CM Punk showed his support for Taiwan on the same day that John Cena was trending on social media and made headlines for a recent mistake he made. 

Cena got backlash and had to issue a video apology to fans in China after he referred to Taiwan as its own country during an interview to promote the Fast & Furious 9 movie. 

Some people weren’t satisfied with Cena’s apology as they want him to state that Taiwan is a part of China. He hasn’t done that just yet. 

Punk changed his Twitter bio and wrote, “Taiwan is a country.” There is no other text in the bio, but did alert people with a post on the account by writing, “New bio!”

It should be noted that people in mainland China believe self-ruled Taiwan is an indispensable part of the country instead of being on its own. China has used its influence to monitor speech regarding Taiwan, which has caused political issues.

The film had its global premiere in Taiwan as Universal Pictures made the decision then to have it be released a few days later in mainland China.

“F9” will be released on June 25th in the United States. The plot reads like this, “Dominic Toretto (Diesel) and his family must face against a new deadlier enemy in the form of Jakob (Cena), Dominic’s younger brother, as well as their old threat Cipher (Theron).”

Former WWE personality and host of WWE Backstage Renee Paquette recently appeared on WrestlingINC Daily. Paquette discussed a number of topics during her time on podcast, including her former Backstage colleague, CM Punk.

Paquette and others have answered the question of CM Punk returning to pro wrestling a number of topics over the past few years. When Punk joined Backstage these questions ramped up, but now even with the hype having died down Paquette feels there’s always a chance that CM Punk will return to pro wrestling.

“I think it’s just like anything else with WWE, you just never say never,” Renee began on the podcast. “We’ve seen people come back who none of us ever thought would return. I think Punk is somebody who falls under that category. End of the day, the guy is a wrestler. That’s who he is. I feel like in some capacity, I hope we get to see Punk wrestle someone someday.”

Renee Paquette on CM Punk

“At this point, I don’t think anyone cares where it is” Paquette added, alluding to the other options that Punk has available if he were to return, such as AEW, where her husband Jon Moxley of course works. “Everyone just wants to see him get back out there. Tick Tock, brother. Let’s go. There’s always going to be rumblings.”

“The fact is people just want to see him back wrestling” Renee stated. “And whatever way that happens, if it ever does, I think people would freak. I’ll freak.”

There had been rumors in the past surrounding CM Punk and a potential run in AEW. Punk himself said a few years ago that Cody Rhodes himself had ‘texted an offer’ to the Straight Edge Superstar; something that Punk wasn’t exactly enamoured with.

Almost an age old question at this point, but do you want to see CM Punk return to WWE or AEW? Maybe even ROH or NJPW? Let us know in the comments

CM Punk is known as one of the best wrestlers in the history of the business and he was never the one to shy away from a dangerous spot even if it scared him.

The former WWE champion recently appeared on The Movie Crypt to promote his upcoming film Jakob’s Wife where he talked about a number of things.

During the interview, Punk was asked if there was ever a wrestling spot that scared him heading into it and the former WWE star recalled a spot from his 2009 TLC match with Jeff Hardy:

“I remember wrestling Jeff Hardy in the Staples Center, and he was jumping off a very tall ladder onto me and I just had to kind of lay on a table for an extended period of time, which really makes you think about it, and it’s one of those things where I was just looking, I’m like, ‘Man, he’s really high up there. This sucks,’

And you stew in that moment. And I remember being like, ‘I should just get up and walk away. Why am I laying here? This is stupid,’ and then he finally jumped on me.” remembered CM Punk, “and I was like, ‘Yeah, that hurt. Alright, great,’”

• Keith Lee Shares Cryptic Posts Amid His WWE Absence

The former ECW champion was also asked when he realized that pro wrestling could become a career for him. He revealed that his first Japan tour was when he believed that he had made it.

CM Punk defended his world heavyweight championship against Jeff Hardy in a TLC match at SummerSlam 2009. This main event match was won by Punk.

Former WWE Superstar CM Punk has been (somewhat) linked with a potential return to combat sports. Whilst Punk is currently 0-2 in his MMA career, he has been named as a potential combatant in the Triller Fight Club arena.

Triller Fight Club and MLW broadcaster Ray Flores was recently interviewed by Wrestling INC. Flores stated that there’s a chance CM Punk could end up appearing on a Triller Fight Club card.

“I think if CM Punk wants to do it, I think that Triller would absolutely be open to it because he’s still a big name,” Flores said in the interview. “I mean now the fans are coming back. You go to arenas all over the world and you still here chants of CM Punk in different wrestling arenas all over.”

CM Punk in Triller?

“So if he wants to come back and he’s willing to go in there and train; then I think he absolutely can make the connection” Flores continued. “They’ll [Triller] definitely be open to it. Whether or not it will happen, it’s kind of like the perfect storm.”

Check out our latest video where we discuss the potential of Punk making his way to Triller Fight Club:

CM Punk stepped back into the squared circle, but for a television series. He will be appearing in at least one episode in the first season of Starz’ series “Heels” that has Stephen Amell, who is best known from the “Arrow” series, as the leading man. 

The television series completed filming its first season earlier this month. Starz has released a ‘first look’ photo of the former WWE Champion as he makes his way to the ring in this fictional universe. Meet CM Punk’s character in Heels, Ricky Rabies!

The series about two brothers, one a babyface and the other a heel inside the ring, and the struggles they have both on camera and behind the scenes after the death of their father, the promoter of the Georgia-based wrestling promotion they both work for and have now inherited.  Amell will be playing Jack Spade, the heel brother.

Punk impressed casting directors for the role of Jack Spade back in 2017, but never got the role because the project was put on hold. Amell later filled that role so now Punk will be portraying his adversary.

Punk is featured in the new horror movie Jakob’s Wife, which was just released. He plays Deputy Colton in the film that stars Barbara Crampton.

Back when he was wrestling, CM Punk was a man who knew how to cut a good promo. That’s not even talking about the Pipe Bomb promo, a moment forever etched into the annals of wrestling history.

When a man knows what it takes to deliver a good speech in front of a crowd, they are also going to be adept at recognizing that same ability in someone else. So when CM Punk took the time to respond to a recent tweet asking about the best talkers in wrestling, his answer may have come as a bit of a surprise.

His response may also come as a bit of head-scratcher after in a recent Twitter Q&A session Punk openly admitted that he had not been following wrestling for some time.

“I do not [currently watch wrestling], … Whatever I know, I know strictly off of social media just because it’s huge on social media. If someone does something relatively newsworthy, it’s in the feed, so I’ll keep up with it that way.”

How true that is will probably remain a mystery. However, for a man who name can be heard at pretty much any WWE taping, and the self-proclaimed ‘Best in the World’ it seems almost as unlikely as us ever seeing him back in the ring.

CM Punk Had a Very Different Promo Style to Eddie Kingston

Since his move to AEW, Eddie Kingston has risen to become a big name, his new partnership with his old-time buddy Jon Moxley points to exciting things in the future.

While there are some who may question his in-ring finesse, Kingston is an old-school brawler. He comes ready for a fight, and not just with his fists. Was CM Punk right to claim Kingston is gives the best promo going right now? Maybe. There’s not much originality or heartfelt talk coming from WWE these days, and while Jericho remains hot on the mic, Kingston has a depth and grit to his speeches that right deserve to be recognized.

Just imagine if you would, the chance to see Kingston and Punk both being the mic-men in a feud between two factions. It could be worth its weight in gold.

CM Punk is doing media rounds to promote his new movie Jakob’s Wife. The film will be available on-demand and in select theatres beginning tomorrow. Punk recently spoke to Digital Spy and commented on the similarities between wrestling fans and fans of horror films.

“Horror fans, as well as wrestling fans, will almost die on hills that they normally wouldn’t die on, meaning, ‘I discovered this wrestler first, I discovered this movie first’,” Punk said. 

“And you’re almost not allowed to like it because you weren’t in on the ground floor. Horror movie fans and wrestling fans really are so passionate that they hold what they love near and dear to their heart and they almost want to protect it.”

“Whereas they should want everybody to like it – the more popular it is, the more eyeballs that are on it, the more content you probably get,” he continued.

CM Punk on Horror and Wrestling Fans

Punk continued to say that both horror films and wrestling get a bad reputation from some.

“I think the majority of people will view horror and wrestling as a lower brow entertainment, which, when it is done to the best of its ability, neither are.”

“I think that keeps those fans on the defensive, you know they’re used to having to defend what they love because other people will constantly remind them of, ‘Oh, that’s fake,’ or ‘Oh, that’s just a bunch of blood and boobs’ or whatever.”

The full interview with Punk can be read here. A trailer for Jakob’s Wife is below:

CM Punk’s new horror film “Jakob’s Wife” is available on-demand and in select theatres beginning April 16th. He recently sat down with Uproxx to promote the film and during the conversation, he talked about what would have to happen for him to return to wrestling and who he would like to face if he does so.

“I think the right combination could maybe be figured out, but it’s also not for me to figure out. It’s not my world anymore,” Punk said when asked about potential getting back in the ring. “I’m certainly not Hulk Hogan, where I’m going to show up somewhere and like, ‘no, this is how it’s going to be.’ The wrestling world doesn’t necessarily need CM Punk and that’s absolutely fine. Everyone seems to be doing great. I don’t know, it’s like flavors of ice cream. I walk into an ice cream shop one time and I’m like, ‘Oh, that seems like a good flavor. Give me two scoops of that.’ It’s just gotta be the right time, right place, right situation.”

Punk also spent some time talking about possible future opponents he could face in either AEW or WWE. Kenny Omega and Triple H’s names were both mentioned.

“From a creative mind standpoint, stepping back and looking at the landscape of everything, there are people in WWE that I have wrestled before that maybe, in a certain situation could be interesting,” Punk continued. “There’s also the business side of things. What’s the biggest possible match for CM Punk? I think there’s Kenny Omega on the one side. And, you know, unfortunately, ironically enough, for me to go back to WWE, who’s the biggest match for me? It’s probably Triple H. That’s ironic because it’s nothing I’m interested in. It’s just what it is. Am I going to be a businessman and say that’s the match, that’s the big-money match? Well, it’s not my money, so it’s not for me to say.”

The full interview can be read here. The trailer for Jakob’s Wife is below:

Two decades after putting WCW out of business, WWE finally has legitimate competition in All Elite Wrestling. For all of AEW’s success up to this point, CM Punk does not believe Vince McMahon is losing any sleep over Tony Khan’s promotion.

Punk recently spoke with TMZ Sports and was asked about was asked about Chris Jericho appearing on Steve Austin’s Broken Skull Sessions this weekend.

CM Punk thinks it’s “interesting” that WWE is allowing an AEW contracted wrestler to appear on the WWE Network. He understands why the booking is getting buzz from fans online. He will probably tune in, but he does not expect any hard-hitting questions. “Maybe I’ll give it a shot and watch it, but it feels like it’s going to be softball questions,” said Punk. “I don’t if they’re going to ask Jericho all the tough questions and nor do I think that they possibly should… I’m sure they’ll mention AEW, but they won’t get into the hard questions that I think people are interested in.”

Vince McMahon Isn’t Scared of AEW

Many wrestling pundits have speculated about Vince McMahon’s motivation to put a spotlight on Chris Jericho at this time. Whatever his rationale, CM Punk sees this as an alpha move by Vince and a sign that he’s not concerned about AEW.

“Honestly, my knee-jerk reaction and opinion is that I think it shows Vince McMahon isn’t afraid of AEW at all,” he said. “If he was, he wouldn’t allow that to happen.”

Punk feels that wrestling has evolved and the old rules no longer apply. There was a time where it would be considered a foolish move to allow one of your performers to appear on another company’s airwaves. That rational was, ‘AEW is the only place you can see Chris Jericho.’ Allowing him to appear on the WWE Network would hypothetically dilute his drawing power. However, it’s a new age and both companies need all the buzz they can get.

Chris Jericho’s appearance on Steve Austin’s Broken Skull Sessions premieres this Sunday, April 11th on the Peacock streaming service.

• Steve Austin Reveals Vince McMahon’s Role In Chris Jericho on Broken Skull Sessions

Triple H appeared on Barstool Sports’ “Pardon My Take” podcast to promote all of the events that will be taking place during WrestleMania 37 week. 

During it, he revealed that he spoke with CM Punk in the past two years, which is a surprise considering that Punk didn’t highly of “The Game” in his famous interview on Colt Cabana’s podcast. 

“Last time I talked to [Punk]? A year and a half… a year and three quarters ago?,” Triple H answered. “A funny thing that people constantly will say, when his return is or… but in some way, I don’t know whether he does or not, but that has to be what he wants. When people talk about, they go, ‘Make the call!’ What says if we make the call he wants to answer? What says if we make the call he doesn’t go, like, ‘Yeah, I’m not interested in doing that anymore.’ Maybe he’s just done with it.”

The Desire Needs To Be There

Triple H thinks those are conversations that only those people can directly answer and if Punk wants to do it then WWE would get word of that and have conversations or he would make a call to let them know about it. He said there has to be a desire there to do something like that instead of just reluctantly agreeing to it. 

Triple H continued by indicating Punk had the chance to return to WWE while working with FOX Sports on the Backstage show. 

“CM Punk worked with us on the FOX show, what, a year ago? There was opportunities there,” Triple H said. “There were people around each other at all times. You know, again, I’ll never say never but the desire needs to be there on all sides to make that happen.”

Punk decided to walk out of WWE on the Monday following the Royal Rumble pay-per-view event in 2014 to go on hiatus. Months passed with him thinking he would return only to be fired on his wedding day.

New IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Will Ospreay has made an official challenge to CM Punk. The British wrestler appeared at a post-show press conference for Sakura Genesis and relayed a number of topics for fans regarding the future of the Championship and his stable the United Empire.

“Before I was champion, a man who sparked a whole lot of interest in pro-wrestling, CM Punk said he’d like to face Will Ospreay” The new IWGP Champion noted. “Now I have the biggest prize in pro-wrestling, so if you really want to prove you were the best in the world and not the best of a bad bunch, come over here and try and take this.”

CM Punk did once say that Ospreay was an opponent he would consider facing IF he were ever to return to the squared circle. Punk made the comments during the Swing and Mrs. radio show back in March 2020.

CM Punk on Will Ospreay

“For people I haven’t ever wrestled before? I think Will Ospreay” CM Punk noted on the show. “I would listen to your idea. But there’s — like, I said, there’s a lot of moving parts. But I’m busy doing other stuff.”

“And nobody, I think, has found the right combination of ways to approach me” Punk continued. “It’s not all up to me, ladies and gentlemen. It’s up to the people who actually run the companies.”

Do you want to see Will Ospreay vs CM Punk? Let us know in the comments

Renee Paquette recently stated in an interview that she thinks it would be a shame if CM Punk never returns to wrestling. The host of Oral Sessions spoke to Metro UK recently about her former WWE Backstage co-host.

“I think it would be an absolute shame if he did not come back,” Paquette said about Punk during the interview. “Like you said, that passion is still there! He’s a wrestler! He is a wrestler through and through.”

“Whether he was busy doing movies or TV shows or other aspirations that he has, I think at the end of the day wrestling is the thing that makes that guy tick.”

CM Punk hasn’t wrestled a match since 2014 and has stuck largely to MMA commentator roles and acting.

“I think for him to not come back in some capacity, whatever creative he ends up working out that he really wants to do – I think ultimately, that that’s what it would come down to for him, is finding that great creative.”

Renee continued to say that it won’t be money that eventually gets Punk back in the ring, however.

“Paycheques are nice too, but really I think it’s just being able to tell the stories that you wanna be able to tell,’ she continued. “He’s got lots that he could serve up to both promotions – WWE or AEW.”

“But people would lose their minds to see him come back, so let’s hope that he doesn’t have too much dust on those boots.”

CM Punk made it clear on Twitter recently that he is not the big surprise promised for AEW Revolution. He took part in a Q&A with fans and noted that he feels AEW needs to focus more on the stars already on their roster rather than new signings.

Punk doesn’t feel AEW was trying to tease he was the surprise, however.

Punk was asked about having never been in the final match at WrestleMania, something that at one point was his dream. He noted that this is no longer something that bothers him.

“No. It’s a trap I fell into. Doesn’t mean sh**,” Punk Tweeted.

The noted hockey fan also lobbied for a return of the Quebec Nordiques.

When asked, Punk picked the Midnight Express over the Rock N Roll Express.

Punk also chose the Mandalorian over Wandavision.

Punk also threw out some congrats to the new WWE Champion, Bobby Lashley.

Punk also says he’s been in a submarine before. That seemed notable for some reason.

Cody Rhodes addressed AEW’s previous negotiations with Punk in an interview last year.

“As far as the CM Punk negotiations go, everyone heard the famous ‘he got a text from us’. Yeah, of course there were negotiations and he did ask for a great amount of money and Punk is worth a great deal of money.”

The horror film “Jakob’s Wife” with CM Punk is set to premiere at SXSW in March. It will debut in theatres and on-demand in April. After that, however, it has been picked up by AMC and its horror-themed streaming service, Shudder, and will debut on the service later this year. The movie has also been picked up by distribution company, RLJE Films.

“We’re thrilled to acquire Jakob’s Wife ahead of its world premiere at SXSW,” said Mark Ward from RLJE Films. “This film has already garnered tremendous following during production, and we’re confident Jakob’s Wife will be well received at the festival.”

The film’s description reads as follows:

“Anne, married to a small-town Minister, feels her life has been shrinking over the past 30 years. Encountering “The Master” brings her a new sense of power and an appetite to live bolder. However, the change comes with a heavy body count.”

Punk plays the role of Deputy Colton in the film.

In a 2019 interview, Punk listed off some of his favourite horror films.

“Halloween, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, The Thing, Night of the Living Dead,” Punk responded when asked his favorite horror films of all time. He would also recommend John Carpenter when asked about his favorite filmmakers. “John Carpenter! Christ he’s done so many amazing films!”

Former WWE Superstar and UFC fighter CM Punk took to Twitter to answer fan questions recently. One of the questions posed to the Straight Edge Superstar surrounded Edge and his return to WWE.

Edge of course won the Men’s Royal Rumble match just under 2 weeks ago. The Rated R Superstar entered the match at the #1 slot and went on to outlast all 29 other Superstars to win the match.

CM Punk on Edge

When asked by a fan how he feels about Edge returning; Punk responded by saying that he is extremely happy that Edge gets to have his ‘second act’ in pro wrestling. “Super stoked for him to get a second act. And jealous of his abs.”

CM Punk has been outspoken on his criticism, and praise, of WWE Superstars since he joined the now sporadic WWE Backstage show in 2019.

Before Edge returned to WWE, it was probably more likely that Punk would return. Edge had to retire from in-ring competition following WrestleMania 27, with the then World Heavyweight Champion having extreme neck issues meaning that he could no longer wrestle. The prospect of CM Punk returning to pro wrestling gets dimmer and dimmer as the years roll on, but with the likes of Edge returning at such a high level it’s always worth saying ‘never say never.’

• Bully Ray: I’d Like To See Sheamus vs Drew McIntyre at WrestleMania

With the idea of CM Punk returning to the ring, it’s also worth mentioning that Punk recently mentioned 5 stars from AEW that he would be interested in facing if he ever returned to the ring. “I see five guys that have potential” Punk stated. “Hobbs, Darbs, Pillman, Starks, Jungle Boy. And that’s not to say there are others, but those guys stick out.”

Would you like to see CM Punk return to WWE or AEW? Let us know in the comments

CM Punk has gotten a new tattoo to honor the late Harley Race. The artist posted images of the tattoo on his official Instagram account.

Race passed away from lung cancer on August 1st, 2019. A few months after his death, Punk spoke to Sportsnet about getting a tattoo to honor him.

“The Harley Race tattoo is in motion, so to speak,” Punk said during the interview. He also mentioned a tattoo he has honoring the late Mitsuharu Misawa.

“Harley was a big piece of my career whether people realize it or not,” Punk continued. “He’s somebody who deserves to be memorialized.”

CM Punk Harley Race Stories

Bruce Prichard once revealed that CM Punk actually took a shot of alcohol once to celebrate Harley Race’s birthday. Prichard told the story on an episode of his podcast.

“Everybody got shots for Harley’s birthday. Now Punk doesn’t drink, don’t do drugs, but he took a shot out of respect for Harley Race,” Prichard said on his podcast. “And he goes, ‘you know, Harley asked me to do it, one shot’s not gonna kill me. I’m not gonna go get hammered, I took a shot out of respect for Harley Race.’ and for whatever reason, I just thought that was cool.”

Former WWE Superstar CM Punk has his eye on a few of All Elite Wrestling’s top young stars.

On Friday afternoon, Punk held an #AskPunk Q&A session on Twitter. Unsurprisingly, he was asked about AEW. User @HEELPags wrote, “What current wrestler in AEW would he most like to work with IF he ever came back?”

CM Punk named five AEW wrestlers that he sees having potential. Whether this means ‘potential’ to work with, or ‘potential’ to have successful careers, is open to interpretation. He named:

• Powerhouse Hobbs of Team Taz
• AEW TNT Champion Darby Allin
• Brian Pillman, Jr. of the Varsity Blonds
• Ricky Starks of Team Taz
• Jungle Boy

These are great picks, as all 5 men are extraordinarily talented with bright futures.

CM Punk recently celebrated 7-Years since leaving WWE. He will soon appear in the pro wrestling series Heels, starring Stephen Amell, on the Starz premium cable network.

Related News:

• CM Punk On What He Misses About Wrestling, WWE Backstage & More
• CM Punk Compares Vince McMahon And UFC’s Dana White
• CM Punk Names His Favorite WWE Superstar Of 2020
• Paul Heyman On What He Said To CM Punk Before On-Screen Pairing
• Jim Cornette Slams Tony Khan For Not Signing CM Punk

CM Punk is getting back into a wrestling ring but it’s not to get ready for another run. Instead, it’s the latest Hollywood role for him. 

Actor Stephen Amell took to Twitter today in order to welcome the former WWE star to the Starz series, Heels, as Punk will be on the show and making a return to the squared circle. 

Amell wrote, “Please welcome @CMPunk to @HeelsSTARZ — He was a little rusty in the ring yesterday, but I assured him it was just like riding a bike.”

Pwinsider.com reported after the photo was posted that the former WWE Champion is currently filming for the show after being in Atlanta for several weeks. He mentioned on social media that he was quarantining in advance for a work-related thing, which turned out to be this show. He’s slated to be a rival of Amell in a potential recurring role.

Punk impressed casting directors for the role of Jack Spade back in 2017, but never got the role because the project was put on hold. Amell later filled that role so now Punk will be portraying his adversary.

After dealing with injuries and not wanting to wrestle anymore, Punk decided to walk out of WWE on the Monday following the Royal Rumble pay-per-view event in 2014. He recently celebrated the anniversary on social media.

CM Punk did not appear on the January 27th, 2014 edition of WWE RAW. It was the night after the Royal Rumble and it seemed as though Punk was headed into a feud with Kane. Punk had eliminated Kane from the Rumble match the night before but Kane returned to eliminate Punk later on.

As it turns out, Punk never would return to WWE programming. The closest he’s come is hosting WWE Backstage on Fox, a show that returns this weekend before the Royal Rumble. Punk took to Twitter to comment on the 7-year anniversary of his departure from WWE.

CM Punk’s WWE Future

Punk was initially adamant that he would never return to WWE. In recent years, it sounds as though he has softened on that stance, however.

“The answer changes,” Punk said on the Swing and Mrs. podcast last year. “It’s a very fluid answer. Currently, if the business was right and I had somebody that motivated me across the ring from me, I think, might be able to get it done. Nobody has dangled the correct carrot.”

“There’s a lot of moving parts. I’m busy doing other stuff and nobody has found the right combination of ways to approach me. It’s not all up to me, ladies and gentlemen, it’s up to the people who actually run the company.”

Cody Comments On AEW’s Negotiations With CM Punk

2020 was an incredibly unique year in the world or pro-wrestling. Despite the many challenges wrestling promotions faced last year, there still were many notable and historic events that took place in the industry.

Former WWE Superstar CM Punk recently answered some fan questions on social media. During the #AskPunk Q&A session, Punk was asked about his favorite WWE Superstar in 2020. The Chicago native named Bill Goldberg.

Goldberg only wrestled twice in 2020. He performed on two of the biggest events of the year, however. Neither match went longer than 3-minutes. Goldberg defeated The Fiend at Super Show-Down to win the WWE Universal Championship in 2 minutes and 59 seconds. He then lost to Braun Strowman on night 1 of WrestleMania 36 in just 2 minutes and 13 seconds.

CM Punk did not just name his favorite wrestler to watch in the ring. He complimented Goldberg’s intelligence, which is likely a reference to Goldberg’s ability to command big money for very little time in the ring. Whatever WWE is paying him, and you know it’s a lot, Goldberg clocked only 5 minutes and 12 seconds of ring time during two matches in 2020.

Punk was also asked about doing a video game deal with 2K as part of the WWE series. He said he’s open to the idea but sounds pessimistic that something like that would happen.

Punk was also asked about the best piece of advice he’s heard.

Former WWE Superstar CM Punk has compared his former boss Vince McMahon to UFC President Dana White. Punk joined his former WWE Backstage co-host Renee Paquette on her new podcast, Oral Sessions, where he shared his opinion on the two. During the discussion, he deliberated on who he believes to be more generous.

Punk confessed there are “levels” to a discussion comparing Dana White and Vince McMahon. “Obviously you can draw that they’re both right-wing, the word I’ll use is weirdo because obviously they vote based on what’s good for their pocketbook.”

“If I really had to compare and contrast, I would say Dana is more generous,” Punk said. “Dana does a lot of stuff for the fighters behind the scenes. I think there’s a lot of locker room money that people don’t know about and he gets a lot of flak for [not paying fighters enough]. That being said, I do also think fighters need to get paid a whole hell of a lot more.”

Punk and Paquette previously worked together on the FS1 show WWE Backstage alongside WWE Hall of Famer Booker T. Filming of the show was halted earlier this year due to the coronavirus pandemic. FS1 later suspended all production on the show. Paquette left WWE following August’s SummerSlam event.

Since leaving WWE, CM Punk has fought twice in the UFC. He lost both bouts, one by submission and the other by decision.

• Paul Heyman On What He Said To CM Punk Before On-Screen Pairing

Paul Heyman and CM Punk became aligned on WWE programming beginning in 2012. The two had a history dating back to Punk’s time in OVW from 05-06, however.

In a recently released clip from a 2016 with Inside the Ropes interview, Heyman spoke about what he said to Punk before their on-screen alliance in WWE.

“I look over at him at he says ‘Can you believe they’re f***ing putting us together?’ And I’m like ‘We’re both gonna be f***ing fired in the next four weeks, don’t you get it?’ And he goes ‘But the s**t we’re going to stir in four weeks, they don’t f***ing have a clue!’ I loved working with him, I loved it. I had the time of my life.”

Heyman would continue to talk about how much he enjoyed this period in his career. Unfortunately, Punk’s career only had about 1.5 years left at that point.

“We had a blast working with each other because, just like me, he had no idea what he was going to say when he went out to the ring. He was just doing it, you know, allegedly shoot promos that then get wrapped around into the storyline that we’re telling that he fervently believed in his heart that he was telling the truth.”

Punk officially left the company in January of 2014. He remains a free agent, but CM Punk recently said he would return to wrestling if he was presented with the right storyline (and the right paycheck). This comment from Punk prompted Jim Cornette to criticize Tony Khan for not doing whatever was necessary to sign him to AEW.

The clip can be viewed in the player below:

Jim Cornette can’t understand why AEW President Tony Khan has not made a strong play to sign CM Punk.

CM Punk spoke to Renee Paquette last week on the Oral Sessions podcast. Punk discussed what would take to bring him back to wrestling. These elements would essentially boil down to: a lot of money and an intriguing storyline. Punk emphasized that it was less about the money and more about wanting an exciting storyline to be involved with.

Cornette asks how on earth AEW has not scooped up the former WWE Champion. He said Punk is at the perfect level of stardom: he hasn’t been buried on television and he’s not a dinosaur from 25 years ago.

Jim Cornette on CM Punk

“It wasn’t a revelatory statement” Jim Cornette began on The Experience, discussing what CM Punk said on the podcast. “Nor a big shocking occurrence. He said he would basically, boiling it down, he would take a sh*tload of money and something new that he was interested in doing as well.”

Jim Cornette would then lambast AEW owner Tony Khan for not getting CM Punk under contract. “The son of a billionaire with a national cable television show just got in the wrestling business. He made a bunch of indie guys that never had it and never will as happy as school girls with shiny new vibrators. But he can’t get CM Punk!? He can’t make CM Punk happy!? Nobody can think of an idea that CM Punk would be interested in, that would intrigue him enough to get involved in this!?”

Credentials

Cornette would finish by stating Punk’s credentials and why he believes he is the biggest free agent right now. “If there’s a fish out there that has the Goldilocks and the Three Bears combination; not too hot, not too cold, just right in-between? [as in] They’ve been on TV recently and not been beaten into powder or been portrayed in a negative light that we are now trying to take the guy and make him into a top star?

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“Or is he the icon from 30 years ago that they bring back and make all the current guys look bad? Because even though the icon can’t get in the ring and can’t go anymore he’s still more over as a bigger star than the rest of their roster? CM Punk doesn’t fit any of them. He’s the right combination. He was a huge star in the biggest company in the world just several years ago, not 30.”

Do you agree with Jim Cornette? Do you think that CM Punk could make a huge impact in AEW? Let us know in the comments

CM Punk is Renee Paquette’s guest this week on the Oral Sessions podcast. The longtime friends discussed the current state of pro wrestling, what he misses most about the business, paving the way for guys like Daniel Bryan and much more.

They jokingly questioned if Oral Sessions is a wrestling podcast. Punk said he hasn’t wrestled in 7 years and he’s still a wrestler. “I’m Phil, the wrestler” he said. He doesn’t resent that aspect of his past.

What does he think of the state of wrestling and how it’s changed since he left? Punk began, “The more they change, the more they stay the same.” His ego is not as big as some people say it is, but he does feel that if not for him, a lot of top WWE stars would not have the jobs they do. Wrestlers like Daniel Bryan, Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn, he paved the way for that and they filled the vacuum created when he left WWE.

They spoke about Punk’s role in the formation of The Shield. A writer pitched that CM Punk have Big Show and Daniel Bryan as his backup. He said it would be better to bring in some “new blood” from developmental.

What does CM Punk miss the most?

What does he miss the most about pro wrestling? He doesn’t think about the live crowds or the adrenaline rush you get from performing. He misses the people, the friendly faces. Unfortunately, when you are outside the bubble, you rarely talk to people inside the bubble.

They discussed WWE Backstage and Punk joked, “You got me to come back to this shit show.” Renee noted how Punk worked for Fox on that project, not WWE. They were so excited to have creative freedom at the beginning, but it did not take long for WWE to end that. It was also a bummer when the show was shut down.

Renee said everyone is dying for CM Punk to get back in the ring. She mentioned how WWE fans still chant “CM Punk” to this day. We are not hearing those right now, since WWE is running shows in the ThunderDome and controls the crowd chants.

Regarding a lack of “CM Punk” chants in the ThunderDome, Punk joked, “They should pump those in if they wanted to make the shows realistic. If they were really interested in giving the fans a true WWE experience, give the Universe what they want. Pipe in the CM Punk chants!”

His MMA Career

Punk spoke about his brief career as a professional MMA fighter. He would have preferred to go the traditional route by starting off as an amateur and building up to the big stage. Unfortunately, it’s the fight “business” and reality took him down a different path. He was told, “Let’s do this before you get too old.” As it turns out, he was too old.

“I’ve been pretty fortunate,” said Punk. “I’ve been offered some pretty cool shit to do in my life. My thing is, I never say no to an exciting opportunity. Whether it’s movies, or fighting, wrestling, whatever. If the opportunity is there and makes sense, you have to at least consider it.”

Renee asked CM Punk to compare Vince McMahon and UFC boss Dana White. Punk said they’re both “right wing weirdos” and Dana is the more generous of the two. Some people criticize UFC fighter pay, but many fighters are getting big bonuses and extra money that the public does not hear about.

Renee Paquette’s Oral Sessions podcast is available at Spotify, iTunes, Audio Boom and other services. Listen to the CM Punk episode here:

Former WWE champion CM Punk took on his Twitter yesterday to offer some high praise to two members of the current NXT roster, while also revealing if he watches the show.

The Leader Of The Straight Edge Society made a tweet and said that everyone else on the show should feel embarrassment at the fact that Pat McAfee is a better promo than everyone else on the NXT roster.

A fan replied to these comments from Punk and asked what he thinks is the ceiling for the former NFL player if he fully commits himself to wrestling.

Interestingly Punk responded by claiming that there is zero reason for Pat to commit to the sport full time because he is already the best thing on the show apart from Rhea Ripley.

This exchange led many to wonder if the former WWE star watches the Black And Yellow brand responding to which, the former UFC star said ‘Not always.’ You can check out the full exchange below:

Neither of the NXT stars have responded to this praise from the wrestling veteran so far and it would be interesting to know what they think about Punk’s comments.

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