"I feel like trash" - CM Punk reveals the physical impact of wrestling again after seven years

CM Punk is physically feeling every bit of return to professional wrestling.

The Straight Edge Superstar recently sat down with Tony Maglio of The Wrap to discuss all things AEW.

When asked about how he's feeling physically wrestling again for the first time in seven years, Punk admits he doesn't feel great.

"Oh, I feel like trash, I’ll be honest," CM Punk said. "I’m 42 years old and I haven’t taken bumps in seven-plus years. I think there’s something to building up a callus, to something you do on a regular basis becoming easier because you do it on a regular basis. I think a lot of wrestlers are feeling this right now. The pandemic, when it shut everything down and it essentially killed house-show business — they’re not on the road, they’re not taking bumps Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday — I think everybody kind of felt this awfulness of ‘Oh man, I’m wrestling less-frequently than I used to,’ (but) it feels worse somehow."

CM Punk enjoys the AEW travel schedule

CM Punk is clearly enjoying the schedule with All Elite Wrestling as The Straight Edge Superstar said it is "100% better now."

"It’s the miles," CM Punk continued. "The perception that wrestling is fake shields people of the reality that– it’s the bumps, yeah, but it’s the travel, it’s between the shows, it’s driving five hours. It’s 100% better now. I don’t gotta drive into a town and try to check into a hotel at 4:30 in the morning and find out there’s a clown convention in town and all the hotels are booked up. The pandemic and the reset kind of made it to where the wrestlers have that better schedule and they have more say over– this is easier and this is the way it should be. You can’t treat us like cattle, and that’s definitely an appeal."

While the pandemic has a lot to do with WWE's new schedule on the road, the one All Elite Wrestling currently utilizes was always the plan even before the pandemic existed, as Tony Khan believes it's a lot better for the roster.

Have you enjoyed CM Punk's return to professional wrestling so far? Do you think AEW's travel schedule is better for wrestlers' health? Let us know your thoughts by sounding off in the comments section below.