CM Punk finally breaks his silence.

[RobertTheBruce]

I call bullshit.

This is a sad, desperate stunt by Punk in a futile effort to remain relevant, long after the crowds have stopped chanting his name. As Punk himself forecasted in his pipe bomb promo, the company and WWE universe has moved on without him... just fine.

 

[stingray11214]

I call bullshit.

This is a sad, desperate stunt by Punk in a futile effort to remain relevant, long after the crowds have stopped chanting his name. As Punk himself forecasted in his pipe bomb promo, the company and WWE universe has moved on without him... just fine.

If it is "bullshit", he'll be getting sued for slander very soon. I doubt that he will because of his settlement.

Just this for a thought: Punk's interview made me think about the the old Territory system. If the AWA was still alive, I can guarantee you that the Gagne family would have made Punk its top man. With all he draws in Chicago and other cities and towns in the Midwest, there was no way he would not be.

 

[lil steroid meat]

Just finished the interview and personally while of course the WWE did some fucked up shit, Punk could have really prevented a lot of the shit by just putting his foot down early.

You kept hearing him say "it wasn't my hill to die on" but when it started interfering with his health is when he should have done this. Especially since these incidents are post-Pipe Bomb promo where he is now the hottest guy in the business.

It's weird that they wouldn't give him the diagnosis for the Staph Infection. The way he was telling the story made it seem like he was building up to some conspiracy shit as to why they wouldn't cut it off of him lol.

One thing I did get from this, is that I underrated the mind of Punk as far as good ideas for the business. The sponsors on the wrestler's gear is a great idea not only because it's an additional source of income for the wrestlers, but it also kinda legitimizes the spectacle next to the UFC. It reminds me of when WCW had sponsors in the ring.

I also think it's cool how he created the concept of the Shield.

I hope that he returns to wrestling at least in a backstage/creative role, if not full on as a competitor.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

Just this for a thought: Punk's interview made me think about the the old Territory system. If the AWA was still alive, I can guarantee you that the Gagne family would have made Punk its top man. With all he draws in Chicago and other cities and towns in the Midwest, there was no way he would not be.

I doubt it. The reason the AWA ultimately went under was because the Gagnes didn't change with the times. Vern Gagne thought that the best technician should be THE top guy in the company. Circa 1983, fans were more interested in seeing larger than life guys like Hulk Hogan do their thing instead of watching Nick Bockwinkel trade side headlocks & armbars with his opponents for 20 minutes. Fans were going nuts over Hogan, they wanted him as the top guy, Gagne wouldn't hear of it, Hogan walked in late '83, ended up in the WWF and the rest is history.

Besides, Punk has every bit as much of an out of control ego as the people he blasts. If he's as miserable, bitter, angry and difficult as all the various people in WWE from management to wrestlers say he is, then I don't see an old school family like the Gagnes taking it with a bit shit eating grin anymore than WWE management has.

 

[FreezeIzGAWD]

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA......

This shows THAT WHAT I HAVE SAID ALL ALONG IS TRUE.....

He was not about the PEOPLE....

HE WAS NOT THE VOICE OF THE VOICELESS....

C.M. PUNK IS A DIVA BYTCH!!!!!

Y'all swore he left because of honor and integrity....

How about Top spots and moolah....

You claimed it was because of DB....

Nope it was over JEALOUSY AND SPONSORSHIP.....

But the thing I think is funny is just like an Ex seeing You with a new BADD BROAD....

Now that he sees NOBODY GIVES A FUCK ABOUT HIM ANYMORE.....

He ran out bought a new dress, got his hair done and came over to just TALK.....

NAW BYTCH GTFOH!!!!!

U left....

U thought it would matter....

IT DIDNT.....

So a year later U are back trying to stay relevant because EVERYBODY but IWCers FORGOT ABOUT U.....

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!

 

[Navi]

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA......

This shows THAT WHAT I HAVE SAID ALL ALONG IS TRUE.....

He was not about the PEOPLE....

HE WAS NOT THE VOICE OF THE VOICELESS....

C.M. PUNK IS A DIVA BYTCH!!!!!

Y'all swore he left because of honor and integrity....

How about Top spots and moolah....

You claimed it was because of DB....

Nope it was over JEALOUSY AND SPONSORSHIP.....

But the thing I think is funny is just like an Ex seeing You with a new BADD BROAD....

Now that he sees NOBODY GIVES A FUCK ABOUT HIM ANYMORE.....

He ran out bought a new dress, got his hair done and came over to just TALK.....

NAW BYTCH GTFOH!!!!!

U left....

U thought it would matter....

IT DIDNT.....

So a year later U are back trying to stay relevant because EVERYBODY but IWCers FORGOT ABOUT U.....

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!

I'm sure all the posters on this thread, his fans, and the 400K who have listened to that podcast would disagree with you, just a smidge. Whatever his reason for leaving, it's his reason and he's telling it now after months of silence, and I for one listened.

 

[BillAlfonsos_Whistle]

CM Punk will wrestle in a WWE ring again in the future.
They are going to get really really desperate if they can't sell some of the new faces as "top guys" by this time next year.

 

[stingray11214]

CM Punk will wrestle in a WWE ring again in the future.
They are going to get really really desperate if they can't sell some of the new faces as "top guys" by this time next year.

Trips and Steffi hates Punk with every fiber of their being. It has been reported that Trips wants to kill Punk. So, to put it in perspective, they will sooner book their 8 year old daughter to face Brock Lesnar in a street fight to Main Event Wrestlemania before allowing Punk to even SNIFF a WWE event unless he has a ticket.

 

[sMark]

I think there is a big missunderstanding between Punk and IWC:
he says it's not all about the money, and IWC jump to the conclusion that he should not care about the money at all. But why exactly? If you have a chance to make more money, you will jump on it, right? So is he.

"While money still to be a big part of any job, they can't compensate for every BS situation" - i think this is what Punk means, not "oh, i don't care how much money i get, don't pay me at all, just give me a WM main event spot"

Basically this interview have confirmed everything i thought about Punk's situation before: he tired of BS decisions, being longest reigning transitional WWE champion, jobbing to part timers, HHH being his WM program and Orton/Batista being the main event...
Also added - horrible WWE doctor, being bunged up, watching his ideas given to other people, and being fired on a wedding day.

I understood his decision back in january and i understand it even more now.

I hope WWE will get alot of bad press now and will be forced to change the way they treat their employes, for the sake of everyone who work for them today or will work someday.

About causing a change:
Original (rumored) WM 30 plans:
Bryan vs Sheamus (or Bryan vs Bray Wyatt if you base it on storylines at the time)
HHH vs Punk (the winner is not really clear here, cause it's HHH and his politics we talking about)
Batista vs Orton for WWE title

I don't know about you, but this card looked horrible from any point of view to me, it was the first Mania i didn't want to watch at all.

What we got after Punk walked out:
Bryan vs HHH (with Bryan going over Trips)
Batista vs Orton vs Bryan (with Bryan winning the title finally)

This card wasn't much better, but at least most fans got what they wanted - Bryan became the champion and pinned HHH clear

So it did changed the WM card.
Now, figers crossed, the bad press will also force WWE to make more important changes as well.

 

[ilapierre]

I have to admit. I was never much of a CM Punk fan. A skinny guy who doesn't drink who is always cranky. HOWEVER, upon hearing the things he said in this interview, I LOVE THE GUY. CM Punk is da fn MAN. Way to stick it to that old ********er McMahon and ass kissing Triple Leetch. Punk sacrificed his career to be a voice for all the boys toiling away in WWE. That's a pretty courageous thing a lot of you WWE marks can't stand. But you know what. It's true. Bret Hart knew it. Randy Savage knew it. Warrior knew it. Sammartino. Benoit. Just look at all the legends who've been hoodwinked by that asshole family. Vince screwed them all. Now Punk screwed them! Fantastic. Best part was CM Punk telling Triple H where to stick it. Like who the fuck wants to face Triple H at Wrestlemania? Some mid carder? Who the fuck is Triple H to believe he deserves to be in main events at Wrestlemania? Most of us are sick to death of Triple H stealing the spotlight every time a legend like Rock or Sting comes back. Or gets to feud with Brock first. Or gets Punk when he's on fire. Or get Taker for two wrestlemanias. Fuck Triple H and his 15 world titles. None of them amount to Punk's 14 month reign. Triple H is Ted Dibiase but married into the family. He had no business becoming what he is today. Fuck, I was going through a bin of toy wrestlers at Toys R US the other day for my son and there was a bin next to the random bin full of clearance Triple H action figures that were being sold for dirt cheap. They couldn't sell worth shit. Imagine all the money and effort put into making these things only to be given away for nothing and thrown away for lack of demand. Anyone in their right mind (not Vince) can see Triple H has never been a draw. There is no demand to see him anywhere near a main event except from Stephanie. Steph had a million times better taste in men when she was not yet an adult

 

[Radical]

being longest reigning transitional WWE champion

If Punk was a "transitional" champion then EVERY wrestler who's been a champion was a transitional champion. That means John Cena is a transitional champion, Hulk Hogan was, Stone Cold, etc.

Transitional champion would be more like Kofi Kingston when he held the IC title for like a few weeks before losing it to I believe Wade Barrett or The Miz. THAT'S a transitional champion.

CM Punk was THE longest reigning WWE Champion in the last 25 years. That is a huuuuge, huge honor.

But it does come with a price. A ruthless schedule where you are the champion so you are in the 15-20 minute main events at Raw, maybe SmackDown and 2 or 3 house shows a week plus a marquee event at the PPV. So yes, it's a rough schedule for a Champion of 3 months, let a lone 340 some odd days he was Champion.

Now, I give CM Punk credit for pushing through. I have no earthly idea how he went weeks and perhaps months with broken ribs, the flu, a concussion and an infection without actually dying or being hospitalized and if WWE medical team was 'missing' that then I am disappointed in them but CM Punk was in a tough position.

During the last number of months after he was no longer WWE Champion really should have been when WWE let him go off and recover and get healed up and come back stronger than ever but before that, despite Punk being especially difficult to deal with, WWE still granted him the honor of being the longest reigning WWE Champion in the last 25 years.

Now what sucks is that with this interview out it looks like CM Punk has completely burned his bridge with the WWE and will never be back. Now WWE has almost a Chris Benoit situation of a different sort. A case where CM Punk is basically dead to them. They won't want to mention CM Punk's name and it's hard (just like it was for Benoit) because of how many places he is in the WWE history books, especially as the longest reigning WWE champion in 25 years. Even if WWE wants to have someone beat that streak they would have to mention CM Punk's name and I don't think they want to do that just like they won't mention Benoit's name even associating him with Championship matches or reigns (other than his name in the record book but not a single other fact about him).

 

[MR K]

I have to admit. I was never much of a CM Punk fan. A skinny guy who doesn't drink who is always cranky. HOWEVER, upon hearing the things he said in this interview, I LOVE THE GUY. CM Punk is da fn MAN. Way to stick it to that old ********er McMahon and ass kissing Triple Leetch. Punk sacrificed his career to be a voice for all the boys toiling away in WWE. That's a pretty courageous thing a lot of you WWE marks can't stand. But you know what. It's true. Bret Hart knew it. Randy Savage knew it. Warrior knew it. Sammartino. Benoit. Just look at all the legends who've been hoodwinked by that asshole family. Vince screwed them all. Now Punk screwed them! Fantastic. Best part was CM Punk telling Triple H where to stick it. Like who the fuck wants to face Triple H at Wrestlemania? Some mid carder? Who the fuck is Triple H to believe he deserves to be in main events at Wrestlemania? Most of us are sick to death of Triple H stealing the spotlight every time a legend like Rock or Sting comes back. Or gets to feud with Brock first. Or gets Punk when he's on fire. Or get Taker for two wrestlemanias. Fuck Triple H and his 15 world titles. None of them amount to Punk's 14 month reign. Triple H is Ted Dibiase but married into the family. He had no business becoming what he is today. Fuck, I was going through a bin of toy wrestlers at Toys R US the other day for my son and there was a bin next to the random bin full of clearance Triple H action figures that were being sold for dirt cheap. They couldn't sell worth shit. Imagine all the money and effort put into making these things only to be given away for nothing and thrown away for lack of demand. Anyone in their right mind (not Vince) can see Triple H has never been a draw. There is no demand to see him anywhere near a main event except from Stephanie. Steph had a million times better taste in men when she was not yet an adult

What? HHH has never been a draw? Seriously.... I think you should go back and watch the year 2000, HHH was on fire feuding with the Rock, Foley, Kurt Angle etc as part of the Mcmahon-Helmley faction. The guy was putting on show stealing performances at nearly every PPV that year, and it drew. I don't like him as much as the next guy but saying he was never a draw is rediculous. HHH is probably one of the if not THE best heel in the modern era.

As for Punk, good on him for telling his side, It sounds brutal what he had to go through but this is just his side of the story. Personally I tend to believe most of it as he has very little to gain from not telling the truth. I doubt he will ever be back in a WWE ring after what happened with him leaving then being fired. Then the injuries, I thought it was normal for the wrestlers to work hurt most of the time but having a "full blown staph infection" and the WWE doc not treating it is unacceptable. no-one should ever have to put up with that.

 

[berlinbrawler]

It's great that Punk finally shared his version of events.

The whole thing about calling Punk a quitter is a bit lame, really. At the time when he left he wasn not a selling point for anything in the WWE. I mean, boo hoo, so we didn't get a match with him and Corporate Kane at the next PPV. And did anyone really care about Punk-Triple H Part 3 at Mania? He didn't leave in the middle of a hot angle, he didn't attempt to blackmail anybody, he didn't just not show up.

For fans to feel that Phil Brooks owes them or the WWE anything is just stupid. If he decides for whatever reasons that he does not want to do this with his life anymore, then that is his right.

As for the things that he said about everything that's wrong in the WWE, it didn't come as a big surprise to me to hear these things. They reminded me a lot about what Bret Hart complained about in his book. Anyone who knows anything about the WWE shouldn't be surprised to learn that the company is run by carny crooks. The McMahons are merciless, take-no-prisoners businessmen and they don't hesitate to play dirty where it suits their purposes. The entire history of the WWE is a testament to that. Even in their own documentaries people state that it is so, even if it is heavily sugar-coated.

Did CM Punk tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth? How the hell would I know? Probably not. (I mean, when does anybody ever do that?) The truth always lies somewhere in the middle and while I consider myself a huge fan of CM Punk's, I also won't deny that he is a bonafide stubborn-ass diva who is way too full of himself and was probably a nightmare employee on many levels.

 

[sMark]

Punk's reign wasn't oficially labeled as transitional (at least yet), but it was by nature of things - Cena was still main eventing each PPV he was involved in and Punk worked with midcarders and part timers, basically he took the title from Cena only to drop it to The Rock, so Rock can go against Cena for the title at WM, as soon as Rock returns for his WM program, Punk was moved out of the title picture to continue to work with midcarders and part timers. WWE gave Punk the title but continued to treat him, like he was in upper midcard and Cena was still the champ. I'am sure it made Punk sick to his stomatch more and more each day.

 

[Uncle Sam]

The story here isn't main events or money or even being fired on your wedding day. The story here is that WWE repeatedly cajoled one of their wrestlers into competing while seriously ill.

Punk alleges that he was made to work while injured. Punk alleges that he was made to work through concussions. Punk alleges that the WWE's own doctor failed to diagnose - never mind treat - a serious staph infection.

The rest of this bollocks is just window dressing.

 

[Psykohurricane55]

The story here isn't main events or money or even being fired on your wedding day. The story here is that WWE repeatedly cajoled one of their wrestlers into competing while seriously ill.

Punk alleges that he was made to work while injured. Punk alleges that he was made to work through concussions. Punk alleges that the WWE's own doctor failed to diagnose - never mind treat - a serious staph infection.

The rest of this bollocks is just window dressing.

The key word is alleges here because I really doubt that's what really happens since it seem like punk is a really proud man and he thought he knew more then the wwe doctors. He did admits that he was a dick to everyone back then. The fact everybody that are injured always ask for down time to get check up, he didn't and then blame everybody for what happen. We will never know the real story about until we hear from the wwe doctor and I doubt that will ever happen until the guy get release.

 

[wwe fan2009]

I guess it depends on the injury if they take it seriously cause they have kept others out a long time with injury.

 

[Navi]

I think there will be two other parts to this story. What Vince and the WWE have to say, and I'm sure Austin will ask on Monday night after RAW on his podcast. Let's face it if he doesn't he's an idiot. And what email's they'll pick for CM Punk to answer and what those answers will be, on part 2 of Cabana's interview.

I would like to see them pick some that call Punk out, and ask him the hard questions. Not just shove sunshine up his ass cause their friends.

 

[laodaron]

I think there will be two other parts to this story. What Vince and the WWE have to say, and I'm sure Austin will ask on Monday night after RAW on his podcast. Let's face it if he doesn't he's an idiot. And what email's they'll pick for CM Punk to answer and what those answers will be, on part 2 of Cabana's interview.

I would like to see them pick some that call Punk out, and ask him the hard questions. Not just shove sunshine up his ass cause their friends.

So, a WWE/Vince McMahon mark is interviewing Vince McMahon on the network that he and the WWE owns, and we're expecting anything besides Kayfabe/getting worked?

And the same goes for Punk and Colt Cabana. That counter culture, "I prefer it in ROH" bullshit that they will be using will be just as biased.

The truth is that we're never going to really know. I believe that Punk had an undiagnosed MRSA, I believe that they force/coerced him to fight and travel while concussed, and I believe that they never really believed in him as THE main event guy. But outside of that, good luck figuring out what's an internal work, kayfabe, or shoot.

BTW, it really bothers me that Punk thought of himself so much better than someone that would just give a "shoot" interview, a statement he made on the podcast, after which, he spent 2 hours shooting on the WWE and his tenure with the company.

 

[MR K]

I think there will be two other parts to this story. What Vince and the WWE have to say, and I'm sure Austin will ask on Monday night after RAW on his podcast. Let's face it if he doesn't he's an idiot. And what email's they'll pick for CM Punk to answer and what those answers will be, on part 2 of Cabana's interview.

I would like to see them pick some that call Punk out, and ask him the hard questions. Not just shove sunshine up his ass cause their friends.

I hope they pick out ones that call him out too, however I think it'll get flipped and they will try and make a fool of the person that asks the question. I doubt he will be bearing all and making himself look bad, he admitted once in an hour and a half that he was difficult to work with, I doubt they will make him look bad now.

 

[Mustang Sally]

With all the things that could (and have already) been said about this....and all the dissections of the subject by folks who are for or against Punk, I find his attitude to be one that we've all seen a million times in our own lives..... at home, the workplace and in our personal relations.....his dealing with WWE effectively amounted to "Do everything I want......100% the way I want it done....and shucks, everything will be just great!"

He doesn't like the way the company treated him and can't for the life of him understand why they didn't adopt all his ideas? Fine, we've all had feelings like that in our lifetimes.... suggestions we made to whomever we were speaking seemed so completely logical to us, right?

Well, WWE had different ideas, based mainly on the notion that they had more things to concern themselves than just the CM Punk character, while he had only himself to worry about. Doubtless, some of the company's conclusions and actions were stupid and ill-conceived while others were good and logical.

That he would walk out on WWE because they weren't doing things his way is something that people have been doing since time began.....but walking out on all the fans who were the ones responsible for his being able to live a life where he doesn't have to worry about money (I haven't reached that point yet, have you?) is what I see as a bigger concern.

Hell, these good folks are still chanting his name at wrestling shows, even after all these months.

Yeah, yeah, the guy has a right to do whatever he wants with his life, but given the fame and adulation he achieved in a business he entered in the first place because he loved it, I wonder if we all wouldn't have been better served had he continued performing while looking to change things from within.

 

[blueskyy]

I have listened to the interview. It was great. I know, we all should not judge others, but he does give me the impression that he thought too highly of himself. Even if he was right and accurate on everything (and I'm NOT defending the WWE), his work ethics is questionable. Would anyone of you walk out off your job and conduct yourself the way he did, basically ignoring his employer thereafter? That's not cool, not cool at all. There is no question the WWE is wrong -- withholding his money, firing him on his wedding. But just because WWE managerments are a bunch of scoundrels, jerks, and blood sucking vampires, doesn't mean then that one should behaving the same, or on a smaller magnitude.

 

[snazzy]

I have listened to the interview. It was great. I know, we all should not judge others, but he does give me the impression that he thought too highly of himself. Even if he was right and accurate on everything (and I'm NOT defending the WWE), his work ethics is questionable. Would anyone of you walk out off your job and conduct yourself the way he did, basically ignoring his employer thereafter? That's not cool, not cool at all. There is no question the WWE is wrong -- withholding his money, firing him on his wedding. But just because WWE managerments are a bunch of scoundrels, jerks, and blood sucking vampires, doesn't mean then that one should behaving the same, or on a smaller magnitude.

Yeah his work ethics are questionable, wrestling with an undiagnosed MRSA, broken ribs at one point, as well as returning early from injury on occasions to work.

 

[sanefan_har]

It seems people are heavily fixated on his arrogance and his backstage attitude, instead of the issues at hand.

When he said Money wasn't everything, he supported it by talking about the kind of shit he had to put up with in terms of recovery and rehab from surgery. That staph infection story was just horrifying. It was obvious that between 2012 and 2014, his in ring performance was declining, he looked really weak and injured. I think him going nuts on that fan on the Raw after Summerslam 2013, was a smart way of releasing a bit of his pent up frustration while selling the loss at Summerslam itself. By the time he was feuding with the Shield around the same time last year, his body and his speed looked pathetic. It looked wrong, but I would've never guessed a staph infection was what he was going through, among broken body parts.

 

[Dave]

What I find strange is WWE 2K15 sponsoring the podcast and then CM Punk going ahead and burying them. That's hilarious.

Still, it was always like that CM Punk was going to break his silence sooner or later. And it is great for Colt Cabana to get the scoop instead of a major news network. Awesome.

On the topic of what CM Punk actually goes on to say, it didn't really surprise me. I guess, after watching wrestling for most of my life, nothing is that surprising any more. That said, if WWE wanted to get CM Punk back on their roster, they could get him. CM Punk, as much as he says he doesn't want to go back to the WWE or any wrestling fed for that matter, would go back to the WWE if the change that he craved for the company actually happened.

If the WWE wanted to have CM Punk back, they would throw money at him until he did. And over the course of time, CM Punk will not be as bitter and would accept it. Right now though, things are far too fresh. Trust me, even after everything that Punk went through with the WWE, he still loves wrestling. And it sounds as though he still has ambitions in the WWE, maybe even headlining WrestleMania and getting some change in the company.

Really, it doesn't matter to me what CM Punk says, I really do believe that he will be back in the WWE at some point. They might have treated him like a piece of shit but that is the nature of the beast isn't it? I bet you didn't think that Bret Hart would ever get back in touch with the company that screwed him overly so thoroughly. But here we are, in 2015, and Bret Hart is back on WWE TV.

Really good podcast though, I enjoyed listening to what Punk had to say. He's a great guy and someone who can always entertain. And that's what this was.