Veni, Vidi, Vici – An ode to the legacy of CM Punk

A tribute to CM Punk

They said he was too small, too skinny to become a professional wrestler. They also said that he did not have the “look” to get into the WWE. For years, WWE had created an image about the superstars they were looking for – The Hogans, Warriors and Triple Hs - the larger than life characters with bulging muscles and towering physiques.

Although many youngsters dream of getting into professional wrestling, most of those dreams remain unfulfilled - like a midsummer’s dream under the shade, providing the comfort and warmth for the dreamers to wish, yet remind them that it is just that. During the 90s, most of the kids around the world grew up watching and idolizing the WWE superstars, and although they’d often pretend to be the extension of their personas in their backyard, they knew that they’d eventually grow up, and get confined to the norms and eventualities of life.

The journey to the WWE

During the late 90’s, a certain teenager named Phillip Brooks started idolizing the likes of the renegade ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin, and for him, professional wrestling wasn’t just another medium to stay ‘cool’. Growing up with an alcoholic father, he was disgruntled, but found comfort with his friends and professional wrestling. Phil then started wrestling in backyard promotions and then eventually found his way to IWA: Mid-South, where he wrestled for 5 years. It was during this time that the self – proclaimed “Punk” found his second home, but it was just the beginning of bigger things to come, as CM Punk then signed with Ring of Honor.

When you talk about some of the greatest wrestling promotions in North America, you have to talk about Ring of Honor. The likes of Eddie Guerrero performed on the show, and it was also the breeding ground for some of the greatest wrestlers in the history of the business. When you name some of the greatest talents to have made a name for themselves in Ring of Honor, the name of Second City Saint will top the list. He had some of the greatest feuds and matches with the likes of Samoa Joe, but after he signed with the WWE, that was when his fate changed forever. In what will go down as one of the greatest angles in the history of the business, Phil turned on the fans and the ROH locker room, scripting his own fairytale in the process, which became infamous as the “Summer of Punk”.

When the straight edge superstar finally dropped the ROH world title and made his way to the WWE, he knew it would be anything but easy. His real journey was taking course, and his shot at immortality was turning into a reality. Although the WWE management had no idea what to do with him, his mentor and admirer, Paul Heyman backed him up, and told him that nothing would be handed to him. In the WWE, you have to fight to earn respect, and the former ROH World champion wasn’t going to back down. Everything he had dreamed of was coming true, and Punk for one was no quitter. Finally, the “Chick magnet” made it to the big leagues. Finally, Phil Brooks made it.

The hardships and top of the mountain

In the next couple of years, he proved to the entire world that he was indeed one of the best wrestlers on the planet. His feud with Rey Mysterio and his time as the ‘Messiah’ earned him great praises from the fans and wrestling pundits alike, and Punk won the World Heavyweight championship multiple times. Still, there was something missing. No matter how hard he tried, he was never “the man”. No matter how hard he worked, or how many admirers he gathered, he was always “just another guy”.

The straight edge superstar, although revered and respected by the wrestling fans, wasn’t seen as the top guy in the company. CM Punk never settled for second best, so he threw his cards on the table. Come July 2011, he would either become the face of the company, dethroning Cena in the process, or he would go home.

It was then that the fans witnessed the true aura and greatness of the Second City Saint. After his earth shattering “Pipebomb” promo, Phil won the WWE title at the Money in the Bank PPV in his hometown of Chicago, and became the undeniable face of the company. Later that year, he lost and regained the WWE title, and had a record-breaking run as the WWE champion. Although he lost the title in 2013, he was still “the man”.

But as the year progressed, it was evident that he wasn’t the same anymore. It was evident that the years of hard work and injuries had finally taken their toll on the superstar, and his heart was no longer in the right place. It became clear that Punk’s days in the WWE were numbered, and it wasn’t a matter of “if”, but “when”.

After Royal Rumble 2014, he walked away from the WWE, and has since made it clear that he has no intentions of coming back. Yesterday, Punk’s contract with the WWE finally ran out, and for the first time in nearly a decade, he is no longer associated with the WWE. As hard it may be for the fans to let go of someone who gave them so many memories, as fans, we cannot hope for anything but happiness, and express our gratitude for the one man who tried to steal the show every night, irrespective of him headlining the card of working a dark match.

As the era of Punk comes to an end in the WWE, it is time for new beginnings. WWE and professional wrestling will move on without him, but that doesn’t take away the sacrifices he made for the fans and the business. For that, the fans will always be greatly indebted to Chicago’s favorite son, and rest assured, we will be hearing the “CM Punk” chants for a long time to come.