In January 2014, CM Punk was No. 1 in WWE’s annual Royal Rumble match and lasted nearly an hour in the ring – much of it while concussed, after suffering a head injury during the match.
The next day, he reportedly told WWE brass, including Chairman Vince McMahon, that he was “going home” – and that was the last he was seen in the WWE sphere, eventually to be released on June 13, 2014, the day he was to wed fellow WWE alum AJ Lee.
Much has been made of the situation over the last seven-plus years, even as Punk has discussed it at length, but as he told Moose & Maggie on WFAN on Thursday, walking out was what he had to do to break the cycle of what he was under as a WWE Superstar, for his physical and mental health both in the short term and in the long term.
“This isn’t harp on where I used to work, but when I do media, it comes up. People roll their eyes and say I’m dramatic that I would’ve died, but you don’t know about my staph infection and concussions and the pressure I put on myself. I would not have stopped until I did,” Punk said. “I had to break the cycle because no one in a position of power would have stepped in; they just want you to show up. Everything is different now. I realize that yes I can be happy and be a pro wrestler, and still do other things, and be a great husband.”
He is happy, and he is once again a pro wrestler, signing with All Elite Wrestling and debuting in an unforgettable moment on August 20 in Chicago. The miserable 35-year-old Punk that walked out of WWE in 2014 is now a much wiser, and healthier, 42-year-old Punk, and starting with his in-ring debut on Sept. 5 at AEW’s All Out pay-per-view against Darby Allin, the mission is to be someone who can help the up-and-comers in the locker room get to the heights he once reached.
“I don’t want to be the guy who thinks he knows everything because I don’t; part of this is continuing to learn. The 2013 me probably thought I knew everything, but last night (on AEW Dynamite), I got to share a ring with Sting, and talking to him, I’m learning still,” Punk said. “I won’t tell the young guys I know everything, because there’s no right way. If someone wants my advice, I’ll give it to them. I have a wealth of experience to share, but I’m not there to fix anybody’s anything.”
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Punk compared his situation to how every MLB team has a hitting coach who will all give their charges different advice, but it’s up to how they interpret it. Unfortunately, though, Punk intimated that in his previous stop, those kinds of advisors were “few and far between.”
“There were a few guys in WWE like that, but they few and far between. I know the place has changed, but when I showed up in 2006, it was a shark tank and they liked to pit guys against each other,” Punk said. “I’m a student and a fan of professional wrestling, and while there used to be a lot of great territories where they had a lot of top guys, WWE was focused on one guy and wanted the rest to fight over banana peels. For me, I learned more (on the independents) from guys like Eddie Guerrero, Harley Race, Terry Funk, Dusty Rhodes, Tracy Smothers; the guys in WWE were busy protecting their spots, but all those guys were out of the system and loved helping the kids.”
When Punk left WWE in 2014, All Elite Wrestling didn’t exist, and the closest domestic competitor to WWE was Impact Wrestling, whose shows and television programs drew a fraction of the attendance and ratings the McMahon juggernaut was getting.
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But now, the fledgling AEW has become a big deal in its two years in existence, and from even his first dealings with owner Tony Khan, it’s night and day from WWE.
“To compare and contrast Tony to other bosses I’ve had, he’s just more approachable, and I think it boils down to him being a fan,” Punk said. “Often you’ll hear that as a negative, but that’s crazy. He’s open to ideas and very receptive, and it’s a collaboration. He listens to the fans, and I think recognizing that was a big part of the decision to return.”
And, the schedule, which currently has AEW on the road only three days a week for their television shows on Wednesdays and Fridays, is much better for the now-older Punk.
“I think that helps, and the pandemic has put an end to touring; live events are probably going to be a thing of the past,” Punk said. “(In WWE), from Friday to Tuesday I’d be on the road wrestling, and I got zero time off the entire time I was there. There was a point where I was begging for it, but they just want you to show up, and tell you ‘man, we really need you.’ But, do you need me healthy, or dead in a hotel room?”
Punk doesn’t seem to think that’ll be a problem in AEW – in fact, he’s already been asked if he needs any time off, just weeks after his debut.
“We were out to dinner after my debut, and Tony asked me if my wife and I planned on going on vacation any time soon,” Punk laughed. “I was like, ‘I just got here!’ but it’s appreciated to know that it’s that easy.”
It’s been easy to fans to flock to AEW television as well, even as WWE ratings are dwindling, but as much as Punk had a lot of negative experience to dwell on from his former life, he also noted that AEW isn’t interested in becoming WWE, but wanting to be an alternative that gives fans what they want.
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Even if that means acknowledging competition – or working with them, as AEW is with Impact, the NWA, and even New Japan – as opposed to living in a bubble.
“You’re fooling yourself if you pretend someone doesn’t exist; if you ask them, they’ll say AEW is not their competition, but everyone sees through that,” Punk said. “If you ask us, we’ll say we know they’re competition, but if you’re talking about head-to-head competition with WWE, they have a 30-plus year head start. So, we’re focused on what we’re doing and the people who paid to see us or watch us.”
Of course, though, it would be sweet to become No. 1.
“I think you’d be straight up telling a big old lie if you said you don’t want to beat them in whatever metrics they deem as successful,” Punk smiled. “I know TNT executives love ratings, but we’re focused on the fans, and that’s how you grow your business. It’s fun again for me, so I’m not trying to put anyone out of business.”
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