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CM Punk

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— CH. 1 · INTRODUCTION —

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CM Punk

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  • CM Punk once held the WWE Championship for 434 days, which ranks as the 11th-longest world title reign in WWE history. The name belongs to Phillip Jack Brooks, an American professional wrestler and actor from the Chicago area. His in-ring character was never a costume pulled from a rack. It was built on a straight edge lifestyle, a drug-free way of living that Brooks followed away from the cameras too. That made him blunt, confrontational and hard for bosses to manage. Promotions hired him, fired him and, in one case, apologized to him. This documentary asks where a persona like that comes from. It asks what a champion was running from when he walked away from the top of the business. And it asks what could pull him back through the ropes of two rival companies.

  • Phillip Jack Brooks was born in Chicago, Illinois, on the 26th of October 1978, and the first thing anyone noticed was the color of his face. His umbilical cord had wrapped around his neck, turning him blue. He was the youngest son of Harriet Jadwiga, a housewife born in Germany to Polish parents, and Daniel Brooks, an electrician of Irish ancestry. He and his older brother, Michal, were raised in Lockport, Illinois.

    Daniel Brooks struggled with alcoholism, and his youngest son answered that struggle by adopting a straight edge lifestyle as a teenager. His mother suffered from bipolar disorder. Brooks is estranged from her, and he reportedly obtained a restraining order against her in June 2013. With home so turbulent, he was welcomed into the family of his childhood best friend, Chez.

    A comic book shop called All American Comics, in Evergreen Park, Illinois, gave Brooks his first job. The shop closed in January 2022. The man he credits with making him want to wrestle is "Rowdy" Roddy Piper. School was a rougher fit, and Brooks was arrested several times while attending Lockport Township High School.

    In the mid-to-late 1990s, Brooks, Michal and their friends ran a backyard promotion called the Lunatic Wrestling Federation. On the 25th of October 1997, one day before his 19th birthday, Brooks made his debut there by defeating Brawn the Lumberjack. The name CM Punk came about by accident. Another performer skipped a card, so Brooks was teamed with CM Venom as the Chick Magnets. The letters CM first stood for Chick Magnet, but the meaning was later dropped entirely.

    Unlike his friends, Brooks saw wrestling as more than a game. When the group began running shows out of a warehouse in Mokena, Illinois, he discovered that Michal had taken thousands of dollars from the little company. The brothers fell out and have not spoken since.

    Brooks then enrolled at the Steel Dominion wrestling school in Chicago, where Ace Steel, Danny Dominion and Kevin Quinn trained him. In 1999 he began working at Steel Domain Wrestling in St. Paul, Minnesota. There he met Scott Colton, who took the ring name Colt Cabana. The two became best friends and spent their early years as both opponents and tag team partners. With Chucke E. Smooth, Adam Pearce and the manager Dave Prazak, they formed an alliance called the Gold Bond Mafia. Cabana's name would turn up again in a long ring rivalry and even inside a speech aimed at the biggest company in wrestling.

  • In 2002, Punk became the International Wrestling Cartel Heavyweight Champion in Monroeville, Pennsylvania. He also entered that company's Super Indy tournament but never won it. His true home in those years was Independent Wrestling Association Mid-South. There he held the light heavyweight title twice and the heavyweight title five separate times, and he beat AJ Styles, Cabana and Eddie Guerrero in heavyweight title matches.

    His feud with Chris Hero became the stuff of endurance. It included a 55-minute Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match, a 93-minute two out of three falls match and several draws at the 60-minute time limit. From July 2003 until May 2004, Punk refused to work for the promotion at all. He said he was protesting Ian Rotten's mistreatment of Hero. Hero has said he believes there were other reasons and that Rotten was only an excuse. Punk came back and worked as a wrestler and commentator there until July 2005.

    On the 18th of September 2002, Punk debuted for NWA: Total Nonstop Action alongside his trainer, Ace Steel. They won a three-way match to qualify for a tag team Gauntlet for the Gold, with the vacant NWA World Tag Team Championship at stake. Punk returned in mid-2003 while still wrestling for Ring of Honor. After signing full time, he was paired with Julio Dinero in Raven's stable, The Gathering.

    A scuffle with Teddy Hart outside a restaurant on the 25th of February 2004 added drama. Sabu broke it up. It reportedly stemmed from an ROH show where Hart performed three unplanned moves that put other wrestlers at risk. Soon afterward Punk and Dinero vanished from TNA shows, and many assumed he had been fired. Punk said the scuffle had nothing to do with it. His explanation was that officials felt the pair had failed to connect with fans as villains after turning on the popular Raven. The storyline was shelved with no work left for them. He officially quit in March 2004 during the Rob Feinstein controversy, after a dispute over TNA's order that its contracted wrestlers stop appearing for Ring of Honor.

    Ring of Honor had hired Punk because of his matches with Cabana. His in-ring debut came at All Star Extravaganza on the 9th of November 2002, in a five-man gauntlet match won by Bryan Danielson. He began as a fan favorite, trading wins with Cabana, but soon turned villain in a feud with Raven. That rivalry was rooted in Punk's straight edge beliefs, and he compared Raven to his alcoholic father. Cabana turned on Raven at Night of Champions, which let Punk and Steel win a tag match. The three men then formed the Second City Saints. The feud with Raven ran through most of 2003, and Punk finally beat him in a steel cage match at The Conclusion in November.

    Late in 2003, Punk became the first head trainer of the Ring of Honor wrestling school. The Saints went on to feud with The Prophecy, made up of Christopher Daniels, B.J. Whitmer and Dan Maff. The Saints suspected The Prophecy of attacking Punk's on-screen girlfriend, Lucy Fer. The feud included a moment where Punk drove Daniels through a table with a Pepsi Plunge off the top rope, which explained Daniels' departure from the company. Punk and Cabana beat the Briscoe Brothers at Reborn: Stage Two for their first ROH Tag Team Championship. They lost the belts and won them back on the same night at Round Robin Challenge III. They later dropped them to The Havana Pitbulls at Testing The Limit. Punk also reached the finals of the tournament to crown the first ROH Pure Champion, where AJ Styles beat him.

    In 2004, Punk challenged ROH World Champion Samoa Joe in a three-match series. On the 12th of June at World Title Classic, neither man could win in 60 minutes, and the match was ruled a draw. They fought to a second 60-minute draw on the 16th of October at Joe vs. Punk II. That match became Ring of Honor's bestselling DVD at the time. Wrestling journalist Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter gave it five stars. No match in North America had earned that rating in seven years. The previous one was the first Hell in a Cell match, between Shawn Michaels and The Undertaker at Badd Blood: In Your House in 1997. Joe won the third match on the 4th of December at All-Star Extravaganza 2, under a rule with no time limit.

    The summer of 2005 brought the stunt that Ring of Honor called the Summer of Punk. Punk had already accepted a deal with World Wrestling Entertainment when he beat Austin Aries on the 18th of June at Death Before Dishonor III to win the ROH World Championship. He turned villain on the spot and threatened to carry the title to WWE. He mocked the belt for weeks, and he signed his WWE contract on top of it. Mick Foley appeared several times to urge him to defend the title on his way out. Punk lost it to James Gibson on the 12th of August in a four corner elimination match that also included Samoa Joe and Christopher Daniels. His last scheduled match, on the 13th of August 2005 at Punk: The Final Chapter, was a two out of three falls loss to Cabana. Ring of Honor inducted him into its Hall of Fame in 2022, as part of the inaugural class.

  • In September 2005, Punk landed in Ohio Valley Wrestling, WWE's developmental territory, where Paul Heyman became his mentor. His first appearance on OVW television later that month ended with a broken nose and a ruptured eardrum, courtesy of Danny Inferno. By November 2005 he had beaten Ken Doane for the OVW Television Championship. In May 2006 he defeated Brent Albright in a strap match for the OVW Heavyweight Championship. In July 2006 he and Seth Skyfire won the OVW Southern Tag Team Championship, but they lost it the following month.

    On the 24th of June 2006, Punk debuted on ECW by beating Stevie Richards at a house show in Philadelphia. His television introduction came on the 4th of July episode on Sci Fi, with a straight edge promo and a Muay Thai-inspired look. He then went six months without a singles loss, until Hardcore Holly beat him on the 9th of January 2007. A brief villain turn with the New Breed ended when he attacked its leader, Elijah Burke, and won back the crowd. On the 4th of September 2007, he defeated John Morrison in a last chance match to win the ECW Championship. That reign lasted 143 days. It ended on the 22nd of January 2008, when Chavo Guerrero beat him after interference from Edge.

    On the 30th of March 2008, at WrestleMania XXIV, Punk won the Money in the Bank ladder match. The prize was a shot at the WWE, World Heavyweight or ECW title whenever he chose. He was drafted to Raw on the 23rd of June, and the following week he cashed in to take the World Heavyweight Championship from Edge. The reign lasted 69 days. At Unforgiven on the 7th of September, The Legacy and Randy Orton attacked him, and Orton punted him in the head before a Championship scramble match. Punk could not compete and had to forfeit, and Chris Jericho won the vacated title.

    Punk then went after the Intercontinental title. He beat Rey Mysterio in a tournament final at Armageddon on the 14th of December 2008. On the 19th of January 2009, he beat William Regal in a no disqualification match on Raw to win the belt. That made him the 19th WWE Triple Crown Champion and the fastest ever, breaking Kevin Nash's mark of 203 days.

    On the 5th of April 2009, at WrestleMania 25, he became the first person to win the Money in the Bank ladder match twice. He was drafted to SmackDown on the 13th of April. On the 7th of June at Extreme Rules, he cashed in his contract on Jeff Hardy moments after Hardy won the World Heavyweight Championship from Edge. At The Bash on the 28th of June, Punk kicked the referee and lost to Hardy by disqualification, which let him keep the title. The Undertaker was his next big test. At Breaking Point on the 13th of September, the referee called for the bell during an anaconda vise even though The Undertaker never submitted. The venue was the same one as the Montreal Screwjob of 1997, and the source compares the finish to it. On the 4th of October at Hell in a Cell, The Undertaker took the title from him decisively. By late 2009, Punk's character was about to turn much darker.

  • On the 27th of November 2009 episode of SmackDown, Punk announced that he had converted Luke Gallows to straight edge living. Gallows had been portrayed as the mentally incompetent wrestler Festus, and Punk claimed the lifestyle had cured his mental troubles. Through January 2010, Punk recruited planted audience members, who pledged loyalty to him and shaved their heads. A convert named Serena then joined Punk and Gallows to make up the Straight Edge Society. Punk delivered sermons at the Royal Rumble on the 31st of January and at Elimination Chamber on the 21st of February. He also mentored NXT rookie Darren Young, who backed out just before his head was to be shaved.

    Rey Mysterio became his main target. Punk interrupted the celebration of Mysterio's daughter Aalyah's ninth birthday. At WrestleMania XXVI on the 28th of March, Mysterio would have to join the Society if he lost, but he beat Punk. At Extreme Rules on the 25th of April, Punk risked a shaved head and won with help from Joey Mercury, the Society's fourth member. On the 23rd of May at Over The Limit, Punk lost and was shaved bald. Afterward he wore a black mask, because he saw himself as pure and was embarrassed. Big Show pulled it off on the 16th of July. The Society collapsed after Serena was released and Mercury was hurt, and Punk beat Gallows on the 24th of September.

    Punk returned to Raw in a swap with Edge on the 11th of October 2010. A hip injury at Bragging Rights on the 24th of October kept him out for months, so he took a seat as a Raw commentator on the 22nd of November. At the end of December he attacked John Cena with a chair, then revealed he had taken over The Nexus. Randy Orton wiped out the rest of the New Nexus at the Royal Rumble on the 30th of January 2011, leaving Punk alone. He lost at WrestleMania XXVII on the 3rd of April and again at Extreme Rules on the 1st of May.

    In one week of June 2011, Punk pinned WWE Champion John Cena on the 13th, Rey Mysterio at Capitol Punishment on the 19th, and Alberto Del Rio in a triple threat match. He then revealed that his WWE contract expired on the 17th of July at Money in the Bank. He vowed to leave with the WWE Championship. On the 27th of June edition of Raw, he delivered a promo that fans call the Pipe Bomb. He aimed it at how WWE was run and at owner Vince McMahon, and he name-checked Ring of Honor and New Japan Pro-Wrestling. Punk told Cena, "I am the best wrestler in the world." He complained that he was not on the collectors' cups, the program covers or the WrestleMania poster. He also called out "Hey, Colt Cabana, how you doing?" When his microphone was turned off, he shouted, "I've been silenced!"

    At Money in the Bank, Punk beat Cena to win the WWE Championship. On the 21st of July, he surprised a joint WWE and Mattel panel at San Diego Comic-Con. Two days later he showed respect at an All American Wrestling show to Gregory Iron, a wrestler with cerebral palsy. At SummerSlam on the 14th of August, Punk beat Cena but lost the title minutes later to Alberto Del Rio, who cashed in after Kevin Nash attacked Punk. On the 20th of November at Survivor Series, Punk beat Del Rio and won a second WWE Championship. WWE named him Superstar of the Year at the 2011 Slammy Awards. Pro Wrestling Illustrated voted him Wrestler of the Year in 2011 and 2012. John Laurinaitis, the interim Raw general manager, was a man Punk had labeled a dull yes man. Laurinaitis would soon stand outside the ring at his next major defense.

  • On the 29th of January 2012 at the Royal Rumble, Punk beat Dolph Ziggler while Laurinaitis acted as outside enforcer. The next night, Chris Jericho returned and attacked Punk during a Champion vs. Champion match with Daniel Bryan, handing Bryan the win. Jericho mocked Punk for calling himself the best in the world, a title Jericho had used before. Punk retained the title at Elimination Chamber on the 19th of February, but Jericho could not continue after Punk kicked him out of the structure.

    The following night on Raw, Jericho revealed that Punk's father was an alcoholic and alleged that his sister was a drug addict. He argued that straight edge was only paranoia about repeating their mistakes. Jericho vowed to drive Punk to drink by taking the title. Laurinaitis added a rule that the belt could change hands by disqualification. Jericho tried to goad Punk into using a weapon, but Punk resisted. After two later matches with Mark Henry, on the 2nd and the 9th of April, Jericho attacked Punk and doused him with alcohol. The feud ended at Extreme Rules on the 29th of April in a Chicago street fight, which Punk won.

    Daniel Bryan came next. On the 20th of May at Over the Limit, Punk escaped Bryan's "Yes!" Lock by reversing it into a pin. Before that, Bryan had framed Punk for attacking Kane with a steel chair. Bryan's ex-girlfriend, AJ Lee, turned her attention to both Punk and Kane. Punk retained in a triple threat at No Way Out on the 17th of June after AJ distracted Kane. On the 15th of July at Money in the Bank, he beat Bryan in a no disqualification match with AJ as special guest referee.

    On the 23rd of July, at Raw 1000, Punk lost to John Cena by disqualification after Big Show interfered. The Rock then saved Cena from Big Show's attack. The Rock had earlier announced he would challenge for the title at the Royal Rumble on the 27th of January 2013. Punk attacked The Rock and turned villain. He explained that he was tired of Cena and The Rock overshadowing the champion. At SummerSlam on the 19th of August, he retained against Cena and Big Show. He aligned himself with Paul Heyman and fought Cena to a draw at Night of Champions on the 16th of September. At Hell in a Cell on the 28th of October, he beat Ryback, with help from referee Brad Maddox, and ended Ryback's undefeated streak of thirty-eight matches.

    At Survivor Series on the 18th of November, Punk pinned Cena in a triple threat match after the debuting Shield interfered. The group was Dean Ambrose, Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins. The win let Punk hold the title for a full year. On the 4th of December he had surgery on a partially torn meniscus. On the 5th of December he passed John Cena's 380 days with 381, the longest WWE Championship reign in 25 years.

    At the Royal Rumble, The Rock faced Punk under a rule that interference by The Shield would cost Punk the title. The lights went out, and The Shield drove The Rock through a table. Punk pinned The Rock, and Vince McMahon announced that Punk would be stripped. But he restarted the match at The Rock's request, and Punk lost. WWE recognized the reign as the longest of the modern era, meaning after 1988, until Brock Lesnar passed it in June 2018.

    WrestleMania 29 brought a darker storyline. Punk beat Big Show, Randy Orton and Sheamus on the 4th of March to earn a match with The Undertaker. Paul Bearer, The Undertaker's former manager, died in real life the next day. Punk then mocked The Undertaker with flippant displays, including stealing Bearer's trademark urn. The Undertaker beat Punk on the 7th of April. After two months out recovering, Punk returned at Payback on the 16th of June and beat Chris Jericho. He told Heyman to stop coming to his matches, and Brock Lesnar attacked him. Lesnar beat Punk at SummerSlam on the 18th of August. At Hell in a Cell on the 27th of October, Punk beat Heyman and Ryback in a two-on-one handicap match and hit Heyman with a Go to Sleep on top of the cell.

    Punk then teamed with Daniel Bryan against The Wyatt Family, made up of Bray Wyatt, Erick Rowan and Luke Harper. The Shield attacked Punk the next night. He suggested that The Authority, a villainous group led by Triple H and Stephanie McMahon, had ordered it. At TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs on the 15th of December, Punk won the three-on-one handicap match after Roman Reigns accidentally speared Dean Ambrose. Kane then made Punk the first entrant in the Royal Rumble on the 26th of January 2014. Near the end, Kane eliminated Punk and chokeslammed him through the announce table. Punk was advertised for Raw the next night, but he never arrived.

  • On the 27th of January 2014, Punk missed Raw. He also skipped the SmackDown taping on Tuesday, though WWE had advertised him for both. By Wednesday, WWE.com stopped promoting him. The Wrestling Observer reported that he had told Vince McMahon and Triple H before Raw that he was "going home." Punk later put it this way: "I was sick and hurt and burnt out, and I walked." He added that he could do that because he was an independent contractor.

    On the 20th of February, McMahon told investors Punk was "taking a sabbatical." On the 3rd of March, Raw came to Chicago, Punk's hometown. The show opened with his entrance music, but Paul Heyman walked out to loud boos instead. WWE then removed Punk from its promotional videos, until July, when it used his footage to promote the WWE Network. In late May, asked how it felt to be retired at 35, Punk said it "feels good." On the 15th of July, WWE.com moved him to its alumni section without a statement. In late July he said he was "never ever" coming back.

    Punk broke his silence in November 2014 on Colt Cabana's Art of Wrestling podcast. He said WWE suspended him for two months after the walkout, and nobody contacted him once it ended. When he asked executives about unpaid royalties, he said they gave him a run-around. Then, on the 13th of June 2014, he said he was handed termination papers and fired on his wedding day. A legal settlement followed, and it let WWE keep selling his remaining merchandise.

    He named his health as the main reason for leaving. In his last months, he said, he worked through broken ribs, hurt knees, several concussions, one at the 2014 Royal Rumble, a loss of appetite and poor sleep. He also described an untreated and possibly fatal staph infection. In November 2013 he found a lump on his back, which a company doctor diagnosed as a fatty deposit and declined to remove. The week after he left, his wife, April Mendez, urged him to see her doctor. That doctor told him he could have died. Punk said having the infection drained was the worst pain of his life, and that he slept well afterward. On the witness stand, he later acknowledged he had not been diagnosed with MRSA. A physician's assistant had said his symptoms matched an ordinary staph infection.

    Other grievances ran deep. He had never main evented a WrestleMania, which he felt made his entire career a failure. He said he was paid less than other wrestlers in the three biggest matches of WrestleMania 29. He felt creatively stifled and saw no long-term plans for anyone except John Cena. He also got no answers about how the WWE Network would affect wrestler pay. He said he left with zero passion for wrestling and was the happiest he had been in years.

    Less than a week later, Vince McMahon appeared on The Steve Austin Show on the WWE Network. He apologized for the firing and called it an unfortunate coincidence caused by poor communication. He also said he was open to working with Punk again. On a second Art of Wrestling episode, Punk rejected the apology as insincere and a publicity stunt, since McMahon had not contacted him directly. Punk's first known return to a wrestling event came on the 4th of December 2015, when he appeared in a cloak at a Freelance Wrestling show.

  • On the 4th of December 2015, at Freelance Wrestling's "Raw Power," announcers called the cloaked figure Kikutaro's "nameless mentor." Punk managed Kikutaro against Darin Corbin and Dick Justice and tossed salt before the match without joining in. On the 19th of April 2019, a masked man at an MKE Wrestling event helped Ace Steel win by hitting a GTS. Promotion owner Silas Young implied it was Punk, but Punk never confirmed it.

    Meanwhile, Punk tried mixed martial arts. At UFC 203 in 2016, he lost his professional debut by submission to Mickey Gall. At UFC 225 in 2018, he lost a unanimous decision to Mike Jackson, later changed to a no contest. He never fought again and retired in August 2021. He has been a part-time color commentator for Cage Fury Fighting Championships since 2018. On screen, he starred in the horror films Rabid, Girl on the Third Floor and Jakob's Wife, plus the series Heels and Mayans M.C. He also appears in the animated comedy Zootopia 2.

    On the 12th of November 2019, Punk made a surprise appearance on the Fox Sports 1 show WWE Backstage and then joined as an analyst. He took the job partly because Fox, not WWE, would be his employer, and he hoped it would help him find a path back into wrestling. About an in-ring return, he was neither interested nor opposed, calling it "a bridge that is gonna have to be built." The COVID-19 pandemic halted production. Fox suspended the show in June 2020, and by 2021 it was canceled.

    On the 20th of August 2021, Punk debuted for All Elite Wrestling on Rampage, challenging Darby Allin to a match at All Out. It ended seven years of retirement. Dave Meltzer said his home-city appearance drew "one of the most amazing audience reactions to a pro wrestler in U.S. history." Punk beat Allin at All Out on the 5th of September. He then suffered his first AEW loss, to MJF, on the 2nd of February 2022, and beat MJF at Revolution on the 6th of March in a Dog Collar match. At Double or Nothing on the 29th of May, he beat Adam Page for the AEW World Championship. Days later he announced a hiatus to recover from a foot injury, and Jon Moxley became interim champion. Punk returned on the 10th of August and won the title for a second time against Moxley at All Out on the 4th of September.

    In the media scrum after All Out, Punk addressed rumors that he had tried to get Colt Cabana fired from AEW. He accused executive vice presidents Kenny Omega and The Young Bucks, Matt and Nick Jackson, of spreading those rumors. Omega, The Young Bucks and AEW's head of legal, Megha Parekh, confronted him backstage, and a real altercation followed. All involved were suspended, and the title was vacated. Punk had also torn his left triceps at All Out and needed surgery. He said he privately apologized to Tony Khan, AEW's president and CEO.

    After nine months away, Punk returned on the premiere of Collision on the 17th of June 2023. He teamed with FTR to beat Samoa Joe, Jay White and Juice Robinson. On the 29th of July, he unveiled the AEW World Championship belt he had won in September 2022 and declared himself the true champion, because no one had defeated him for it. He spray-painted his X symbol on it. At All In on the 27th of August, he beat Joe in what became his final AEW match.

    After the show, reports said Punk had a real backstage altercation with Jack Perry over comments Perry made during his match. An AEW investigation followed, and Punk was fired for just cause on the 2nd of September. Tony Khan said, "Never in all this time have I ever felt until last Sunday that my security, my safety, my life was in danger at a wrestling show." In April 2024, Punk disputed this on The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani. He said he told Khan to his face that he quit, and that nobody from AEW spoke to him for six months after the 2022 altercation.

    On the 25th of November 2023, at the end of Survivor Series: WarGames in the Chicago area, Punk returned to WWE for the first time since 2014. Reporters said it drew one of the loudest pops of all time. He signed with Raw on the 11th of December, and he beat Dominik Mysterio in his first matches back, at Madison Square Garden on the 26th of December and the Kia Forum on the 30th. At the Royal Rumble on the 27th of January 2024, he entered at number 27 and finished as runner-up to Cody Rhodes. During the match he tore his right triceps, which ruled him out of WrestleMania XL and cost him a planned match with Seth Rollins. He would go on to win the World Heavyweight Championship twice after his return.

Updated

All sources

501 references cited across the entry

  1. 7The Fall and Rise of CM PunkDan Sinker — February 28, 2022
  2. 12CM Venom InterviewAl Lagattolla — Chicago Wrestling — December 17, 2001
  3. 13CM Punk InterviewJon Robinson — December 1, 2006
  4. 14Congratulations to AceCM Punk — WWE — January 23, 2007
  5. 15Wojick InterviewAlan Wojick — The Wrestling Clothesline — June 21, 2003
  6. 16VideoStraight Shootin' with Samoa Joe & CM PunkRing of Honor — March 10, 2005
  7. 17VideoStraight Shootin' with CM Punk & Colt CabanaRing of Honor — July 1, 2005
  8. 22VideoShoot with Chris HeroRF Video — 2005
  9. 24My turn..CM Punk — LiveJournal — November 12, 2003
  10. 25Derek Burgan reviews Best of Teddy Hart & Jack EvansDerek Burgan — January 28, 2006
  11. 26CM Punk TalksAl Lagattolla — Chicago Wrestling — May 29, 2004
  12. 27CM PunkJohn M. Milner et al. — Canoe.com — April 3, 2016
  13. 31Dark Pegasus Video Review: Ring of Honor – Death Before DishonorJD Dunn — 411mania.com — June 16, 2006
  14. 32CM Punk mulls over his futureDave Hillhouse — Canoe.com — June 6, 2005
  15. 33CM Punk, the trainerAl Lagattolla — Chicago Wrestling — April 5, 2003
  16. 36ROH – Unscripted II DVD ReviewJacob Ziegler — 411mania — May 6, 2006
  17. 39South Philly ScrewjobWWE — July 4, 2006
  18. 40Sabu strikes againJen Hunt — WWE — August 1, 2006
  19. 41Garden ShowstopperBrett Hoffman — WWE — September 12, 2006
  20. 42Messiah's revelationsCraig Tello — WWE — November 7, 2006
  21. 43Lashley unleashed on ECWCraig Tello — WWE — November 14, 2006
  22. 44D-Xtreme dominanceLouis Dee — WWE — November 26, 2006
  23. 45Mission accomplishedCraig Tello — WWE — December 3, 2006
  24. 46No con-TestCraig Tello — WWE — January 9, 2007
  25. 47Caldwell's WrestleMania 23 ReportJames Caldwell — TDH Communications Inc. — April 1, 2007
  26. 48New Breed gets the straight edgeBryan Robinson — WWE — April 10, 2007
  27. 49Rattlesnake's venomous visitCraig Tello — WWE — March 6, 2007
  28. 50Masterpiece theater, Lashley-styleBryan Robinson — WWE — March 21, 2007
  29. 51Making painful statementsBryan Robinson — WWE — April 24, 2007
  30. 52On his ownAndrew Rote — WWE — May 20, 2007
  31. 53CM Punk splinters the New BreedAndrew Rote — WWE — June 3, 2007
  32. 54One wild nightMike McAvennie — WWE — June 11, 2007
  33. 55The beginning of a new ECW dawnBryan Robinson — WWE — June 19, 2007
  34. 56ECW World Title goes A-listBryan Robinson — WWE — June 24, 2007
  35. 57Morrison enlightens the Straightedge SuperstarAndrew Rote — WWE — July 22, 2007
  36. 58Enlightened robberyLennie Difino — WWE — August 26, 2007
  37. 59Golden grinAndrew Rote — WWE — September 4, 2007
  38. 63ECW: Dreaded hat does in Morrison's title hopesMatt Bishop — Canoe.com — November 7, 2007
  39. 65Chavo's NightCraig Tello — WWE — January 22, 2008
  40. 66Perseverance makes Punk 'Mr. Money' in OrlandoCorey Clayton — WWE — March 30, 2008
  41. 67A Draft DisasterAubrey Sitterson — WWE — June 23, 2008
  42. 68Opportunity Knocked, Punk AnsweredGreg Adkins — WWE — June 30, 2008
  43. 69Big Red invasionCraig Tello — World Wrestling Entertainment — July 20, 2008
  44. 70Caldwell's WWE Raw Report 7/21: Ongoing "virtual time" coverage of live USA Network broadcastJames Caldwell — TDH Communications Inc. — July 21, 2008
  45. 71SummerSlam comes close to 'blockbuster' statusDale Plummer et al. — Canoe.com — August 17, 2008
  46. 72Punk possibly unable to compete?Craig Tello — WWE — September 7, 2008
  47. 74Just DessertsAubrey Sitterson — WWE — October 27, 2008
  48. 75Disastrous returnAubrey Sitterson — WWE — January 19, 2009
  49. 76Raw: CM Punk rises, Vince falls in ChicagoNick Tylwalk — Canoe.com
  50. 77CM Punk makes WWE history with title winBuck Woodward — January 19, 2009
  51. 78In your houseAubrey Sitterson — WWE — March 9, 2009
  52. 80Rough DraftAubrey Sitterson — WWE — April 13, 2009
  53. 82Punk cashes in for goldMitch Passero — WWE — June 7, 2009
  54. 83Mysterio & Jericho save The Bash from wash-outBrian Elliott — Canoe.com — June 29, 2009
  55. 84Results: Punk crushes Hardy's dreams ... againMitch Passero — June 26, 2009
  56. 86CM Punk comes out on topRyan Murphy — WWE — August 23, 2009
  57. 87Extreme exodusMichael Burdick — WWE — August 28, 2009
  58. 88Results: Hell's Gate-crasherCraig Tello — WWE — September 13, 2009
  59. 90Title changes highlight Hell in a CellChris Sokol — Canoe.com
  60. 91Smackdown: The SD! seven switchJon Waldman — Canoe.com — October 24, 2009
  61. 93Hungry Animal heading to WWE TLCMichael Burdick — WWE — November 27, 2009
  62. 94Stunned contendersMitch Passero — WWE — January 8, 2010
  63. 95Locked in the cage with a wild AnimalMichael Burdick — WWE — January 15, 2010
  64. 96No fearMitch Passero — WWE — January 12, 2010
  65. 97Whirlwind before the RumbleMichael Burdick — WWE — January 29, 2010
  66. 98WWE News: Complete cast of the NXT show revealed including The Miz mentoring Bryan DanielsonJames Caldwell — Pro Wrestling Torch — February 16, 2010
  67. 99411's WWE NXT Report 2.23.10Michael Bauer — 411Mania — February 23, 2010
  68. 103WrestleMania XXVI thoughtsKevin Eck — March 29, 2010
  69. 106Smackdown: The Dead Man ComethDave Hillhouse — Canoe.com — May 29, 2010
  70. 107Smackdown: Kane strikes again, Punk unmaskedMatt Bishop — Canoe.com — July 16, 2010
  71. 108SummerSlam thoughtsKevin Eck — February 16, 2019
  72. 109Few gimmicks, more title changes at Night of ChampionsNick Tylwalk — Canoe.com — September 20, 2010
  73. 110Serena releasedWWE — August 27, 2010
  74. 111Smackdown star likely out six monthsSteve Gerweck — September 1, 2010
  75. 112Smackdown: Kickin' it old schoolDave Hillhouse — Canoe.com — September 25, 2010
  76. 113Raw: Team Raw assembles while Cena stewsNick Tylwalk — Canoe.com — October 12, 2010
  77. 115What's next for injured CM Punk?Kevin Eck — November 2, 2010
  78. 116Raw Results – 11/22/10Paul Nemer — November 22, 2010
  79. 117Smackdown: Ziggler takes Cena to the limit again, CM Punk makes impactMatt Bishop — Canoe.com — December 21, 2010
  80. 119Steel resolveGreg Adkins — WWE — January 3, 2011
  81. 120RAW: CM Punk thins out the ranksDale Plummer — Canoe.com — January 10, 2011
  82. 123Raw: Triple H talks Wrestlemania; The Miz loses an allyDale Plummer — Canoe.com — February 28, 2011
  83. 124Raw: Stone Cold stuns Cole's Wrestlemania plansDale Plummer — Canoe.com — March 7, 2011
  84. 125Raw: Cena wrecked on the Road to WrestlemaniaDale Plummer — Canoe.com — March 14, 2011
  85. 128Raw: Austin, Piper headline 'All Star' nightMatt Bishop — Canoe.com — June 14, 2011
  86. 129Caldwell's WWE Capitol Punishment PPV Results 6/19James Caldwell — TDH Communications Inc.
  87. 130Raw Results – 6/20/11David Stephens — June 20, 2011
  88. 133Raw results: Stars and gripesJames Wortman — WWE — July 4, 2011
  89. 134CM Punk def. John Cena (New WWE Champion)Craig Tello — WWE — July 17, 2011
  90. 138NewsTitle glory for CenaJames Coyle — Sky Sports — July 26, 2011
  91. 146Entertainment era beginsRyan Murphy — WWE
  92. 147Raw: Rematch time for Punk and Del Rio while Cena gets a reality checkNick Tylwalk — Canoe.com — November 29, 2011
  93. 151WWE Champion CM Punk won the Raw Elimination Chamber MatchTom Herrera — WWE — February 19, 2012
  94. 159Monster and the Madwoman?Alex Giannini — WWE
  95. 162Raw 1000th Episode ReportTodd Martin — July 23, 2012
  96. 164Caldwell's WWE Raw Results 7/23James Caldwell — TDH Communications Inc. — July 23, 2012
  97. 169Caldwell's WWE Survivor Series PPV Report 11/18: Punk-Cena-RybackJames Caldwell — TDH Communications Inc. — November 19, 2012
  98. 173The Rock def. WWE Champion CM PunkJohn Clapp — WWE — January 27, 2013
  99. 181The Undertaker def. CM PunkRyan Murphy — WWE — April 7, 2013
  100. 186Caldwell's WWE SSlam PPV Results 8/18 (Hour 2): Lesnar vs. Punk brutal fightJames Caldwell — TDH Communications Inc. — August 18, 2013
  101. 189Battleground PPV Results 10/6 (Hour 3): WWE Title match, power outage situation, Punk vs. RybackJames Caldwell — TDH Communications Inc. — October 6, 2013
  102. 194WWE news: Report – C.M. Punk leaves WWEJames Caldwell — TDH Communications Inc. — January 29, 2014
  103. 195NewsCM Punk 'quits the WWE' only weeks before Wrestlemania 30Christopher Hooton — January 29, 2014
  104. 196WWE news: McMahon addresses Punk's departure from WWEJames Caldwell — TDH Communications Inc. — February 20, 2014
  105. 198CM Punk – WWE updateMike Johnson — March 21, 2014
  106. 201WWE news: Is C.M. Punk retired?, Punk addresses statusJames Caldwell — TDH Communications Inc. — May 29, 2014
  107. 202WWE News: C.M. Punk no longer on the roster; Punk speaksJames Caldwell — TDH Communications Inc. — July 15, 2014
  108. 204CM Punk breaks silence on WWE exit in new podcastJason Namako — November 27, 2014
  109. 214FS1 SUSPENDS WEEKLY PRODUCTION OF WWE BACKSTAGEWrestling Observer Newsletter — June 22, 2020
  110. 216MagazineBreaking: CM Punk Finished In AEWJustin Barrasso — September 2, 2023
  111. 217Tony Khan addresses CM Punk firing on AEW CollisionBryan Rose — September 2, 2023
  112. 220CM Punk Returns To WWE At WWE Survivor Series 2023Jeremy Lambert — November 25, 2023
  113. 226MagazineCM Punk Injured at Royal Rumble, Announces He Will Miss WrestleManiaJustin Barrasso — January 29, 2024
  114. 263WWE UnCut: CM PunkWWE — May 29, 2007
  115. 265WWE Smackdown vs. Raw 2009: CM PunkJon Robinson — ESPN — November 4, 2008
  116. 266Fightin' Fanboys: WWE's CM PunkArune Singh — Marvel Entertainment — March 26, 2010
  117. 267MagazineCM Punk makes his AEW debut seven years after leaving WWEJustin Barrasso — August 20, 2021
  118. 268VideoEntrance videoWWE — 2006
  119. 269JournalThe Illustrated ManCM Punk — October 2006
  120. 270VideoBest of American Super Juniors TournamentRing of Honor — April 2, 2005
  121. 271Punk's got a lucky armWWE — October 18, 2007
  122. 272NewsWhat's Going DownFin Martin — June 2007
  123. 274Q+A: CM PunkCharlie Connell — March 23, 2012
  124. 283CM Punk y The Miz tienen una nueva fan: Rhea RipleyJonie Lucha — September 9, 2019
  125. 284¿CM Punk en The Undisputed Era? Portazo de Adam ColeJonie Lucha — November 29, 2019
  126. 285The 50 best talkers in wrestling historyZach Linder — March 18, 2014
  127. 286Reader feature: "CM Punk: King of the Indies"Adam Martin — July 17, 2011
  128. 290CM Punk joins UFC, will fight in 2015Brett Okamoto — ESPN — December 8, 2014
  129. 291NewsUFC signs pro wrestler CM Punk for 2015 MMA debutGreg Beacham — December 7, 2014
  130. 293CM Punk – official UFC fighter profileUltimate Fighting Championship
  131. 295Ben Askren: CM Punk will be a part of the teamElias Cepeda — January 5, 2015
  132. 298CM Punk's UFC debut postponed by shoulder injuryBrett Okamoto — ESPN — October 8, 2015
  133. 300VideoUFC Unfiltered: The Rock and CM PunkUltimate Fighting Championship — June 22, 2016
  134. 304UFC 203 salaries: CM Punk banks $500,000 in MMA debutShaun Al-Shatti — September 12, 2016
  135. 307VideoCM Punk on Whether He Would Return to UFCCollider Podcasts — October 2, 2019
  136. 317'Girl on the Third Floor' Review: SXSWDennis Harvey — March 14, 2019
  137. 320CM Punk writes introduction to Marvel Comics' 'Avengers vs. X-Men'Alex Giannini — WWE — October 15, 2012
  138. 322CM Punk Introduces Avengers Vs. X-MenJames Viscardi — Marvel Entertainment — October 16, 2012
  139. 325Talking to CM Punk about the Cubs and comic booksBill Hanstock — SB Nation — May 13, 2015
  140. 332Grammar Slam season 2 premiere: 'Here vs. Hear'Derrick Rossignol — Nerdist Industries — November 2, 2015
  141. 335CM Punk Throws Out First Pitch At Chicago Cubs GameJeremy Lambert — September 5, 2025
  142. 355Why Punk Wasn't on RawMike Johnson — December 9, 2025
  143. 358CM Punk goes ghost huntingKara A. Medalis — WWE — October 30, 2006
  144. 362Every CM Punk Movie & TV Show RankedAbdullah Al-Ghamdi — August 30, 2021
  145. 363Video: 'The Evolution of Punk' TrailerJoseph Currier — August 9, 2016
  146. 365'Ultimate Beastmaster' Renewed for Season 3 by NetflixBryn Elise Sandberg — February 27, 2018
  147. 367CM Punk Cameos On This Week's Mayans M.C.Jeremy Thomas — May 4, 2022
  148. 369NewsCM Punk Joins Syfy Series Revival (EXCLUSIVE)Joe Otterson — November 21, 2024
  149. 378Complete List Of 2022 AEW Award WinnersGisberto Guzzo — March 23, 2022
  150. 3792009 AwardsKevin Eck — January 27, 2010
  151. 383IWA Mid-South Heavyweight ChampionshipPhilip Kreikenbohm — Cagematch – The Internet Wrestling Database — December 5, 2001
  152. 385IWA Mid-South Light Heavyweight ChampionshipPhilip Kreikenbohm — Cagematch – The Internet Wrestling Database — June 9, 2001
  153. 387IWC World Heavyweight ChampionshipPhilip Kreikenbohm — Cagematch – The Internet Wrestling Database — April 13, 2002
  154. 390MAW Heavyweight ChampionshipPhilip Kreikenbohm — Cagematch – The Internet Wrestling Database — December 15, 2001
  155. 391The Post's 2023 pro wrestling awardsJoseph Staszewski — December 26, 2023
  156. 393NWA Cyberspace Tag Team ChampionshipPhilip Kreikenbohm — Cagematch – The Internet Wrestling Database — May 21, 2005
  157. 395OVW Heavyweight ChampionshipPhilip Kreikenbohm — Cagematch – The Internet Wrestling Database — May 3, 2006
  158. 397OVW Southern Tag Team ChampionshipPhilip Kreikenbohm — Cagematch – The Internet Wrestling Database — July 28, 2007
  159. 399OVW Television ChampionshipPhilip Kreikenbohm — Cagematch – The Internet Wrestling Database — November 9, 2005
  160. 400PWI Achievement AwardsKappa Publishing Group
  161. 403Pro Wrestling Illustrated (PWI) 500 for 2012Internet Wrestling Database
  162. 404NWA Revolution ChampionshipPhilip Kreikenbohm — Cagematch – The Internet Wrestling Database — March 1, 2003
  163. 405Chris Jericho ruins CM Punk's "metal" momentMitch Passero — WWE — April 12, 2012
  164. 406ROH World ChampionshipPhilip Kreikenbohm — Cagematch – The Internet Wrestling Database — June 18, 2005
  165. 407ROH Tag Team ChampionshipPhilip Kreikenbohm — Cagematch – The Internet Wrestling Database — April 24, 2004
  166. 408Magazine20 Greatest WWE Wrestlers Of All TimeSid Pullar III
  167. 409SPCW Northern States Light Heavyweight Championship/SDW Television ChampionshipPhilip Kreikenbohm — Cagematch – The Internet Wrestling Database — January 28, 2000
  168. 411CM Punk's second WWE Championship reignWWE — November 21, 2011
  169. 413WWE ChampionshipPhilip Kreikenbohm — Cagematch – The Internet Wrestling Database — July 17, 2011
  170. 418World Heavyweight ChampionshipPhilip Kreikenbohm — Cagematch – The Internet Wrestling Database — June 30, 2008
  171. 420ECW ChampionshipPhilip Kreikenbohm — Cagematch – The Internet Wrestling Database — September 1, 2007
  172. 422WWE Intercontinental ChampionshipPhilip Kreikenbohm — Cagematch – The Internet Wrestling Database — January 19, 2009
  173. 424World Tag Team ChampionshipPhilip Kreikenbohm — Cagematch – The Internet Wrestling Database — October 27, 2008
  174. 425WWE WrestleMania 25 – "The 25th Anniversary Of WrestleMania"Philip Kreikenbohm — Cagematch – The Internet Wrestling Database — April 5, 2009
  175. 426WWE WrestleMania 24 – "The Biggest WrestleMania Under The Sun"Philip Kreikenbohm — Cagematch – The Internet Wrestling Database — March 30, 2008
  176. 427Saluting the SlammysGreg Adkins — WWE — December 13, 2010
  177. 4282013 Slammy Award winnersWWE — December 8, 2013
  178. 4292008 Slammy AwardsWWE — December 8, 2008
  179. 430Full list of 2024 WWE Slammy Award winnersIan Carey — April 7, 2024
  180. 4322009 Slammy AwardsWWE — December 14, 2009
  181. 4332011 Slammy Award WinnersWWE — December 12, 2011
  182. 437Journal2009 Awards Issue, Possible biggest wrestling news story of 2010Dave Meltzer — January 27, 2010
  183. 438JournalGigantic year-end awards issue, best and worst in all categories plus UFC on FX 1, death of Savannah Jack, ratings, tons and tons of newsDave Meltzer — January 30, 2012
  184. 439JournalThe 2012 Wrestling Observer Newsletter Annual Awards IssueDave Meltzer — January 23, 2013
  185. 443AEW All In: London ResultsAEW staff — All Elite Wrestling — August 27, 2023
  186. 445MagazineDaniel Bryan becomes All Elite at 'All Out'Justin Barrasso — September 5, 2021
  187. 446MagazineHangman Page Era Begins at 'Full Gear'Justin Barrasso — November 14, 2021
  188. 447MagazineCM Punk's AEW Collision match vs. Samoa Joe a brilliant throwbackJustin Barrasso — July 12, 2023
  189. 448MagazineCM Punk on AEW Collision: 'It's a Team Effort'Justin Barrasso — August 5, 2023
  190. 451MJF Gives CM Punk His First Loss in AEWConnor Casey — February 2, 2022
  191. 458NewsCM Punk Details Issues With Colt Cabana, EVPs, And Hangman PageRobert DeFelice et al. — September 5, 2022
  192. 464Q&A with CM PunkKevin Eck — July 19, 2007
  193. 466AEW Collision: Fight for the Fallen 2023 ResultsAEW staff — All Elite Wrestling — August 19, 2023
  194. 468CM Punk To Face Eddie Kingston At AEW Full Gear 2021Gisberto Guzzo — November 5, 2021
  195. 470NewsPic: CM Punk earns BJJ blue belt ahead of UFC returnJesse Holland — December 6, 2017
  196. 472The Colt Cabana vs. CM Punk lawsuit is over, full detailsMike Johnson — September 29, 2019
  197. 474MagazineCM Punk Wins Civil Lawsuit Against WWE Dr. Chris AmannNihal Kolur — Meredith Corporation — June 5, 2018
  198. 477CM Punk lives dream, sings at Cubs gameMatt Lindner — ESPN — May 10, 2012
  199. 479CM Punk should be an inspiration despite loss at UFC 203Arash Markazi — ESPN — September 11, 2016
  200. 482MagazineStars Shine As WWE and AEW Ramp Up CompetitionDave Meltzer — August 22, 2021
  201. 483Colt Cabana sues CM Punk over legal feesEvan F. Moore — August 9, 2018
  202. 491WWE star CM Punk has Tinley Park tiesGregory Pratt — June 15, 2013
  203. 493VideoShoot with CM PunkRF Video — November 2003
  204. 495CM Punk makes pro-wrestling return, signs with All Elite WrestlingMarc Raimondi — ESPN — August 20, 2021
  205. 496CM Punk undergoes surgery to repair torn triceps suffered at AEW All OutEthan Renner — F4Wonline.com — September 9, 2022
  206. 499NewsWWE physician slaps CM Punk with defamation lawsuit for podcastMarcus Vangerburg — February 20, 2015
  207. 500AEW's CM Punk returns with show of LGBTQ solidarityHarriet Williamson — June 18, 2023

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