Congratulations to Undisputed WWE Champion CM Punk!

Undisputed WWE Champion CM Punk was in for the fight of his life at SummerSlam tonight. Ahead of his clash with Cody Rhodes, though, Punk celebrated a huge milestone on the SummerSlam kickoff show.

CM Punk joined WWE’s roster back in 2006, debuting in the summer on the ECW brand. His first televised match took place in the Hammestein Ballroom on August 1st, knocking off former ECW Champion Justin Credible. In a year, Punk would capture the ECW World Championship.

Punk spoke with Joe Tessitore on the SummerSlam kick-off about his Undisputed Championship bout with Cody Rhodes later on tonight. Tess went through Punk’s friendship with Rhodes, which the Second City Saint said would make this a more difficult match-up. When Corey Graves asked what made tonight different from his World Championship bout with Roman Reigns at WrestleMania, Punk brought up his anniversary.

“One of the biggest differences is today is actually the 20th anniversary of my debut in the WWE, and that carries some weight. That means a lot to me. I never thought that I would make it 20 years later and be here on top of the mountain as champion as having a chip that everybody wants.”

CM Punk’s accomplished more than he ever imagined, and probably more than his die-hard fans ever expected in WWE.

CM Punk’s success in WWE so far

Once the anti-authority punk who came in to change the business, CM Punk’s done just that. The Best in the World is called that for a reason, beating some of the absolute best the business has produced in the past two decades. Punk is a 9-time World Champion in WWE between all the various belts.

Punk’s also captured the Intercontinental Championship and been a Tag Team Champion with former Superstar Kofi Kingston. Aside from the gold, Punk’s also won and successfully cashed in the Money in the Bank twice, winning the prize in 2008 and 2009. Because Punk was gone from the promotion for about a decade, those numbers are even more impressive.

Of course, he also picked up some hardware while away from the promotion, picking up a few AEW World Titles before returning in 2023. While they probably wouldn’t count them, those titles made Punk an 11-time World Champion through both promotions.

If Punk could hold onto the gold tonight, he’d have a lot to celebrate. Unfortunately, he was facing QB1, The American Nightmare, Cody Rhodes. Friendship be damned, this was about the top spot.