WATCH: The Best Moves in CM Punk’s Wrestling Arsenal

In his meteoric career, CM Punk earned the moniker of ‘Best in the World’. The former longest reigning WWE Champion has had a career worth envying and a move-set that put others’ to shame. From a face shattering finisher to a crushing and agonizing submission hold, these are CM Punk’s top ten wrestling moves.

#10 Springboard clothesline

A clothesline is a classic wrestling move, which involves battering your opponent with your arm with immense force. When you deliver the move after springing off the top rope, it adds a visual appeal to it that the traditional move lacks. CM Punk perfected the springboard clothesline.

From Big Show to the Undertaker, it has taken the biggest men in WWE down. The springboard clothesline is a visually appealing move but only appears 10th on this list.

#9 Swinging neckbreaker

Punk pulled off an unbelievable version of a swinging neckbreaker, using the opponents’ hands and momentum against them. He ducks an opponents’ clothesline, and uses their momentum against them, before planting them with a neckbreaker.

This isn’t a signature move, but Punk uses it to surprise an incoming opponent.

#8 Running bulldog

The running bulldog is a move that has lost its credibility. Prior to becoming Goldust, it was the finisher of Dustin Rhodes before he adopted the Final Cut and Shattered Dreams.

CM Punk adopted his own version of the move, which he hit after smashing his opponents in the face with a running knee. The move usually precedes Punk’s two most devastating moves.

#7 CM Punk busts out the banned Piledriver

CM Punk was the first wrestler to break the ban on the dreaded piledriver in WWE. The ban extended to every version of the piledriver, except the Tombstone Piledriver. WWE allowed only Undertaker and Kane to perform the move.

On Raw in 2013, Punk faced Cena in a match to determine the challenger for The Rock’s WWE Championship. While his regular arsenal could not put away Cena, Punk pulled out the piledriver, which also failed to put away Cena.

#6 Running knee smash

One of Punk’s most vicious moves was a running knee smash to an opponent’s face. It was eerily similar to Kenny Omega’s patented V-Trigger knee strikes.

Punk would usually follow the move with a short arm clothesline or the running bulldog. It is a miracle that Punk hasn’t knocked someone’s teeth out or broken a nose with the move.

#5 A shocking CM Punk Roundhouse Kick

Punk’s roundhouse kick was one of those moves that he could hit out of nowhere. Like HBK’s Sweet Chin Music and Randy Orton’s RKO, the roundhouse kick was a move that wrestlers simply did not expect.

The most famous roundhouse kick came at Money in the Bank in 2011. Punk hit the incoming Alberto del Rio with the kick, disallowing him from cashing in his briefcase and allowing Punk to escape..

#4 The trademark CM Punk Suicide dive

The suicide dive is one of the most overused moves in the industry, but Punk hits it to perfection. His most infamous dive came against John Cena at Money in the Bank, where he recklessly launched himself through the ropes onto Cena.

The dive became a big part of Punk’s reckless move-set. It made him look like a man who would do anything to win.

#3 Top rope elbow drop

Paying tribute to Macho Man Randy Savage, CM Punk hit his opponents with the trademark elbow drop. Punk has hit the move in the ring, outside the ring, through tables, through ladders, with a chair, on a chair and in almost every way imaginable.

Punk’s elbow drop ranks high on the list of best elbow drops in wrestling, second only to the legendary Macho Man.

#2 Anaconda Vice

Similar to an anaconda crushing its prey with its humongous body, Punk tries to force the oxygen out of his opponents’ body with the Anaconda Vice.

The submission move has brought him some incredible wins. His 434-day reign began with Alberto del Rio tapping out to the Vice. He even used the move to beat Chris Jericho in their iconic WrestleMania 28 match.

#1 The trademark CM Punk Go to Sleep

The ultimate finishing move; the skull smashing finishing move seems too risky to be utilised in WWE. However, Punk executed the move safely and without harm to his opponents.

He picked the move up from Japanese wrestler KENTA, who delivers a much more painful version of the move. Despite that, Punk’s GTS is the move that led to the most historic win in his career. It was also the move that won him his first World Championship in WWE. Punk made the GTS an iconic finisher, and it is associated with him wherever he goes.

Read More: Reason Why CM Punk Cut the Pipe Bomb Promo on WWE Raw on June 27, 2011