Ranking CM Punk's Best WWE Moments of 2024

CM Punk could have easily hung up his boots for a second time following his unceremonious exit from All Elite Wrestling in September 2023.

The Second City Saint instead turned the wrestling world upside down by making a shocking return to WWE after almost 10 years away at that year's installment of Survivor Series.

Punk then went on to have one of the hottest years of his career. Despite being out injured for a majority of it, he stayed relevant through semi-regular Raw appearances, excellent mic work and captivating storylines.

With his next match set for Raw's Netflix premiere on Jan. 6 against Seth Rollins, there's no telling how much greater of a year he'll have in 2025 and beyond, especially if championship gold is in his immediate future.

Punk remains a recurring highlight on WWE programming and has helped the company do big business since he's been back. Potential programs with Roman Reigns, Gunther and Cody Rhodes ensure he has a lot more left to do before he decides to call it quits.

From wars of words to bitter acts of revenge, the following are Punk's best WWE moments of 2024 ranked.

The serious setback Punk suffered in the men's Royal Rumble match didn't deter him in the slightest. Instead, while recovering from his torn triceps, he maintained a presence on Raw by occasionally appearing to take shots at the man responsible for sidelining him, Drew McIntyre.

One of the best examples of this happened on Night 2 of the 2024 WWE draft, shortly after he was selected ahead of the Scot by the red brand.

While an irate McIntyre watched from afar, Punk sat in the ring and took credit for injuring his rival's elbow weeks earlier. He also made it clear that The Scottish Warrior gave him purpose by putting him on the shelf.

"Losers hope things happen, losers pray for things to happen," The Best in the World said. "Winners make it happen."

Punk then promised to make McIntyre's life a living hell once he was cleared to compete, though he wouldn't have to wait much longer to score a measure of revenge.

His short and sweet, yet fiery and effective promo served as a reminder of just how talented of a talker he is and always has been.

One of Punk's few appearances on SmackDown in 2024 came on the June 21 edition, where he was advertised to appear in his hometown of Chicago in the wake of costing McIntyre the World Heavyweight Championship for a second time at Clash at the Castle.

However, his white-hot homecoming was interrupted by Paul Heyman, someone who played a pivotal role in giving Punk his first big break in WWE.

The Wiseman advised his former protégé to leave the ring to avoid enduring a Bloodline beatdown led by the new self-professed Tribal Chief, Solo Sikoa.

In typical Punk fashion, he refused to back down and was eventually aided by fellow AEW alum Cody Rhodes. McIntyre later brutally attacked The Second City Saint backstage, dragging his unconscious body into the arena and stealing the bracelet he wore on his wrist with his wife and dog's names engraved on it.

Punk and Heyman's emotional reunion resulted in The Bloodline exiling The Wiseman the following week and was, of course, revisited during Survivor Series season. For a decade, it seemed almost unfathomable that they'd ever share the ring again, so their brief embrace on this night was a surreal visual for longtime viewers.

From the moment he resurfaced at Survivor Series, Punk was immediately considered a top favorite to win the 2024 men's Royal Rumble match and advance to WrestleMania 40 for a world title opportunity.

The only other front-runner was Cody Rhodes, who was looking to win his second straight Rumble ahead of "finishing his story" and beating Roman Reigns for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship at The Show of Shows.

Punk previously faced off with another potential Rumble winner in McIntyre on Raw, but his confrontation with The American Nightmare hit harder given their shared history and respective reasons for wanting to headline 'Mania.

Punk acknowledged Rhodes' ascent to main event status and praised his progress as a performer while also establishing that he intended to hold nothing back in the Rumble.

After The Second City Saint referred to himself as the true "son of a plumber," Rhodes responded by pointing out that Punk left WWE on a whim 10 years earlier and didn't bother to pass the torch on the way out.

Even as a beloved babyface, Punk was the perfect foil for the equally popular Rhodes. Their segment simultaneously added to the excitement surrounding the Rumble and created genuine doubt over the outcome.

A feud between the two has yet to come to fruition, but consider the seeds planted.

By Bad Blood, the WWE audience had seen virtually everything Punk and McIntyre had to offer in their feud. The stage was set for the big blow-off inside Hell in a Cell and it seemed as if there wasn't anything left for either man to say in the weeks preceding the pay-per-view.

Punk then cut his strongest promo since returning to the company.

While addressing his archrival on the Sept. 16 edition of Raw, he spoke in a somber tone and revealed that he agreed to the sinister stipulation against his wife and family's wishes, solely so he could settle his score with The Scottish Warrior once and for all.

He vowed McIntyre would have to kill him in order to beat him and that he was prepared for his heart to stop beating if it meant there was a chance he could put him in his rear view.

For as dramatic of a decree as it was, Punk was at his very best during this segment and was successful in selling any fans who may have been on the fence about whether this was indeed the end of the road for their rivalry.

Months of scratching, clawing and complaining led McIntyre to his first world title win since 2021 when he beat Seth Rollins for the World Heavyweight Championship on Night 2 of WrestleMania 40.

However, that moment was instantly ruined by Damian Priest, who successfully cashed in his Money in the Bank briefcase on the Scot following an assist from Punk.

That apparently wasn't enough to satisfy The Second City Saint, though.

McIntyre earned himself another opportunity at the prestigious prize on his home turf in Scotland at Clash at the Castle. Despite still being a heel, he was perceived as a total babyface in front of a raucous crowd.

They were ready to witness the crowning of a new champ, at least until the referee was knocked out and Punk slid into the ring wearing the signature striped shirt to replace him.

Punk cut the count short at two (a brilliantly executed camera shot from behind) and hit McIntyre with a low blow before The Scottish Warrior could register what had happened. Priest capitalized and retained his title, much to the chagrin of the crowd.

This Scotland "screwjob" took their already-intense feud to the next level.

Roman Reigns, The Usos and Sami Zayn put their differences aside for the betterment of The Bloodline to wage war with Solo Sikoa, Tama Tonga, Tonga Loa and Jacob Fatu heading into Survivor Series.

Finding themselves outnumbered once Sikoa recruited Bronson Reed to join them for WarGames, Reigns and Co. weren't left with many options.

All signs pointed to Seth Rollins getting over his hatred of Reigns and agreeing to team with him at Survivor Series, the same site of The Shield's debut a dozen years earlier. Before he could reunite with Reigns, a returning Punk swooped in at the last minute to steal the spot.

Punk was last seen winning his Hell in a Cell match with McIntyre at Bad Blood on October 5 and had zero connection with The Bloodline at that point, but he later revealed his decision was made out of loyalty to his longtime advocate, Paul Heyman.

Following Punk's WarGames win, he hinted at Heyman owing him a favor that he has yet to cash in on. Additionally, anticipation builds for the inevitable Punk vs. Reigns rivalry.

Punk is always in his element whenever he as a microphone in his hands, and very little seems to be off limits.

That was especially evident during his heated confrontation with Rollins and McIntyre on the March 25 edition of Raw.

Rollins and McIntyre were two weeks out from their World Heavyweight Championship match at WrestleMania 40, yet the focus was entirely on their mutual disdain for Punk. He retaliated with some shots of his own and had the Chicago crowd completely behind him.

The material from all three men was tremendous, but even better was the organic vibe of the segment. Nothing of what they said or how they said it felt manufactured in the slightest.

The only physicality came at the end when Rollins laid out McIntyre with a Curb Stomp. Otherwise, their biting words for each other stole the segment.

While the build for Rollins vs. McIntyre left a lot to be desired, fans were at least left looking forward to future matches between Punk and Rollins as well as Punk and McIntyre. Their three-way intertwining feud carried Raw for a majority of 2024.

Hell in a Cell was the only appropriate setting for the grand finale of the feud between Punk and McIntyre.

WWE abolishing the same-titled PPV in 2022 resulted in the return of the match coming across like a major happening. By Bad Blood 2024, it had been over two-and-a-half years since its last installment, and both men guaranteed it would live up to the name of the show.

They wasted no time busting each other open and using every weapon at their disposal. Their brutal, bloody affair captivated the audience and featured countless callbacks to their year-long rivalry.

McIntyre was at his most ruthless while Punk put forth his best performance yet in his second stint with WWE. Refusing to fall to the Scot, The Best in the World shoved the beads from his bracelet down his rival's throat before finishing him off with a skull-crushing GTS.

Even after so many years away from the squared circle, Punk proved that "Best in the World" was more than a moniker.

Graham Mirmina, aka Graham "GSM" Matthews, has specialized in sports and entertainment writing since 2010. Visit his website, WrestleRant, and subscribe to his YouTube channel for more wrestling-related content.