Next week, WWE icon CM Punk will finally live his dream of main eventing WrestleMania, but things could have been very different.
The 46-year-old superstar, who will face SmackDown star Roman Reigns and Raw fan favourite Seth Rollins on April 19 in Las Vegas, has battled against the odds to become a living legend in the wrestling world.
Asked what he’d be if he wasn’t a wrestler, Punk exclusively told Metro: ‘I’d be dead or in jail right now, 100%, and I’ve narrowly avoided jail multiple times.
‘I really don’t know, it’s hard for me to say, “I was interested in this” and “I was interested in that”, “maybe I would have done this.” ‘
He was ‘out priced’ of chasing his ice hockey dreams, but professional wrestling gave the Chicago outcast an outlet.
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‘You ask kids nowadays, what do you want to be when you grow up? And unfortunately, I think a lot of people say “I want to be famous”. That sucks. Fame sucks. Fame is a side effect of being successful at what I do,’ he pondered.
‘I wanted to be a wrestler. I never said I wanted to be a millionaire. I never said I wanted to be a WWE superstar. I wanted to be a wrestler. I got a pair of boots and I started wrestling.’
Starting his career in 1997, Punk worked his way up the ranks, becoming a star in Ring of Honor five years later and soon earning himself a WWE developmental deal in Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW) under the tutelage of Paul Heyman.
The bond they formed led to him being called up to WWE’s ECW revival in 2006, and a career changing move to Raw two years later.
Punk had already been learning from the greats, including several experiences working with Hall of Famer Eddie Guerrero in 2002 during a difficult time in Latino Heat’s life.
‘He was real sad. He’d been fired, he’s going through a divorce. He didn’t know when he was going to see his kids,’ Punk recalled.
‘And when you’re on the top like he was, to go back – and he’s working in indies. There’s that part of you that “I feel sorry for this guy. He’s here. He’s working with me in this Columbus Hall in Indianapolis”.
‘But he wrestled me like it was the main event of WrestleMania.’
Punk was inspired by the notion of making Guerrero, who died aged 38 in November 2005, proud by emulating him in the ring.
‘I used to be able to just pick up the phone, call him and be like, “Hey”. He taught me, it’s not about moves, it’s about when you do them,’ he said.
‘He taught me about the connection between your fans and you and making it emotional. He taught me so much, invaluable experience was learned working with him.’
He also learnt from the likes of Rey Mysterio, The Undertaker, Chris Candido and Tracy Smothers, taking on board everything the veterans taught him.
One man Punk constantly refers to his as ‘wrestling soulmate’ is John Cena, who will be performing at WrestleMania next week for the last time ahead of his retirement in December.
There was a time it seemed like the pair were destined to battle in the main event of the Showcase of the Immortals, but it wasn’t to be – although fans still see their 2013 match on Monday Night Raw as a match worthy of that stage.
‘I had the flu, I had a fever, and I was just f***ing angry. I said “Well, this is the main event of WrestleMania. I know you guys are doing that, but that’s what this is”.
‘So nobody could tell me anything, I did what I wanted. That’s probably the best match in my career. There was just an energy, and there was a buzz in the building. I think part of that is because I was just fuelled by anger at that point in my career. It got me out of bed.’
Punk walked out of WWE a year later and left the wrestling business for almost a decade, exploring other passions and projects in the UFC and movie world.
After returning to wrestling for a chaotic spell with rivals AEW, Punk was back in WWE by November 2023, and their bumper Netflix deal gives him scope to expand his acting ambitions.
As well as comic book adaptation Revival and a new movie Night Patrol, Punk is excited to push things further.
‘The Netflix thing is interesting, because I think they want to specifically find projects not only for me, but other superstars that they feel can cross over,’ he said.
‘I would love to do stuff with Cena. I would love to do stuff with anybody, really. I’m in it to learn. And in that respect, I’m an artist. I want to do stuff that’s fulfilling.’
That’s not to say Punk has any immediate plans to hang up his boots, and he’s not looking to a Cena-esque retirement tour any time soon.
‘No, because you never know what’s going to happen. If you would ask me when I was 26 if I would be wrestling when I was 46, I would have been like, “No way,”‘ he laughed.
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‘The business has changed so much, the miles that we put on our bodies for years and years and years, and now we’re here, and we’re wrestling maybe once a month, we’re doing one show a week.’
That said, after a heartbreaking injury forced him out of a WrestleMania match last year, he’s determined to stay strong for next weekend’s big show.
‘Part of me is like, wrap me in bubble wrap on the road to WrestleMania. [But] this is a tough business, injuries happen,’ he shrugged. ‘Just get that out of your head. You’re tougher than you probably think. Just go forward and do what you always do.’
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WWE WrestleMania 41 heads to Las Vegas on April 19 and 20. Tune in live on Netflix.
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