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The latest episode of popular WWE Network show ‘Something Else To Wrestle’ covered the controversial topic of CM Punk this week.
Hosted by former WWE producer Bruce Prichard and podcast maestro Conrad Thompson, the 81-minute episode delved deep into the archives to give a fascinating insight into the backstage rumblings about Punk as he worked his way through OVW and ECW before becoming one of WWE’s top stars.
For regular listeners of Bruce and Conrad’s ‘Something To Wrestle’ podcast, you might already be familiar with Punk’s rise up the WWE ranks from an audio episode that was released last year, but the WWE Network show is still highly recommended, if only to check out some of the never-before-seen footage of Punk outside the ring.
The show also discussed multiple people’s opinions about “The Best In The World” throughout his time in WWE, from John Laurinaitis and Triple H to The Undertaker and Vince McMahon, while fans were given a glimpse of what Punk is really like behind the scenes when footage was shown of a January 2008 chat that he had with Bruce which was filmed by WWE’s cameras.
In this article, let’s take a look at eight things from the episode that you might not have heard before.
#8 John Laurinaitis was a big fan of CM Punk
You only have to watch CM Punk’s infamous ‘pipebomb’ promo from July 2011 to see that he wasn’t very fond of working alongside John Laurinaitis, but did you know that the former on-screen General Manager was actually one of Punk’s few fans in the WWE office early on in his career?
Bruce revealed that Laurinaitis was a big proponent of the former WWE champion during the time that he took part in some tryout matches in May 2003. The problem, however, was that the matches occurred on television days, which made it difficult for the higher-ups within the company to fully focus on Punk and truly evaluate him.
#7 WWE didn’t pick CM Punk over Samoa Joe
CM Punk and Samoa Joe were both on WWE’s radar after stealing the show at multiple Ring of Honor events between 2004 and 2005. However, while Punk went ahead and signed a development contract with WWE in the summer of 2005, Joe joined TNA instead.
Bruce said WWE didn’t choose to sign Punk instead of Joe and revealed that, while he felt Joe probably would have been lost in the shuffle had he signed with the company at the time, the final call was ultimately down to the talent, and the man we now know as "The Destroyer" made the decision to turn down the opportunity to work in the OVW developmental system.
#6 Paul Heyman originally pushed Mike Knox as ECW’s main guy
CM Punk fans have no doubt heard on numerous occasions throughout the years how his friendship with Paul Heyman held him back early on in his career in WWE, with Vince McMahon & Co. rejecting multiple Punk storylines that were pitched by Heyman.
However, Bruce revealed that the guy Heyman originally pushed hard for during his time in charge of the ECW reboot was Mike Knox, a member of the ‘extreme’ brand between 2006 and 2008, but Vince wasn’t convinced by his abilities and he was sent back to Deep South Wrestling just seven months after his ECW debut.
#5 Triple H and Shawn Michaels raised concerns after Survivor Series 2006
At Survivor Series 2006, CM Punk teamed with Shawn Michaels, Triple H, Jeff Hardy and Matt Hardy to defeat Edge, Johnny Nitro, Mike Knox, Gregory Helms and Randy Orton in a traditional five-on-five elimination match.
Bruce revealed that both Michaels and Triple H went on to raise concerns about their tag partner to WWE management, with HBK describing him as “unclean” and HHH claiming he “resembled a waffle house cook”.
Surprisingly, the comments from the veterans worked in Punk’s favour, according to Bruce, as some within the company felt the need to take Punk more seriously when two more senior performers went out of their way to criticise him.
#4 Paul Heyman pushed for CM Punk to win at December To Dismember
One month after CM Punk’s appearance at Survivor Series 2006, he took part in an Elimination Chamber match for the ECW Championship at the massively underwhelming December to Dismember pay-per-view.
Bruce told a story about how Paul Heyman had pitched for Punk to win the match, eliminating The Big Show in 10 seconds via submission before making Bobby Lashley submit to become the new ECW champion.
“The more Heyman pushed, the more Vince pushed back,” said Bruce, and Punk ended up being the first man to be eliminated following a Five-Star Frog Splash from RVD.
#3 He was close to being fired during his time in ECW
Paul Heyman left WWE and the ECW brand after the disastrous December to Dismember event in 2006, and his departure almost had a significant impact on the future of CM Punk.
Bruce revealed that Punk was “on the bubble” of being cut by the company following Heyman’s exit. However, Vince McMahon liked the "cockiness and swagger" that the former ECW champion had, which saved him from being fired.
#2 The Undertaker wasn’t convinced about him in 2008
CM Punk was surprisingly propelled into the World Heavyweight Championship scene in 2008 after he won the Money In The Bank contract at WrestleMania 24. Later that summer, he cashed in on Edge to claim his first world title in WWE.
Bruce said that “90 per cent” of the roster didn’t think Punk would ever be one of the company's top guys, including The Undertaker, who “didn’t see it [Punk’s appeal] and didn’t think he’d make it to the next level”.
After Punk’s cash-in on Edge, Bruce recalled how a surprised Undertaker simply said, “Really?” to him backstage.
#1 He wanted to be remembered as one of wrestling’s smartest minds
The best part of the ‘Something Else To Wrestle’ episode was the archive footage from January 2008 of Bruce talking to CM Punk in an empty arena before a WWE event.
Bruce asked Punk lots of questions about his life, his tattoos and his wrestling background, but the most interesting answer came when he asked the former WWE champion how he wants to be remembered.
Punk replied:
“Being different, original, one of the smartest minds in the business to come around in the last 20 or 30 years. Passionate. Intense. First guy to reach into his pocket to give somebody some change or the first guy to punch somebody in the face, depending on the situation!”
