Disc two features a half dozen of CM Punk’s best WWE matches, including legendary bouts with John Cena, Daniel Bryan, Jeff Hardy, and more!
~Disc Two Matches and Star Ratings~
- SummerSlam, 8/23/2009: CM Punk defeats World Heavyweight Champion Jeff Hardy in a TLC Match at 21:35 to regain the title. Hardy had been the Champion since 7.26.2009, and this was his third defense. ****¼
- Over the Limit, 5/23/2010: Rey Mysterio defeats CM Punk in a S.E.S. Pledge vs Hair Match at 13:49. ****
- Money in the. Bank, 7/17/2011: CM Punk defeats WWE Heavyweight Champion John Cena at 33:45 to win the title. Cena had been the Champion since 5.1.11, and this was his fourth defense. *****
- WrestleMania XXVIII, 4/1/2012: WWE Heavyweight Champion CM Punk defeats Chris Jericho to retain the title at 22:23. Punk has been the Champion since 11.20.11, and this was his sixth defense. ****½
- Over the Limit, 5/20/2012: WWE Heavyweight Champion CM Punk defeats Daniel Bryan at 23:58 to retain the title. Punk has been the Champion since 11.20.11, and this was his eleventh defense. ****½
~Blu-ray Exclusive Match~
- Armageddon, 12/14/2008: CM Punk defeats Rey Mysterio in a tournament final to earn a shot at the Intercontinental Title at 13:45. ***¾
JZ Says
The CM Punk / Jeff Hardy feud during the summer of 2009 was a watershed moment for the Punk heel character. If memory serves, it was the first real feud where they let Punk run wild as a bad guy, and the results were fantastic. Punk and Hardy faced off in several matches, perhaps the best being the TLC match that main evented SummerSlam 2009.
At Over the Limit 2010, CM Punk and Rey Mysterio battled under unique circumstances – if Punk won, Mysterio would have to join the Straight Edge Society; if Mysterio won, Punk would get his head shaved. This was another excellent feud, and the two had very good matches together. I do wonder why they chose one that Punk lost, but I guess it’s a big moment to see him get his head shaved
CM Punk’s biggest match ever to this day remains Money in the Bank 2011 against John Cena for the WWE Championship in Chicago. The match is amazing, the atmosphere is unmatched, and the crowd is hype all the way though. I believe Punk and Cena are each other’s best opponents.
Another major feud for Punk was against Chris Jericho, and they squared off against each other for the WWE Championship at WrestleMania XXVIII. Punk was famously annoyed that they didn’t go on last (that honor went to John Cena and The Rock), but he and Jericho put on a great match anyway.
As a long time Ring of Honor fan, I was losing my mind when CM Punk and Daniel Bryan were feuding over the WWE Championship in 2012. Some things we just thought we would never see and that was definitely one of them. They put on a mat wrestling clinic in the early going, and they mix in some strikes as well. Both men keep things pretty simple, but there’s an intensity present that gives everything they’re doing a sense of purpose. I do cringe when Bryan does the Diving Headbutt though. Michael Cole actually mentions the time Bryan suffered a detached retina in a match, which happened in ROH against Takeshi Morishima. Remember Morishima? He was awesome. The end comes when Bryan traps Punk in the LeBell Lock, and Punk rolls it over into a cradle to get the pin. Well after the three-count, Punk taps out, and Bryan tries to plead his case with the referee, but Punk didn’t even tap until the bell was basically ringing. Not the greatest finish ever, but the match was a fantastic battle between two guys who knew each other well and had great chemistry.
The Blu-ray bonus match is a nice treat, as we go back to 2008 to see how Punk earned his Intercontinental Title match that’s featured on Disc One. Punk had to defeat Snitsky and John Morrison to get to the finals, while Mysterio beat The Miz and Kofi Kingston. It’s a good match, but they would go on to do better when Punk went heel.
Five matches are presented on Disc Two proper, and all of them are four stars or higher. Then the bonus match reaches ***¾, so quality-wise this is a great set. Beyond the obvious quality, the matches are generally important to his WWE career, representing significant feuds Punk was involved in up to that time. Reviewing this in 2023, over 11 years after it came out, this is still a terrific Blu-ray set that earns my hearty recommendation.