CM Punk wouldn't be pro wrestling's cult classic if it weren't for his time in Ring of Honor. It was there that he came into himself as an athlete and as a storyteller. It's also where he started to incorporate his straight-edge lifestyle into his wrestling, which would give the pro wrestling world some of the best heel-work it's ever seen.
With Tony Khan's acquisition of Ring of Honor, it's likely we could be seeing Punk appear in a ROH ring once again in the near future. This would be quite the homecoming considering Punk's history with the promotion. Here's a list of some of his greatest work, though there's much more to be said about Punk's ROH run than what can fit into a top ten list.
10 CM Punk vs. Alex Shelley (ROH Third Anniversary Celebration)
Alex Shelley is perhaps the most underrated wrestler in the last 20 years. He's most known for his time in TNA as one half of The Motor City Machine Guns, his tag team with Chris Sabin. This match is a testament to how consistently good Alex Shelley has been as a technical wrestler. CM Punk, though, has the home field advantage here. Overall, this match is a good meeting between two of pro wrestling's underground icons.
9 CM Punk vs. Bryan Danielson (ROH Reborn: Stage One)
CM Punk and Bryan Danielson's talents helped elevate ROH to its super-indie status in the mid-2000s. This match is their first-ever singles encounter. In it, CM Punk is the cocky, slimy heel we know and love, and Danielson is a babyfaced technical maestro.
While this match isn't the best work of either man in ROH, it's a nice piece of history and one that AEW fans should definitely check out if they have the time.
