Where Would CM Punk Rank?

[Rampage Bentley]

Batista accomplished far more in the WWE than Punk has. Batista is definitely higher on my list than Punk, and I'd even go so far to say as he probably had more quality/memorable matches than Punk has.

Batista was the biggest face in the WWE in 2005 and was only surpassed by Cena because he was so damn injury prone. Even with all the injuries and missing WrestleManias 22 & 25, he retained his huge face status to the point where it was hard to turn him heel in 2010. How is Batista not a top 50 talent? Had he been healthy from 05-11 he'd be the unchallenged face of the brand (and a top 20 talent) but because he was injured, he's just a big name who is definitely top 40 material.

Punk is better on the mic and in the ring but when talking about impact on the company Punk hasn't been near Batista's level till right now. Even in 08-09, when he became the fastest Triple Crown winner ever and a 3-time world champion, he really didn't seem like a big star until Hardy put him over. What did he do in 2010? They buried him, there was no injury, he was just buried and became just another guy until his injury actually saved him. He got over as commentator and then became top heel briefly before getting lost in the shuffle again and now all of a sudden he's the hottest commodity in wrestling. That's not top 50 material.

I completely understand the point of view you guys have, but I don't count their "accomplishments" in my lists. If you were to do that, then Ultimate Warrior would have to be ranked higher than Jake "The Snake" Roberts, Roddy Piper, Ricky Steamboat, Mr. Perfect, and Ted Dibiase (Sr.)

Just because Vince McMahon liked him more and decided to push him does not make him better.

 

[THE AWESOME MIZFIT]

Punk is one of the best performers in the industry today. His promos are top notch and among the best in the world. Punk reminds me a lot of Jericho. As you saw last night he was able to be booed one minute and then a few moments later be cheered more then Cena in his home town of Boston. There aren't many buys out there then can really do that. Punk also has the in ring ability to match his great mic work. Although you don't see everything he can do because he is in the WWE. Just go watch his work in ROH and TNA. He has technical wrestling ability, submission wrestling ability, some high flying ability, and some brawling ability. He's one of the most technically sound performers of all time. He's a Triple Crown Champion, a 3 time World Champion, Intercontinental Champion, World Tag Team Champion, ECW Champion, 2 Time Money In The Bank winner, and was a great RAW commentator. If it was up to me CM Punk would go down as one of the top 20 wrestlers in history but be on my personal top 5 list.

 

[Little Jerry Lawler]

I'm not even sure Punk cracks my Top 50 to be honest with you. I found him extremely boring as a face and he struck gold with Jeff Hardy and after Hardy left, Punk did much of nothing. The only memorable match off the top of my head he had was his TLC match with Jeff. When I look at Punk, I just see an upper midcarder who maybe had a few months of heel brilliance.

 

[willross]

CM Punks problem is that he hasn't been on top really at all considering it has always been Cena, HBK, HHH, Undertaker, and Randy Orton since he came in. No doubt he has skills and in ring ability wise he is probably in the top 30 All Time but I still rank him behind:

Bret Hart
Shawn Michaels
Randy Savage
Ricky Steamboat
Curt Hennig
Kerry Von Erich
Chris Benoit
Owen Hart
British Bulldog
Chris Jericho
Rey Mysterio (prime)
Eddie Guerrero
Kurt Angle
Edge
Christian

If a list were put in front of me I could probably name at least a few more. As of this very moment he is at the top of his game but you got do better than working as a main eventer for 2 years in the modern business to be considered one of the very best ever.

We have to remember to not inflate him just because he has been white hot for 3 weeks. It was less than a month ago he was working midcard with Mysterio.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

It depends on what sort of criteria you're using to ultimately judge where Punk would fall.

If you decided to base on accomplishments, Punk would be lucky if he made it into the top 50 I think. It's true that Punk is a 3 time World Heavyweight Champion but none of his title runs have been particularly impressive. I know that it's ultimately not up to Punk how long he stays champ but that's just how the mop flops for any wrestler. He's a 2 time MITB winner, a former tag champ, IC champ and ECW champ. With the exception of the ECW Championship run, Punk title runs have been little to talk about.

If you were to judge based on overall ability alone, then I think Punk ranks much higher. Punk is someone that knows how to tell a story inside that ring and do it as well as anybody can and better than most. He's a student of wrestling and that's obvious. Within the past 2 years, we've been treated to some of the best promo work that's been seen in a very, very long time from CM Punk. I'd be willing to go so far as to say that Punk cuts the best promos in the business and has really since his feud with Jeff Hardy. I'd rank Punk at maybe #15 if it was just by what his overall capabilities are. I'd like to put him higher but, as I said, it's really only been within the past couple of years that he's really kicked his game up into a higher gear in WWE. A lot of us have thought and believed that CM Punk is main event material but, to be honest, I don't think that Punk really, truly and 100% cemented that belief until the past few weeks.

If it's sort of a combination of using accomplishments coupled with ability, I'd probably put Punk somewhere in the mid 30s if I were doing a top 50 list. Most of Punk's greatness has lied within his abilities on the mic and inside the ring, though he's really only started to truly stand out from the pack within the past few years. His title accomplishments aren't really the stuff of legend but the man can always say that he's a 3 time World Heavyweight Champion in WWE.

 

[NS_PUNK]

CM PUNK is definitely the best in the world right know and should be given a lengthy title run till at least the end of the year if he decides to sign a new contract he is an absolute asset to the wwe JBL got one of the longest title runs ever and would you say he is better than cm punk ? not saying that JBL isn't good he was a great heel but he was the type of heel you didn't like you wanted to see him loose unlike when randy orton was a top heel and till this day I still think he should be a heel his whole career I just dont like the direction they have gone with him right know I was a big randy orton fan when he was a heel he was my favourite wrestler at the time just because he got big pops doesnt mean you should just turn the guy face but know im a huge fan of cmpunk and just think he is absolutely the best right know he is number 1 in the world

 

[notfairtoflair]

Orton was forced upon us? That's the biggest, dumbest pile of shit I have ever read. Did you not watch wrestling last year? We, the fans, turned him from the most hated heel into the #2 babyface on the roster. Say what you will about Cena and Batista, but Orton doesn't fall into that category, no matter how much you want him to. When you say things like this, you sound stupid.

Bull.Shit. He was in a silly storyline with Ted and Cody who were booked to look like jackasses. You act as if it was his talent that got the crowd behind him. No. It was WWE's silly booking of Ted and Cody that got the crowd behind him. And now that "excitement" has worn off hasn't it? It was nothing like we saw last night when Punk had the crowd in the palm of his hands. That's talent. The crowd support that Orton got last year sounded like crickets compared to Punk last night. It sounded like the same crickets we heard at The Rumble this year when Cena and Orton "faced off." Thats WWE telling you that Cena and Orton is the new Rock and Austin which is horseshit b/c neither of them will never measure up to a Rock or Austin. Orton is a two-dimensional talent that cannot pull of a rivalry of that caliber. You make it sound like it was some of sort of phenomenon when it wasn't. Orton (and his fans) WISHES, IN HIS DREAMS, that he could pull off what Punk did last night.

 

[Little Jerry Lawler]

Bull.Shit. He was in a silly storyline with Ted and Cody who were booked to look like jackasses. You act as if it was his talent that got the crowd behind him. No. It was WWE's silly booking of Ted and Cody that got the crowd behind him. And now that "excitement" has worn off hasn't it? It was nothing like we saw last night when Punk had the crowd in the palm of his hands. That's talent. The crowd support that Orton got last year sounded like crickets compared to Punk last night. It sounded like the same crickets we heard at The Rumble this year when Cena and Orton "faced off." Thats WWE telling you that Cena and Orton is the new Rock and Austin which is horseshit b/c neither of them will never measure up to a Rock or Austin. Orton is a two-dimensional talent that cannot pull of a rivalry of that caliber. You make it sound like it was some of sort of phenomenon when it wasn't. Orton (and his fans) WISHES, IN HIS DREAMS, that he could pull off what Punk did last night.

If Ted and Cody were booked to look like jackasses, how has managed to stay over? Orton didn't do anything different to make the fans love him and that is hard to do nowadays. Just because Punk broke kayfabe, let's not make him into God.

 

[Long Island Iced WXYZ]

Where does Punk rank? Probably #1 for the IWC but in reality he's probably inching close to #50 or something.

Wait a few years and that may change.

He hasn't had much impact (if any) on the business, he's criminally overrated by the IWC.

He may be talented, but he hasn't done much in his time.

He certainly isn't one of the top guys in the company today or in wrestling.

 

[midgensa]

I am guessing we are just talking WWE here as it is in the WWE forums, otherwise he would have a VERY difficult time cracking my top 100.

I LOVE Punk and what he is doing now is can't miss and fantastic. But he is only a 3-time champion and still has a long ways to go before he can be compared to the top dogs in wrestling or even WWE history.

I do not have a list, though I could easily find myself making one now. But I would have to say I doubt he is in my top 50 WWE all-time and he certainly would not be in my top 100 all-promotions all time. He is on a great career path, but if he ended right now ... he is just another very solid 3-time world champion.

 

[Pedigree1]

It would be hard for punk to crack the top 25 but top 50 yes indeed!!! If were talking feuds batista (damnit hate to admit it has had the better career so far) Punk i think for whatever reason hasnt had that feud that person who can go with him and vice versa!! IMO Punk just hasnt had that and maybe thats part of the reason why he is leaving!! I would rank punk between 45-50 around there although i gotta give love to someone on here that everyone has seemed to dismiss!! KING KONG BUNDY!! Loved how he always made the ref count to 5!!!! Holds up five fingers and the ref counted to five classic bundy

 

[notfairtoflair]

If Ted and Cody were booked to look like jackasses, how has managed to stay over? Orton didn't do anything different to make the fans love him and that is hard to do nowadays. Just because Punk broke kayfabe, let's not make him into God.

Randy Orton is over due more to circumstance than his talent. How u may ask?: 1) He has a great finisher even though its not original and thats what helped DDP get over, 2) When he feuded with Cena the older fans turned to him. He was the anti-Cena and that pretty much stood with him throughout his face turn. 3) He has good looks with an oiled up body that women love.

Orton is not as over as you may think either. Remember Christian's title loss? WWE were so dumbfounded that fans reacted the way they did b/c they are so out of touch with their fanbase. They couldn't figure out why the fans reacted this way even though it was WWE's "chosen superstar" that has the strap now. Yes there was a pop for Orton when he won the title, but live crowds at the shows are monkeys for that kind of stuff b/c they pay a ticket and they're gonna feel compelled to cheer when they see moments like that. I dont think the fans wouldve been that upset if it was somebody different like Del Rio that won it. Fans just didn't care to see Orton with that damn belt again. That doesn't sound like somebody that is "over."

As far as Punk goes, only time will tell. I'm not saying he's the next Steve Austin but he can be if WWE will get behind him more. He shows he has the potential with the way he worked the crowd last night. And it's gonna be mega-insane Sunday night in Chicago.

 

[Slyfox696]

If you were to judge based on overall ability alone, then I think Punk ranks much higher. Punk is someone that knows how to tell a story inside that ring and do it as well as anybody can and better than most. He's a student of wrestling and that's obvious. Within the past 2 years, we've been treated to some of the best promo work that's been seen in a very, very long time from CM Punk. I'd be willing to go so far as to say that Punk cuts the best promos in the business and has really since his feud with Jeff Hardy. I'd rank Punk at maybe #15 if it was just by what his overall capabilities are. I'd like to put him higher but, as I said, it's really only been within the past couple of years that he's really kicked his game up into a higher gear in WWE. A lot of us have thought and believed that CM Punk is main event material but, to be honest, I don't think that Punk really, truly and 100% cemented that belief until the past few weeks.

Jack-Hammer, you're one of the few people whose posting abilities on here I have respect for, but I'm not sure you put a lot of thought into that ranking of Punk on ability. Obviously, everyone has their own thoughts of what it means to be a good worker, but using the stereotypical IWC mentality, I can think of several guys who are clearly better workers than Punk during their WWF/E time.

1. Ric Flair
2. Bret Hart
3. Randy Savage
4. Chris Jericho
5. Kurt Angle
6. Shawn Michaels
7. Bob Backlund
8. Ricky Steamboat
9. Steve Austin
10. Chris Benoit
11. Eddie Guerrero
12. Razor Ramon
13. Mr. Perfect
14. Jake Roberts
15. Undertaker
16. Mick Foley
17. Rey Mysterio
18. Terry Funk
19. Edge
20. Dynamite Kid
21. Ted DiBiase


I added a few extra, just to accommodate anyone you didn't feel was better from that list.

If you use my standards, you can add guys like Hogan, Rock, Cena, Piper, Triple H, Andre, etc. who would also be better than Punk.

And those are just guys off the top of my head, without really sitting and thinking about it. Punk's on a hot streak right now, but as you stated, it's only been recently he got on it. And had it not been for his last couple of promos, I don't even think people would begin to put him in the rankings they are now. We are a "live in the moment" society, where today is easily the greatest thing to ever happen, and five years ago is a memory.

In all honesty, if the WWE were to have the same format today they had 15 years ago (meaning, one World title, one midcard, tag team, etc.), I think Punk would be in the Owen Hart role. A midcarder who will never let you down, can be used for spot appearances in main-event, but will never be the guy to be counted on. I think the dual brands have done wonders for what people think of Punk, but I just don't think he's proven it yet.

 

[XXJJ]

If Ted and Cody were booked to look like jackasses, how has managed to stay over? Orton didn't do anything different to make the fans love him and that is hard to do nowadays. Just because Punk broke kayfabe, let's not make him into God.

Yeah, even when Orton was a heel their were plenty of times he got cheered. He has consistenly been getting some of the loudest pops for the past year. I dont get how someone can say he is not over.

Punk got a great reaction from the crowd in Boston. He will get a monster pop in his hometown for MITB.

This was the first time I can remember Punk getting that big of an ovation. The whole anti wwe angle has really taken Punk's career to the next level. I dont why some Punk fans are complaining. They need to realize Vince is giving him a huge push.

 

[Rampage Bentley]

Jack-Hammer, you're one of the few people whose posting abilities on here I have respect for, but I'm not sure you put a lot of thought into that ranking of Punk on ability. Obviously, everyone has their own thoughts of what it means to be a good worker, but using the stereotypical IWC mentality, I can think of several guys who are clearly better workers than Punk during their WWF/E time.

1. Ric Flair
2. Bret Hart
3. Randy Savage
4. Chris Jericho
5. Kurt Angle
6. Shawn Michaels
7. Bob Backlund
8. Ricky Steamboat
9. Steve Austin
10. Chris Benoit
11. Eddie Guerrero
12. Razor Ramon
13. Mr. Perfect
14. Jake Roberts
15. Undertaker
16. Mick Foley
17. Rey Mysterio
18. Terry Funk
19. Edge
20. Dynamite Kid
21. Ted DiBiase


I added a few extra, just to accommodate anyone you didn't feel was better from that list.

If you use my standards, you can add guys like Hogan, Rock, Cena, Piper, Triple H, Andre, etc. who would also be better than Punk.

And those are just guys off the top of my head, without really sitting and thinking about it. Punk's on a hot streak right now, but as you stated, it's only been recently he got on it. And had it not been for his last couple of promos, I don't even think people would begin to put him in the rankings they are now. We are a "live in the moment" society, where today is easily the greatest thing to ever happen, and five years ago is a memory.

In all honesty, if the WWE were to have the same format today they had 15 years ago (meaning, one World title, one midcard, tag team, etc.), I think Punk would be in the Owen Hart role. A midcarder who will never let you down, can be used for spot appearances in main-event, but will never be the guy to be counted on. I think the dual brands have done wonders for what people think of Punk, but I just don't think he's proven it yet.

There's a lot of inconsistency in your list. Some of those guys are better than Punk on the mic, some in the ring, and most about even. If you took over all skill and went by who's all-around better the list would look more like this...

Ric Flair
Randy Savage
Chris Jericho
Kurt Angle
Shawn Michaels
Steve Austin
Eddie Guerrero
Mr. Perfect
Jake Roberts
Undertaker
Edge
Ted DiBiase

And even after taking out the throwaways who were good at one aspect, but not so much the others, you still have a very debatable list as to who is better than Punk.

 

[TUFFY54]

Jack-Hammer, you're one of the few people whose posting abilities on here I have respect for, but I'm not sure you put a lot of thought into that ranking of Punk on ability. Obviously, everyone has their own thoughts of what it means to be a good worker, but using the stereotypical IWC mentality, I can think of several guys who are clearly better workers than Punk during their WWF/E time.

1. Ric Flair
2. Bret Hart
3. Randy Savage
4. Chris Jericho
5. Kurt Angle
6. Shawn Michaels
7. Bob Backlund
8. Ricky Steamboat
9. Steve Austin
10. Chris Benoit
11. Eddie Guerrero
12. Razor Ramon
13. Mr. Perfect
14. Jake Roberts
15. Undertaker
16. Mick Foley
17. Rey Mysterio
18. Terry Funk
19. Edge
20. Dynamite Kid
21. Ted DiBiase


I added a few extra, just to accommodate anyone you didn't feel was better from that list.

If you use my standards, you can add guys like Hogan, Rock, Cena, Piper, Triple H, Andre, etc. who would also be better than Punk.

And those are just guys off the top of my head, without really sitting and thinking about it. Punk's on a hot streak right now, but as you stated, it's only been recently he got on it. And had it not been for his last couple of promos, I don't even think people would begin to put him in the rankings they are now. We are a "live in the moment" society, where today is easily the greatest thing to ever happen, and five years ago is a memory.

In all honesty, if the WWE were to have the same format today they had 15 years ago (meaning, one World title, one midcard, tag team, etc.), I think Punk would be in the Owen Hart role. A midcarder who will never let you down, can be used for spot appearances in main-event, but will never be the guy to be counted on. I think the dual brands have done wonders for what people think of Punk, but I just don't think he's proven it yet.

You more or less took the words out of my mouth. Like you said, two promos ago Punk was on nobodies all time great list. The man can cut one hell of a promo, but that's where the admiration stops for me. People keep saying he's the best at everything: promo's, matches, announcing, the list goes on. However, I think it's much more honest to say he does lots of things well.

Promo's- Right now everyone is saying he is the best talker in WWE history. Bullshit. He gave an amazing promo, but there was only one think amazing about it. If he hadn't talked about "backstage" and dropped the name's of a few indy guys and other feds, it would have been nothing special. Thats what people don't see. Would anyone be talking about his promo if he didn't call out John Laurenites and ROH/New Japan? Punk cut a great promo, but you take out the shoot comments and he's nothing compared to Piper, Rhodes, Flair, or Jake the Snake.

Announcing- Punk wasn't an amazing announcer, he was a different announcer. Again, people only took notice because he brought up "backstage" things like Riley's DUI. Shoot comments do not an amazing announcer make. He couldn't even stand in the shadow of Heenan, Monsoon, King, or JR.

Performer- This is the one I don't get. Punk is good in the ring, but he's never blown me away. I can't think of one match he's had that was a classic. I don't mean a "technically great match", I mean a match that had everyone buzzing when it was over. He's never had that 30 minute war or unforgettable moment that the real greats have had. He's good in the ring, but I'd be hard pressed to remember anything he's done other than the GTS.

Punk is good. Hell, Punk is great. But he certainly isn't the greatest of all time. Maybe in the top 50 if he was lucky. There are dozens of wrestlers that have done so much more. Personally, I don't think he'd be in the top 75 if he retired today.

 

[Slyfox696]

There's a lot of inconsistency in your list. Some of those guys are better than Punk on the mic, some in the ring, and most about even. If you took over all skill and went by who's all-around better the list would look more like this...

Ric Flair
Randy Savage
Chris Jericho
Kurt Angle
Shawn Michaels
Steve Austin
Eddie Guerrero
Mr. Perfect
Jake Roberts
Undertaker
Edge
Ted DiBiase

And even after taking out the throwaways who were good at one aspect, but not so much the others, you still have a very debatable list as to who is better than Punk.

It's like you literally work to outdo the stupidity of your previous posts.

No, there is no inconsistency in my post. Just because you either haven't heard of some of those guys, or don't know anything about them, doesn't make my post any less accurate. Jack-Hammer said overall ability. Is Chris Benoit the talker Punk is? No, but he's three times the worker, so he's still better. I mean, good God, you honestly think CM Punk is better than Terry Funk? Punk's better than Bret Hart? How fucking stupid are you trying to make yourself look?

The fact is CM Punk is a poor man's Shawn Michaels in the ring, in that his offense is mediocre, and his selling is what he does well. But I wouldn't say Punk's selling is as good as HBK, so he's behind HBK in that area as well. And as I mentioned, Punk has never shown himself to be an exceptional WWE promo guy until he started breaking kayfabe, so the Internet is over-estimating his mic abilities.

At the end of the day, you know very little about pro wrestling, and it shows each time you post. The fact you think Punk is better than Terry Funk and Bret Hart is all the proof I need of your wrestling idiocy. Even xfearbefore, one of CM Punk's biggest fans and most ardent supporters around here, would call you an idiot for saying he's better than Terry Funk. That should tell you something.

 

[Hulk Hogan's Brother]

And as I mentioned, Punk has never shown himself to be an exceptional WWE promo guy until he started breaking kayfabe, so the Internet is over-estimating his mic abilities.

Actually, no, Punk has always cut great promos as a heel. His promos against Jeff Hardy and also against the fans in general were great when he was first breaking out into his heel straight edge messiah character. His promo at Rey Mysterio's daughter's birthday party was top notch too. So were his promos as a part of the New Nexus against Cena and even Orton. In fact he is so good that even a face R-Truth got a huge positive reaction when he interrupted one of Punk's rants on the weaknesses of the fans. We all know that face R-Truth is pretty much the very definition of mediocre and him getting such a huge face reaction indicates how well Punk had worked over the crowd.

And doesn't breaking kayfabe and involving the non smart fans into the promo require skill as well? There have been quite a few bad shoots over the years but Punk's promo must rank among the top 3 shoots of all time. All those people reacting to him on Raw on both his shoot promo and his promo with Vince and Cena cannot all have been smarks.

Punk is an exceptional promo cutter be it a shoot or a normal promo.

Apart from that, I agree with everything else you have said. Punk has had maybe two or three main event feuds in his entire WWE career. And he has had maybe only two great feuds in his entire career.( Hardy and Cena) He has had three short title reigns and niether of them was particularily memorable. He has also had his fair share of failures most notably as a face champion in 2008. As it stands, Punk might be great but there have been a lot of people both in the past and the present who have done a lot for the WWE.

But I do feel that Punk's best years are ahead of him. If he does resign with the WWE at some point I cannot see any reason why he could not be remembered as one of the top 20 wrestlers of all time.

 

[Rampage Bentley]

It's like you literally work to outdo the stupidity of your previous posts.

No, there is no inconsistency in my post. Just because you either haven't heard of some of those guys, or don't know anything about them, doesn't make my post any less accurate. Jack-Hammer said overall ability. Is Chris Benoit the talker Punk is? No, but he's three times the worker, so he's still better. I mean, good God, you honestly think CM Punk is better than Terry Funk? Punk's better than Bret Hart? How fucking stupid are you trying to make yourself look?

The fact is CM Punk is a poor man's Shawn Michaels in the ring, in that his offense is mediocre, and his selling is what he does well. But I wouldn't say Punk's selling is as good as HBK, so he's behind HBK in that area as well. And as I mentioned, Punk has never shown himself to be an exceptional WWE promo guy until he started breaking kayfabe, so the Internet is over-estimating his mic abilities.

At the end of the day, you know very little about pro wrestling, and it shows each time you post. The fact you think Punk is better than Terry Funk and Bret Hart is all the proof I need of your wrestling idiocy. Even xfearbefore, one of CM Punk's biggest fans and most ardent supporters around here, would call you an idiot for saying he's better than Terry Funk. That should tell you something.

First of all debate, don't insult. Tearing someone down is not an argument.

Secondly, nothing here is solid or factual. If you asked fifty people to come up with fifty "Greatest of all time list" you'd get a recurring bunch of names sure, but you'd get fifty lists, none of them the exact same. It's all based on opinion.

And yes, I would rate CM Punk over Terry Funk. And as much as I like Bret Hart, he didn't have the charisma or the talking ability CM Punk has (and I'm not basing it off of his promos in the last few weeks.) As far as Benoit goes, yeah he was a great worker, but so bland in every other aspect that at times he bored the everliving crap out of me.

I'm not stupid for thinking the way I do, just as you're not stupid for thinking the way you do. We have different OPINIONS. I never said you're list was wrong, I said it was debatable.

 

[Wade's Public Transit Bomb]

Well, I am not going to say "he wouldn't crack my top 50" because I can't name 50 people off the top of my head. However, I don't think Punk is some Messiah (or savior if you want to be technical). He has been on television for over 5 years now.

To be honest, I don't think he has enough memmorable matches to make it one for each year. He struck gold with Jeff Hardy when Hardy was at his peak as a performer. Most people have good matches with Rey and Cena. When I watch his matches, he just comes across as a guy who is slightly athletic who looks really out of place while doing a lot of his moves. The Go 2 Sleep really isn't suppose to be busting faces in, is it? I can't imagine people would be cool with taking that risk. idk

On the mic, what is the big deal about this guy? The only emotion I think he extrudes is just being bitter. Being bitter that he isn't "hoss-y." Being bitter that others get pushed before him. Being bitter just for the stake of being bitter. When he does try to show other emotions, his Short Man Syndrome doesn't seem to go away.

Finally, his character just seems one sided. He was a terrible face because he is as sympathetic as a box of rocks being chucked off a bridge. They have used religion (or at least hinted it) as the only reason he is a leader.. And he really isn't a good leader if most of the stuff the group has done has been forgettable.

Idk. He just comes across as someone who really hates his job. Maybe he is that good of a character actor.. Then again, maybe he isn't because outside of an unsympathetic face run, his character has been viturally "I am CM Punk and I am pissed off."

 

[SD619]

In my opinion, he would probably rank somewhere in the 70s..

Although one thing I cant understand is how some people rank Punk above Undertaker..Even without "The Streak" his contribution to wrestling far exceeds that of Punk. I admit I have not seen Punk's ROH matches but as far as WWE matches go, I think Undertaker's are much better.
Also Undertaker has the same gimmick for a really long time and it still isn't boring.I doubt Punk's current gimmick would keep the fans happy for that long

 

[HBK_EDGE]

It is going to rank different for everyone. It all comes back to what you look for in a superstar and what you define as greatness.

For me defining greatness is the following

In Ring ability
Promo cutting ability
Being able to play multiple characters from multiple angles effectively

If you do those 3 things all the different titles and everything will take care of itself.

To me Shawn Micheals and the Rock are on a different level because they could both play a great face and generate a lot of heat as heels. Punk has all the tools I just dont know if he can play a great face, I haven't seen that from him yet. I was always a huge Edge fan but always knocked him for not being able to play a face that I could really believe. The whole spear, spear, spear thing was a failure from the get go imo. I would put him somewhere between 50-75,but he is still a young guy. The argument shouldn't be where he is now but where he has the ability to rise up and be. I think he has top 20 potential even though he is hot right now and people are loving him he still has a lot of work to do.

A lot of questions surround Punk right now that could have an impact on his legacy. Will he be back in the WWE? If he stays can he stay on the roll he is on right now? Can he continue to be a great promo cutter without shooting all the time? Lets face it anyone can shoot and make a pretty big impact but you can't do it all the time because it loses its effect. Can he reach all audiences not just the IWC and become a big draw selling merchandise and putting butts in the seats?

I can't wait to see where this whole CM Punk thing is going to go and I havent been able to say that in a long time about a WWE story so I guess he is doing something right.

 

[S.J. Maximus]

I completely understand the point of view you guys have, but I don't count their "accomplishments" in my lists. If you were to do that, then Ultimate Warrior would have to be ranked higher than Jake "The Snake" Roberts, Roddy Piper, Ricky Steamboat, Mr. Perfect, and Ted Dibiase (Sr.)

Just because Vince McMahon liked him more and decided to push him does not make him better.

What are you talking about!? Not once did I talk about titles or accomplishments I talked about his impact, his ability to draw, Vince doesn't make people cash cows, just ask Swagger, Sheamus, and all of the other people that he pushed way too early. People make themselves cash cows with talent and ability, Batista took the ball and ran with it until he got hurt. I don't think Ultimate Warrior had a bigger impact on wrestling than Piper or Dibiase but he definitely had a bigger impact than Perfect and Steamboat he was the bigger draw. How can wrestlers be judged on anything but ability to draw when that's the whole purpose of wrestling - making money.

My point is, Batista brought in more star power / money than Punk and Vince had nothing to do with it, Batista did. Vince can give a guy a push but its up to the wrestler to making something of it

 

[dashing]

what I think is the biggest tragedy in Punk (probably) leaving now is that the guy is just really entering the prime of his career in my opinion. I really didn't see what made him so great in a lot of people's eyes up until the start of the Straight Edge Society where he was superb. His feud with Orton (and the subsequent Mania match) was brilliant. Great on the stick, great in the ring and along with Daniel Bryan the last of these indie/territory guys in the WWE.

Shawn Michaels is my favourite of all time, and he really came into his prime at 30/31, then had a few years snatched away from him soon after due to injury and wrestled some of the best matches of his career in his late 30s/early 40s. Punk is 32 now and by the sounds of things if the GQ interview he did isn't bullshit it's sounding like he doesn't ever want to wrestle for WWE again. Sure he may go to ROH or something in a year or two and will of course put on great matches...but he perhaps will never get the chance to be revered as one of the all time great wrestlers like Michaels, Savage, Angle, Jericho and Ric Flair because love it or hate it WWE is that big stage, the place where every young wrestler wants to make a name for themselves. Is Punk as good as these guys? No, but he is so so so close. He could be the Jericho, he could be the Kurt Angle if he got given faith as a main event guy rather than someone who is just an upper midcard guy constantly. With him leaving never to return, his potential in that respect might never be fulfilled.

 

[cubuff37]

Good question.... I'd say CM Punk would crack my top 20 at least if I'm considering a combo of favoritism and the straight up best wrestlers.

Imo, he's behind (not in order)...

Orton
Edge
HHH
HBK
Jericho
Morrison
Undertaker
Stone Cold
Booker T
Batista
Jeff Hardy
Hogan
Steamboat
Savage
S. Benjamin (he's just too damn good to not be mentioned)
Lashley
The Rock
Flair

I think I'm missing a couple but oh well. I got to say, CM Punk has really grown on me. At first when he was on ECW, I couldn't stand him. I thought he was going to turn out like a future Balls Mahoney. But when his evolution went from "new kid" to "ECW champ" to "WH champ" to Nexus leader, he impressed me more and more with every step. So now that I'm finally behind him, he's leaving lol. But he's still good on the mic, and he's one of the few submission/technicians that are fun to watch in WWE today. He's got my thumbs up.

what I think is the biggest tragedy in Punk (probably) leaving now is that the guy is just really entering the prime of his career in my opinion. I really didn't see what made him so great in a lot of people's eyes up until the start of the Straight Edge Society where he was superb. His feud with Orton (and the subsequent Mania match) was brilliant. Great on the stick, great in the ring and along with Daniel Bryan the last of these indie/territory guys in the WWE.

Shawn Michaels is my favourite of all time, and he really came into his prime at 30/31, then had a few years snatched away from him soon after due to injury and wrestled some of the best matches of his career in his late 30s/early 40s. Punk is 32 now and by the sounds of things if the GQ interview he did isn't bullshit it's sounding like he doesn't ever want to wrestle for WWE again. Sure he may go to ROH or something in a year or two and will of course put on great matches...but he perhaps will never get the chance to be revered as one of the all time great wrestlers like Michaels, Savage, Angle, Jericho and Ric Flair because love it or hate it WWE is that big stage, the place where every young wrestler wants to make a name for themselves. Is Punk as good as these guys? No, but he is so so so close. He could be the Jericho, he could be the Kurt Angle if he got given faith as a main event guy rather than someone who is just an upper midcard guy constantly. With him leaving never to return, his potential in that respect might never be fulfilled.

I see what you mean, however I say Punk has 100% HOF potential which is where some of the guys you named are. His downfall is leaving the biggest company of all (if he really does), and going to ROH or TNA. Like you said, sure, he's going to put on amazing shows wherever he goes, but would you rather be in the NFL and viewed as good, or the AFL and viewed as great? Thats the best comparison I could make. Sure other companies will glorify him, but at the end of his career, the WWE holds the key to Punk's immortality