Phillip Jack Brooks (born October 26, 1978), better known by hisring nameCM Punk, is an Americanprofessional wrestler and actor. As of November 2023[update], he is signed toWWE, where he performs on theRaw brand and is theWorld Heavyweight Champion in his record-tying second reign. Regarded as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time, he is known for his outspoken and confrontationalstraight edgepersona, which is based on his real-life experiences. His 434-day reign asWWE Champion is the10th-longest world title reign in the company's history.[a]
Phillip Jack Brooks[2] was born in Chicago, Illinois, on October 26, 1978.[3] He is the youngest son of housewife Harriet Jadwiga (née Kowalski; 1946–2016) and electrician Daniel Brooks.[4] His mother was born in Germany to Polish parents,[5] while his father had Irish ancestry.[6] Brooks'umbilical cord waswrapped around his neck upon birth, causing his face toappear blue.[7][8] He and hisestranged older brother, Michal, were raised inLockport, Illinois.[9][10]
Brooks' father struggled withalcoholism, which led him to adopt astraight edge lifestyle as a teenager.[11] His mother, whom he was also estranged from, suffered frombipolar disorder; he later reportedly obtained arestraining order against her in June 2013.[12] Due to his turbulent childhood,[11] Brooks was welcomed into the family of his childhood best friend, Chez.[11] His first job was at a comic book shop named All American Comics inEvergreen Park, Illinois,[13] which closed in January 2022.[14]"Rowdy" Roddy Piper was an early influence on Brooks; he cites him as the reason he pursued professional wrestling.[15][1][16] He was arrested multiple times during his time as a student atLockport Township High School.[3][12][17]
Brooks' first venture into wrestling was a stint in abackyard wrestling federation called the Lunatic Wrestling Federation with his older brother Michal and their friends in the mid-to-late 1990s. He had his debut match on October 25, 1997, the day before his 19th birthday, defeating Brawn the Lumberjack.[18] He first started using thering name CM Punk when he was put into atag team named the "Chick Magnets" with CM Venom after another performer skipped out on thecard; the "CM" originally stood for "Chick Magnet" but was later amended to have no meaning.[19][20][21] Unlike his friends, Punk genuinely wanted to be a wrestler and saw it as more than simple fun.[19] When the promotion started taking off while doing shows out of a warehouse inMokena, Illinois, Punk found out that Michal had embezzled thousands of dollars from the small company, causing them to become estranged; they have not spoken since.[10]
Punk (front) in a match against Danny Dominion at anNWA Midwest event in November 2002
After leaving the Lunatic Wrestling Federation, Punk enrolled as a student at the Steel Dominion wrestling school in Chicago, where he was trained byAce Steel,[22] Danny Dominion and Kevin Quinn to become a professional wrestler. As part of the training, he began wrestling at Steel Domain Wrestling inSt. Paul, Minnesota, in 1999.[23][19][24] It was in the Steel Domain that he met Scott Colton,[25][26] who soon adopted the ring nameColt Cabana. Punk and Cabana became best friends and spent most of their early career together working in the sameindependent promotions, as both opponents and tag team partners.[25] In the independents, along Cabana and other fellow Steel Domain graduates Chucke E. Smooth,Adam Pearce, andmanager Dave Prazak, Punk formed analliance named the Gold Bond Mafia.[19]
In 2002, Punk became the International Wrestling Cartel (IWC) Heavyweight Champion, inMonroeville, Pennsylvania.[27][28][29] Punk would compete in the company's Super Indy tournament,[30] but never won the championship.
Punk's homepromotion for his early career was considered to be theIndependent Wrestling Association Mid-South (IWA Mid-South).[19] During Punk's time in IWA Mid-South, he had high-profile feuds with Colt Cabana andChris Hero while also rising to the top of the roster, winning theIWA Mid-South Light Heavyweight Championship twice and theIWA Mid-South Heavyweight Championship on five separate occasions, beating wrestlers likeAJ Styles, Cabana, andEddie Guerrero in matches for the heavyweight championship. Punk's feud with Hero included a 55-minuteTables, Ladders, and Chairs (TLC) match,[19] a 93-minutetwo out of three falls match[23] and several 60-minute time limit draws.[26] From July 2003 until May 2004, Punk refused to wrestle for IWA Mid-South, explaining this as a protest toIan Rotten's mistreatment of Chris Hero in the company.[19] However, Hero has stated he believes there were other reasons and Rotten's treatment of him was just an excuse by Punk to stop working for the company.[31] Punk eventually returned to IWA Mid-South and continued to perform as a wrestler and commentator for them until July 2005.[32]
Shortly before a NWA: TNA show on February 25, 2004, Punk had a physical scuffle withTeddy Hart outside of a restaurant that was broken up bySabu. The altercation reportedly stemmed from an ROH show in which Hart performedthree unplanned spots, putting several other wrestlers in danger of injury.[33][34] Around the time of the scuffle, Punk and Dinero stopped appearing on TNA shows, leading to speculation that he was fired for the incident.[35] However, Punk said the scuffle had no bearing on his TNA career.[35] Brooks said the reason he and Dinero stopped appearing onTNA's pay-per-view events was that TNA officials believed he and Dinero had not connected with the fans as villains, having turned against the popular Raven and instead formed a villainous tag team managed byJames Mitchell.[35] The officials decided that since the team was not working as villains, the storyline would be put on hold indefinitely, and thus had no work for Punk or Dinero.[35] Punk officially quit TNA in March 2004 during theRob Feinstein controversy after having a dispute with the TNA offices over his ability to compete in ROH following a TNA order that their contracted wrestlers were to no longer wrestle in ROH.[24]
Punk's matches with Colt Cabana led him to being hired by ROH.[23] CM Punk made his in-ring debut on ROH at All Star Extravaganza on November 9, 2002, in a gauntlet match involving five participants, that was won byBryan Danielson.[36] Initially, Punk joined ROH as aface, trading wins with Cabana atNight of the Butcher andFinal Battle.[19] but quickly turnedheel in afeud with Raven that featured multiple variants of ano disqualification match.[37] Their rivalry was rooted in Punk's straight-edge lifestyle, with him likening Raven to his alcoholic father;[38][39] AtNight of Champions, Punk and his trainer Ace Steel faced Raven and Cabana in a tag team match, during which Cabana turned on Raven, allowing Punk and Steel to win the match. Consequently, Punk, Steel and Cabana formed a trio called theSecond City Saints. Punk and Raven's rivalry lasted most of 2003 and was considered one of ROH's top feuds of the year. It was settled at The Conclusion in November 2003, where Punk defeated Raven in asteel cage match.[37] In late-2003, Punk was hired as the first head trainer of theRing of Honor wrestling school,[19][40] having previously been a trainer for the Steel Domain[19] and Primetime Wrestling.[41]
After concluding the rivalry with Raven, the Second City Saints turned face by feuding with The Prophecy (Christopher Daniels,B.J. Whitmer andDan Maff), suspecting them of attacking Punk'son-screen girlfriendLucy Fer. Whitmer was revealed to be the assailant, which led to Saints facing Prophecy in a six-man tag team match atThe Battle Lines Are Drawn, which ended in a no contest. The match concluded when Punk drove Daniels with aPepsi Plunge off the top rope through a table, thus explaining Daniels' departure from ROH. Around this time, Punk began climbing the ranks of ROH, including coming in second at theSecond Anniversary Show during the tournament to crown the firstROH Pure Champion, losing to AJ Styles in the finals.[37] AtReborn: Stage Two, Punk and Cabana defeated theBriscoe Brothers to win their firstROH Tag Team Championship. AtRound Robin Challenge III, the Second City Saints lost the Tag Team Championship to B.J. Whitmer and Dan Maff in a round robin challenge, but defeated the Briscoe Brothers later that night to win their second Tag Team Championship.[42] The Second City Saints avenged their loss to the Prophecy by defeating them to retain the titles atGeneration Next. They held the titles throughout the summer before eventually losing them toThe Havana Pitbulls atTesting The Limit.
Punk in Ring of Honor in 2003
In mid-2004, Punk faced off againstROH World ChampionSamoa Joe for the championship in a three-match series. On June 12 atWorld Title Classic, the first match resulted in a 60-minute time limit draw, when neither Punk nor Joe couldpin or cause the other to submit within the allotted 60 minutes. On October 16 atJoe vs. Punk II, they wrestled to a second 60-minute draw.[37] In addition toJoe vs. Punk II becoming Ring of Honor's bestselling DVD at the time, the match received afive-star rating by famed wrestling journalistDave Meltzer of theWrestling Observer Newsletter. It was the first match in North America to receive a five-star rating in seven years, the last one being the first-everHell in a Cell match betweenShawn Michaels andThe Undertaker atBadd Blood: In Your House in 1997.[26] Joe ended the series by defeating Punk in the third and final match on December 4 atAll-Star Extravaganza 2, in which there was a no-time-limit stipulation.[37]
ROH World Champion (2005)
Though he had accepted a deal to join theWorld Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), Punk defeatedAustin Aries to win the ROH World Championship on June 18 at Death Before Dishonor III.[42] Despite entering the match as a face, immediately after winning the match and the title, Punk proceeded to turn heel and started a storyline where he threatened to take the ROH World Championship to WWE with him. For weeks, Punk teased the ROH locker room and the ROH fans, mocking the championship he possessed, going so far as to sign his WWE contract on top of it. During the storyline, referred to by ROH as the "Summer of Punk",[43]Mick Foley made several ROH appearances, attempting to convince Punk to do the right thing and defend the title on his way out. On August 12, Punk lost the ROH World Championship toJames Gibson in afour corner elimination match, which also involved Samoa Joe andChristopher Daniels.[42] Punk's final scheduled match in ROH took place atPunk: The Final Chapter on August 13, 2005, against long-time friend Colt Cabana in a two out of three falls match, which he lost.[37]
Special appearances (2006, 2022)
Punk made a special appearance at the ROH showUnscripted II on February 11, 2006, when the original card had to be scrapped due toLow Ki leaving ROH the week prior.[37] In addition, most of the ROH roster contracted to TNA were pulled from the show because of a snowstorm that TNA officials thought might prevent performers from reaching the TNA'sAgainst All Odds event scheduled the next day.[44][45] In the main event, Punk teamed withBryan Danielson to defeat Adam Pearce andJimmy Rave in atag team match.[45]
Punk was inducted into theROH Hall of Fame as part of the 2022 inaugural class.[46]
Punk with a portrait of himself as theECW Champion in 2008
Punk debuted inECW on June 24, 2006, defeatingStevie Richards at a Philadelphia house show.[56] Punk's televised introduction followed on the July 4 episode ofECW on Sci Fi, featuring a straight edge-themed promo alongside a newMuay Thai-inspired presentation.[57] Punk wrestled his first televised match for the brand on August 1 atHammerstein Ballroom, defeating Justin Credible,[58] and later scored additional victories overC.W. Anderson,[59] Stevie Richards,[60] andShannon Moore[61] across subsequentECW broadcasts.
Punk suffered his first ECW singles loss on the January 9, 2007 episode, ending his six-month undefeated streak againstHardcore Holly.[66] Punk later competed unsuccessfully in theWrestleMania 23Money in the Bank ladder match on April 1.[67] The following weeks saw Punk entangled in the New Breed vs.ECW Originals feud, initially aligning with the New Breed after being courted by both factions, turningheel in the process.[68][69][70] Punk's heel turn proved short-lived, as he betrayed the New Breed by attacking leaderElijah Burke during a multi-man tag team match, reestablishing himself as afan favorite.[71] Punk defeated Burke in his first singles PPV match atJudgment Day on May 20,[72] then closed the rivalry atOne Night Stand on June 3 by teaming withTommy Dreamer andThe Sandman to defeat the New Breed in atables match.[73]
After ECW World ChampionBobby Lashley was drafted toRaw and stripped of the title, Punk advanced to the tournament finals atVengeance: Night of Champions on June 24.[74] Punk's scheduled opponentChris Benoit was replaced last-minute byJohnny Nitro, who defeated Punk for the vacant championship.[75][76] Punk challenged Nitro (later renamed John Morrison) in unsuccessful title matches atThe Great American Bash on July 22[77] andSummerSlam on August 26.[78] Punk finally captured the ECW Championship by defeating Morrison in a last chance match on the September 4 episode ofECW.[79]
Punk defended the title successfully throughout the fall, retaining against Elijah Burke atUnforgiven on September 16,[80] overcomingBig Daddy V via disqualification atNo Mercy on October 7,[81] and defeatingThe Miz atCyber Sunday on October 28.[82] After surviving another challenge from Morrison on November 6[83] and atriple threat against Morrison and The Miz atSurvivor Series on November 18,[84] Punk's 143-day reign ended on the January 22, 2008 episode ofECW when he lost toChavo Guerrero in a no disqualification match following interference fromEdge.[85]
On June 23, Punk wasdrafted to the Raw brand during the2008 WWE draft.[88] In his first night onRaw the following week, Punk cashed in his Money in the Bank contract and won theWorld Heavyweight Championship afterBatista beat down the champion Edge. He made his first defense later that same night againstJohn "Bradshaw" Layfield (JBL), who had challenged him shortly after his win.[89] Punk continued to hold and defend the title (against the likes of Batista on July 20 atThe Great American Bash and the July 21 episode ofRaw, and JBL atSummerSlam on August 17)[90][91][92] untilUnforgiven on September 7, when he was attacked byThe Legacy andRandy Orton, whopunted Punk in the head before theChampionship scramble match, ending his reign at 69 days.[93] Punk could not participate in the match due to the attack and so was forced to forfeit the title, being replaced by Chris Jericho, who won the match and the title.[94] On the September 15 episode ofRaw, Punk received his title rematch, but failed to regain the title in a steel cage match against Jericho.[95]
On the October 27 episode ofRaw, Punk andKofi Kingston defeatedCody Rhodes andTed DiBiase to win theWorld Tag Team Championship.[96] The duo were members of Team Batista on November 23 atSurvivor Series, where their team lost to Team Orton after Rhodes eliminated Punk.[97] Punk then entered a number one contenderIntercontinental Championship tournament, defeatingSnitsky and John Morrison in the first two rounds.[98] Punk and Kingston lost the World Tag Team Championship to John Morrison and The Miz on December 13 at a live event.[99] The next day atArmageddon on December 14, Punk defeatedRey Mysterio in the tournament finals.[98] On the January 5, 2009, episode ofRaw, Punk received his title match againstWilliam Regal, which ended in adisqualification when Regal grabbed the referee's jersey.[100] Due to this,Stephanie McMahon awarded Punk a rematch the following week onRaw, but this time Punk got disqualified.[101] McMahon awarded him another rematch, a no disqualification match on the January 19 episode ofRaw, where Punk defeated Regal to win the Intercontinental Championship.[102] With this win, Punk became the19th WWE Triple Crown Champion and the fastest ever to accomplish the feat, surpassingKevin Nash's old record of 203 days.[103][104] Punk lost the Intercontinental Championship on the March 9 episode ofRaw to John "Bradshaw" Layfield (JBL).[105] On April 5 atWrestleMania 25, Punk won theMoney in the Bank ladder match and became the first person to win the match twice.[106] On April 13 during the2009 WWE draft, Punk was drafted to theSmackDown brand.[107] In the period after the draft, Punk feuded withUmaga over Umaga's repeated surprise attacks while Punk was attempting to cash in his Money in the Bank contract, ultimately resulting in aSamoan strap match atExtreme Rules on June 7, which was won by Punk.[108]
Later that night, Punk cashed in his Money in the Bank contract to defeatJeff Hardy for the World Heavyweight Championship immediately after Hardy won the title fromEdge in aladder match.[109] Punk made his first successful title defense in a triple threat match against both Edge and Hardy on the June 15 episode ofRaw.[110] On June 28 atThe Bash, Punk retained the title even though he lost to Hardy by disqualification (because titles do not change hands on a disqualification) after kicking thereferee.[111] As part of thestoryline, Punk injured his eye and said that he could not see the referee, but Hardy called his eye injury into question, believing it to be feigned, with Punk claiming to be the moral superior of those who support Hardy, due to his drug-free lifestyle, resulting in Punk turning heel in the process.[112] On July 26 atNight of Champions, Punk lost the World Heavyweight Championship to Hardy.[113] Their feud continued throughSummerSlam on August 23, when Punk regained the title in aTLC match only to be attacked byThe Undertaker.[114]
On the August 28 episode ofSmackDown, Punk concluded his feud with Hardy and achieved hisbooked goal of excising him from WWE, defeating Hardy in a steel cage match to retain the World Heavyweight Championship wherein theloser agreed to leave the company.[115] On September 13 atBreaking Point, Punk defeated The Undertaker in asubmission match to retain the World Heavyweight Championship.[116] The Undertaker originally won the match with his "Hell's Gate" submission hold, but SmackDowngeneral managerTheodore Long restarted the match after stating that the ban that former SmackDown general managerVickie Guerrero had placed on the move a year earlier was still in effect and Punk won the match with theanaconda vise when refereeScott Armstrong called for the bell despite Undertaker never submitting (eerily reminiscent to theMontreal Screwjob, which took place in the same venue in1997).[117] The feud between the two continued and on October 4 atHell in a Cell, Punk lost the World Heavyweight Championship to The Undertaker in convincing fashion in aHell in a Cell match.[118] Punk went on to lose two subsequent rematches for the World Heavyweight Championship against The Undertaker on the October 23SmackDown[119] and on October 25 atBragging Rights in a fatal four-way match also involving Batista andRey Mysterio.[120]
In late-2009, Punk's character began taking on a more sinister direction. On the November 27 episode ofSmackDown, Punk revealed that he had convertedLuke Gallows, who had previously been portrayed as the mentally incompetent wrestler Festus, to the straight-edge lifestyle which had subsequently rid him of his mental troubles.[121] Throughout January 2010, Punk began to convertplanted members of the audience to a straight-edge lifestyle, making them take a pledge of allegiance to him and shaving their head as a sign of renewal and devotion.[122][123][124] After converting many people who were not seen again, convertSerena began accompanying Punk and Gallows to formThe Straight Edge Society.[124][125] As well as leading this alliance, Punk was also the mentor ofNXT rookieDarren Young, who flirted with the idea of becoming straight edge, before refusing just before his head was to be shaved.[126][127][128][129][130] Punk would also give sermons, including during the annualRoyal Rumble match on January 31, as well as during anElimination Chamber match for the World Heavyweight Championship on February 21 at both of the eponymous pay-per-view events.[131]
During the first half of 2010, Punk feuded with Rey Mysterio, being eliminated by him during the Elimination Chamber match.[132] After Mysterio prevented him from winning a Money in the Bank qualifying match, Punk interrupted Mysterio's celebration of his daughter Aalyah's ninth birthday.[133] Mysterio and Punk faced each other in a match atWrestleMania XXVI on March 28, where if Mysterio lost, he would join the Straight Edge Society, but Punk lost to Mysterio at WrestleMania.[134] They had a rematch atExtreme Rules the following month on April 25 where Punk would have to shave his head like his disciples if he lost, but he won this match after interference fromJoey Mercury, a fourth member of the Straight Edge Society.[135] On May 23 atOver The Limit, a third and final match between Punk and Mysterio was booked with both stipulations reactivated, but Punk lost and was subsequently shaved bald.[136] After the match, Punk began wearing a black mask, since he considered himself always pure unlike his followers and was embarrassed by his baldness.[137]
On June 20, 2010, atWWE Fatal 4-Way, Punk challenged for the World Heavyweight Championship against Mysterio,Big Show and the championJack Swagger, but he was unsuccessful when he was attacked byKane, who was accusing various people of attacking The Undertaker.[138] Punk and his stable started a feud with Big Show when on the July 16 episode ofSmackDown, Big Show unmasked Punk.[139] Big Show faced the Straight Edge Society in athree-on-one handicap match on August 15 atSummerSlam, winning the match after Punk abandoned his teammates.[140] The next month, atNight of Champions on September 19, Punk lost to Big Show in asingles match.[141] The Straight Edge Society angle ended after Serena was released from WWE[142] and Mercury became injured,[143] and Punk defeated Gallows in a singles match on the September 24SmackDown.[144]
In October 2010, Punk was traded back to the Raw brand after being swapped with Edge and took part in the interbrand tag team match on October 24 atBragging Rights after defeatingEvan Bourne to win a place,[145] but Team Raw lost as Punk was eliminated by Rey Mysterio.[146] During the event, Punk suffered a hip injury that prevented him from wrestling for several months.[147] To keep a presence on television, he began commentating onRaw on November 22.[148]
At the end of December 2010, Punk left the commentary team after assaultingJohn Cena on the December 20 episode ofRaw[149] and the December 21 episode ofSmackDown with a chair.[150] Punk later revealed that his motives for the attacks were that he had joined and assumed control ofThe Nexus.[151] Punk then made each member of the group prove themselves worthy of a spot, with some instead choosing to joinThe Corre, which had been started by former Nexus leaderWade Barrett on SmackDown.[152]
On January 30, 2011, Punk and The New Nexus cost Randy Orton his match withThe Miz for the WWE Championship at theRoyal Rumble as revenge for Orton prematurely ending Punk's first World Heavyweight Championship reign in 2008.[153] In turn, Orton responded by taking out all of the New Nexus members by punting them in the head, leaving Punk alone as the sole surviving member of the group.[154][155][156][157] This led to a match atWrestleMania XXVII on April 3 and aLast Man Standing match on May 1 atExtreme Rules, both of which Punk lost.[158][159]
WWE Champion (2011–2013)
In June 2011, after pinning WWE Champion John Cena on the June 13 episode ofRaw,[160]Rey Mysterio atCapitol Punishment on June 19,[161] and finallyAlberto Del Rio in a number one contender's triple threat match (which also included Mysterio) all within one week, Punk revealed that his WWE contract was set to expire on July 17 atMoney in the Bank and vowed to leave the company with theWWE Championship.[162] On the June 27, 2011, edition ofRaw, Punk made arguably his most popularpromo, a scathing, yet highly acclaimed on-air speech, often referred to as the "Pipe Bomb", concerning the way in which WWE is run and its ownerVince McMahon, as well as referencing other promotions, such as Ring of Honor andNew Japan Pro-Wrestling:[163]
John Cena, while you lay there, hopefully as uncomfortable as you possibly can be, I want you to listen to me. I want you to digest this, because before I leavein three weeks with yourWWE Championship, I have a lot of things I wanna get off my chest.
I don't hate you, John. I don't even dislike you. I do like you, I like you a hell of a lot more than I like most people in the back. I hate this idea that you're the best - because you're not. I'm the best. I'm the best in the world. There's one thing you're better at than I am and that's kissingVince McMahon's ass. You're as good at kissing Vince's ass asHulk Hogan was. I don't know if you're as good as "Dwayne", though. He's a pretty good ass-kisser. Always was and still is. Oops - I'mbreaking the fourth wall. I am the best wrestler in the world. I've been the best ever since day one when I walked into this company. And I've been vilified and hated since that day becausePaul Heyman saw something in me that nobody else wanted to admit. Yeah that's right, I'm a Paul Heyman guy. You know who else was a Paul Heyman guy?Brock Lesnar. And he split, just like I'm splittin', but the biggest difference between me and Brock is that I'm going to leave with the WWE Championship.
I've grabbed so many of Vincent K. McMahon's imaginary brass rings that it's finally dawned on me that they're just that. They're completely imaginary. The only thing that's real is me. And the fact that day in and day out, for almost six years, I've proved to everybody in the world that I am the best on this microphone, in that ring, even on commentary. Nobody can touch me. And yet, no matter how many times I prove it, I'm not on your lovely little collectors' cups, I'm not on the cover of the program, I'm barely promoted, I don't get to be in movies, I'm certainly not on any crappy show on theUSA Network, I'm not on the poster ofWrestleMania, I'm not on the signature that's produced at the start of the show. I'm not on Conan O'Brien, I'm not on Jimmy Fallon, but the fact of the matter is I should be. And trust me, this isn't sour grapes, but the fact that "Dwayne" is in the main event ofWrestleMania next year and I'm not, makes me sick!
Oh hey, let me get something straight. Those of you who are cheering me right now - you are just as big a part of me leaving as anything else, because you're the ones that are sipping out of those collector cups right now, you're the ones that buy those programs that my face isn't on the cover of, and then at five in the morning at the airport, you try to shove it in my face so that you can get an autograph and sell it on eBay, because you're too lazy to get a real job.
I'm leaving with the WWE Championship on July 17 and hell, who knows, maybe I'll go defend it inNew Japan Pro Wrestling. Maybe I'll go back toRing of Honor. Hey,Colt Cabana, how you doing? The reason I'm leaving is you people because after I'm gone you're still going to pour money into this company - I'm just a spoke on the wheel - the wheel's gonna keep turning and I understand that. But Vince McMahon's gonna make money despite himself. He's a millionaire who should be a billionaire. You know why he's not a billionaire? It's because he surrounds himself with glad-handing nonsensical douche bag yes-men likeJohn Laurinaitis, who's gonna tell him everything that he wants to hear. And I'd like to think that maybe this company will be better after Vince McMahon is dead, but the fact is, it's gonna be taken over by hisidiotic daughter and hisdoofus son-in-law and therest of his stupid family.
Let me tell you a personal story about Vince McMahon. You know we do this whole bully campaign-- [The microphone is turned off, Punk taps on it a few times and then calls out without the microphone] I've been silenced!"[164]
At Money in the Bank, Punk defeated Cena to win the WWE Championship.[165][166]
On July 21, Punk made a surprise appearance at a joint WWE–Mattel panel atSan Diego Comic-Con, where he mocked new chief operating officerTriple H, and offered WWE Championship tournament finalist Rey Mysterio a match for the WWE Championship as long as it was in Punk's hometown of Chicago.[167][168] Punk appeared at July 23'sAll American Wrestling show, showing respect toGregory Iron, a wrestler withcerebral palsy.[169] Mysterio won the WWE Championship tournament on the July 25 episode ofRaw only to lose it to Cena later that night. After Cena's victory, Punk, now a face, returned and upstaged Cena's celebration while also entering a title dispute.[170] Triple H later upheld both Punk and Cena's claims to the WWE Championship as legitimate and scheduled the two to a match atSummerSlam on August 14 to decide the undisputed WWE Champion, with Triple H to serve as the special guest referee.[171] At SummerSlam, Punk defeated Cena, but he lost the title minutes later to Alberto Del Rio, who had cashed in his Money in the Bank contract afterKevin Nash attacked Punk.[172]
The following months, Punk lost atNight of Champions on September 18 against Triple H, atHell in a Cell on October 2 in a WWE Championship triple threat Hell in a Cell match,[173] and atVengeance on October 23 against The Miz and R-truth in a tag team match with Triple H as his partner.[174] This helped transition Punk's anti-establishment voice from Triple H toJohn Laurinaitis, who, around this time, became the interim Raw general manager.[175] Punk balked at Laurinaitis' promotion and verbally attacked him as a dullyes man.[176][177]
AtSurvivor Series on November 20, Punk defeated Del Rio to win his second WWE Championship.[178] Punk went on to defend the title through the end of the year, retaining in a rematch with Del Rio on the November 28 episode ofRaw SuperShow[179] and against both Del Rio and The Miz in a triple threat TLC match on December 18 atTLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs.[180] At theRoyal Rumble on January 29, 2012, Punk successfully defended his title against Ziggler despite Laurinaitis acting as theoutside enforcer.[181]
On the January 30 episode ofRaw SuperShow, the returningChris Jericho attacked Punk andDaniel Bryan during theirChampion vs. Champion match, giving Bryan the win.[182] The following week onRaw SuperShow, Jericho explained his actions by dismissing the WWE roster as cheap imitations of himself and singling out Punk for calling himself "the best in the world", a moniker Jericho used the last time he was in WWE.[183][184] Their rivalry continued throughElimination Chamber on February 19, when Punk retained the WWE Championship in the namesake structure, but while four competitors were eliminated, Jericho was unable to continue the match after being kicked out of the chamber by Punk, causing temporary injury.[185] The next night onRaw SuperShow, Jericho earned a match against Punk on April 1 atWrestleMania XXVIII[186] and in a bid to psychologically unsettle him, revealed that Punk's father was an alcoholic and alleged that his sister was a drug addict, asserting that Punk's straight edge philosophy was paranoia to avoid the same vices and vowing to make Punk turn to alcohol by winning the title from him.[187] John Laurinaitis added the stipulation that the WWE Championship could change hands via disqualification, which led to Jericho inciting Punk into using a weapon, but Punk resisted and retained the title.[188] On the April 2 and 9 episodes ofRaw SuperShow, Punk retained the WWE Championship againstMark Henry after losing to him via countout and disqualification, being attacked by Jericho following both matches and doused with alcohol.[189][190] On the April 16 episode ofRaw SuperShow, Punk pinned Henry in a no disqualification, no countout match to retain the title.[191] After repeated altercations, the feud between Jericho and Punk culminated in aChicago street fight on April 29 atExtreme Rules, where Punk defeated Jericho to retain the WWE Championship.[192]
On May 20 atOver the Limit, Punk retained the title against Daniel Bryan after reversing Bryan's submission hold the ""Yes!" Lock" into a pinning combination, as the pinfall saved Punk from his own submission only moments later.[193] Shortly before Over the Limit, Bryan interfered in a non-title match between Punk andKane to frame Punk for attacking Kane with a steel chair, starting a three-way rivalry.[194][195][196][197] On the June 1 episode ofSmackDown, a WWE Championship match between Punk and Kane ended in a double disqualification after Bryan attacked both men.[198] Meanwhile, Bryan's jilted ex-girlfriendAJ Lee turned her affections to both Punk and Kane.[199] This feud culminated in a triple threat match on June 17 atNo Way Out, where Punk managed to retain the title after AJ distracted Kane.[200] On July 15 atMoney in the Bank, Punk defeated Bryan in a no disqualification match with AJ as the special guest referee to retain the title and end the feud.[201]
On July 23 atRaw 1000, Punk defended the title against Money in the Bank winner John Cena and lost by disqualification after interference fromBig Show.[202][203] When the night's special guestThe Rock – who had interrupted Punk earlier to announce he would wrestle for the WWE Championship at theRoyal Rumble on January 27, 2013 – intervened to save Cena from Big Show's assault, Punk attacked The Rock, turning heel in the process.[204] Punk justified his actions the following week onRaw, explaining he was tired of people like Cena and The Rock overshadowing him when the WWE Champion should be the focus of the company, asserting himself further soon after by disrupting a number one contender's match between Cena and Big Show.[205][206] As a result, both men were entered into the title match against Punk on August 19 atSummerSlam, where he successfully retained the title by pinning Big Show after both Punk and Cena submitted Big Show at the same time and Raw general manager AJ Lee restarted the match.[207] In the following weeks onRaw, Punk demanded respect from people like AJ Lee,Jerry Lawler andBret Hart and eventually aligned withPaul Heyman in his feud with Cena.[208] On September 16 atNight of Champions, Punk retained the WWE Championship after he fought Cena to adraw.[209] Punk continued to feud with Cena despite the latter's arm injury,[210] rejecting the requests ofMick Foley andJim Ross to pick him as hisHell in a Cell opponent on October 28 and leading to a brawl with WWE chairman Vince McMahon.[211][212][213] Cena was eventually pulled from the title match and replaced byRyback,[214] whom Punk would defeat at Hell in a Cell in a Hell in a Cell match with help from refereeBrad Maddox to retain the title and also ending Ryback's thirty-eight match undefeated streak.[215]
The next night onRaw, a furious Mick Foley confronted Punk for refusing to pick John Cena as his Hell in a Cell opponent, leading the two to agree to meet atSurvivor Series on November 18 in aSurvivor Series match with Punk choosing Alberto Del Rio,Cody Rhodes,Damien Sandow and The Miz for his team.[216] However, Punk was replaced as captain by Dolph Ziggler the following week onRaw and was instead booked in a triple threat WWE Championship match against John Cena and Ryback by Vince McMahon.[217] At Survivor Series, Punk won the match by pinning Cena following interference from the debuting faction calledThe Shield (Dean Ambrose,Roman Reigns andSeth Rollins), allowing him to retain the WWE Championship and officially hold the championship for one full year.[218] On December 4, Punk underwent surgery to repair a partially tornmeniscus, removing him from his scheduled title match against Ryback on December 16 atTLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs.[219] Despite his injury, Punk became the longest-reigning WWE Champion in the past 25 years on December 5, when he hit 381 days, surpassing John Cena's 380-day reign.[220] Punk returned to in-ring action on the January 7, 2013, episode ofRaw, retaining the WWE Championship against Ryback in a TLC match following interference from The Shield.[221]
On January 27 at the Royal Rumble, Punk defended the WWE Championship against The Rock in a match that stipulated that Punk would be stripped of the title if The Shield interfered.[222] Punk originally pinned The Rock to retain after The Shield put Rock through a table while the arena lights were out, leading Vince McMahon to come out and announce that Punk would be stripped of the title, but he instead restarted the match at The Rock's request. Punk lost, ending his reign at 434 days.[223] WWE recognized this reign as the longest world championship reign in WWE of the "modern era" (after 1988) untilUniversal ChampionBrock Lesnar broke that record in June 2018.[224] Punk received a title rematch with The Rock on February 17 atElimination Chamber, stipulated that The Rock would lose the title if he was disqualified or counted out, but Punk was pinned by The Rock after miscommunication with Heyman.[225] On the February 25 episode ofRaw, Punk faced Royal Rumble winner John Cena for his number one contendership to the WWE Championship, but he lost.[226]
Final storylines (2013–2014)
On the March 4 episode ofRaw, Punk defeated Big Show, Randy Orton andSheamus in a fatal four-way match to earn the right to faceThe Undertaker atWrestleMania 29 on April 7.[227] After the real-life death ofPaul Bearer, The Undertaker's former manager the next day, a somewhat controversial storyline involving Punk regularly spiting The Undertaker through displays of flippancy and disrespect towards Bearer's death began, including Punk stealing Bearer's trademark urn.[228][229][230] At WrestleMania, Punk was defeated by The Undertaker.[231] Punk then took a two-month hiatus away from WWE television to recover from injuries.
Punk returned atPayback on June 16, defeatingChris Jericho.[232] Punk started a storyline where he told Heyman to no longer accompany him to his matches and was later attacked by Heyman's other clientBrock Lesnar, thus turning Punk face once again.[233] Heyman also cost Punk a WWE Championship Money in the Bank ladder match atMoney in the Bank on July 14 when Heyman attacked Punk.[234] This led to a match between Punk and Lesnar atSummerSlam on August 18,[235][236] when Punk lost to Lesnar in a No Disqualification match after Heyman interfered.[237] His feud with Heyman continued during the following months, facing his other client, the Intercontinental ChampionCurtis Axel.[238] First, atNight of Champions on September 15, Punk faced Axel and Heyman in a no disqualification two-on-one handicap elimination match in which he made Axel submit, leaving only Heyman left, but Punk lost the match afterRyback interfered and put him through a table.[239] Then on October 6, Punk defeated Ryback atBattleground[240] and the feud ended atHell in a Cell on October 27, where Punk faced Heyman and Ryback in a two-on-one handicapHell in a Cell match, winning the match by pinning Ryback and after the match performing a "Go to Sleep" to Heyman on top of the cell.[241]
Punk moved on to a feud withThe Wyatt Family (Bray Wyatt,Erick Rowan andLuke Harper), forming an alliance withDaniel Bryan, with the duo defeating Harper and Rowan in a tag team match on November 24 atSurvivor Series.[242] The next night onRaw, Punk was attacked by The Shield while attempting to save Bryan from being "taken hostage" by The Wyatt Family.[243] Punk then insinuated thatThe Authority, a villainous group who controlled WWE led by Triple H and Stephanie McMahon, ordered the attack, which resulted in the Director of OperationsKane booking Punk in a three-on-one handicap match against The Shield atTLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs on December 15.[244] At TLC, Punk won the match after Reigns accidentally performed a spear on Ambrose.[245] After further altercations between Punk and Kane, Kane made Punk the first entrant in the annualRoyal Rumble match on January 26, 2014.[246] At theRoyal Rumble, near the end of the match, Kane, who was already eliminated earlier in the match by Punk, eliminated Punk from the outside and proceeded to perform achokeslam on him through the announce table.[247]
Initial retirement (2014)
I was sick and hurt and burnt out, and I walked. And I can do that because I'm anindependent contractor.
— In a December 2014 interview, Punk explains why he left WWE earlier that year[248]
Punk did not appear on the January 27 episode ofRaw, nor did he appear at theSmackDown taping on Tuesday despite being advertised for both events. By Wednesday, WWE.com stopped advertising Punk for future events.The Wrestling Observer reported that on Monday and prior toRaw, Punk hadlegitimately walked out after tellingVince McMahon andTriple H that he was "going home".[249][250] On February 20 during aconference call to investors, McMahon said Punk was "taking asabbatical".[251] On the March 3 episode ofRaw, which took place in Punk's hometown of Chicago, WWE acknowledged his absence on television for the first time when the show started with Punk's entrance music playing, only for former managerPaul Heyman to walk out to a loud chorus of boos.[252] WWE then proceeded to remove Punk from footage of their promotional videos.[253] This lasted until the first half of July, where WWE used footage of Punk to promote theWWE Network.[254][255] In an interview published in late May, Punk was asked how it felt "to be retired at 35" and replied that "it feels good".[256] On July 15, WWE.com officially moved Punk from the active roster to the alumni section of their page without releasing a statement. On the same day, Punk thanked his fans without mentioning WWE.[257] In late July, Punk said that he was "never ever" going to return to wrestling.[258]
When Punk told [another] doctor that he wrestled with astaph infection for three months, Punk said [that] doctor told him: "You should be dead. You could have died".
— ThePro Wrestling Torch documents the Punk interview released in November 2014[259]
On an episode ofColt Cabana'sArt of Wrestlingpodcast released in November 2014, Punk finally broke his silence regarding his exit from WWE.[260] In a detailed interview, Punk said that he was suspended for two months after walking out on WWE in January and that after the suspension ended, nobody from WWE contacted him. Punk also said WWE executives gave him a run-around when he reached out to them for unpaid royalties until he was ultimately handed his termination papers and was fired by WWE on his wedding day on June 13, 2014.[261] The manner of firing was the last straw for Punk, stating that he would never return to WWE and that there would be no further working relationship between him and WWE following a legal settlement. The settlement included Punk giving WWE permission to sell his remaining merchandise.[259]
Punk cited his health as the main reason he left WWE, describing that during his final months in WWE, he had been working through an untreated and potentially fatalMRSA infection (Punk later acknowledged on the witness stand that he was not diagnosed with an MRSA staph infection, but that a physician's assistant said he exhibited certain symptoms consistent with an ordinary staph infection),[262] broken ribs, injured knees and multiple concussions, including one at the 2014 Royal Rumble, as well as having lost his appetite and ability to sleep well. Punk felt that WWE was pressuring and rushing him to wrestle before fully recovering. According to Punk, he found a lump on his back in November 2013, and it was diagnosed as a "fatty deposit" by Dr. Chris Amann, who refused to remove it despite Punk's repeated requests. The week after Punk left WWE, his wifeApril Mendez convinced him to get the lump checked by her doctor. The doctor told Punk that he could have died due to ignoring it for such a long time. Punk had the doctor evacuate the infection, describing it as the worst pain in his life, but said that once it was treated and he was on stronger medication, he was able to sleep better than he had in months.[261]
Other sources of unhappiness Punk had with WWE were his failure to main event a WrestleMania (deeming his entire career to be a failure as a result),[261] being paid less than the other wrestlers in the three most significant matches of WrestleMania 29, doing favors for Vince McMahon and not being owed back, being "creatively stifled", feeling that there were no long-term plans for wrestlers other thanJohn Cena, as well as receiving less pay and not getting answers as to how the advent of the WWE Network would affect wrestlers' salaries.[261] Lastly, Punk described having left with "zero passion" for wrestling[259] and described himself at the time of the interview to be the happiest he had ever been in many years.[261]
Less than one week later, while being interviewed onThe Steve Austin Show on the WWE Network, Vince McMahon apologized to Punk for the manner of his termination, which he regarded as an unfortunate coincidence due to a lack of communication within WWE. McMahon also said that he was open to working with Punk again.[263] In a secondArt of Wrestling podcast, Punk publicly rejected McMahon's apology, brushing it off as "insincere" and a "publicity stunt" as McMahon did not contact him directly to apologize and could have apologized much earlier.[248]
Post-retirement appearances (2015–2020)
Punk's first known appearance at a professional wrestling event following his exit from WWE was at a Freelance Wrestling show on December 4, 2015, titled "Raw Power". Draped in a cloak and referred to by announcers asKikutaro's "nameless mentor", Punk managed Kikutaro in a match against Darin Corbin and Dick Justice. He tossed around salt before the match but did not get involved in the match itself.[264]
On April 19, 2019, Punk appeared in amasked disguise at an event held by independent promotion MKE Wrestling, where he helpedAce Steel win a match by attacking his opponent with the GTS. While it was implied to be Punk by promotion ownerSilas Young, nothing was confirmed by Punk.[265]
On November 12, 2019, Punk made a surprise appearance on theFox Sports 1 seriesWWE Backstage. He subsequently joined the program as a special contributor and analyst.[266] Punk accepted the job because he would be under contract with Fox instead of WWE directly, and hoped it would help him find his way back into the wrestling business. Regarding an in-ring return, he was not interested but not opposed to the idea, noting it was "a bridge that is gonna have to be built."[267] Production ofWWE Backstage was halted due to theCOVID-19 pandemic and subsequently suspended by Fox in June 2020, later being canceled as a series entirely by 2021.[268]
All Elite Wrestling (2021–2023)
Initial debut and AEW World Champion (2021–2022)
Punk in March 2022
On August 20, 2021, Punk made his debut forAll Elite Wrestling (AEW) atThe First Dance event onRampage, challengingDarby Allin to a match at theAll Out pay-per-view event. This marked Punk's official return to professional wrestling after a seven-year retirement.[269] Wrestling journalistDave Meltzer said, "Punk's appearance in his home city drew one of the most amazing audience reactions to a pro wrestler in U.S. history. The reaction was compared to Montreal's reaction toHulk Hogan in 2002 shortly after hisWWE return, or the reaction toTriple H inMadison Square Garden a few months before that upon his return from a torn quad."[270] Punk won the match against Allin at All Out on September 5.[271] Following a brief feud withEddie Kingston, whom Punk defeated atFull Gear on November 13, Punk experienced his first loss in AEW toMJF in a singles match on the February 2, 2022 episode ofDynamite after months of feuding between the two.[272][273][274][275] Punk defeated MJF on March 6 atRevolution in aDog Collar match.[276]
AtDouble or Nothing on May 29, Punk defeatedAdam Page to win theAEW World Championship.[277] Five days after winning the title, Punk announced on the June 3 episode ofRampage that he was taking a hiatus from competing to recover from a foot injury, but that he would remain champion.[278]Jon Moxley was crowned asinterim champion in Punk's place atAEW x NJPW: Forbidden Door on June 26.[279] At theQuake by the Lake special episode ofDynamite on August 10, Punk made his return and confronted Moxley, igniting a title dispute.[280] A match to determine the undisputed AEW World Champion took place on the August 24 episode ofDynamite, which Moxleywon quickly.[281] After accepting Moxley's open challenge for anyone to face him on September 4 atAll Out, Punk defeated Moxley at All Out to win the AEW World Championship for the second time.[282][283]
Suspensions and departure (2022–2023)
"My relationship withScott Colton ended long before I paid all of his bills. I have every receipt, I have every invoice, I have every email. I have the email where he says, and I quote; 'I agree to go our separate ways. I will get my own lawyer and you do not have to pay anymore.' That's an email that I have, and the only reason the public did not see it is because when I finally had to countersue him through discovery, we discovered he shared a bank account with his mother. That's a fact. And as soon as we discovered that fact and we subpoenaed old Marsha, he sent the email; 'Oh, can we please drop all this?'. Now, it's 2022, I haven't been friends with this guy since at least 2014, late 2013, and the fact that I have to sit up here because we haveirresponsible people who call themselves EVPs and couldn't fucking manage a Target, and they spread lies and bullshit, and, and put into the media that I got somebody fired when I have fuck all to do with [Colton]. Want nothing to do with him. Do not care where he works, where he doesn't work, where he eats, where he sleeps, and the fact that I have to get up here and do this in 2022 is fucking embarrassing. And if y'all are at fault, fuck you. If you're not, I apologize. But, what did I ever do in this world to deserve an empty-headed fucking dumbfuck like"Hangman" Adam Page to go out on national television and fucking go in to business for himself, for what? What did I do,Dave? What did I ever do? Didn't do a goddamn thing."
During the All Out post-eventmedia scrum, Punk addressed rumors that he had attempted to getColt Cabana fired from AEW, accused AEW'sexecutive vice presidents and wrestlersKenny Omega andThe Young Bucks (Matt and Nick Jackson) of spreading those rumors and leaking them to wrestling media, and referenced a segment in which he says Page went "into business for himself" prior to their match in May.[284][285][286] Omega and The Young Bucks, along with head of AEW legal, Megha Parekh, approached Punk about his comments backstage, which led to alegitimate altercation. Punk, Omega, and The Young Bucks all received consequent suspensions pending investigation.[287] Later that week, the AEW World Championship was announced as having been vacated.[288][289] Around the same time, Punk underwent surgery to repair his lefttriceps after tearing it during his match at All Out.[290] On his conduct at the media scrum, Punk later said he "didn't approach it in the right manner" and that he was "disappointed" and "hurt", as he had sensed that he had just suffered another injury.[286]
After a nine-month absence, Punk made his return to AEW on thepremiere episode ofCollision on June 17, 2023, teaming withFTR (Cash Wheeler andDax Harwood) to defeatSamoa Joe,Jay White, andJuice Robinson in asix-man tag team match.[291] That same month, he entered the men'sOwen Hart Cup tournament, defeatingSatoshi Kojima in the first round atForbidden Door.[292][293] Punk won over Joe in the semifinals and lost toRicky Starks in the final round on July 15 after Starks grabbed the ropes for leverage to get the pin.[294][295] On the July 29 edition ofCollision, Punk unveiled the AEW World Championship belt that he had won in September 2022, declaring himself the real world champion and stated that he still rightfully held the title since he was never defeated for it. He then spray-painted his signature "X" symbol over the belt.[296][297] Punk successfully defended the"Real World Championship" against Starks on the August 5Collision episode, withRicky "the Dragon" Steamboat serving as the special outside enforcer.[298] AtAll In: London on August 27, he successfully defended the "Real World Championship" against Joe in what would be his final AEW match.[299][300][301]
After All In: London, it was widely reported that Punk had been involved in a legitimate backstage altercation withJack Perry regarding comments Perry made during his match earlier in the show, itself a reference to Punk denying Perry's request to use real glass in his segments onCollision. After an investigation into the altercation was conducted by AEW, Punk was terminated from his AEW contract forjust cause on September 2 under the unanimous recommendation of both the AEW discipline committee and outside legal counsel. Punk's termination was announced onX by AEW's official account, and was also announced during the opening of that night's episode ofCollision, where AEW president and CEOTony Khan stated that "the incident was regrettable and it endangered people backstage". He later stated, "Never in all [this] time have I ever felt until last Sunday that my security, my safety, my life was in danger at a wrestling show. I don't think anybody should feel that way at work, I don't think the people I work with should feel that way, and I had to make a very difficult choice today."[302][303] Punk later contradicted Khan's claim of firing him for just cause, stating in an April 2024 interview onThe MMA Hour withAriel Helwani that he initially wanted to leave AEW entirely rather than haveCollision be a show revolving around him and not the Elite, and that after the altercation with Perry, he told Khan to his face, "You're a fucking clown, I quit." Punk also further criticized AEW stating that it is "not a real business" and "not about making money". Punk also went on to claim that no one from AEW had spoken to him in six months after the altercation at All Out in September 2022, and was forced to pay for his own surgery and do recovery on his own.[304] Footage of the backstage altercation with Perry was shown on the April 10, 2024, episode ofDynamite as way to further the feud between The Young Bucks and FTR, with the latters being real-life friends with Punk.[305]
Return to WWE
Feuds with Drew McIntyre and Seth Rollins (2023–2025)
On January 27, 2024, at theRoyal Rumble, Punk wrestled his first televised WWE match since 2014, entering at number 27 during the Royal Rumble match, in which he was the runner-up after being eliminated byCody Rhodes.[311] During the match, Punk tore his right triceps, rendering him unable to compete atWrestleMania XL, thus forcing the cancellation of a planned match between Punk andWorld Heavyweight ChampionSeth "Freakin" Rollins at the event.[312][313] The injury was later turned into a storyline between Punk andDrew McIntyre, with McIntyre continuously mocking Punk for causing his injury.[314] Punk retaliated by attacking McIntyre after the latter won the World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania XL in April, allowingDamian Priest to successfully cash in his Money in the Bank contract,[315] atClash at the Castle: Scotland in McIntyre's home country in June,[316] and atMoney in the Bank in July, when McIntyre attempted to cash in after winning the eponymous ladder match.[317][318] Punk and McIntyre then had a trilogy of matches, the first atSummerSlam with Rollins as the special guest referee where Punk lost (after he attacked Rollins, believing he was trying to sabotage him),[319] the second atBash in Berlin where Punk won in astrap match,[320] and the third and final match atBad Blood, where Punk defeated McIntyre in aHell in a Cell match, ending their nearly ten-month trilogy feud.[321] This storyline received critical acclaim, winning Best Feud awards byWrestling Observer Newsletter,ESPN,Pro Wrestling Illustrated, andSports Illustrated; the Hell in a Cell match between them was also highly acclaimed, being ratedfive stars byWrestling Observer Newsletter.[322][323][324]
At theRoyal Rumble on February 1, Punk entered the titular match at #24 and made it to the final four before being eliminated byLogan Paul and getting into an altercation with Rollins and Roman Reigns, both of whom he had eliminated.[328] AtElimination Chamber: Toronto, he lost the Elimination Chamber match to John Cena after being attacked by an already eliminated Rollins.[329] AtWrestleMania 41, Punk wrestled in his first WrestleMania main event when he faced, along with Paul Heyman, Rollins and Reigns in a triple thread match. Rollins defeated Punk and Reigns following a double betrayal by Paul Heyman, who aligned himself with Rollins in the process.[330]
After being taken out by Rollins andBron Breakker on the April 21 episode ofRaw,[331] Punk returned on the May 5 episode ofRaw, costing Rollins the World Heavyweight Championship.[332] On the June 9 episode ofRaw, Punk confronted the nowvillainousUndisputed WWE Champion John Cena for a title match, which was scheduled forNight of Champions inSaudi Arabia on June 28,[333] At the event, Punk failed to win the title from Cena after interference from Rollins.[334]
World Heavyweight Champion (2025–present)
On the July 14 episode ofRaw, Punk won agauntlet match for the right to challengeGunther for the World Heavyweight Championship atSummerSlam.[335] In the main event of Night 1 of SummerSlam on August 2, Punk defeated Gunther to win the title. However, he immediately lost the title to Rollins, who cashed in his Money in the Bank briefcase, ending Punk's reign at only five minutes and nine seconds, marking the shortest reign in the title's history.[336] AtClash in Paris on August 31, Punk failed to regain the title from Rollins in afatal four-way match also involvingJey Uso andLA Knight after interference from Rollins' wife,Becky Lynch.[337] AtWrestlepalooza on September 20, Punk teamed with his wifeAJ Lee to defeat Rollins and Lynch in amixed tag team match.[338] On the October 13 episode ofRaw, Punk defeated Knight and Uso in a triple threat match to earn another opportunity at Rollins’ World Heavyweight Championship.[339] After Rollins vacated the title due to injury, Punk defeated Jey Uso atSaturday Night's Main Event on November 1 to win the vacant title.[340]
Professional wrestling persona
Punk adopted his real-life following of thestraight edge movement as a major attribute of his professional wrestling character. The character utilizes different elements of Punk's personality and beliefs of the straight edge movement dependent on his alignment. While portraying a crowd favorite, Punk's character tends to be that of Punk's normal personality,[19] largely indifferent to others who drinkalcohol,smoke tobacco, partake inrecreational drug use or havepromiscuoussexual behavior, but emphasizing the social discipline involved with personallyabstaining from these behaviors. Conversely, his villainous personality tends to be that of one who ishardline ormilitant straight edge, exemplifying the elitist attitudes and superiority complexes – defined by Punk's common mantra during villainous-themedpromos that because he is straight edge, he is "better than you".[19] Punk performs the straight edge symbol of crossing his arms in an X formation while having the letter X written on the back of his hands, usually drawn on his wrist tape. During his WWE career, Punk also incorporated a belligerentlyanti-establishment andanti-corporate attitude into his persona.[341]
Originally, the initials CM in his ring name represented the phrase "Chick Magnet", the name of the tag team he was in as abackyard wrestler.[19][20][21] However, Punk later changed CM into apseudo-acronym, declaring that it has no meaning,[23] though when asked since he has taken to making up meanings that fit the initials, going so far as to make up long stories to explain the origins that do not match the actual origin story at all.[23] Since beginning this practice, Punk has stated CM stands among others for "Chick Magnet",[342] "Cookie Monster",[343] "Crooked Moonsault",[21] "Chuck Mosley",[21] "Charles Montgomery",[21] "Charles Manson",[21] "Charlie Murphy",[344] and "Chicago Made".[345]
Punk in 2008; prominently visible are thePepsi Globe tattoo on his left shoulder, the "luck is for losers"sleeve tattoo on his left arm, and the "straight edge" tattoo across his stomach
An integral part of Punk is the numerous tattoos that adorn his body, some of which have become symbols associated with Punk andmantras and declarations that have been integrated into his gimmick. The tattoos as a whole, due to their large quantity and variety, have also become an attribute identifiable to Punk.[348] The most important of the individual tattoos in Punk's character – whether through association, symbol, or mantra – are the following:
APepsi Globe logo on his left shoulder that inspired the names of two of his signature moves. It also became a symbol of Punk himself, who wore the logo on his ring gear in the independent circuit as well as a slightly modified Pepsi logo being used as part of hisTitanTron entrance video.[349] Punk, a keenPepsi drinker, chose to receive a Pepsi tattoo to emphasize his straight edge beliefs.[23] The tattoo is also a reference to formerMinor Threat guitaristBrian Baker, who had aCoca-Cola tattoo and explained this by saying "I like Coca-Cola". When people inquire about Punk's Pepsi tattoo, he often replies "I like Pepsi" in a similar fashion.[19]
The words "Straight Edge" are spelled out on Punk's stomach.[350] This is one of his oldest tattoos[348] and he has referred to it as his identity.[351]
The phrase "No gimmicks needed" on the back of his left hand, a tribute to deceased wrestlerChris Candido.[353]
The words "Drug Free" across his knuckles ("Drug" on his right knuckles and "Free" on his left).[350]
His younger sister's jersey number (31) behind his left ear, surrounded by stars, each of which represents his siblings as a way to bond away from home.[354][355]
TheCobra Command logo (G.I. Joe's enemy) on his right shoulder. Punk is known for his love of comic books, considering them along withjazz and professional wrestling as three of the original arts that America has given to the world.[354]
Legacy
Punk is regarded as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time,[356][357] and one of the most influential performers of his generation.[358][359] He is credited with being one of the first independent wrestlers to have a successful run in WWE, which in turn opened the door for other independent wrestlers to both join and succeed in the company.[360][361][362] Several wrestlers such asSeth Rollins,[363]Rhea Ripley,[364] andAdam Cole have publicly cited Punk as an inspiration or influence on their careers.[365]
Punk has also been hailed as one of the greatest speakers in wrestling history,[366] with his in-ring promos drawing positive comparisons to WWE's adult-orientedAttitude Era.[367] His "Pipebomb"soliloquy from June 2011 is considered one of the most important promos in the history of professional wrestling.[368][369] Although much of his time as a top star in WWE was during its heavily watered-downPG Era, Erik Beaston ofBleacher Report wrote that "Punk turned the company on its head for a few short years and gave fans a taste of what an alternative to the advertiser-obsessed promotion could look like."[370]
AtUFC 181, on December 6, 2014, Punk announced that he had signed a multi-fight contract withUltimate Fighting Championship (UFC).[374][375] When asked if he would compete under his ring name or birth name, he told theLas Vegas Sun: "I've come this far with CM Punk. That's what people know. I'm trying to stick with that. I'm not shying away from it. I'm not ashamed of it."[376] His UFC profile listed him as his ring name.[371]
In January 2015, Punk began training underDuke Roufus atRoufusport MMA Academy.[377][378] In June 2015, Punk moved toMilwaukee, Wisconsin to be closer to the Roufusport gym while still retaining his home in Chicago.[379] Later, it was announced that Punk would compete in the welterweight division.[380] In October 2015, Roufus announced that Punk had suffered a shoulder injury, delaying his UFC debut until the next calendar year.[381] On February 6, 2016, it was announced that Punk would faceMickey Gall in his first professional mixed martial arts (MMA) contest, but he was diagnosed with aherniated disc and underwent surgery days later.[382]
Punk's UFC and MMA debut against Mickey Gall took place on September 10, 2016, atUFC 203.[383] The event was held at theQuicken Loans Arena inCleveland, Ohio, the same venue where Punk left WWE and retired from professional wrestling.[384] Punk was taken down immediately and lost via rear naked choke submission early in the first round.[385][386] He was paid a disclosed $500,000 (equivalent to $655,089 in 2024).[387]
Punk's second professional bout took place atUFC 225 on June 9, 2018, againstMike Jackson, in his hometown of Chicago. Punk lost the one-sided fight via unanimous decision.[388] After the bout, UFC presidentDana White said that both Punk and Jackson would probably not fight for the UFC again, and urged Punk to "call it a wrap".[389] In 2019, Punk stated that he wasn't seriously considering a UFC return. Though he believed White would permit him a third fight, Punk said if he were to fight again it would be at a lower level, citing his 0-2 professional record.[390] Three years after the bout, it was made public that the result was overturned to a no contest after Jackson tested positive formarijuana.[391]
Despite his inactivity and statements by White, Punk was never formally removed from the UFC roster, or released from his contract, and remained a part of the drug testing pool for the UFC until pulling out in December 2020. In August 2021, Punk notified the UFC he would be retiring from MMA after he returned to professional wrestling earlier that month.[392] CM Punk ended his MMA run with a record of 0-1 (1 NC).[393] Punk's MMA career has been widely panned by MMA fans and personalities.[394][395][396][397]
In February 2015, WWE doctor Christopher Amann filed adefamation lawsuit against Brooks andScott Colton over Brooks' allegations ofmedical malpractice on an episode of Colton's podcast.[413][414] Amann sought roughly $4,000,000 (equivalent to $5,306,000 in 2024) in compensation and an undisclosed amount inpunitive damages.[415] WWE issued a statement and video in support of Amann.[416][417] The case went to trial in 2018, where a jury ruled in favor of Brooks and Colton.[418] In August 2018, Colton filed a lawsuit against Brooks, alleging breach of contract and fraud due to Brooks' alleged agreement and later refusal to pay Colton's legal fees for the Amann suit. Colton sought $200,000 (equivalent to $250,437 in 2024) in damages and an additional $1 million (equivalent to $1,252,000 in 2024) in punitive damages.[419] Brooks filed acounterclaim against Colton in June 2019, for $600,000 (equivalent to $737,915 in 2024) and additional fees.[420] Both lawsuits were settled and dismissed in September 2019. According toPWInsider, the settlement involved no financial compensation.[421]
On September 5, 2025, Brooks threw out the ceremonial first pitch at a Chicago Cubs game.[422][423]
Brooks has appeared alongside his friend andBrazilian Jiu-Jitsu coachRener Gracie in several episodes of the YouTube seriesGracie Breakdown.[426] He has also worked withNerdist Industries,[427] including hosting an ongoing series titledGrammar Slam, explaining grammatical mistakes in messages from professional wrestling fans and berating them.[428]
Brooks was the cover athlete for the video gameWWE '13.[429] In 2015, he was featured inFrank Turner's "The Next Storm" music video.[430]
As an actor, Brooks starred in the 2019 horror filmGirl on the Third Floor.[431] Dennis Harvey ofVariety andMichael Phillips of theChicago Tribune respectively described his performance as "a fun star turn that easily carries most of the film" and "solid if a little unvarying".[432][433] Brooks portrayed wrestler Ricky Rabies in the professional wrestling drama seriesHeels (2021–2023).[434]
In 2013, Brooks wrote aforeword for his friend and ex-girlfriend Natalie Slater'scookbookBake and Destroy: Good Food for Bad Vegans.[437]
In February 2015, Marvel Comics'Thor Annual No. 1, partly written by Brooks, was released.[438] He cowrote "The Most Cursed", which appeared inVertigo Comics'Strange Sports Stories No. 3 in May 2015.[439] Brooks also cowrote Marvel Comics'Drax ongoing series.[440] Brooks wrote aone-shot of Marvel'sMaster of Kung Fu, which was published in November 2017.[441]
^This ranking does not acknowledgeAntonio Inoki's championship victory in November 1979, which is not recognised by WWE.
^This refers to the version of the championship active between 2002 and 2013.
^This refers to the version of the championship active between 1971 and 2010.
^This refers to the version of the championship active since 2023.
^Punk held the title concurrently withRey Mysterio andJohn Cena during his first reign. After defeating Cena, Punk became the undisputed champion, but he was not recognized by WWE as having won the title a second time.[503]
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