CM Punk retains World Heavyweight title on WWE Raw
CM Punk is still the WWE World Heavyweight Champion after surviving Bron Breakker’s attempt to win the title in the main event of the first anniversary of Raw on Netflix.
The end came when Punk countered a Breakker spear attempt with a knee strike, hitting a GTS for the pin and win.
It was Punk’s first televised title defense of his second reign. He won the vacant championship this past November against Jey Uso on Saturday Night’s Main Event after Seth Rollins had to vacate due to injury.
Breakker dominated Punk for the majority of the match, using his physical style to batter and beat Punk up. Punk was able to counter Breakker’s running spear attempt on the outside of the ring with a flying clothesline to regain the momentum going into a break that didn’t last coming out of it.
Breakker attempted a top rope Frankensteiner, but Breakker fell awkwardly in what looked to be a botch. Punk hit an elbow drop, but they eventually went to the spot again with Breakker hitting the move. Punk rallied again, but Paul Heyman distracted him before he could go for the GTS.
The Vision then came out to distract Punk who got hit from behind by Breakker who also took out the referee as well. Austin Theory hit a curb stomp that got a close nearfall and eventually, Dragon Lee, Penta and Rey Mysterio came out to even the odds as Bronson Reed was clearing off a table to have Punk thrown through it.
Punk eventually hit the GTS after Breakker ran into the ring post after Punk moved, but only got a nearfall. Breakker kicked out of another pin attempt and countered another GTS attempt into an armbar. Punk countered with an anaconda vice but Breakker got out of it, hit a gutbuster, and a clothesline for his own close nearfall.
Punk locked in an STF as a counter to Breakker’s GTS attempt, but made it to the ropes. Heyman got up on the apron again and Punk punched him and avoided a spear attempt that sent Breakker to the outside of the ring. However, Punk got punched by Breakker as he dove through the ropes, taking a nasty landing on the outside.
Breakker then went to the top rope and hit a flying elbow drop/clothesline of sorts, putting him through the table. As Breakker went for a spear, Punk hit a counter knee and a GTS for the pin and win.
Punk came out before the match mocking Breakker’s heritage, donning a CM Punk varsity jacket in University of Michigan colors like Rick & Scott Steiner used to wear.
The main event was part of the first anniversary of Raw’s debut on Netflix, held at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.
Since 2011, Josh has been a contributing editor to Wrestling Observer/F4WOnline.com and also hosts the Punch-Out podcast. He has also written for Fight Magazine, Bloody Elbow, Bleacher Report, and other websites. He's a 2000 graduate of the University of Maine, worked in pro sports, and once was an indie ring announcer.