CM Punk

One of the most polarising figures in wrestling history. CM Punk began his WWE career from a long spell on the independents in the brand’s revived ECW brand where he became eventual world champion. Eventually he moved to the main WWE brands becoming a two time winner of the Money in the Bank, and the first to do it back to back. Both cash ins were successful – he won the World Heavyweight Championship of Edge, and Jeff Hardy a year later.

His career really skyrocketed in 2011, where the heel Punk was cheered in front of his native Chicago crowd to beat John Cena at Money in the Bank to become the WWE Champion, a title he would hot shot but eventually hold for a year.

An important figure in Royal Rumbles, his prominence increased over time in the matches, with a short but devastating cameo in the 2010 Royal Rumble, before going over half an hour in the 2011 match, and had another great showing from number 1 in 2014, in a match that proved to be his last match. In real life, he walked out of the company one day later.

Many expected him never to return, but he did in 2023. He announced himself to be a participant in the 2024 Royal Rumble, a whole 10 years and one day after his last WWE match.