Phillip Jack Brooks (born October 26, 1978), better known by the
ring name CM Punk, is an American
professional wrestler
Professional wrestling is a form of theater that revolves around staged wrestling matches. The mock combat is performed in a ring similar to the kind used in boxing, and the dramatic aspects of pro wrestling may be performed both in the ring o ...
, sports commentator, actor, and retired
mixed martial artist
Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on striking, grappling and ground fighting, incorpo ...
currently signed to
All Elite Wrestling
All Elite Wrestling (AEW) is an American professional wrestling promotion based in Jacksonville, Florida. It is considered the second largest wrestling promotion in the United States behind WWE.
AEW is owned by Shahid Khan and his son Tony, ...
(AEW). Best known for his time in
WWE
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc., d/b/a as WWE, is an American professional wrestling promotion. A global integrated media and entertainment company, WWE has also branched out into other fields, including film, American football, and vari ...
, Brooks' 434-day reign as
WWE Champion
The WWE Championship is a world heavyweight championship created and promoted by the American professional wrestling promotion WWE, representing the Raw brand division. It is one of two world titles on WWE's main roster, alongside SmackDow ...
stands as the sixth longest in the championship's history.
Brooks began his professional wrestling career in 1999 on the
independent circuit, mainly with
Ring of Honor (ROH), winning the
ROH World Championship once. He signed with World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) in 2005 and won the WWE Championship twice, the
World Heavyweight Championship three times, and the
Intercontinental Championship and the
ECW World Heavyweight Championship
The ECW World Heavyweight Championship was a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship originally used in Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) and later, World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). It was the original world title of the ECW ...
once each. Brooks also won the
World Tag Team Championship
The world tag team championship is the name usually given to the primary tag team championship (professional wrestling), championships in professional wrestling Professional wrestling promotions, promotions.
Nomenclature
The name of the promo ...
, becoming WWE's
19th Triple Crown Champion; the fastest wrestler to do so, in 203 days. He is also the only back-to-back
Money in the Bank winner, has headlined several WWE pay-per-view events, won Superstar of the Year at the
2011 Slammy Awards
The Slammy Awards is a concept used by WWE, where awards, similar to the Academy and Grammy Awards, are given to professional wrestlers and other individuals within WWE, such as commentators and managers. Introduced in 1986, there have been 13 e ...
, and was voted
Wrestler of the Year in 2011 and 2012 by readers of ''
Pro Wrestling Illustrated
''Pro Wrestling Illustrated'' (''PWI'') is an American internationally sold professional wrestling magazine that was founded in 1979 by publisher Stanley Weston. ''PWI'' is headquartered in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, and published by Kappa Publi ...
''. After becoming disillusioned with WWE, Brooks acrimoniously departed the company and retired from professional wrestling in 2014. After much speculation, he joined AEW in 2021 and has since become a two-time
AEW World Champion
The AEW World Championship is a professional wrestling world championship created and promoted by the American promotion All Elite Wrestling (AEW). Unveiled on May 25, 2019, it is the promotion's top championship for male singles competitors, an ...
.
Brooks has used the CM Punk moniker for his entire professional wrestling career, and his
character
Character or Characters may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Literature
* ''Character'' (novel), a 1936 Dutch novel by Ferdinand Bordewijk
* ''Characters'' (Theophrastus), a classical Greek set of character sketches attributed to The ...
has been consistently portrayed as outspoken, confrontational, sharp-tongued,
anti-establishment
An anti-establishment view or belief is one which stands in opposition to the conventional social, political, and economic principles of a society. The term was first used in the modern sense in 1958, by the British magazine ''New Statesman'' ...
,
straight edge, and
iconoclastic
Iconoclasm (from Ancient Greek, Greek: grc, wikt:εἰκών, εἰκών, lit=figure, icon, translit=eikṓn, label=none + grc, wikt:κλάω, κλάω, lit=to break, translit=kláō, label=none)From grc, wikt:εἰκών, εἰκών + wi ...
, most of which are inspired by his real-life views and personality.
Depending on his alignment as a
hero
A hero (feminine: heroine) is a real person or a main fictional character who, in the face of danger, combats adversity through feats of ingenuity, courage, or strength. Like other formerly gender-specific terms (like ''actor''), ''her ...
or
villain
A villain (also known as a " black hat" or "bad guy"; the feminine form is villainess) is a stock character, whether based on a historical narrative or one of literary fiction. ''Random House Unabridged Dictionary'' defines such a character ...
, Brooks has emphasized different aspects of the straight edge lifestyle to garner the desired
audience reaction.
After his initial retirement from professional wrestling, Brooks pursued a career as a mixed martial artist and signed with the
Ultimate Fighting Championship
The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...
(UFC) in 2014. A
welterweight
Welterweight is a weight class in combat sports. Originally the term "welterweight" was used only in boxing, but other combat sports like Muay Thai, taekwondo, and mixed martial arts also use it for their own weight division system to classify th ...
, he had his first professional fight at
UFC 203 in 2016, losing via submission to
Mickey Gall
Mickey Gall (born January 22, 1992) is an American professional mixed martial artist who competed in the welterweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
Early life
Gall was born in Green Brook, New Jersey. He began training in boxi ...
. He then lost his second fight to
Mike Jackson via unanimous decision at
UFC 225
''UFC 225: Whittaker vs. Romero 2'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that was held on June 9, 2018, at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois.
Background
A UFC Middleweight Championship bout between ...
in 2018 (later overturned to a no-contest) and was subsequently released. Brooks has also appeared as a color commentator for
Cage Fury Fighting Championships
Cage Fury Fighting Championships (CFFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion primarily operating in the Northeastern United States. Founded by Felix and Amy Martinez, they promoted their first shows in Atlantic City, New Jersey, l ...
(CFFC) and was an
analyst on ''
WWE Backstage
''WWE Backstage'' is a professional wrestling studio show that was broadcast live every Tuesday night at 11:00 PM EST on FS1. The show was hosted by Renee Paquette and Booker T.
The show premiered on November 5, 2019 with special preview episod ...
''. Brooks had his first lead acting role in the animated film ''
The Flintstones & WWE: Stone Age SmackDown!'' (2015) and has received praise for his performance in the horror film ''
Girl on the Third Floor
''Girl on the Third Floor'' is a 2019 horror film directed by Travis Stevens, written by Stevens, Paul Johnstone and Ben Parker, and starring Phil "CM Punk" Brooks, Trieste Kelly Dunn and Tonya Kay. The film tells the story of a deeply flawe ...
'' (2019).
Early life
Phillip Jack Brooks was born in
Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
, image_map =
, map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago
, coordinates =
, coordinates_footnotes =
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name ...
on October 26, 1978, the son of a housewife and an engineer.
He grew up in nearby
Lockport, where he attended
Lockport Township High School.
He has five siblings. His father struggled with alcoholism, which inspired Brooks to follow a
straight edge lifestyle from an early age; his mother had
bipolar disorder
Bipolar disorder, previously known as manic depression, is a mental disorder characterized by periods of depression and periods of abnormally elevated mood that last from days to weeks each. If the elevated mood is severe or associated with ...
, causing him to become estranged from her.
Professional wrestling career
Early career and IWA Mid-South (1999–2005)
![Punkindependent](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7f/Punkindependent.jpg)
Brooks' first venture into wrestling was a stint in a
backyard wrestling
Backyard wrestling (BYW), also referred to as yarding or backyarding, is an underground hobby and sport involving untrained practices of Professional wrestling, professional-style wrestling, typically in a low-budget environment, such as a backy ...
federation called the Lunatic Wrestling Federation with his brother Mike and their friends in the mid-late 1990s. He had his debut match on March 13, 1999. He first started using the
ring name CM Punk when he was put into a
tag team
Tag team wrestling is a type of professional wrestling in which matches are contested between teams of multiple wrestlers. Tag teams may be made up of wrestlers who normally wrestle in singles competition, but more commonly are made of establish ...
named The Chick Magnets with CM Venom after another performer skipped out on the
card Card or The Card may refer to:
* Various types of plastic cards:
**By type
***Magnetic stripe card
*** Chip card
*** Digital card
**By function
***Payment card
****Credit card
**** Debit card
****EC-card
****Identity card
****European Health Insur ...
; the CM stood for "Chick Magnet".
Unlike his friends, Punk genuinely wanted to be a wrestler and saw it as more than simple fun.
When the promotion started taking off while doing shows out of a warehouse in
Mokena, Illinois
Mokena is a village in Will County, Illinois, United States. The population was 19,887 at the 2020 census. The Census Bureau's 2019 estimate found that the population had increased to 20,159.
Etymology
Mokena is a name apparently derived from ...
, Punk found out that his brother had embezzled thousands of dollars from the small company, causing them to become estranged. They have not spoken since.
Punk soon left the federation and enrolled as a student at the Steel Dominion wrestling school in Chicago, where he was trained by
Ace Steel
Christopher Guy (born January 25, 1973) is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Ace Steel. He is perhaps best known for his time with Ring of Honor and occasional appearances for World Wrestling Entertainment, as w ...
,
Danny Dominion and Kevin Quinn to become a professional wrestler. As part of the training, he began wrestling at Steel Domain Wrestling in St. Paul, Minnesota, in 1999.
It was in the Steel Domain that he met Scott Colton,
who soon adopted the ring name
Colt Cabana. Punk and Cabana became best friends and spent most of their early career together working in the same
independent
Independent or Independents may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups
* Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in the New Hope, Pennsylvania, area of the United States during the early 1930s
* Independ ...
promotions, as both opponents and tag team partners.
In the independents, along with fellow Steel Domain graduates Colt Cabana, Chucke E. Smooth,
Adam Pearce
Adam John Pearce (born June 24, 1978) is an American professional wrestling executive and former professional wrestler. He is currently employed by WWE as Director of Live Events, Glossary of professional wrestling terms#agent, producer, trainer, ...
, and
manager
Management (or managing) is the administration of an organization, whether it is a business, a nonprofit organization, or a government body. It is the art and science of managing resources of the business.
Management includes the activities ...
Dave Prazak, Punk formed an
alliance
An alliance is a relationship among people, groups, or states that have joined together for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose, whether or not explicit agreement has been worked out among them. Members of an alliance are called ...
named the Gold Bond Mafia.
In 2002, Punk became the International Wrestling Cartel (IWC) Heavyweight Champion, in Monroeville, PA. Punk would compete in the company's Super Indy tournament, but never won the championship. Punk's home
promotion
Promotion may refer to:
Marketing
* Promotion (marketing), one of the four marketing mix elements, comprising any type of marketing communication used to inform or persuade target audiences of the relative merits of a product, service, brand or i ...
for his early career was considered to be the
Independent Wrestling Association Mid-South
Independent Wrestling Association (IWA) Mid-South (also known as IWA Mid-South, IWA-MS, and IWA Mid South Wrestling) is an American independent professional wrestling promotion based in New Albany, Indiana. It was formed by Ian Rotten in 199 ...
(IWA Mid-South).
During Punk's time in IWA Mid-South, he had high-profile feuds with Colt Cabana and
Chris Hero while also rising to the top of the roster winning the
IWA Mid-South Light Heavyweight Championship
The IWA Mid-South Light Heavyweight Championship is one of the major titles in the Independent Wrestling Association Mid-South
Independent Wrestling Association (IWA) Mid-South (also known as IWA Mid-South, IWA-MS, and IWA Mid South Wrestlin ...
twice and the
IWA Mid-South Heavyweight Championship
The IWA World Championship is the major title in the Independent Wrestling Association Mid-South based in Louisville, Kentucky. The title debuted at the "Crowning of a Champion" event on April 3, 1997, when Tower of Doom won a twelve man tournamen ...
on five separate occasions, beating wrestlers like
A.J. Styles
Allen Neal Jones (born June 2, 1977), better known by his ring name AJ Styles (also stylized as A.J. Styles), is an American professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand. Regarded as one of the best ...
, Cabana, and
Eddie Guerrero
Eduardo Gory Guerrero Llanes (October 9, 1967 – November 13, 2005) was an American professional wrestler. He was a prominent member of the Guerrero wrestling family, being the son of first-generation wrestler Gory Guerrero. Eddie Guerrero i ...
in matches for the heavyweight championship. Punk's feud with Hero included a 55-minute
Tables, Ladders, and Chairs (TLC) match,
a 93-minute
two out of three falls match
Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called "concept" or "gimmick matches" in the jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick matches are more common than others and are often used to advance or conclude a ...
and several 60-minute time limit draws.
From July 2003 until May 2004, Punk refused to wrestle for IWA Mid-South, explaining this as a protest to
Ian Rotten
John Benson Williams (born June 1, 1970) is an American professional wrestler better known by his ring name Ian Rotten. He has wrestled in the Global Wrestling Federation (GWF), Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW), the United States Wrestling As ...
's mistreatment of Chris Hero in the company.
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. Punk eventually returned to IWA Mid-South and continued to perform as a wrestler and commentator for them until July 2005.
Ring of Honor
Feud with Raven and rise to prominence (2002–2004)
![CM Punk Raven cage match](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c8/CM_Punk_Raven_cage_match.jpg)
Punk's matches with Colt Cabana led him to being hired by the
Ring of Honor (ROH) promotion.
CM Punk made his in ring debut on ROH at ROH All Star Extravaganza on November 9, 2002, in a gauntlet match involving five participants, that was won by
Bryan Danielson
Bryan Lloyd Danielson (born May 22, 1981) is an American professional wrestler. He is currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he is a member of the Blackpool Combat Club. He is also known for his time in WWE, where he worked fro ...
. Initially, Punk joined ROH as a
face
The face is the front of an animal's head that features the eyes, nose and mouth, and through which animals express many of their emotions. The face is crucial for human identity, and damage such as scarring or developmental deformities may aff ...
,
but quickly turned
heel in a
feud with
Raven that featured numerous variants of
no disqualification matches.
Their rivalry was rooted in Punk's straight-edge lifestyle, with him likening Raven to his alcoholic father; it lasted most of 2003 and was considered one of ROH's top feuds of the year. Their rivalry was settled at The Conclusion in November 2003, where Punk defeated Raven in a
steel cage match
Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called "concept" or "gimmick matches" in the jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick matches are more common than others and are often used to advance or conclude a ...
.
[
Punk started climbing the ranks of ROH, including coming in second at the Second Anniversary Show during the tournament to crown the first ]ROH Pure Champion
The ROH Pure Championship is a professional wrestling championship contested for in the American professional wrestling promotion Ring of Honor (ROH). The championship is generally contested in professional wrestling matches, in which participa ...
, losing to A.J. Styles in the finals[ and winning the ]ROH Tag Team Championship
The ROH World Tag Team Championship is a professional wrestling world tag team championship contested for in the American professional wrestling promotion Ring of Honor. The championship is generally contested in professional wrestling matches, ...
twice with Colt Cabana as The Second City Saints
''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...
(Punk and Cabana defeated the Briscoe Brothers
The Briscoe Brothers are an American professional wrestling tag team consisting of brothers Jay Briscoe (Jamin "Jay" Pugh) and Mark Briscoe (Mark Pugh). They are known for their 19-year tenure with the American promotion Ring of Honor (ROH). and ...
to win the championship both times). Circa October 2003, Punk was hired as the first head trainer of the Ring of Honor wrestling school, having previously been a trainer for the Steel Domain and Primetime Wrestling.
ROH World Champion (2004–2006)
In 2004, Punk faced off against ROH World Champion
The ROH World Championship is a professional wrestling world championship created and promoted by Ring of Honor (ROH). It is considered the most prestigious title in the promotion. The current champion is Claudio Castagnoli, who is in his second ...
Samoa Joe
Nuufolau Joel Seanoa (born March 17, 1979), is an American professional wrestler better known by the ring name Samoa Joe who is currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW). Joe is currently a double champion - in his first reign both as AE ...
for the championship in a three-match series. On June 12 at World Title Classic, the first match resulted in a 60-minute time limit draw when neither Punk nor Joe could pin
A pin is a device used for fastening objects or material together.
Pin or PIN may also refer to:
Computers and technology
* Personal identification number (PIN), to access a secured system
** PIN pad, a PIN entry device
* PIN, a former Dutch ...
or cause the other to submit in the 60 minutes. On October 16 at Joe vs. Punk II, they wrestled to a second 60-minute draw.[ In addition to ''Joe vs. Punk II'' becoming Ring of Honor's bestselling DVD at the time, the match received a five-star rating by famed wrestling journalist ]Dave Meltzer
David Allen Meltzer (born October 24, 1959) is an American journalist who reports on professional wrestling and mixed martial arts.
Since 1983, he has been the publisher and editor of the ''Wrestling Observer Newsletter'' (''WON''). He has als ...
of the ''Wrestling Observer Newsletter
The ''Wrestling Observer Newsletter'' (''WON'') is a newsletter that covers professional wrestling and mixed martial arts.
Founded in print in 1982 by Dave Meltzer, the ''Wrestling Observer'' website merged with Bryan Alvarez's ''Figure Four W ...
''. It was the first match in North America to receive a five-star rating in seven years, the last one being the Hell in a Cell
Hell in a Cell is a professional wrestling steel cage-based match which originated in 1997 in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE). It features a large cell structure, a five-sided cuboid made from open-weave steel mesh chain-link fen ...
match between Shawn Michaels and The Undertaker
Mark William Calaway (born March 24, 1965), better known by the ring name The Undertaker, is an American retired professional wrestler. Widely regarded as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time, Calaway spent the vast majorit ...
at Badd Blood: In Your House in 1997. Joe ended the series by defeating Punk in the third and final match on December 4 at All-Star Extravaganza 2 in which there was a no-time-limit stipulation.[
]
After a try-out match on May 9, 2005, which aired May 15, where he lost to Val Venis
Sean Allen Morley (born March 6, 1971), better known by the ring name Val Venis, is a Canadian retired professional wrestler. He is best known for his appearances with the World Wrestling Federation/World Wrestling Entertainment (WWF/WWE) fro ...
on the '' Sunday Night Heat'' show, Punk accepted a deal offered by World Wrestling Entertainment
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc., d/b/a as WWE, is an American professional wrestling promotion. A global integrated media and entertainment company, WWE has also branched out into other fields, including film, American football, and va ...
(WWE) in June. Though he had accepted the deal, Punk defeated Austin Aries
Daniel Healy Solwold Jr. (born April 15, 1978), better known by his ring name Austin Aries, is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler currently signed to the Control Your Narrative wrestling promotion. He is best known for his ...
to win the ROH World Championship on June 18 at Death Before Dishonor III.[ Immediately after the match, Punk proceeded to become a villain and started a storyline where he threatened to bring the ROH World Championship to WWE with him. For weeks, Punk teased the ROH locker room and the ROH fans and mocked the championship he possessed, going so far as to sign his WWE contract on it. During the storyline, referred to by ROH as the "Summer of Punk",] Mick Foley
Michael Francis Foley (born June 7, 1965) is an American actor, author, retired professional wrestler, and color commentator. He is currently signed to WWE under the company's Legends program, acting as a company ambassador.
Foley worked for m ...
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 to James Gibson in a four corner elimination match which also involved Samoa Joe and Christopher Daniels.[ Punk's final scheduled match in ROH took place at Punk: The Final Chapter on August 13, against long-time friend Colt Cabana in a two out of three falls match, which he lost.][
Punk made a special appearance at the ROH show Unscripted II on February 11, 2006, when the original card had to be scrapped due to ]Low Ki
Brandon Silvestry (born September 6, 1979) is an American professional wrestler of Italian and Puerto Rican descent, better known by his ring name Low Ki. He is known for his time with Impact Wrestling, Ring of Honor and Major League Wrestli ...
leaving ROH the week prior.[ 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's Against All Odds event scheduled the next day.] In the main event, Punk teamed with Bryan Danielson
Bryan Lloyd Danielson (born May 22, 1981) is an American professional wrestler. He is currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he is a member of the Blackpool Combat Club. He is also known for his time in WWE, where he worked fro ...
to defeat Adam Pearce and Jimmy Rave
James Michael Guffey (December 8, 1982 – December 12, 2021), better known by the ring name Jimmy Rave, was an American professional wrestler. He was best known for his time with Ring of Honor (ROH) and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA).
Ear ...
in a tag team match
Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called "concept" or "gimmick matches" in the jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick matches are more common than others and are often used to advance or conclude a ...
.
Due to his work with the promotion, Punk was inducted into the ROH Hall of Fame
The ROH Hall of Fame is a hall of fame that honors professional wrestlers and wrestling personalities who contributed to the history of the U.S. based wrestling promotion Ring of Honor
Ring of Honor (ROH) is an American professional wrestlin ...
as part of the 2022 inaugural class.
Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (2003–2004)
While wrestling for Ring of Honor, Punk joined the wrestling promotion NWA: Total Nonstop Action, now known as Impact Wrestling, in which he was paired with Julio Dinero
Brian Wohl (born April 14, 1972) is an American retired professional wrestler, better known for his ring name Julio Dinero. His real name is sometimes mistakenly given as Brian Wall.
Professional wrestling career
Wohl debuted in 1994 after tra ...
as members of Raven's TNA alliance The Gathering.
Shortly before a TNA show on February 25, 2004, Punk had a physical scuffle with Teddy Hart
Edward Ellsworth Annis (born February 2, 1980) is a Canadian-American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Teddy Hart. He currently wrestles on the independent circuit. He wrestled on a National scale for Major League Wrestling ...
outside of a restaurant that was broken up by Sabu. The scuffle reportedly stemmed from an ROH show in which Hart performed three unplanned spots putting several other wrestlers in danger of injury. Around the time of the scuffle, Punk and Dinero stopped appearing on TNA shows, leading to speculation he was fired for the incident. However, Punk said the scuffle had no bearing on his TNA career. Brooks said the reason he and Dinero stopped appearing on TNA's pay-per-view events was that TNA officials believed that 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 by James Mitchell. 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. Punk officially quit TNA in March 2004 during the Rob 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.
World Wrestling Entertainment/WWE
Ohio Valley Wrestling (2005–2006)
In September 2005, Punk was assigned to Ohio Valley Wrestling
Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW) is an American professional wrestling promotion and former developmental promotion based in Louisville, Kentucky. The company is currently run by Al Snow and Matt Jones and Louisville mayor elect, Craig Greenberg.
...
(OVW), a WWE developmental territory
In sports, a farm team, farm system, feeder team, feeder club, or nursery club is generally a team or club whose role is to provide experience and training for young players, with an agreement that any successful players can move on to a higher ...
. He made his debut as a heel on September 8 in a dark match
Professional wrestling has accrued a considerable amount of jargon throughout its existence. Much of it stems from the industry's origins in the days of carnivals and circuses. In the past, professional wrestlers used such terms in the presence o ...
, where he, Nigel McGuinness
Steven Haworth (born 23 January 1976), better known by his ring name Nigel McGuinness, is an English actor, professional wrestling commentator and retired professional wrestler.
He is best known for his time with WWE where he worked as a color ...
and Paul Burchill
Paul Birchall (born 8 October 1979), better known by his ring name Paul Burchill, is an English retired professional wrestler best known for his time with WWE. Prior to joining WWE, Burchill wrestled for the Frontier Wrestling Alliance and oth ...
were defeated by Deuce Shade, Elijah Burke
Elijah Samuel Burke (born May 24, 1981) is an American professional wrestler also known under the ring names "The Pope" D'Angelo Dinero and Da Pope. He currently wrestles for National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) as "Da Pope" Elijah Burke, where he i ...
and Seth Skyfire. On September 26 in his OVW television debut, Punk sustained a ruptured eardrum and broken nose after Danny Inferno hit him with an overly stiff right hand. Despite the injury, Punk finished the match and quickly recovered.
On November 9, Punk became the OVW Television Champion after defeating Ken Doane
Kenneth George Doane (born March 16, 1986) is an American retired professional wrestler signed to WWE as a producer and as a trainer at the WWE Performance Center. During his past time in WWE, he was known as Kenny Dykstra and Kenny as a membe ...
, Immediately after, Punk began to feud with Brent Albright
Brent Albright (born November 28, 1978) is an American retired professional wrestler, perhaps best known for his time with World Wrestling Entertainment, during which he appeared on ''SmackDown!'' as Gunner Scott. Aside from WWE, Albright is a o ...
, who had previously been feuding with Doane for the Television Championship and had lost his chance to wrestle Doane after Punk hit him with a chair so he could wrestle Doane. They wrestled in a series of matches, including one that ended in overtime with Albright having Punk submit to Albright's finisher, the Crowbar, but Punk was able to keep the championship as he had not agreed to the extra time. On January 4, 2006, Punk lost the OVW Television Championship during a Three Way Dance among himself, Albright and Doane. Doane was injured during the match and was replaced by Aaron "The Idol" Stevens, who won the match and became the new OVW Television Champion. After Matt Cappotelli
Matthew Lee Cappotelli (November 12, 1979 – June 29, 2018) was an American professional wrestler. After co-winning '' Tough Enough III'' with John Hennigan, he worked in Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW), the primary developmental territory for WWE ...
vacated the OVW Heavyweight Championship
The OVW Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling heavyweight championship owned by the Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW) promotion. The original championship was designed and created in 1997 by Reggie Parks. The title was introduced on Aug ...
because of a brain tumor
A brain tumor occurs when abnormal cells form within the brain. There are two main types of tumors: malignant tumors and benign (non-cancerous) tumors. These can be further classified as primary tumors, which start within the brain, and seconda ...
in February, a tournament was held to crown a new champion. Punk lost to Albright in the finals. Punk and Albright continued their feud, with Albright becoming more unstable and paranoid about maintaining his championship after several close-call matches against Punk, resulting in acts such as threatening Maria
Maria may refer to:
People
* Mary, mother of Jesus
* Maria (given name), a popular given name in many languages
Place names Extraterrestrial
* 170 Maria, a Main belt S-type asteroid discovered in 1877
* Lunar maria (plural of ''mare''), large, ...
. On May 3, Punk defeated Albright in a strap match to win the OVW Heavyweight Championship. As champion, Punk retained the title in matches against opponents such as Ken Kennedy, Johnny Jeter
John Jeter (born December 14, 1981) is an American professional wrestler. He is best known for his appearances with World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) in 2006 as Johnny, a member of The Spirit Squad.
Jeter was trained by Nick Dinsmore (also k ...
, and Mike "The Miz" Mizanin.
On July 28, Punk and Seth Skyfire defeated Shad Gaspard and the Neighborhoodie
Cryme Tyme was an American professional wrestling tag team consisting of JTG and Shad Gaspard, best known for their tenure in WWE.
The team was an over-the-top parody of stereotypical street thugs. The tag team first disbanded in 2010, though r ...
to win the OVW Southern Tag Team Championship
The OVW Tag Team Championship formerly known as the OVW Southern Tag Team Championship is the tag team titles of Ohio Valley Wrestling. Created in 1997, the first champions were Nick Dinsmore and Flash Flanagan. There have been 177 reigns shared b ...
at a house show. They lost the tag team championship on August 2 to Deuce Shade and "Domino" Cliff Compton. Later that month, Punk also lost the OVW Heavyweight Championship when he was defeated by Chet Jablonski. Punk continued to make sporadic appearances for OVW until WWE and OVW ended their developmental partnership on February 7, 2008.
ECW Champion (2006–2008)
On June 24, 2006, Punk made his ECW debut during a house show at the former ECW Arena
2300 Arena is a multipurpose indoor arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania used primarily for professional wrestling, boxing, mixed martial arts, and concert events. Originally known as Viking Hall, the venue has since been named Alhambra Arena, The ...
, defeating Stevie Richards. He made his television debut on the July 4 episode of '' ECW'', cutting a brief pre-taped promo
Promo or promos may refer to:
Promotions and advertising
*Promo (media), a form of commercial advertising used to promote television or radio programs
*Promo (professional wrestling), a televised interview in which a wrestler's on-screen personali ...
about his straight edge lifestyle emphasizing the disciplinary aspects of being drug and alcohol free. Although he had retained the straight edge gimmick, he now had a Muay Thai training background. Punk made his television wrestling debut on August 1 at the Hammerstein Ballroom
The Hammerstein Ballroom is a ballroom located within the Manhattan Center at 311 West 34th Street in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. The capacity of the ballroom is dependent on the configuration of the room; it seats 2,500 people for theat ...
, defeating Justin Credible
Peter Joseph "PJ" Polaco (born October 16, 1973) is a retired American professional wrestler, best known for his appearances with Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) and the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) under the ring name Justin Credible. He ...
. Punk established himself in ECW by going undefeated, defeating opponents such as C. W. Anderson, Stevie Richards and Shannon Moore
Shannon Moore (born July 27, 1979) is an American professional wrestler. He is best known for his work with World Championship Wrestling (WCW) between 1999 and 2001 and with World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) for several years in the 2000s. H ...
.
Soon after, Punk began feuding with Mike Knox
Michael Knoxville Hettinga (born July 17, 1978) is an American professional wrestler best known under the ring name Mike Knox. He currently performs for the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA). Hettinga is best known for his work in World Wrestli ...
after Knox's on-screen girlfriend Kelly Kelly
Barbara Blank Coba (born Barbara Jean Blank; January 15, 1987), known professionally as Barbie Blank and by her ring name Kelly Kelly, is an American professional wrestler and model.
Blank has a background in gymnastics and cheerleading, a ...
was seen to have romantic feelings for Punk. Punk defeated Knox in their first singles match on the November 7 episode of ''ECW'' as well as a rematch the following week, after which Kelly Kelly celebrated Punk's victory over Knox. At Survivor Series
Survivor Series is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event, produced annually since 1987 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. Held in November generally the week of Thanksgiving, it is the se ...
, Punk had his first pay-per-view match when he teamed with D-Generation X
D-Generation X (DX) is an American professional wrestling stable, and later a tag team, who consisted of Triple H and Shawn Michaels.
The group originated in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now known as WWE) in the midst of the "Attitud ...
( Shawn Michaels and Triple H
Paul Michael Levesque (born July 27, 1969), better known by the ring name Triple H, is an American business executive, actor, and retired professional wrestler currently serving as the chief content officer for WWE. He is widely regarded as ...
) (D-X) and the Hardy Boyz
The Hardys, also known as The Hardy Boyz, are an American professional wrestling tag team consisting of real-life brothers Matt and Jeff Hardy, who are currently appearing in All Elite Wrestling (AEW). The team is currently inactive due to Jeff ...
(Jeff
Jeff is a masculine name, often a short form (hypocorism) of the English given name Jefferson or Jeffrey, which comes from a medieval variant of Geoffrey.
Music
* DJ Jazzy Jeff, American DJ/turntablist record producer Jeffrey Allen Townes
* ...
and Matt) in their Survivor Series match
The Survivor Series match is a professional wrestling tag team elimination match held in WWE. The match typically sees two teams pitted against each other and members of the teams are eliminated one-by-one until one entire team is eliminated. Memb ...
against Rated-RKO (Edge
Edge or EDGE may refer to:
Technology Computing
* Edge computing, a network load-balancing system
* Edge device, an entry point to a computer network
* Adobe Edge, a graphical development application
* Microsoft Edge, a web browser developed ...
and Randy Orton), Knox, Johnny Nitro and Gregory Helms
Gregory Shane Helms (born July 12, 1974) is an American professional wrestler. He is currently signed with WWE under a legends contract, as a wrestler and as a backstage producer. In WWE, Helms has wrestled as The Hurricane, Gregory Helms, and Hu ...
, a match in which all the participants on D-X's side survived elimination. On December 3 at December to Dismember, Punk participated in the Extreme Elimination Chamber
The Elimination Chamber is a professional wrestling elimination-based match held in the WWE. The match was founded by Chris Jericho , created and introduced by Eric Bischoff in November 2002. It features a large chain-linked circular steel ...
match for the ECW World Championship
The ECW World Heavyweight Championship was a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship originally used in Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) and later, World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). It was the original world title of the ECW ...
, but he was the first person eliminated by Rob Van Dam
Robert Alexander Szatkowski (born December 18, 1970) is an American professional wrestler and actor better known by his ring name Rob Van Dam (frequently abbreviated to RVD). He is best known for his tenures in Extreme Championship Wrestling ...
.
On the January 9, 2007, episode of ''ECW'', Punk had his first loss in ECW against Hardcore Holly
Robert William Howard (born January 29, 1963) is an American professional wrestler, actor, and former auto racer and wrestling trainer/ host, better known by the ring name Hardcore Holly or Bob Holly. He is best known for his 16-year career wit ...
, ending his six-month unbeaten streak in singles competition. He also participated on the Money in the Bank ladder match
The Money in the Bank ladder match is a multi-person ladder match held by the professional wrestling promotion WWE. First contested at WWE's annual WrestleMania event beginning in 2005, a separate Money in the Bank pay-per-view was established ...
at WrestleMania 23
WrestleMania 23 was the 23rd annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). It was held for wrestlers from the promotion's Raw, SmackDown!, and ECW brand divisions. The eve ...
, WWE's biggest PPV, but lost the match. On the April 10 episode of ''ECW'', Punk was involved in the feud between the New Breed, a group of young wrestlers and ECW Originals
The ECW Originals were a professional wrestling stable that has made appearances in various wrestling promotions, such as Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, and most famously WWE.
The name of the stable derives from their affiliation with the orig ...
, the group of veteran wrestlers from the original ECW. Punk joined the New Breed after several weeks in which both the New Breed and the ECW Originals had attempted to recruit him. However, two weeks later he betrayed the New Breed during a four-on-four tag team match between the New Breed and ECW Originals by kicking New Breed leader Elijah Burke
Elijah Samuel Burke (born May 24, 1981) is an American professional wrestler also known under the ring names "The Pope" D'Angelo Dinero and Da Pope. He currently wrestles for National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) as "Da Pope" Elijah Burke, where he i ...
in the back of the head and costing them the match, after which Punk proceeded to deliver his finisher, the "Go to Sleep
"Go to Sleep" is a song by the English rock band Radiohead, released as the second single from their sixth studio album ''Hail to the Thief'' (2003) on 18 August 2003. It reached number two on the Canadian Singles Chart, number nine on the Ita ...
". On May 20 at Judgment Day, Punk defeated Burke in his first singles match on a WWE pay-per-view event. Punk then went on to One Night Stand on June 3 and teamed up with Tommy Dreamer
Thomas James Laughlin (born February 13, 1971), is an American professional wrestler and promoter better known by the ring name Tommy Dreamer. He is signed to Impact Wrestling and is the owner and promoter of the House of Hardcore (HOH) prom ...
and The Sandman in a tables match
Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called "concept" or " gimmick matches" in the jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick matches are more common than others and are often used to advance or conclude a ...
to defeat the New Breed and end the storyline.
When ECW World Champion Bobby Lashley
Franklin Roberto Lashley (born July 16, 1976) is an American professional wrestler, mixed martial artist and bodybuilder. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand. He is an eight-time world champion, having been a two-t ...
was drafted to Raw
Raw is an adjective usually describing:
* Raw materials, basic materials from which products are manufactured or made
* Raw food, uncooked food
Raw or RAW may also refer to:
Computing and electronics
* .RAW, a proprietary mass spectrometry dat ...
and stripped of the championship, a tournament to declare a new champion was held. On June 24, Punk was scheduled to face Chris Benoit
Christopher Michael Benoit (; May 21, 1967 – June 24, 2007) was a Canadian professional wrestler. He worked for various pro-wrestling promotions during his 22-year career including most notably the World Wrestling Federation/World Wrestlin ...
in the finals at Vengeance: Night of Champions, but Benoit was replaced by Johnny Nitro due to Benoit no showing because of the double murder and suicide he committed that same weekend. Nitro subsequently defeated Punk for the vacant ECW World Championship. During the following months, Punk faced Nitro (who later changed his ringname to John Morrison) for the title at The Great American Bash
The Great American Bash is a professional wrestling event currently produced by WWE, a professional wrestling promotion based in Connecticut. Created by Dusty Rhodes, the event was established in 1985 and was originally produced by the National Wr ...
, and SummerSlam
SummerSlam is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event, produced annually since 1988 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. Dubbed "The Biggest Party of the Summer", it is considered WWE's secon ...
, where he lost to Morrison both times.
On the September 4 episode of ''ECW'', Punk defeated Morrison in a last chance title match to win the ECW Championship. In the following months, Punk went on to have successful title defenses against the likes of Elijah Burke at Unforgiven
''Unforgiven'' is a 1992 American Revisionist Western film starring, directed, and produced by Clint Eastwood, and written by David Webb Peoples. The film tells the story of William Munny, an aging outlaw and killer who takes on one more job, ...
, Big Daddy V
Nelson Frazier Jr. (February 14, 1971 – February 18, 2014) was an American professional wrestler, best known for his appearances with the World Wrestling Federation/World Wrestling Entertainment (WWF/WWE) in the 1990s and 2000s under the ring ...
via disqualification at No Mercy, and The Miz
Michael Gregory Mizanin (born October 8, 1980) is an American professional wrestler, actor, and television personality. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand under the ring name The Miz.
Mizanin first gained fa ...
at Cyber Sunday. On the November 6 episode of ''ECW'', Punk retained the ECW Championship in a match against Morrison following Miz's interference. On November 18 at Survivor Series
Survivor Series is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event, produced annually since 1987 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. Held in November generally the week of Thanksgiving, it is the se ...
, Punk retained the title in a triple threat match against Miz and Morrison. On the January 22, 2008, episode of ''ECW'', Punk lost the ECW Championship to Chavo Guerrero Jr. in a no disqualification match after Edge
Edge or EDGE may refer to:
Technology Computing
* Edge computing, a network load-balancing system
* Edge device, an entry point to a computer network
* Adobe Edge, a graphical development application
* Microsoft Edge, a web browser developed ...
performed a spear
A spear is a pole weapon consisting of a shaft, usually of wood, with a pointed head. The head may be simply the sharpened end of the shaft itself, as is the case with fire hardened spears, or it may be made of a more durable material fasten ...
on him, ending his reign at 143 days.
World Heavyweight Champion (2008–2009)
On March 30 at WrestleMania XXIV
WrestleMania XXIV was the 24th annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). It was held for wrestlers from the promotion's Raw, SmackDown, and ECW brand divisions. The ev ...
, Punk won the Money in the Bank ladder match after defeating Carlito, Chris Jericho
Christopher Keith Irvine (born November 9, 1970), better known by the ring name Chris Jericho, is an American-Canadian professional wrestler and singer. He is currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he is the leader of the Jerich ...
, John Morrison, Montel Vontavious Porter
Hassan Hamin Assad (born Alvin Antonio Burke Jr.; October 28, 1973) is an American professional wrestler and manager currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand under the ring name MVP (standing for Montel Vontavious Porter) a ...
, Mr. Kennedy
Kenneth Anderson (born March 6, 1976) is an American professional wrestler. Anderson is known for his tenure with WWE from 2005 to 2009 under the ring name Mr. Kennedy, and his work in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling as Mr. Anderson from 2010 to 2 ...
and Shelton Benjamin
Shelton James Benjamin (born July 9, 1975) is an American professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand under his real name.
He is also known for his work in New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) and Pro Wres ...
. At Judgment Day on May 18, Punk teamed with Kane to unsuccessfully challenge John Morrison and The Miz for the WWE Tag Team Championship
WWE (formerly the WWF, the WWWF, and Capitol Wrestling) has maintained at least one primary tag team championship for its male performers since 1958 (except for a two year interim between 1967 and 1969). During periods of brand division, separat ...
.
On June 23, Punk was drafted to the Raw
Raw is an adjective usually describing:
* Raw materials, basic materials from which products are manufactured or made
* Raw food, uncooked food
Raw or RAW may also refer to:
Computing and electronics
* .RAW, a proprietary mass spectrometry dat ...
brand during the 2008 WWE draft
The 2008 World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) draft, the sixth WWE draft, took place at the AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas on June 23. The draft took place live for three hours on '' Raw.'' Every WWE wrestler, announcer, commentator, and ge ...
. In his first night on ''Raw
Raw is an adjective usually describing:
* Raw materials, basic materials from which products are manufactured or made
* Raw food, uncooked food
Raw or RAW may also refer to:
Computing and electronics
* .RAW, a proprietary mass spectrometry dat ...
'' the following week, Punk cashed in his Money in the Bank contract after Batista
Batista is a Spanish or Portuguese surname. Notable persons with the name include:
* Batista (footballer, born 1955), Brazilian football player
* Dave Bautista, American actor and professional wrestler, also known as Batista
* Edina Alves Batis ...
beat down World Heavyweight Champion
At boxing's beginning, the heavyweight division had no weight limit, and historically the weight class has gone with vague or no definition. During the 19th century many heavyweights were 170 pounds (12 st 2 lb, 77 kg) or less, tho ...
Edge and won the title, making his first defense later that same night against John "Bradshaw" Layfield
John Charles Layfield (born November 29, 1966), better known by the ring name John "Bradshaw" Layfield (abbreviated to JBL), is an American retired professional wrestler and football player. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on ...
(JBL), who had challenged him shortly after his win. Punk continued to hold and defend the title (against the likes of Batista at The Great American Bash
The Great American Bash is a professional wrestling event currently produced by WWE, a professional wrestling promotion based in Connecticut. Created by Dusty Rhodes, the event was established in 1985 and was originally produced by the National Wr ...
and the July 21 episode of ''Raw'', and JBL at SummerSlam
SummerSlam is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event, produced annually since 1988 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. Dubbed "The Biggest Party of the Summer", it is considered WWE's secon ...
) until Unforgiven
''Unforgiven'' is a 1992 American Revisionist Western film starring, directed, and produced by Clint Eastwood, and written by David Webb Peoples. The film tells the story of William Munny, an aging outlaw and killer who takes on one more job, ...
, when he was attacked by The Legacy and Randy Orton finished the assault by punting Punk in the head before the Championship scramble match on September 7, ending his reign at 69 days. Punk could not participate in the match due to the attack and so forfeited the title, being replaced by Chris Jericho, who won the match and the title. On the September 15 episode of ''Raw'', Punk received his title rematch, but he failed to regain the title in a steel cage match against Jericho.
200px, Punk as World Heavyweight Champion in 2008
On the October 27 episode of ''Raw'', Punk and Kofi Kingston
Kofi Nahaje Sarkodie-Mensah (born August 14, 1981) is a Ghanaian-born American professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the NXT brand under the ring name Kofi Kingston. He appeared on WWE's NXT brand as one-ha ...
defeated Cody Rhodes
Cody Garrett Runnels Rhodes (''né'' Runnels; born June 30, 1985) is an American professional wrestler and actor. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand. Rhodes is also known for his time in All Elite Wrestling (AE ...
and Ted DiBiase
Theodore Marvin DiBiase Sr. (born January 18, 1954) is an American retired professional wrestler, manager, ordained minister and color commentator. He is currently signed to WWE working in their Legends program. DiBiase achieved championship ...
to win the World Tag Team Championship
The world tag team championship is the name usually given to the primary tag team championship (professional wrestling), championships in professional wrestling Professional wrestling promotions, promotions.
Nomenclature
The name of the promo ...
. The duo were members of Team Batista at Survivor Series
Survivor Series is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event, produced annually since 1987 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. Held in November generally the week of Thanksgiving, it is the se ...
, where their team lost to Team Orton on November 23 as Punk was eliminated by Rhodes. Punk then entered in a number one contender Intercontinental Championship tournament, defeating Snitsky and John Morrison in the first two rounds. Punk and Kingston lost the World Tag Team Championship to John Morrison and The Miz on December 13 at a live event. The next day at Armageddon
According to the Book of Revelation in the New Testament of the Christian Bible, Armageddon (, from grc, Ἁρμαγεδών ''Harmagedōn'', Late Latin: , from Hebrew: ''Har Məgīddō'') is the prophesied location of a gathering of armies ...
, Punk defeated Rey Mysterio
Óscar Gutiérrez (born December 11, 1974), better known by his ring name Rey Mysterio, is an American professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown brand. Widely regarded as one of the greatest prof ...
in the tournament finals. On the January 5, 2009, episode of ''Raw'', Punk received his title match against William Regal
Darren Kenneth Matthews (born 10 May 1968), better known by the ring name William Regal, is an English retired professional wrestler. He is known for his over 20 years spent in WWE, as both a performer and an on-screen authority, and for his t ...
, which ended in a disqualification when Regal grabbed the referee's jersey. Due to this, Stephanie McMahon
Stephanie McMahon Levesque (born Stephanie Marie McMahon; ; September 24, 1976) is an American businesswoman and retired professional wrestler. She is the current chairwoman and co-chief executive officer (CEO) of WWE, the world's largest prof ...
awarded Punk a rematch the following week on ''Raw'', but this time Punk got disqualified. McMahon awarded him another rematch, a no disqualification match on the January 19 episode of ''Raw'', where Punk defeated Regal to win the Intercontinental Championship. With this win, Punk became the 19th WWE Triple Crown Champion and the fastest to accomplish the feat, shattering Kevin Nash
Kevin Scott Nash (born July 9, 1959) is an American actor and retired professional wrestler, currently signed to WWE under a legends contract. He is best known for his tenure with World Championship Wrestling (WCW) where he performed under his ...
's old record at 203 days. Punk lost the Intercontinental Championship on the March 9 ''Raw'' to John "Bradshaw" Layfield (JBL). On April 5 at WrestleMania 25
WrestleMania 25 (also marketed as The 25th Anniversary of WrestleMania and written as WrestleMania 25th Anniversary) was the 25th annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE ...
, Punk won the Money in the Bank ladder match
The Money in the Bank ladder match is a multi-person ladder match held by the professional wrestling promotion WWE. First contested at WWE's annual WrestleMania event beginning in 2005, a separate Money in the Bank pay-per-view was established ...
and became the first person to win the match twice. On April 13 during the 2009 WWE draft, Punk was drafted to the SmackDown
''WWE SmackDown'', also known as ''Friday Night SmackDown'' or simply ''SmackDown'', is an American professional wrestling television program produced by WWE that as of currently airs live every Friday at 8 p.m. ET on Fox. Fox Deportes sim ...
brand. In the period after the draft, Punk feuded with Umaga over Umaga's repeated surprise attacks while Punk was attempting to cash in his Money in the Bank contract, ultimately resulting in a Samoan strap match at Extreme Rules, which was won by Punk.
Later that night, Punk cashed in his Money in the Bank contract to defeat Jeff Hardy
Jeffrey Nero Hardy (born August 31, 1977) is an American professional wrestler and musician. He is currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW). Hardy is widely considered one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all-time and is regarded ...
for the World Heavyweight Championship right after Hardy won the title from Edge
Edge or EDGE may refer to:
Technology Computing
* Edge computing, a network load-balancing system
* Edge device, an entry point to a computer network
* Adobe Edge, a graphical development application
* Microsoft Edge, a web browser developed ...
in a ladder match. Punk made his first successful title defense in a triple threat match against both Edge and Hardy on the June 15 episode of ''Raw''. On June 28 at The Bash, Punk retained the title even though he lost to Hardy by disqualification (because titles do not change hands on a disqualification) after kicking the referee. As part of the storyline, 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 turning heel and claiming to be the moral superior of those who support Hardy due to his drug-free lifestyle. On July 26 at Night of Champions
Night (also described as night time, unconventionally spelled as "nite") is the period of ambient darkness from sunset to sunrise during each 24-hour day, when the Sun is below the horizon. The exact time when night begins and ends depends o ...
, Punk lost the World Heavyweight Championship to Hardy. Their feud continued through SummerSlam
SummerSlam is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event, produced annually since 1988 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. Dubbed "The Biggest Party of the Summer", it is considered WWE's secon ...
on August 23, when Punk regained the title in a TLC match only to be attacked by The Undertaker
Mark William Calaway (born March 24, 1965), better known by the ring name The Undertaker, is an American retired professional wrestler. Widely regarded as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time, Calaway spent the vast majorit ...
.
On the August 28 episode of ''SmackDown'', Punk concluded his feud with Hardy and achieved his booked goal of excising him from WWE, defeating Hardy in a steel cage match to retain the World Heavyweight Championship wherein the loser agreed to leave the company. On September 13 at Breaking Point, Punk defeated The Undertaker in a submission match
Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called "concept" or "gimmick matches" in the jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick matches are more common than others and are often used to advance or conclude a ...
to retain the World Heavyweight Championship. Undertaker originally won the match with his "Hell's Gate Hells Gate or Hell's Gate or Hell Gate may refer to:
Places
Africa
* Hell's Gate National Park, Kenya
Antarctica
* Hells Gate Moraine, Victoria Land
Asia
* Nyalam Town, Tibet
* A location in Nampong, Arunachal Pradesh, India
* The Darvaza g ...
" submission hold, but SmackDown general manager Theodore Long
Theodore Robert Rufus Long (born September 15, 1947) is an American former professional referee and manager known for his work for WWE and WCW serving as an on-screen authority figure. Long began his career in the National Wrestling Alliance ...
restarted the match after stating that the ban that former SmackDown general manager Vickie Guerrero
Vickie Lynn Benson (formerly Guerrero, née Lara;Guerrero, Eddie. ''Cheating Death, Stealing Life: The Eddie Guerrero Story'', p. 53. born April 16, 1968) is an American professional wrestling personality and manager. She is best known for her t ...
had placed on the move was still in effect and Punk won the match with his " Anaconda Vise" when referee Scott Armstrong called for the bell despite Undertaker never submitting (reminiscent to the Montreal Screwjob
The Montreal Screwjob (also called the Montreal Incident; French: ''Le Coup Tordu de Montréal'' lit. Montreal's Twisted Coup) was an infamous unscripted professional wrestling incident that occurred on November 9, 1997, at the Survivor Series ...
, which took place in the same venue in 1997
File:1997 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The movie set of ''Titanic'', the highest-grossing movie in history at the time; '' Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone'', is published; Comet Hale-Bopp passes by Earth and becomes one of ...
). The feud between the two continued and on October 4 at Hell in a Cell
Hell in a Cell is a professional wrestling steel cage-based match which originated in 1997 in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE). It features a large cell structure, a five-sided cuboid made from open-weave steel mesh chain-link fen ...
he lost the World Heavyweight Championship to The Undertaker in a Hell in a Cell
Hell in a Cell is a professional wrestling steel cage-based match which originated in 1997 in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE). It features a large cell structure, a five-sided cuboid made from open-weave steel mesh chain-link fen ...
match. Punk lost two subsequent rematches for the World Heavyweight Championship against The Undertaker on the October 23 ''SmackDown'' and on October 25 at Bragging Rights
Boasting or bragging is speaking with excessive pride and self-satisfaction about one's achievements, possessions, or abilities.
Boasting occurs when someone feels a sense of satisfaction or when someone feels that whatever occurred proves thei ...
in a fatal four-way match also involving Batista and Rey Mysterio
Óscar Gutiérrez (born December 11, 1974), better known by his ring name Rey Mysterio, is an American professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown brand. Widely regarded as one of the greatest prof ...
.
Straight Edge Society (2009–2010)
His character took on a more sinister direction on the November 27 episode of ''SmackDown'' when Punk revealed that he had converted Luke Gallows
Andrew William Hankinson (born December 22, 1983) is an American professional wrestler, who is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand under the ring name Luke Gallows.
Hankinson began his career in 2005 and participated i ...
, who had previously been portrayed as the mentally incompetent wrestler Festus, to the straight-edge lifestyle which had rid him of his mental troubles. Through January 2010, Punk began to convert planted 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. After converting many people who were not seen again, convert Serena began accompanying Punk and Gallows to form The Straight Edge Society. As well as leading this alliance, Punk was also the mentor of ''NXT
NXT may refer to:
Professional wrestling
* ''WWE NXT'', a professional wrestling television program produced by WWE that began in 2010
** NXT (WWE brand), WWE's Florida-based brand and former developmental territory
* ''NXT UK'', the British spin- ...
'' rookie Darren Young
Frederick Douglas Rosser III (born November 2, 1983) is an American professional wrestler. He is currently signed to New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), where he is the current Strong Openweight Champion in his first reign. He is best known for his ...
who flirted with the idea of becoming straight edge before refusing just before his head was to be shaved. Punk also gave sermons including during the annual Royal Rumble match
The Royal Rumble match is a professional wrestling match based on the classic Battle Royal match in which a number of wrestlers (traditionally 30) aim at eliminating their competitors by tossing them over the top rope, with both feet touching the ...
in January 2010 as well as during an Elimination Chamber
The Elimination Chamber is a professional wrestling elimination-based match held in the WWE. The match was founded by Chris Jericho , created and introduced by Eric Bischoff in November 2002. It features a large chain-linked circular steel ...
match in February 2010 at both of the eponymous pay-per-view events.
During the first months of 2010, Punk feuded with Rey Mysterio, being eliminated by him during the Elimination Chamber match. After Mysterio prevented him from winning a Money in the Bank qualifying match, Punk interrupted Mysterio's celebration of his daughter's ninth birthday. Mysterio and Punk faced each other in a match at WrestleMania XXVI
WrestleMania XXVI (also written as WrestleMania 26) was the 26th annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). It was held for wrestlers from the promotion's Raw and SmackDo ...
, where if Mysterio lost, he would join the Straight Edge Society, but Punk lost to Mysterio at WrestleMania. They had a rematch at Extreme Rules where Punk would have to shave his head like his disciples if he lost, but he won this match after interference from Joey Mercury
Adam Birch (born July 18, 1979), better known by the ring names Joey Mercury and Joey Matthews, is an American professional wrestler who is best known for his two tenures in WWE. Birch was most recently signed to Ring of Honor, where he worked ...
, a fourth member of the Straight Edge Society. On May 23 at Over 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.
After the match, Punk began wearing a black mask, since he considered himself always pure unlike his followers and was embarrassed by his baldness. On June 20 at Fatal 4-Way, Punk challenged for the World Heavyweight Championship against Mysterio, Big Show
Paul Donald Wight II (born February 8, 1972) is an American professional wrestler and actor. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) as an in-ring performer, and as a commentator for its web television show, '' AEW Dark: Elevation,'' under ...
and the champion Jack Swagger
Donald Jacob Hager Jr. (born March 24, 1982) is an American professional wrestler and mixed martial artist, currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) under the ring name Jake Hager, where he is a member of the Jericho Appreciation Society ...
, but he was unsuccessful when he was attacked by Kane, who was accusing various people of attacking The Undertaker. Punk and his stable started a feud with Big Show when on the July 16 episode of ''SmackDown'', Big Show unmasked Punk. Big Show faced the Straight Edge Society in a three-on-one handicap match on August 15 at SummerSlam
SummerSlam is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event, produced annually since 1988 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. Dubbed "The Biggest Party of the Summer", it is considered WWE's secon ...
, winning the match after Punk abandoned his teammates. The next month, at Night of Champions
Night (also described as night time, unconventionally spelled as "nite") is the period of ambient darkness from sunset to sunrise during each 24-hour day, when the Sun is below the horizon. The exact time when night begins and ends depends o ...
, Punk lost to Big Show in a singles match. The Straight Edge Society angle ended after Serena was released from WWE and Mercury became injured, and Punk defeated Gallows in a singles match on the September 24 ''SmackDown''.
The New Nexus (2010–2011)
On October 11, 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 at Bragging Rights
Boasting or bragging is speaking with excessive pride and self-satisfaction about one's achievements, possessions, or abilities.
Boasting occurs when someone feels a sense of satisfaction or when someone feels that whatever occurred proves thei ...
after defeating Evan Bourne
Matthew Joseph Korklan (born March 19, 1983), better known by the ring name Matt Sydal, is an American professional wrestler currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW).
Prior to signing with AEW, Sydal wrestled in WWE as Evan Bourne, and was ...
to win a place, but Team Raw lost as Punk was eliminated by Rey Mysterio. It was reported later that Punk was suffering with a hip injury that would stop him from competing. To keep a presence on television, he began commentating on ''Raw'' from November 22.
At the end of December, Punk left the commentary team after assaulting John Cena
John Felix Anthony Cena ( ; born April 23, 1977) is an American part-time professional wrestler, actor, and former rapper. He is currently signed to WWE. Widely regarded as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time, he is tied ...
on ''Raw'' and ''SmackDown'' with a chair. Punk later revealed that his motives for the attacks were that he had joined and assumed control of The Nexus. Punk then made each member of the group prove themselves worthy of a spot, with some instead choosing to join The Corre
The Corre was a multinational villainous stable that wrestled on World Wrestling Entertainment/WWE's SmackDown brand in 2011. The group was a spinoff of British wrestler Wade Barrett's previous stable, The Nexus.
The stable was formed after Ame ...
, which had been started by former Nexus leader Wade Barrett
Stuart Alexander Bennett (born 10 August 1980) is an English-American professional wrestling commentator, actor, and former professional wrestler who holds both British and American citizenship. He is currently signed to WWE, where he is a col ...
on SmackDown.
In January 2011, Punk and The Nexus cost Orton his match with The Miz
Michael Gregory Mizanin (born October 8, 1980) is an American professional wrestler, actor, and television personality. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand under the ring name The Miz.
Mizanin first gained fa ...
for the WWE Championship at the Royal Rumble
The Royal Rumble is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming List of WWE pay-per-view and WWE Network events, event, produced annually since 1988 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. It is named afte ...
as a revenge for Orton prematurely ending Punk's first World Heavyweight Championship reign in 2008. 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. This led to a match at WrestleMania XXVII
WrestleMania XXVII (also written as WrestleMania 27) was the 27th annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). It was held for wrestlers from the promotion's Raw and SmackDow ...
on April 3 and a Last Man Standing match
Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called "concept" or " gimmick matches" in the jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick matches are more common than others and are often used to advance or conclude a ...
on May 1 at Extreme Rules, both of which Punk lost.
WWE Champion (2011–2013)
In June 2011, after pinning WWE Champion John Cena on the June 13 episode of ''Raw'', Rey Mysterio
Óscar Gutiérrez (born December 11, 1974), better known by his ring name Rey Mysterio, is an American professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown brand. Widely regarded as one of the greatest prof ...
at Capitol Punishment, and finally Alberto Del Rio
José Alberto Rodríguez Chucuan (born 25 May 1977) is a Mexican-American professional wrestler, professional wrestling promoter, sports commentator, and mixed martial artist, currently signed to the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) as a c ...
in a number one contender's triple threat match (which also included Mysterio) all within one week, Punk revealed that his contract was to expire on July 17 at Money in the Bank and vowed to leave the company with the WWE Championship
The WWE Championship is a world heavyweight championship created and promoted by the American professional wrestling promotion WWE, representing the Raw brand division. It is one of two world titles on WWE's main roster, alongside SmackDow ...
. After making 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 owner Vince McMahon
Vincent Kennedy McMahon (; born August 24, 1945) is an American media proprietor and retired professional wrestling promoter, executive, and performer. From 1982 to 2022, he served as the chairman and chief executive officer (CEO) of WWE, the ...
, Punk was given a storyline suspension from televised WWE events. Punk would be reinstated on Cena's insistence. Upon his return, Punk ceased to appear with the remaining members of The Nexus and the group quietly dissolved that month, turning Punk face. At Money in the Bank, Punk defeated Cena to become the WWE Champion on his final night under contract with WWE. The match received a five-star rating from Dave Meltzer, marking Punk's second performance to attain a five-star rating. The match is also considered one of the greatest professional wrestling matches of all times.
On July 21, Punk made a surprise appearance at a joint WWE–Mattel
Mattel, Inc. ( ) is an American multinational toy manufacturing and entertainment company founded in January 1945 and headquartered in El Segundo, California. The company has presence in 35 countries and territories and sells products in more ...
panel at San Diego Comic-Con
San Diego Comic-Con International is a comic book convention and nonprofit multi-genre entertainment event held annually in San Diego, California since 1970. The name, as given on its website, is Comic-Con International: San Diego; but it is ...
, where he mocked new chief operating officer Triple H
Paul Michael Levesque (born July 27, 1969), better known by the ring name Triple H, is an American business executive, actor, and retired professional wrestler currently serving as the chief content officer for WWE. He is widely regarded as ...
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. Punk appeared at July 23's All American Wrestling
AAW Wrestling (AAW) or AAW: Professional Wrestling Redefined and formerly known as All American Wrestling, is an American independent professional wrestling promotion, based in the Chicago area - originally holding shows in Berwyn, Illinois, a ...
show, showing respect to Gregory Iron
Gregory Allen Smith (born October 12, 1986), better known by his ring name Gregory Iron, or "GAS" as a play on his real initials, is an American professional wrestler, who performs regularly in Pro Wrestling Ohio, AAW, Chikara, Smash And Alpha ...
, a wrestler with cerebral palsy
Cerebral palsy (CP) is a group of movement disorders that appear in early childhood. Signs and symptoms vary among people and over time, but include poor coordination, stiff muscles, weak muscles, and tremors. There may be problems with sens ...
. Mysterio won the WWE Championship tournament on the July 25 episode of ''Raw'' only to lose it to Cena later that night. After Cena's victory Punk returned and upstaged the new WWE Champion's celebration while also entering into a title dispute. Triple H later upheld both Punk and Cena's claims to the WWE Championship as legitimate and scheduled the two to a match at SummerSlam
SummerSlam is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event, produced annually since 1988 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. Dubbed "The Biggest Party of the Summer", it is considered WWE's secon ...
to decide the undisputed WWE Champion. At SummerSlam on August 14, Punk won, but he lost the title minutes later to Alberto Del Rio, who had cashed in his Money in the Bank contract after Kevin Nash
Kevin Scott Nash (born July 9, 1959) is an American actor and retired professional wrestler, currently signed to WWE under a legends contract. He is best known for his tenure with World Championship Wrestling (WCW) where he performed under his ...
attacked Punk.
The night after SummerSlam, Punk accused Nash of conspiring with Triple H to keep Punk away from the WWE Championship. After repeated confrontations, Nash and Punk demanded to face each other at Night of Champions
Night (also described as night time, unconventionally spelled as "nite") is the period of ambient darkness from sunset to sunrise during each 24-hour day, when the Sun is below the horizon. The exact time when night begins and ends depends o ...
, to which Triple H acquiesced, but after Punk's repeated verbal attacks towards him and his wife Stephanie McMahon
Stephanie McMahon Levesque (born Stephanie Marie McMahon; ; September 24, 1976) is an American businesswoman and retired professional wrestler. She is the current chairwoman and co-chief executive officer (CEO) of WWE, the world's largest prof ...
, Triple H booked himself to replace Nash. At Night of Champions, Punk lost a no disqualification match to Triple H after Nash, The Miz
Michael Gregory Mizanin (born October 8, 1980) is an American professional wrestler, actor, and television personality. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand under the ring name The Miz.
Mizanin first gained fa ...
and R-Truth
Ronnie Aaron Killings (born January 19, 1972) is an American professional wrestler and rapper. He is currently signed to WWE, performing on the Raw brand under the ring name R-Truth.
Killings worked for World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now ...
attacked both men. Miz and Truth also attacked Punk on October 2 at Hell in a Cell
Hell in a Cell is a professional wrestling steel cage-based match which originated in 1997 in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE). It features a large cell structure, a five-sided cuboid made from open-weave steel mesh chain-link fen ...
after he lost a WWE Championship triple threat Hell in a Cell match to Del Rio. Punk attempted to avenge this by teaming with Triple H against Miz and Truth on October 23 at Vengeance, but they lost due to Nash attacking Triple H. This helped transition Punk's anti-establishment voice from Triple H to John Laurinaitis
John Hodger Laurinaitis (born July 31, 1962), also known by his former ringname Johnny Ace, is an American retired professional wrestler and business executive.
He has wrestled for such promotions as World Championship Wrestling (WCW), All Japan ...
, who became the interim Raw general manager. Punk balked at Laurinaitis' promotion and verbally attacked him as a dull yes man.
On the October 31 episode of ''Raw'', Punk strong-armed his way into a match with Del Rio at Survivor Series
Survivor Series is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event, produced annually since 1987 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. Held in November generally the week of Thanksgiving, it is the se ...
, regaining the WWE Championship at the event on November 20. 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 of ''Raw'' and against both Del Rio and The Miz in a triple threat TLC match on December 18 at TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs. On the December 26 episode of ''Raw'', Punk was defeated by Dolph Ziggler
Nicholas Theodore Nemeth (born July 27, 1980) is an American professional wrestler and stand-up comedian. He is currently signed to WWE under the ring name Dolph Ziggler, where he performs on the Raw brand.
After a prolific career in amateur ...
in a gauntlet match and as a result Ziggler became the number one contender to the WWE Championship (had he been successful, Punk would have earned the right to face Laurinaitis in a match). The following week on ''Raw'', Punk was defeated by Ziggler by countout after Laurinaitis interfered, retaining the championship as a result. Intermeddling from Laurinaitis caused Punk to lose to Ziggler throughout January, which ultimately led to Punk attacking Laurinaitis in retaliation. At the Royal Rumble (2012), Royal Rumble on January 29, 2012, Punk successfully defended his title against Ziggler despite Laurinaitis acting as the Referee (professional wrestling)#Special outside referee, outside enforcer.
On the January 30 episode of ''Raw'', the returning Chris Jericho
Christopher Keith Irvine (born November 9, 1970), better known by the ring name Chris Jericho, is an American-Canadian professional wrestler and singer. He is currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he is the leader of the Jerich ...
attacked Punk and Bryan Danielson, Daniel Bryan during their Champion vs. Champion match, giving Bryan the win. The following week on ''Raw'', Jericho explained his actions by dismissing the WWE roster as 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. Their rivalry continued through Elimination Chamber (2012), Elimination 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. The next night on ''Raw'', Jericho earned a match against Punk on April 1 at WrestleMania XXVIII and in a bid to psychologically unsettle him revealed 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. 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. On the April 2 and 9 episodes of ''Raw'', Punk retained the WWE Championship against Mark Henry after losing to him via countout and disqualification, being attacked by Jericho following both matches and doused with alcohol. On the April 16 episode of ''Raw'', Punk pinned Henry in a no disqualification, no countout match to retain the title. After repeated altercations, the feud between Jericho and Punk culminated in a Professional wrestling match types#Hardcore-based variations, Chicago street fight on April 29 at Extreme Rules (2012), Extreme Rules, where Punk defeated Jericho to retain the WWE Championship.
On May 20 at Over the Limit (2012), Over the Limit, Punk retained the title against Daniel Bryan after reversing Bryan's submission hold the "Professional wrestling holds#Crossface, "Yes!" Lock" into a pinning combination as the pinfall saved Punk from his own submission only moments later. Shortly before Over the Limit, Bryan interfered in a non-title match between Punk and Kane to frame Punk for attacking Kane with a steel chair, starting a three-way rivalry. On the June 1 episode of ''SmackDown'', a WWE Championship match between Punk and Kane ended in a double disqualification after Bryan attacked both men. Meanwhile, Bryan's jilted ex-girlfriend AJ Lee turned her affections to both Punk and Kane. This feud culminated in a triple threat match on June 17 at No Way Out (2012), No Way Out, where Punk managed to retain the title after AJ distracted Kane. On July 15 at Money in the Bank (2012), Money in the Bank, Punk defeated Bryan in a no disqualification match with AJ as special guest referee to retain the title and end the feud.
On July 23 at ''WWE Raw 1000, Raw 1000'', Punk defended the title against Money in the Bank winner John Cena and lost by disqualification after interference from Big Show
Paul Donald Wight II (born February 8, 1972) is an American professional wrestler and actor. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) as an in-ring performer, and as a commentator for its web television show, '' AEW Dark: Elevation,'' under ...
. When the night's special guest Dwayne Johnson, The Rock – who had interrupted Punk earlier to announce he would wrestle for the WWE Championship at the Royal Rumble (2013), Royal Rumble in January 2013 – intervened to save Cena from Big Show's assault, Punk attacked Rock, turning heel in the process. Punk justified his actions the following week on ''Raw'', explaining he was tired of people like Cena and 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. As a result, both men were entered into the title match against Punk on August 19 at SummerSlam (2012), SummerSlam, 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. In the following weeks on ''Raw'', Punk demanded respect from people like AJ Lee, Jerry Lawler and Bret Hart and eventually aligned with Paul Heyman in his feud with Cena. On September 16 at Night of Champions (2012), Night of Champions, Punk retained the WWE Championship after he fought Cena to a Draw (professional wrestling), draw. Punk continued to feud with Cena despite the latter's arm injury, rejecting the requests of Mick Foley
Michael Francis Foley (born June 7, 1965) is an American actor, author, retired professional wrestler, and color commentator. He is currently signed to WWE under the company's Legends program, acting as a company ambassador.
Foley worked for m ...
and Jim Ross to pick him as his Hell in a Cell (2012), Hell in a Cell opponent and leading to a brawl with WWE chairman Vince McMahon. Cena was eventually pulled from the title match and replaced by Ryback (wrestler), Ryback, whom Punk would defeat at Hell in a Cell on October 28 in a Hell in a Cell match with help from referee Brad Maddox to retain the title and also ending Ryback's thirty-eight match undefeated streak.
The next night on ''Raw'', 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 at Survivor Series (2012), Survivor Series in a Survivor Series match
The Survivor Series match is a professional wrestling tag team elimination match held in WWE. The match typically sees two teams pitted against each other and members of the teams are eliminated one-by-one until one entire team is eliminated. Memb ...
with Punk choosing Alberto Del Rio, Cody Rhodes
Cody Garrett Runnels Rhodes (''né'' Runnels; born June 30, 1985) is an American professional wrestler and actor. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand. Rhodes is also known for his time in All Elite Wrestling (AE ...
, Damien Sandow and The Miz for his team. However, Punk was replaced as captain by Dolph Ziggler the following week on ''Raw'' and was instead booked in a triple threat WWE Championship match against John Cena and Ryback by Vince McMahon. At Survivor Series on November 18, Punk won the match by pinning Cena following interference from the debuting faction called The Shield (professional wrestling), The Shield (Dean Ambrose, Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins), allowing him to retain the WWE Championship and hold the championship for a full year. On December 4, Punk underwent surgery to repair a partially torn Meniscus (anatomy), meniscus, removing him from his title match against Ryback on December 16 at TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs (2012), TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs. 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. Punk returned to in-ring action on the January 7, 2013, episode of ''Raw'', retaining the WWE Championship against Ryback in a TLC match following interference from The Shield.
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. 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. WWE recognized this reign as the longest world championship reign in WWE of the "modern era" (after 1988) until WWE Universal Championship, Universal Champion Brock Lesnar broke that record in June 2018. Punk received a title rematch with Rock on February 17 at Elimination Chamber (2013), Elimination Chamber, stipulated that The Rock would lose the title if he was disqualified or counted out, but Punk was pinned by Rock after miscommunication with Heyman. On the February 25 episode of ''Raw'', Punk faced Royal Rumble winner John Cena for his number one contendership to the WWE Championship, but he lost.
Final storylines (2013–2014)
In March 2013, Punk set his sights on ending The Streak (wrestling), The Undertaker's undefeated WrestleMania streak in an effort to "take something away from the fans" as he believed they had taken the WWE Championship away from him. He defeated Big Show, Randy Orton and Sheamus in a fatal four-way match on the March 4 episode of ''Raw'' to officially earn the right to face The Undertaker
Mark William Calaway (born March 24, 1965), better known by the ring name The Undertaker, is an American retired professional wrestler. Widely regarded as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time, Calaway spent the vast majorit ...
. After the real-life death of Paul Bearer, Undertaker's former manager the next day, a storyline involving Punk regularly Spite (sentiment), spiting The Undertaker through displays of flippancy and disrespect towards Bearer's death began, including Punk stealing Bearer's trademark urn. On April 7 at WrestleMania 29, Punk was defeated by The Undertaker, who took back the urn.
After defeating Chris Jericho at Payback (2013), Payback, Punk started a storyline where he told Heyman to no longer accompany him to his matches and was later attacked by Heyman's other client Brock Lesnar, thus turning Punk face once again. Heyman also cost Punk a WWE Championship Money in the Bank ladder match at Money in the Bank (2013), Money in the Bank when he attacked him. This led to a match between Punk and Lesnar at SummerSlam (2013), SummerSlam on August 18, when Punk lost to Lesnar in a No Disqualification match after Heyman interfered. His feud with Heyman continued during the following months, facing his other client, the Intercontinental Champion Curtis Axel. First, at Night of Champions (2013), Night of Champions, 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 after Ryback interfered and put him through a table. Then, Punk defeated Ryback at Battleground (2013), Battleground and the feud ended at Hell in a Cell (2013), Hell in a Cell, where Punk faced Heyman and Ryback in a two-on-one handicap Hell in a Cell match, winning the match by pinning Heyman and after the match performing a "Go to Sleep" on him at the top of the cell.
Punk moved on to a feud with The Wyatt Family (Bray Wyatt, Erick Rowan and Luke Harper) and formed an alliance with Bryan Danielson, Daniel Bryan, with the duo defeating Harper and Rowan in a tag team match on November 24 at Survivor Series (2013), Survivor Series. The next night on ''Raw'', Punk was attacked by The Shield while attempting to save Bryan from being "taken hostage" by The Wyatt Family. Punk then insinuated that The Authority (professional wrestling), The Authority, a villainous group who controlled WWE led by Triple H and Stephanie McMahon, ordered the attack, which resulted in the Director of Operations Kane booking Punk in a three-on-one handicap match against The Shield at TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs (2013), TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs. At TLC on December 15, Punk won the match after Reigns accidentally performed a spear on Ambrose. After further altercations between Punk and Kane, Kane made Punk the first entrant in the annual Royal Rumble match on January 26, 2014. At the Royal Rumble (2014), Royal 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 a chokeslam on him through the announce table.
First retirement (2014)
Punk did not appear on the January 27 episode of ''Raw'', nor did he appear at the ''SmackDown'' taping on Tuesday despite being advertised for the event. By Wednesday, WWE.com stopped advertising Punk for future events. ''The Wrestling Observer'' reported that on Monday and prior to ''Raw'' he had Legit (professional wrestling), legitimately walked out after telling Vince McMahon
Vincent Kennedy McMahon (; born August 24, 1945) is an American media proprietor and retired professional wrestling promoter, executive, and performer. From 1982 to 2022, he served as the chairman and chief executive officer (CEO) of WWE, the ...
and Triple H
Paul Michael Levesque (born July 27, 1969), better known by the ring name Triple H, is an American business executive, actor, and retired professional wrestler currently serving as the chief content officer for WWE. He is widely regarded as ...
that he was "going home". On February 20 during a conference call to investors, McMahon said Punk was "taking a sabbatical". On the March 3 episode of ''Raw'', WWE acknowledged Punk's absence on television when the show started with Punk's entrance music playing, only for former manager Paul Heyman to walk out. WWE proceeded to remove Punk from footage of their promotional videos. This lasted until the first half of July, where WWE used footage of Punk to promote the WWE Network. In an interview published in late May, Punk was asked how it felt "to be retired at 35" and replied that "it feels good". On July 15, WWE.com moved Punk from the active roster to the alumni page without releasing a statement. On the same day, Punk thanked his fans without mentioning WWE. In late July, Punk said that he was "never ever" going to return to wrestling.
On an episode of Colt Cabana's ''Art of Wrestling'' podcast released in November 2014, Punk broke his silence regarding his exit from WWE. In a detailed interview, Punk said that he was suspended for two months after walking out on the company in January and that after the suspension ended, nobody from WWE contacted him. Punk also said that when he reached out to them for unpaid royalties, he was given a run-around by company executives until he was handed his termination papers and was fired by WWE on his wedding day in June 2014. The manner of firing was the last straw for Punk, stating that he would never return to WWE and that following a legal settlement with WWE there would be no further working relationship between them. The settlement included Punk giving WWE permission to sell his remaining merchandise.
Punk cited his health as the main reason he left WWE, describing that in his final months in the company, he had been working through an untreated and potentially fatal methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, MRSA infection (later Punk acknowledged on the witness stand that no physician ever diagnosed him with an MRSA staph infection), 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 requests. The week after Punk left WWE, his wife AJ Lee, April 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.[
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),][ 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 than ]John Cena
John Felix Anthony Cena ( ; born April 23, 1977) is an American part-time professional wrestler, actor, and former rapper. He is currently signed to WWE. Widely regarded as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time, he is tied ...
, as well as receiving less pay and not getting answers as to how the advent of the WWE Network would affect wrestlers' salaries.[ Lastly, Punk described having left with "zero passion" for wrestling][ and described himself at the time of the interview to be the happiest in many years.][
Less than one week later, while being interviewed on ''Stone Cold Steve Austin#Other media, The Steve Austin Show'' on the WWE Network, Vince McMahon apologized to Punk for the manner of his termination, which he regarded as a coincidence due to a lack of communication within the organization. McMahon said that he was open to working with Punk again. In a second ''Art of Wrestling'' podcast, Punk rejected McMahon's apology as insincere and a "publicity stunt" as McMahon did not contact him directly to apologize and could have apologized earlier.]
Post-retirement appearances (2015–2020)
His first known appearance during a wrestling match following his exit from WWE was at a Freelance Wrestling show on December 4, 2015, titled "Raw Power." He would manage Kikutaro in a match against Darin Corbin and Dick Justice. Punk was draped in a cloak and tossed around salt before the match. The commentators referred to him as Kikutaro's "nameless mentor," and Punk didn't get involved in the match.
On April 19, 2019, Punk appeared in a Alter ego, masked disguise at an event held by independent promotion MKE Wrestling, where he helped Ace Steel
Christopher Guy (born January 25, 1973) is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Ace Steel. He is perhaps best known for his time with Ring of Honor and occasional appearances for World Wrestling Entertainment, as w ...
win a match by attacking his opponent with the GTS. While it was implied to be Punk by promotion owner Silas Young, nothing was confirmed by Punk.
On November 12, 2019, Punk made a surprise appearance on the Fox Sports 1 series ''WWE Backstage
''WWE Backstage'' is a professional wrestling studio show that was broadcast live every Tuesday night at 11:00 PM EST on FS1. The show was hosted by Renee Paquette and Booker T.
The show premiered on November 5, 2019 with special preview episod ...
''. He subsequently joined the program as a special contributor and analyst. 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." Production of ''WWE Backstage'' was halted due to the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequently suspended by Fox in June 2020.
All Elite Wrestling (2021–present)
On August 20, 2021, Punk made his debut for All Elite Wrestling
All Elite Wrestling (AEW) is an American professional wrestling promotion based in Jacksonville, Florida. It is considered the second largest wrestling promotion in the United States behind WWE.
AEW is owned by Shahid Khan and his son Tony, ...
(AEW) at AEW The First Dance, The First Dance event on ''AEW Rampage, Rampage'', challenging Darby Allin to a match at the All Out (2021), All Out pay-per-view event. This marked Punk's return to professional wrestling after a seven-year retirement. He won the match against Allin at All Out on September 5. Following a brief feud with Eddie Kingston, whom Punk defeated at Full Gear (2021), Full Gear, Punk experienced his first defeat in AEW in February 2022, losing to MJF in a singles match on ''AEW Dynamite, Dynamite'' after months of feuding between the two. Punk avenged his loss to MJF at Revolution (2022), Revolution in a Professional wrestling match types#Dog Collar match, Dog Collar match.
At Double or Nothing (2022), Double or Nothing on May 29, Punk defeated "Hangman" Adam Page to win the AEW World Championship, his first world title victory since the 2011 Survivor Series. Five days after winning the AEW World Championship, Punk announced on the June 3 episode of ''Rampage'' that he would be out of in-ring action to recover from an injury, however he would remain champion. Jon Moxley was crowned as interim championship, interim champion in Punk's place at AEW x NJPW: Forbidden Door on June 26, and a title unification bout would be held upon Punk's return from injury.
At the AEW Quake by the Lake, Quake by the Lake special episode of ''Dynamite'' on August 10, Punk made his return and confronted Moxley, entering into a title dispute. A match to determine the undisputed AEW World Champion was then scheduled at All Out (2022), All Out. However, due to heated confrontations between the two, it was announced that the match would instead take place on the August 24 episode of ''Dynamite'', where Punk was quickly defeated by Moxley, ending Punk's reign at 86 days. The following week on ''Dynamite'', Moxley laid out an open challenge for anyone to face him at All Out, which was accepted by Punk. At All Out on September 4, Punk defeated Moxley to win his record-tying second AEW World Championship.
At the post-All Out media scrum, Punk took issue with certain members of the media as he addressed the real-life rumor that he had attempted to get his former friend Colt Cabana fired from AEW, which he adamantly denied. His denial of the rumor was backed up by AEW president Tony Khan, who had previously denied the rumor following ROH's Death Before Dishonor (2022), 2022 Death Before Dishonor event. Punk cited "irresponsible people who call themselves EVPs" (AEW's EVPs are Kenny Omega and the Young Bucks, who wrestle as The Elite (professional wrestling), The Elite) and Adam Page, "Hangman" Adam Page as the reason why the rumor was leaked in the weeks leading up to All Out. He also addressed an incident where Page went off-script in a face-to-face promo leading up to their match at Double or Nothing in May, with Punk saying, "What did I ever do in this world to deserve an empty-headed fucking dumb fuck like 'Hangman' Adam Page to go out on national television and fucking go into business for himself? For what? What did I do?" Multiple publications reported that Punk's comments subsequently caused a shoot (wrestling), legitimate fight between Punk, his friend Ace Steel, Omega, and the Young Bucks backstage.
Days later, on the September 7 episode of ''AEW Dynamite'' Tony Khan announced that he had been forced to vacate the AEW World Championship, leading to AEW Grand Slam (2022), a tournament that ended with Moxley reclaiming the championship. The AEW World Trios Championship, won by The Elite at All Out, was simultaneously announced as being vacated. As of the same show, images of the four no longer appeared in the opening video of AEW programming. Punk, Omega and The Young Bucks would not appear on any AEW shows, until The Elite's return at Full Gear (2022), Full Gear on November 19, more than two months later. On September 8, Dave Meltzer
David Allen Meltzer (born October 24, 1959) is an American journalist who reports on professional wrestling and mixed martial arts.
Since 1983, he has been the publisher and editor of the ''Wrestling Observer Newsletter'' (''WON''). He has als ...
reported that Punk tore a muscle in his arm during his match at All Out and would require major surgery; it is expected the injury will keep him out of the ring for up to 8 months, though his future with AEW regardless of the injury was unclear.
Professional wrestling persona
Punk adopted his real-life following of the straight 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, largely indifferent to others who drink Alcoholic beverage, alcohol, smoking, smoke tobacco, partake in recreational drug use or have Promiscuity, promiscuous Human sexual activity, sexual behavior, but emphasizing the social discipline involved with personally Abstinence, abstaining from these behaviors. Conversely, his villainous personality tends to be that of one who is Hardline (subculture), hardline or Straight edge#1990s, militant straight edge, exemplifying the elitist attitudes and superiority complexes – defined by Punk's common mantra during villainous-themed Promos (professional wrestling), promos that because he is straight edge, he is "better than you." 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 belligerently anti-establishment
An anti-establishment view or belief is one which stands in opposition to the conventional social, political, and economic principles of a society. The term was first used in the modern sense in 1958, by the British magazine ''New Statesman'' ...
and Anti-corporate activism, anti-corporate attitude into his persona.
Originally, the initials CM in his ring name represented the phrase "Chick Magnet", the name of the tag team he was in as a Backyard wrestling, backyard wrestler. However, Punk later changed CM into a pseudo-acronym, declaring that it has no meaning, 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. Since beginning this practice, Punk has stated CM stands among others for "Cookie Monster", "Crooked Moonsault", "Chuck Mosley", "Mr. Burns, Charles Montgomery", "Charles Manson", "Charlie Murphy (actor), Charlie Murphy", and "Chicago Made".
During his entrance, Punk yells "It's clobberin' time!", a reference to New York City hardcore punk band Sick of It All who wrote a song with the same name and Marvel Comics, Marvel's fictional character Thing (comics), The Thing. As his entrance theme, Punk uses the song "Cult of Personality (song), Cult of Personality" by Living Colour, with which he is often associated.
An integral part of Punk is the numerous tattoos that adorn his body, some of which have become symbols associated with Punk and mantras 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. The most important of the individual tattoos in Punk's character – whether through association, symbol, or mantra – are the following:
*A Pepsi 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 his Jumbotron, TitanTron entrance video. Punk, a keen Pepsi drinker, chose to receive a Pepsi tattoo to emphasize his straight edge beliefs. The tattoo is also a reference to former Minor Threat guitarist Brian Baker (musician), Brian Baker, who had a Coca-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.
*The words "Straight Edge" are spelled out on Punk's stomach. This is one of his oldest tattoos and he has referred to it as his identity.
*A sleeve tattoo on his left arm that reads "luck is for losers" and features numerous luck, good luck symbols, including a rabbit's foot, four-leaf clover and a horseshoe. The tattoo also features four ace playing cards as a tribute to trainer Ace Steel
Christopher Guy (born January 25, 1973) is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Ace Steel. He is perhaps best known for his time with Ring of Honor and occasional appearances for World Wrestling Entertainment, as w ...
.
*The phrase "No gimmicks needed" on the back of his left hand, a tribute to deceased wrestler Chris Candido.
*The words "Drug Free" across his knuckles ("Drug" on his right knuckles and "Free" on his left).
* His younger sister's jersey number (31) behind his left ear, surrounded by stars, each of which represent his siblings as a way to bond away from home.
* The Cobra Command logo (G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero, G.I. Joe's enemy) on his right shoulder. Punk is known for his love of comic books, considering them along with jazz and professional wrestling as three of the original arts that America has given to the world.
Legacy
Several wrestlers have publicly cited Punk as an inspiration or influence on their careers. Seth Rollins said in December 2018 that Punk's influence on the Chicago wrestling scene was responsible for him becoming a wrestler in the first place, while Rhea Ripley said in September 2019 that Punk's verbal skills were something she aspired to because "when he spoke, everyone listened", and Adam Cole told ''Sports Illustrated'' in November 2019 that Punk's work on the independent circuit was a "huge influence" on him.
Reporters, wrestlers, and fans alike have praised Punk's speaking skills, especially his in-ring promos. His June 2011 "Pipebomb" promo has been called "historic" and is regarded as one of the most important promos in professional wrestling history.[ Punk is credited with being one of the first independent wrestlers to have success in WWE, which in turn opened the door for other independent wrestlers to both join and succeed in WWE. Although much of his time as a top star in WWE was during its heavily watered-down PG Era, Erik Beaston of Bleacher 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".
]
Mixed martial arts career
Ultimate Fighting Championship (2014–2018)
At UFC 181, on December 6, 2014, Punk announced that he had signed a multi-fight contract with Ultimate Fighting Championship
The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...
(UFC). When asked if he would compete under his ring name or birth name, he told the ''Las 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." His UFC profile lists him as CM Punk.
In January 2015, Punk began training under Duke Roufus at Roufusport, Roufusport MMA Academy. In June 2015, Punk moved to Milwaukee to be closer to the Roufusport gym while still retaining his home in Chicago. Later, it was announced that Punk would compete in the welterweight division. In October 2015, Roufus announced that Punk had suffered a shoulder injury, delaying his UFC debut until the next calendar year. On February 6, 2016, it was announced that Punk would face Mickey Gall
Mickey Gall (born January 22, 1992) is an American professional mixed martial artist who competed in the welterweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
Early life
Gall was born in Green Brook, New Jersey. He began training in boxi ...
in his first professional mixed martial arts (MMA) contest, but he was diagnosed with a herniated disc and underwent surgery days later.
Punk's UFC and MMA debut against Mickey Gall
Mickey Gall (born January 22, 1992) is an American professional mixed martial artist who competed in the welterweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
Early life
Gall was born in Green Brook, New Jersey. He began training in boxi ...
took place on September 10 at UFC 203. The event was held at the Quicken Loans Arena, the same venue where Punk left WWE and retired from professional wrestling. Punk was taken down immediately and lost via rear naked choke submission early in the first round. He was paid a disclosed $500,000.
Punk's second professional bout took place at UFC 225
''UFC 225: Whittaker vs. Romero 2'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that was held on June 9, 2018, at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois.
Background
A UFC Middleweight Championship bout between ...
on June 9, 2018, against Mike Jackson, in his hometown of Chicago. Punk showed promise, landing strikes and even scoring a takedown on Jackson, however Punk would become fatigued in round two and would be dominated by Jackson for the rest of the bout, ultimately losing by unanimous decision. After the bout, UFC president Dana White said that both Punk and Jackson would probably not fight for the UFC again, and urged Punk to "call it a wrap". Three years after the bout, it was made public that the result was overturned to a no contest after Jackson tested positive for Cannabis (drug), marijuana. In August 2021, Punk notified the UFC he would be retiring from MMA after he returned to professional wrestling earlier that month.
Cage Fury Fighting Championships (2018–present)
On November 8, 2018, Punk signed with the Cage Fury Fighting Championships
Cage Fury Fighting Championships (CFFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion primarily operating in the Northeastern United States. Founded by Felix and Amy Martinez, they promoted their first shows in Atlantic City, New Jersey, l ...
(CFFC) promotion (a UFC affiliate) as a commentator. His first event was CFFC 71 on December 14 and it was streamed live on UFC Fight Pass.
Personal life
Brooks married fellow wrestler April Mendez, also known as AJ Lee, on June 13, 2014. He is an Atheism, atheist, and has been outspoken in his support for LGBT rights and same-sex marriage. Like his wrestling persona, he follows a straight edge lifestyle. Brooks once worked for a shop named All American Comics.
In February 2015, WWE doctor Christopher Amann filed a United States defamation law, defamation lawsuit against Brooks and Colt Cabana, Scott Colton over Brooks's allegations of medical malpractice on an episode of Colton's podcast (#First retirement (2014), see above). Amann was seeking roughly $4 million in compensation and an undisclosed amount in punitive damages. WWE issued a statement and video in support of Amann. The case went to trial in 2018, where a jury ruled in favor of Brooks and Colton. In August 2018, Colton filed a lawsuit against Brooks, alleging breach of contract and fraud due to Brooks's alleged agreement and later refusal to pay Colton's legal fees for the Amann suit. Colton sought $200,000 in damages and an additional $1 million in punitive damages. Brooks filed a counterclaim against Colton in June 2019, for $600,000 and additional fees. Both lawsuits were settled and dismissed in September 2019. According to ''PWInsider'', the settlement involved no financial compensation.
Other media
Acting and appearances
In 2008, Brooks appeared as the Grand Marshal#Ceremonial, Sports Grand Marshal of the nationally televised McDonald's Thanksgiving Parade in downtown Chicago. He reprised this role in 2012.
Brooks has appeared alongside his friend and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu coach Rener Gracie in several episodes of the YouTube series ''Gracie Breakdown''. He has also worked with Nerdist Industries, including hosting an ongoing series titled ''Grammar Slam'', explaining grammatical mistakes in messages from professional wrestling fans and berating them.
Brooks was the cover athlete for the video game ''WWE '13''. In 2015, he was featured in Frank Turner's "The Next Storm" music video.
Brooks made his acting debut in the 2019 horror film ''Girl on the Third Floor
''Girl on the Third Floor'' is a 2019 horror film directed by Travis Stevens, written by Stevens, Paul Johnstone and Ben Parker, and starring Phil "CM Punk" Brooks, Trieste Kelly Dunn and Tonya Kay. The film tells the story of a deeply flawe ...
''. His performance was praised as "compelling", "down-to-earth", and "energetic and charismatic", with one review stating that he "nails it".
Brooks currently stars in the wrestling drama series ''Heels (TV series), Heels'' (2021–present).
Writing
Brooks wrote the introduction for the hardcover edition of Marvel Comics' 2012 crossover (fiction), crossover event ''Avengers vs. X-Men'' and described the opportunity as a "geek dream come true".
In 2013, Brooks wrote a foreword for his friend and ex-girlfriend Natalie Slater's cookbook ''Bake and Destroy: Good Food for Bad Vegans''.
In February 2015, Marvel Comics' ''Thor Annual'' No. 1, partly written by Brooks, was released. He cowrote "The Most Cursed", which appeared in Vertigo (DC Comics), Vertigo Comics' ''Strange Sports Stories'' No. 3 in May 2015. Brooks also cowrote Marvel Comics' ''Drax the Destroyer, Drax'' ongoing series. Brooks wrote a One-shot (comics), one-shot of Marvel's ''Master of Kung Fu (comics), Master of Kung Fu'', which was published in November 2017.
Filmography
Mixed martial arts record
, -
, NC
, align=center, 0–1 (1)
, Mike Jackson
, NC (overturned)
, UFC 225
''UFC 225: Whittaker vs. Romero 2'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that was held on June 9, 2018, at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois.
Background
A UFC Middleweight Championship bout between ...
,
, align=center, 3
, align=center, 5:00
, Chicago, Illinois, United States
, Originally a unanimous decision win for Jackson; overturned after he tested positive for marijuana.
, -
, Loss
, align=center, 0–1
, Mickey Gall
Mickey Gall (born January 22, 1992) is an American professional mixed martial artist who competed in the welterweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
Early life
Gall was born in Green Brook, New Jersey. He began training in boxi ...
, Submission (rear-naked choke)
, UFC 203
,
, align=center, 1
, align=center, 2:14
, Cleveland, Ohio, United States
,
, -
Championships and accomplishments
* All Elite Wrestling
All Elite Wrestling (AEW) is an American professional wrestling promotion based in Jacksonville, Florida. It is considered the second largest wrestling promotion in the United States behind WWE.
AEW is owned by Shahid Khan and his son Tony, ...
**AEW World Championship (List of AEW World Champions, 2 times)
**AEW Dynamite Awards (2 times)
***Best Moment on the Mic (AEW Dynamite Awards#2021, 2022) -
***Best Mic Duel (AEW Dynamite Awards#2022, 2022) -
*''The Baltimore Sun''
**Feud of the Year (2009)
*Independent Wrestling Association Mid-South
Independent Wrestling Association (IWA) Mid-South (also known as IWA Mid-South, IWA-MS, and IWA Mid South Wrestling) is an American independent professional wrestling promotion based in New Albany, Indiana. It was formed by Ian Rotten in 199 ...
**IWA Mid-South Heavyweight Championship
The IWA World Championship is the major title in the Independent Wrestling Association Mid-South based in Louisville, Kentucky. The title debuted at the "Crowning of a Champion" event on April 3, 1997, when Tower of Doom won a twelve man tournamen ...
(IWA Mid-South Heavyweight Championship#Title history, 5 times)
**IWA Mid-South Light Heavyweight Championship
The IWA Mid-South Light Heavyweight Championship is one of the major titles in the Independent Wrestling Association Mid-South
Independent Wrestling Association (IWA) Mid-South (also known as IWA Mid-South, IWA-MS, and IWA Mid South Wrestlin ...
(IWA Mid-South Light Heavyweight Championship#Title history, 2 times)
*International Wrestling Cartel
**International Wrestling Cartel#Championships, IWC World Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
*Mid-American Wrestling
**Mid-American Wrestling Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
**Mid-American Heavyweight Championship Tournament (2001)
*NWA Shockwave, NWA Cyberspace
**NWA Shockwave Tag Team Championship, NWA Cyberspace Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Julio Dinero
Brian Wohl (born April 14, 1972) is an American retired professional wrestler, better known for his ring name Julio Dinero. His real name is sometimes mistakenly given as Brian Wall.
Professional wrestling career
Wohl debuted in 1994 after tra ...
*Ohio Valley Wrestling
Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW) is an American professional wrestling promotion and former developmental promotion based in Louisville, Kentucky. The company is currently run by Al Snow and Matt Jones and Louisville mayor elect, Craig Greenberg.
...
**OVW Heavyweight Championship
The OVW Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling heavyweight championship owned by the Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW) promotion. The original championship was designed and created in 1997 by Reggie Parks. The title was introduced on Aug ...
(OVW Heavyweight Championship#Title history, 1 time)
**OVW Southern Tag Team Championship
The OVW Tag Team Championship formerly known as the OVW Southern Tag Team Championship is the tag team titles of Ohio Valley Wrestling. Created in 1997, the first champions were Nick Dinsmore and Flash Flanagan. There have been 177 reigns shared b ...
(OVW Southern Tag Team Championship#Title history, 1 time) – with Seth Skyfire
**OVW Television Championship (OVW Television Championship#Title history, 1 time)
*''Pro Wrestling Illustrated
''Pro Wrestling Illustrated'' (''PWI'') is an American internationally sold professional wrestling magazine that was founded in 1979 by publisher Stanley Weston. ''PWI'' is headquartered in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, and published by Kappa Publi ...
''
**PWI Feud of the Year, Feud of the Year (2011)
** PWI Match of the Year, Match of the Year (2011)
**PWI Most Popular Wrestler of the Year, Most Popular Wrestler of the Year (2011, 2021)
**PWI Most Hated Wrestler of the Year, Most Hated Wrestler of the Year (2012)
** Wrestler of the Year (2011, 2012)
**Comeback of the Year (2021)
**Ranked No. 1 of the top 500 singles wrestlers in the ''PWI 500'' in 2012
*Revolution Championship Wrestling
**RCW Championship (1 time)
*''Revolver (magazine), Revolver''
**Golden Gods Award for Most Metal Athlete (2012)
* Ring of Honor
** ROH World Championship (List of ROH World Champions, 1 time)
**ROH Tag Team Championship
The ROH World Tag Team Championship is a professional wrestling world tag team championship contested for in the American professional wrestling promotion Ring of Honor. The championship is generally contested in professional wrestling matches, ...
(List of ROH World Tag Team Champions, 2 times) – with Colt Cabana
**ROH Hall of Fame
The ROH Hall of Fame is a hall of fame that honors professional wrestlers and wrestling personalities who contributed to the history of the U.S. based wrestling promotion Ring of Honor
Ring of Honor (ROH) is an American professional wrestlin ...
(class of 2022)
*St. Paul Championship Wrestling/Steel Domain Wrestling
**SPCW Northern States Light Heavyweight Championship (2 times)
** SPCE Northern States Light Heavyweight Championship Tournament (2000)
*WWE, World Wrestling Entertainment / WWE
**ECW World Heavyweight Championship, ECW Championship (List of ECW World Heavyweight Champions, 1 time)
** World Heavyweight Championship (List of World Heavyweight Champions (WWE), 3 times)
**World Tag Team Championship
The world tag team championship is the name usually given to the primary tag team championship (professional wrestling), championships in professional wrestling Professional wrestling promotions, promotions.
Nomenclature
The name of the promo ...
(List of World Tag Team Champions (WWE), 1 time) – with Kofi Kingston
Kofi Nahaje Sarkodie-Mensah (born August 14, 1981) is a Ghanaian-born American professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the NXT brand under the ring name Kofi Kingston. He appeared on WWE's NXT brand as one-ha ...
**WWE Championship
The WWE Championship is a world heavyweight championship created and promoted by the American professional wrestling promotion WWE, representing the Raw brand division. It is one of two world titles on WWE's main roster, alongside SmackDow ...
(List of WWE Champions, 2 times)
**WWE Intercontinental Championship (List of WWE Intercontinental Champions, 1 time)
** Money in the Bank (Money in the Bank ladder match#2008, 2008, Money in the Bank ladder match#2009, 2009)
**List of WWE tournaments#WWE Intercontinental Championship, WWE Intercontinental Championship #1 Contender's Tournament (2008)
**Triple Crown (professional wrestling)#List of WWE Triple Crown Championship, Nineteenth Triple Crown Champion[
**Slammy Award (7 times)
***"OMG" Moment of the Year (2008) – ]
***Shocker of the Year (Slammy Award#2009 Slammy Awards, 2009) –
***Despicable Me (Slammy Award#2010 Slammy Awards, 2010) –
***Superstar of the Year (Slammy Award#2011 Slammy Awards, 2011)
***"Pipe Bomb" of the Year (2011)
***T-shirt of the Year (2011) –
***Extreme Moment of the Year (Slammy Award#2013 Slammy Awards, 2013) –
*''Wrestling Observer Newsletter
The ''Wrestling Observer Newsletter'' (''WON'') is a newsletter that covers professional wrestling and mixed martial arts.
Founded in print in 1982 by Dave Meltzer, the ''Wrestling Observer'' website merged with Bryan Alvarez's ''Figure Four W ...
''
**List of Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards#Best Box Office Draw, Best Box Office Draw (2021)
**List of Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards#Most Charismatic, Most Charismatic (2021)
**List of Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards#Best Gimmick, Best Gimmick (2009, 2011)
**List of Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards#Best on Interviews, Best on Interviews (2011, 2012)
**List of Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards#Feud of the Year, Feud of the Year (2009)
**Feud of the Year (2011)
**List of Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards#Pro Wrestling Match of the Year, Pro Wrestling Match of the Year (2011)
**List of Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards#Most Disgusting Promotional Tactic, Most Disgusting Promotional Tactic (2012)
**Most Disgusting Promotional Tactic (2013)
Notes
References
External links
*
*
*
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Punk, CM
1978 births
20th-century professional wrestlers
21st-century professional wrestlers
21st-century American male actors
All Elite Wrestling personnel
American atheists
American color commentators
American comics writers
American male film actors
American male mixed martial artists
American male professional wrestlers
American practitioners of Brazilian jiu-jitsu
AEW World Champions
ROH World Champions
ECW Heavyweight Champions/ECW World Heavyweight Champions
Expatriate professional wrestlers in Japan
Living people
Male actors from Chicago
Marvel Comics writers
Masked wrestlers
Mixed martial artists from Illinois
Mixed martial artists utilizing wrestling
Mixed martial artists utilizing Muay Thai
Mixed martial artists utilizing Brazilian jiu-jitsu
Professional wrestling announcers
Professional wrestlers from Illinois
Sportspeople from Chicago
The Challenge (TV series) contestants
Ultimate Fighting Championship male fighters
Writers from Chicago
World Heavyweight Champions (WWE)
WWF/WWE Intercontinental Champions
WWE Champions
American Muay Thai practitioners
ROH World Tag Team Champions
OVW Heavyweight Champions