How Different Was WWE When CM Punk Won His Last Singles Match?

As a gamer with over two decades of WWE fandom under my belt, I can confidently say that the landscape of professional wrestling has drastically changed since CM Punk last won a match back in 2014. It’s like comparing the old-school Nintendo Entertainment System to the state-of-the-art PlayStation 5!

At WWE Bash in Berlin, CM Punk, also known as the Second City Saint, triumphed over Drew McIntyre, the Scottish Warrior. In a rough and tumble strap fight, Punk managed to touch all four corners, thus reclaiming his family bracelet. The victory wasn’t an easy one for Punk; McIntyre inflicted numerous wounds on him, causing his usual white wrist tape to turn conspicuously beige. This marks the second time they’ve fought, as McIntyre had won their first bout at WWE SummerSlam earlier this month. The final chapter of their trilogy is expected to unfold at WWE Bad Blood next month, with many anticipating it to take place under a Hell in a Cell stipulation.

How Different Was WWE When CM Punk Last Won a Match?

How Different Was WWE When CM Punk Won His Last Singles Match?

CM Punk’s triumph at the WWE Bash in Berlin was his first victory in the WWE since more than a decade ago. Specifically, he defeated Billy Gunn on the final episode of WWE Monday Night Raw prior to the 2014 WWE Royal Rumble.

During that period, the WWE environment was quite distinct compared to what it looks like today. To begin with, Billy Gunn, who was Punk’s last singles opponent, was enjoying a career resurgence alongside his long-term tag team partner, “Road Dogg” Jesse James. Interestingly, Punk and Gunn would encounter each other again, not just on WWE Monday Night Raw, but also in the AEW locker room, where they worked together from August 2021 to August 2023.

As a dedicated fan, let me share some fascinating insights about the evolution of WWE championships. Back in the day, there was just one world title belt that Randy Orton proudly held, having unified the WWE Title and the World Heavyweight Title the previous month by outsmarting John Cena. Nowadays, the prestigious titles up for grabs are the WWE Championship and the WWE World Heavyweight Championship, with Cody Rhodes and Gunther as their current holders respectively. In 2014, Rhodes was teaming up with his brother Goldust in the tag division, while Gunther was honing his skills on the independent wrestling circuit.

In the past, the women’s division of WWE was awarded just one title, the well-known Diva’s Championship, which was in possession of AJ Lee (later Punk’s wife) at that time. Nowadays, WWE presents both a WWE Women’s Title and a WWE Women’s World Championship, currently held by Nia Jax and Liv Morgan respectively. Neither of these ladies were contracted with WWE back then.

That entire company was still under the management of Vince McMahon. He had a plan to organize three significant matches at WWE WrestleMania 30 that year: Randy Orton versus Batista, CM Punk against Triple H, and The Undertaker against Brock Lesnar. However, only the match between The Undertaker and Brock Lesnar actually took place.

The core members of The Bloodline were all bound by contract, but they held significant roles at various points in the show. Roman Reigns was still part of The Shield, yet he was demonstrating early signs of his solo potential, as he came second in that year’s Royal Rumble Match. The Usos continued to wear vibrant face paint and were aiming for the WWE Tag Team Championships.

At that time, WWE programming was only available through pay-per-view services. The WWE Network had not yet been launched, so fans had to pay around $49.99 per month to watch WWE’s special events. Additionally, NXT was still a month away from debuting as a weekly TV show.

2024-08-31 22:40

How Different Was WWE When CM Punk Last Won a Match?

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