4. CM Punk
2011 was all about the Summer of Punk. CM Punk challenged John Cena for the WWE Championship in front of his hometown fans in Chicago, Illinois, at Money in the Bank 2011. The Second City Saint’s contract was set to expire, but he dethroned Cena, kickstarting his first WWE Championship reign.
Punk and Cena were both recognized as WWE Champions when Cena beat Rey Mysterio for the title in a tournament final on Raw’s July 25, 2011 episode. A month later, they clashed for the Undisputed WWE Championship at SummerSlam 2011. Punk curtailed Cena’s ninth WWE Championship reign.
