Wrestler Profile

CM Punk

CM Punk is wrestling's great outsider made king. The straight-edge Chicago native came up through Ring of Honor with a mix of sharp technical wrestling and sharper promos, then spent years in WWE fighting perceptions before his 2011 pipebomb promo — and the 434-day WWE Championship reign that followed — made him the voice of disillusioned fans everywhere.

He walked away from wrestling in 2014, tried MMA, and returned to the business in AEW in 2021 to enormous emotion. That run produced world championships and memorable matches but ended in backstage controversy. Then came the true shock: Punk returned to WWE at Survivor Series 2023, nearly a decade after his bitter exit.

Injuries interrupted his comeback, including a torn triceps that turned his SummerSlam grudge match with Drew McIntyre into a saga. Love him or hate him — and fans do both loudly — Punk drives conversation like no one else, and WrestleRanks voting reflects it weekly.

Promotions

CM Punk is associated with WWE (2023–2026), AEW (2021–2026), ROH (2002–2026) and ECW (2006–2026).

Championship history

• Undisputed WWE Championship (WWE) — Current champion · 3 reigns · Current Undisputed WWE Champion; defeated Sami Zayn on Raw.
• AEW World Championship (AEW) — Former champion · 2 reigns · Two-time AEW World Champion; his second reign is the shortest in title history.
• ROH World Championship (ROH) — Former champion · 1 reign
• ROH World Tag Team Championship (ROH) — Former champion · 2 reigns · with Colt Cabana
• WWE Championship (WWE) — Former champion · 2 reigns
• World Heavyweight Championship (WWE) — Former champion · 5 reigns · Includes original and current WWE World Heavyweight Championship reigns.
• ECW Championship (WWE) — Former champion · 1 reign
• WWE Intercontinental Championship (WWE) — Former champion · 1 reign
• World Tag Team Championship (WWE) — Former champion · 1 reign · with Kofi Kingston

PWI rankings history

CM Punk has been ranked in the PWI 500 13 times, first at No. 305 in 2002 and most recently at No. 15 in 2025. The highest placement is No. 1, reached in 2012.

Placements by year: 2002 (No. 305), 2003 (No. 171), 2004 (No. 89), 2006 (No. 35), 2007 (No. 42), 2008 (No. 24), 2009 (No. 8), 2010 (No. 3), 2011 (No. 10), 2012 (No. 1), 2013 (No. 2), 2022 (No. 3), 2025 (No. 15).

Compiled from the annual rankings published by Pro Wrestling Illustrated. See the 2025 edition.

CM Punk in the WrestleRanks rankings

CM Punk is tracked as a respected veteran on WrestleRanks. WrestleRanks standings are decided one week at a time, from fan voting and editor input. Read more about how our rankings work, or see the live, interactive profile with weekly rank history and voting on the CM Punk ranking page.

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