang Sally]

It occurs to me that John Cena is so head-and-shoulders above everyone else in influence that the magazine could vote him #1 every year and have it done with. Of course, they wouldn't want to keep anyone as their top guy year after year......for the sake of variety, if nothing else.

It also occurs that a large part of the reason Punk is #1 is due to John Cena; their by-play during the whole year helped make Punk's character.

However, this is a magazine that ranks performers in a scripted sport, so who really gives a damn whom they choose? As long as we're going with this, C.M. Punk is the right choice if you take Cena out of the equation. Punk has done more, said more, and caused more drama than anyone else. He's been influential and has held the championship for a long time by today's standards.

So, congrats, Phil! The PWI 500 award and $2 will get you a medium-sized Dunkin' Donuts coffee.

 

[HashtagHeel]

You can complain about PWI 500 list not meaning much and how it cant get you a cup of coffee or whatever, but with that logic to this scripted sport, no rankings should mean anything. Sure, its 100% subjective, but to say it means "nothing" is the wrong word to choose I think. Its a list that has been around for a long time, from a reputable magazine, and a lot of fans (especially old school ones) enjoy reading it. Its always been a subjective list, and nobody has ever agreed to it 100%. However, before there was internet and a place to complain about everything you disagree with, there were magazines, and PWI was always one of the top ones. So fans still enjoy seeing the list every year. Does Vince McMahon care about the list? Probably not. However, its still fun to read for a lot of fans.

 

[cubuff37]

CM Punk definitely deserves to be called the best wrestler in the world right now. He's had a great year, his WWE title reign has been long and yet fun to watch, he's come so far. So yes, definitely a great year for Punk. I'm not surprised at all that he got #1. Congrats to you, CM Punk!