CM Punk is reportedly no longer friends with Colt Cabana, who he famously name dropped during his ‘pipe bomb’ promo on RAW. Punk and Cabana no longer follow each other on Twitter, and according to one MMA insider the 15 year friendship has ended.
A Twitter user going under the name Front Row Brian who has broken several MMA stories says the beef stems from Cabana visiting backstage at a Monday Night RAW. CM Punk is currently being sued by WWE doctor Chris Amann, and reportedly “went nuts” about Cabana going backstage and taking photos. Punk feels that this hurts his defense in the lawsuit. Dr. Amann launched the lawsuit last year after Punk and Cabana trashed him on a podcast in 2014. The case doesn’t go to court until 2018.
Punk and Cabana broke into the wrestling business together in Chicago and they had been very close ever since.
CM Punk recently spoke with TMZ about his upcoming MMA debut, which takes place in less than two weeks at UFC 203 on 9/10 from Cleveland, OH. It was a quick interview, but here are some highlights:
When asked if he has a message for his critics, Punk replied, “Who the f*ck cares?” He focuses on himself, stays positive and doesn’t have time for people doubting him.
Punk said we very well could see him bust out some wrestling moves in the Octagon if the opportunity presents itself. He referenced Dan Henderson recently dropping an elbow on Michael Bisping, so you never know.
A lot has been said about Punk getting into MMA pretty late in the game. The 37-year-old former pro wrestler is fighting an uphill battle against Mickey Gall, who is only 24 and sports a 2-0 professional record. Punk has been training relentlessly since signing with UFC back in December 2014. He named his heart and his chin as his two biggest strengths, stating once again that he’s in this for the long haul.
He vows to win at UFC 203 and expects a rowdy crowd in Cleveland. The fans who are there to see him win will be loud and he expects to win over everybody else.
Punk was jokingly asked if AJ Lee could make it in the UFC and if he would support her becoming a fighter. He and AJ support each other with everything they do, whether it’s as an author, UFC fighter or astronaut.
Head over to our partner site MMANews.com to read much more about CM Punk’s upcoming UFC debut.
Former WWE Superstar CM Punk spoke with Peter Rosenberg of Hot 97 on Monday to promote tonight’s premiere of “Evolution of Punk,” the Fox Sports 1 documentary series looking at his journey to the UFC octagon.
Rosenberg asked Punk what he thought about Conor McGregor talking trash about WWE Superstars. Punk says he hasn’t really been following it too closely. Knowing the WWE locker room, is there anybody Punk thinks that Conor McGregor shouldn’t mess with? Punk said there’s some tough guys in wrestling. Rosenberg asked if you have to be tough in the WWE locker room and Punk said, “Not anymore.” It’s a different world and a different business from even the time that he worked there.
The thing that shocked Punk the most about the Conor McGregor situation was the number of WWE personalities who got worked and should have known better. He said it’s embarrassing to be fighting on social media.
Elaborating on what was different about WWE when he was first coming up, Punk said there were far more main event caliber performers, including Shawn Michaels, Ric Flair, The Undertaker, Batista, Edge, Chris Benoit and The Hardy Boyz.
Despite the success he achieved in WWE not just in the ring but on the microphone, Punk said he does not miss cutting promos in front of millions of people and isn’t even sure if he could do it anymore.
He loves training for his UFC debut and will probably take a vacation after his fight next month. Punk said his wife AJ isn’t freaked out about him stepping in the cage, she just doesn’t like that he’s not around every day.
If you’re in the New York City area this weekend for SummerSlam, catch Peter Rosenberg, Stat Guy Greg and plenty of surprise guests at Cheap Heat Live this Friday night at the Highline Ballroom. Limited tickets are still available – get yours now!
– Fox Sports 1 has released a trailer for the upcoming 4-part documentary series focusing on the UFC debut of former WWE Superstar CM Punk. The first chapter of “Evolution of Punk” premieres this coming Monday, 8/15 at 9:30pm ET. The hype video features footage of Punk training, wife AJ Lee and more.
Punk is scheduled to fight Mickey Gall on 9/10 at UFC 203. For much more on CM Punk’s UFC debut, visit our partner site MMANews.com.
– The final rating for Monday’s RAW was a 2.05, down from last week’s 2.30 rating. This was the 3rd lowest RAW rating of 2016, next to the record low 1.87 on 7/4 and the 2.03 from 6/13 against the NBA Finals. As noted, this week’s show drew a new non-holiday low for the modern era – 2.911 million viewers, down from last week’s 3.338 million.
– Nikki Bella did a cover shoot for Pacific San Diego magazine on Tuesday and tweeted this sneak peek:
– Fox Sports 1’s upcoming CM Punk documentary will air over four parts, beginning with “The Ground Up” on 8/15 at 9:30pm EDT. “UFC Presents: Evolution of Punk” will build to Punk’s UFC debut against Mickey Gall next month at UFC 203.
– Ryback will make his first post-WWE appearances for the WrestlePro promotion on 10/14 in Cresskill, NY and 10/15 in Brooklyn.
The ground of the Control Center is shaking under David Adams' feet! Coming to WrestlePro in October: Ryback! pic.twitter.com/tbihftg573
– WWE’s new “Attitude Era Vol. 3: Unreleased” DVD and Blu-ray hit stores today and features several rare matches, including Steve Austin vs. Triple H (3/13/98 from Anaheim, CA) and Austin vs. Undertaker (6/14/97 from Toronto):
FOX Sports 1 will be airing a special documentary on former WWE World Heavyweight Champion CM Punk later this month.
CM Punk’s first MMA fight will be against Mickey Gall (2-0) at UFC 203 next month and the documentary, titled Evolution Of Punk, will follow Punk’s journey to his octagon debut. Little is known about the documentary right now, but it appears to be more candid than normal for the usually-private CM Punk.
Punk signed with the UFC back in 2014. His debut with the company has been delayed multiple times due to injuries, but it appears that it’ll finally happen on September 10th at UFC 203.
Evolution of Punk airs on August 15th on FOX Sports 1.
Former WWE stars CM Punk and wife AJ Lee are keeping busy this year. While Punk trains for his UFC debut against Mickey Gall in September, he’s also filming an “Evolution of Punk” documentary for FOX Sports that will air leading up to the fight. Director Rory Karpf tweeted this behind-the-scenes shot from filming:
AJ recently put the finishing touches on her “Crazy Is My Superpower: How I Triumphed By Breaking Bones, Breaking Hearts, and Breaking the Rules” autobiography. As noted, it will be released on 4/4/2017. Here are some photos from her recent book cover shoot:
Ryback recently revealed that he underwent ear surgery and and would be undergoing nose and throat surgeries to alleviate hearing and breathing he’s been battling for years. The Big Guy underwent the nasal surgery on Thursday and has throat surgery scheduled for next week.
It looks like he was feeling pretty good post-op, as he posted several interesting photos to social media. As you can see below, he hasn’t forgotten the negative things CM Punk has said about him in various interviews.
The Big Guy is still in the midst of a contract dispute with WWE and will be leaving the company when his contract expires this summer if the two sides cannot come to an agreement.
In a new interview with Kayfabe Commentaries, former WWE star Hornswoggle talks about the incident that apparently ruined his friendship with CM Punk.
When asked about why his friendship with Punk ended, Swoggle says it was all over a phone number. Swoggle says he lost his phone and asked Punk for a mutual friend’s number, and it set off Punk. He says Punk took it as Swoggle “using” him, and that was the end of the relationship.
CM Punk was released by WWE in 2014 and Swoggle was released in May of this year.
CM Punk continues to do the media rounds to promote his upcoming UFC debut on September 10th from Cleveland, OH. Punk’s appeared on ESPN Radio’s Russillo and Kanell Show and spoke to the hosts about his future in professional wrestling.
Punk sounded like the prospect is highly unlikely, but clarified that it’s a “never say never” situation. When people ask him about returning to wrestling, he said he likes to leave the door open because “internet dweebs” will rub it in his face if he ever does return after claiming it would never happen.
Punk said he will absolutely never return to WWE, but could “pop up here and there” after his MMA career is over. He joked that he could see himself wrestling somewhere and not even promoting his return to the ring. “It’s not going to even be televised, it’s going to be me in a ninja f*****g outfit wrestling one of my buddies, nobody’s ever going to know. It’s going to be very ‘Monty Python’, so to speak.”
Punk also commented on Daniel Bryan’s retirement, noting that it sucks Bryan can’t do what he loves, but living a healthy lifestyle is more important than “silly pro wrestling” and he knows Bryan will find another passion.
CM Punk is doing the media rounds today to promote his upcoming UFC debut against Mickey Gall at UFC 203 on September 10th from Cleveland, Ohio. During an appearance on Colin Cowherd’s The Herd radio show, Punk accused WWE of treating their talent like “indentured servants” and running them into the ground.
Punk revealed that he’s been interested in becoming a professional MMA fighter for many years and and actually gave it serious consideration back in 2011 before ultimately re-signing with WWE. Even though Superstars put their bodies on the line for the company and the fans, WWE does not provide them with health insurance or assist with travel expenses.
Head over to MMANews.com for much more on CM Punk’s UFC debut and Brock Lesnar’s return to the Octagon on July 9th.
Here’s a clip from Punk’s appearance on The Heard:
This article is brought to you by MMANews.com, our partner site featuring daily coverage of UFC and the world of Mixed Martial Arts.
A year and a half after announcing he signed with UFC, CM Punk finally has an official debut date. Punk will face Welterweight newcomer Micky Gall at UFC 203, which takes place on Saturday, September 10th from Cleveland, Ohio at the Quicken Loans Arena.
The main event of UFC 203 will see hometown hero Stipe Miocic defends his UFC heavyweight title for the first time against Alistair Overeem. In the co-main event, Fabricio Werdum faces Ben Rothwell.
Punk officially announced the fight on the UFC Unfiltered podcast. “The instant I got cleared, I got on the horn with Dana (White) and we nailed everything out. I will be debuting September 10 in Cleveland,” Punk said. “I’m super-excited. I’m happy to have a date, there’s a light at the end of the tunnel, I can probably say I’m healthy and strong again. It’s nice to be healthy.”
Punk has been training for his UFC debut since signing with the promotion back in December 2014. He underwent back surgery earlier this year to fix a herniated disc he’s attributed to his days in the ring.
“The worry of that definitely crept into my head,” Punk said on UFC Uniltered. “I tried to stay positive. The back surgery was a f—– bum-out. And then there’s the months of rehabs where I couldn’t do anything.” But, during periods where he could only ride a bike, Punk said, “I never thought that it was over. I never thought that I was never going to make it to a fight.”
As part of the buildup to the fight, FOX Sports 1 is expected to air a documentary series looking at Punk’s journey to the Octagon.
More details are coming in regarding Brock Lesnar’s surprise return to UFC. While there’s no confirmation yet regarding who Lesnar will face at UFC 200 on July 9th, heavyweight slugger Mark Hunt is considered the most likely opponent. Aside from Hunt, Jim Ross’ NJPW broadcasting partner Josh Barett and former Lesnar opponent Shane Carwin are openly campaigning for the gig:
I could do retweets all night but one thing is clear, people want to see me lock up with Brock Lesnar. Talk him into it @HeymanHustle. @ufc.
While the announcement of Brock Lesnar returning to the octagon in a month’s time seems like a short-notice decision, Lesnar has reportedly been training for the fight since shortly after WrestleMania 32.
Last week, several fans noticed that Brock Lesnar’s UFC fighter bio was briefly added to the “Active Roster” section at UFC.com, but was quickly pulled. UFC President Dana White was asked about Lesnar returning at Friday’s UFC 199 weigh-in from Vegas, but dismissed the rumor.
Fans have joked that Brock Lesnar is fighting again for UFC before CM Punk made his UFC debut. Dave Meltzer of f4wonline.com notes that Fox Sports 1 is working on a reality show focusing on CM Punk’s UFC debut against Mickey Gall. That series is scheduled to air in August, indicating that Punk will debut in late August or September.
– Wrestling Observer Live reports that there will indeed be split referee crews for Raw and Smackdown when the brand split kicks off in July. Referee Brian Nguyen tweetd:
– Cedric Alexander, who recently finished up with ROH, is expected for the WWE Cruiserweight Classic after having a recent WWE tryout.
– UFC officials may be under the impression that the CM Punk debut fight against Mickey Gall is happening soon as a production crew has started filming Gall.
– Vince McMahon apparently has a new position on the Roman Reigns crowd reactions, which was relayed through JBL on commentary this week: “If you love him or hate him, you’re very passionate about him.”
There have been several accounts from the MMA world that say while CM Punk is a hard worker, he’s not progressing well as a fighter. There have been lots of rumors coming out of Punk’s live sparring sessions at the gym but the one thing that has been consistent is that he has not fared well.
After originally wanting Punk to debut in the summer/fall of 2015, then UFC 199 in June, there’s still no word yet on when he will make his first fight. The Observer also notes there’s a general feeling that scheduled opponent Mikey Gall will “run through” Punk, who has had to delay his training due to injuries and the way he adapted to MMA.
Kevin Kelly and Mandy Leon introduce the show. KK says, “Over the next 60 minutes, we will count you down and get you set for Global Wars, Sunday May 8th. Tonight’s ROH TV is a special Global Wars preview edition.”
Bobby Fish vs Tomohiro Ishii (c) (ROH World Television Championship)
We cut to footage of a match between Bobby Fish against Roderick Strong. Strong taps out, Fish thinks he won and celebrates. Fish climbs back down off the turnbuckle, asks Todd Sinclair what happened, and then Strong hits the running knee, cover, and scores the victory.
Next, footage from Ishii vs. Strong, Ishii hits the ropes and nails are running lariat, and Strong kicks out. Choshu-style lariat, goes for the sliding lariat misses, Roderick lands 2 jumping knees, forearm, headbutt, back elbow, and then a headbutt by Ishii knocks Strong to the mat. Ishii hits the sliding lariat, stacks up Strong for the pin, but Strong kicks out. Ishii nails a stalling vertical brainbuster on Strong, cover, and becomes the new ROH World Television Champion.
Next KK says, “All three competitors would head to Vegas for the ROH 14 Anniversary show, to compete in a 3-way match for the ROH World Television Title,” and we see footage from the match. Ishii hits a sliding Lariat, but Strong kicks out and then Ishii hits a vertical drop brainbuster, gets the pinfall, and records his second win in the row. After the match, Fish gets in the ring, which has led us up to Texas, where Fish and Ishii faced off in a 2-out-of-3 falls match.
Fish throws Strong back into the ring, Strong pushes ref out of the way, and run hits a jumping knee, and then nails flipping backbreaker The End Of Heartache and scores the 1st fall. Later in the match, Fish gets the 2nd fall on a quick roll up in the corner. We pick up action, moments later, with the match tied at 2, Strong with a knife edge chop, Fish with a kick, then they exchange forearms, Fish gets 2 kicks, then Strong fights with forearms, back elbow, Fish goes for a kick, Strong catches him, and then Fish gets a heel hook and strong taps out.
This feud continues at Global Wars, Fish vs. Ishii, and we go to commercial.
Kyle O’Reilly vs IWGP Heavyweight Champion Tetsuya Naito (Non-Title)
When we return, Mandy Leon tells us, “O’Reilly has kind of had a tough the last couple of months.” KK explains, “When Adam Cole derailed O’Reilly’s title shot, it all came to a head at SuperCard of Honor in Dallas, Texas,” and we cut to footage from that match.
Both men are on the top turnbuckle, O’Reilly with punches to Cole’s head, and then O’Reilly suplexes Cole through the table in the middle of the ring. The referee counts to 6 as both men are incapacitated, O’Reilly crawls over, puts his arm across Cole, but Cole kicks out. Later in the match, 2 chairs are set up in the ring, O’Reilly with a kick to the chest, Cole gives him the double bird, O’Reilly with kicks to the head and then Cole sits down on the chair. Cole stands up and fights out with elbows and O’Reilly sits on the other chair. They exchange forearms, until both men sit down in the chairs. They grab each other by the head and both land close-handed shots, Cole with a kick the leg, goes for a kick to the gut, but O’Reilly catches him and lands a vertical brainbuster. O’Reilly gets mad and throws the chair out of the ring, grabs the steel chain that is hooked to the rope, ties Cole up with the chain, and then locks in a cross armbreaker. The harder O’Reilly pulls on the arm, the more he strangling Adam Cole with the chain, Cole starts to make it back to his feet, tries to pick up O’Reilly, but Cole passes out, O’Reilly wins.
KK informs us, “Since the loss in Dallas, no one has seen or heard from Adam Cole. O’Reilly is really in a dangerous state of mind right now,” and we go to commercial.
Michael Elgin & Hiroshi Tanahashi vs Kazuchika Okada & Moose W/ Gedo & Stokely Hathaway
KK tells us, “Stokely Hathaway was the one who announced this matchup in Dallas.” and we cut to Stokely’s in-ring promo from Supercard of Honor X. KK reminds us, “While Moose and Okada might seem like a very unlikely pairing, Vegas is where Moose earned the respect of The Rainmaker, and we cut to footage for the ROH 14th Anniversary Show.
Okada with 3 forearms, Moose with a big right hand, Okada with 2 forearms and then an uppercut, Moose with an open-handed shot, Moose punch, and then an uppercut. Moose hits the ropes, Okada ducks, picks him up, reverse piledriver on the knee, cover, kickout. Okada climbs to the top rope and connect with an elbow, calls for The Rainmaker as the camera pans out. Okada goes for The Rainmaker, but Moose ducks, runs up to the turnbuckle ropes, and hits a flying crossbody. Okada is slow to get up, Moose sets up for the spear, Okada jumps over, ducks a clothesline, misses The Rainmaker again, Moose spins around, and then a jumping dropkick sends Moose off the ropes, Okada nails a second drop, kick, picks Moose up and finally nails The Rainmaker for the win.
KK says, “Okada and Moose will face Elgin and Tanahashi who have been solidifying their tag team partnership in New Japan”, and we go to commercial.
Alex Shelley/Chris Sabin/Matt Sydal/Kushida vs Young Bucks (Nick & Matt Jackson)/Guerrilas of Destiny (Tama Tonga & Tanga Roa)
KK says, “To get an idea of the insanity you’ll see in the 8-man tag team match at Global Wars, we go back to the ROH 14th Anniversary, where the 6-man tag-team match stole the show.”
Omega runs into the corner, Matt runs into the corner, Matt drapes Sydal across the second rope, and Nick hits a swanton. Omega hits a double underhook suplex, Sydal stands up slowly and gets SUPERKICKED by all 3 members of The Elite. Omega stacks him up for the pin, but ACH comes in to break it up. Elite throw a ACH out of the ring, Omega points, Mr. Wrestling 3 says, “They name this move after Tiger Hattori, and he’s not very happy about it.” Fireman’s carry roll over, but Sydal gets out, Nick misses and then a top rope suplex by Sydal on Matt. Then Kushida and ACH with double moonsault, 1 off the top rope, 1 standing. Nick comes into break up the pin attempt, Omega gets thrown to the outside, Kushida leaps over but Omega catches him, sets him up for the piledriver. Sydal is conflicted about what to do, but can only watch as Kushida gets nailed with a piledriver on the floor. Nick kicks Sydal off the ropes, spikes him on his head, and Nick runs over and kicks ACH. All 3 members of The Elite have Sydal alone in the ring, 5-star Meltzer Driver turns Sydal inside out, and then Omega hits the One Winged Angel, and covers for the victory.
Mandy Leon says, “Wild, Kevin. That was only 6 men, imagine adding in 2 more guys at Global Wars,” and we go to commercial.
Mark & Jay Briscoe vs War Machine (Raymond Rowe & Hanson) (c) ROH World Tag Team Championship
KK tells us, “War Machine is coming off recent successful tag team defenses against Roppongi Vice and the All Night Express, but attitudes have been boiling over with the Briscoes.” Footage is shown from Episode 236 of the Briscoes picking up War Machine’s belts. Mandy Leon tells us, “This feud dates back many years, but was on temporary hiatus when Raymond Rowe suffered a life-threatening motorcycle accident.” KK reminds us, “War Machine have never been able to beat the Briscoes, and Hanson and Rowe have said themselves, they will never consider themselves to be the number one team until they beat the Briscoes.”
Footage from Conquest Tour is shown, Jay with punch, uppercut, kick but Rowe takes control and goes for the Fallout. MW3 reminds us, “Jay Briscoe hasn’t been pinned in over two-and-a-half years.” Jay gets out, back elbows, picks Rowe up into a fireman’s carry, Rowe fights out with back elbows, Jay turns around with a forearm, picks him up in the execution chair for the Doomsday Device, but Hanson knocks Mark off the apron. WM throw Jay up with a double chokeslam, cover, but Jay kicks out. Rowe with forearms on the outside to Mark, Mark picks up Rowe, and sends him into the steel barricade. Hanson nails a sit down splash in the corner, Mark comes off the top rope, but gets power slammed, and then Hanson picks up his partner Rowe and drops him on Mark. WM goes for Fallout, but Jay gets out, and runs Rowe into Hanson, clubbing blow to the back, picks him up on his shoulders, and then Mark comes off the top rope for Doomsday Device. Mark with a running neck breaker off the apron on Rowe, Jay is left alone in the ring with Hanson. Hanson with the Mongolian shop, goes for the deadlift brainbuster, but Jay wiggles out and nails the Jay Driller on Hanson, cover, but Hanson kicks out. Jay gets back up and hits to 3 running boots to Hanson, nails him with a second Jay Driller, cover, and the Briscoes win.
KK tells us, “Cabana has a luxurious career in ROH, he was ROH Tag Team Champion with CM Punk, held victories over Kevin Steen, and now has the opportunity to make a name for himself with newer ROH fans. Let’s take you back to 2005, Cabana faced his best friend CM Punk at Final Chapter.
They hit the ropes, Punk with an arm drag, headscissors by Cabana, Punk flips to his feet from his backside, Cabana drops into the mat, jump over, Punk goes for a monkey flip, but Cabana stomps him in the face. Punk gets back up, slaps him in the chest, and yells at him. We are reminded that Cabana is always funny, CM Punk is always serious. Cabana with a headlock, both of them run the ropes, Cabanas stops and says, “Look up. There there’s a bear up there.” Punk says no. Cabana says, “If you won’t look up, then look down,” and stomps on his foot. Later in the match, Cabana is on the turnbuckle, knife edge chop by Punk, hurricanrana, roll thru, Boston crab by Cabana. Referee is checking on Punk’s condition, Punk finds the ropes. The match is a 2-out-of-3 falls, tied at 1 fall a piece. Cabana with 2 uppercuts, Punk with 2 forearms, whip reversal off the ropes, and then CM Punk with a reverse hurricanrana spiking Cabana on his head, and we go to commercial.
When we return, Cabana is on the map, Punk first to his feet, slaps him in the face, back elbow kick, goes off the ropes, shining wizard from a standing position, cover, kick out. Punk climbs to the top turnbuckle, Cabana catches him, and then an inverted DDT off the top rope. But Cabana is worn down not, able to follow up. (Todd Sinclair was still calling the action way back then!) Whip reversal, Punk grabs the arm for the Anaconda Device on Cabana, but Cabana gets his foot on the ropes. Punk calls for the Pepsi Plunge, slams Cabanas head into the turnbuckle, climbs the ropes, hooks the arms butterfly-style but Cabana fights out, fireman’s carry by Cabana and then a Samoan drop off the top rope. CM Punk with a quick roll-up, crucifix pin attempt, but only gets 2 on Cabana. Both men get back to a standing position, exchange close handed strikes. Punk yells, “Come on Cabana!” and they keep exchanging close handed strikes, Punk hits 3 kicks to the back of the knee, a kick to the chest, runs the ropes, and connect with a kick to the head, cover, but Cabana grabs the ropes. Punk goes for a vertical suplex, Cabana reverses pin attempt, roll through pin attempt, another reversal, 1-2-3 and Cabana beats CM Punk.
KK tells us, “That was Chicago 11 years ago. 11 years later, Colt Cabana will challenge Jay Lethal for the ROH World Championship May 8th on Global Wars,” and the show ends.
It looks like former WWE Superstar CM Punk, who has sold out the venue many times in the past, intends on becoming the first ever person in history to perform at Madison Square Garden as both a WWE Superstar and a UFC fighter.
The bill was passed on a 113-25 vote on Tuesday to finally legalize professional mixed-martial arts in the state of New York.
UFC has previously announced their intentions on running their first ever event at MSG in 2016, rumored to be in November, and it looks like “The Best In The World” has his sights set on being on the card.
Punk wrote the following seconds after the bill was passed in New York to legalize MMA:
CM Punk and Forrest Griffin recently spoke with Vice Sports about Punk’s upcoming debut inside the Octagon.
The former WWE Superstar and former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion talked about the criticism Punk has received since announcing his intentions to step into the Octagon, as well as what to expect from his debut itself.
Punk says he never considered himself much of an athlete. In high school, there were the jocks and he was more in the punk rock crowd. Griffin dubbed him the “King of the Nerds.” Punk says he doesn’t want being a former professional wrestler to define him – it’s just something he did, like writing comic books or training MMA. There’s footage of Punk training and Forrest Griffin caps off the segment with a hard-sell urging fans to pay to watch Punk’s first professional fight.
Punk will make his UFC debut at some point this year. His opponent is still expected to be UFC newcomer Mickey Gall.
CM Punk underwent back surgery this past Wednesday to correct a herniated disc, an injury Punk says dates back to his days as a pro wrestler. Mickey Gall, the man who earned the right to be Punk’s first UFC opponent, spoke with MMAFighting.com about the fight being delayed and when it could took place.
Gall said he started getting nervous that the fight would not take place, but UFC President Dana White told him the recovery from the surgery is just four weeks. While no date had been set for their fight, Gall says he is hopeful that the delay could result in the fight taking place at UFC 200 this July.
Initial plans were to have CM Punk’s debut take place on a lower-profile show, which would allow UFC to effectively gauge Punk’s drawing power (without having to compete against the other big fights that will headline UFC 200).
Posted February 14th, 2016 in News. Tagged: CM Punk.
There’s still no love lost between Ryback and former WWE Superstar (turned UFC fighter?) CM Punk. Punk revealed earlier this week that he would be undergoing back surgery, which would delay his UFC debut once again.
It dates back to Punk’s bombshell podcast with Colt Cabana from November 2014. In talking about the injuries that plagued the final months of his WWE career, Punk singled out Ryback as somebody he believed to be reckless to work with. Punk’s knee had been bothering him and he had spoken to Ryback already about protecting his knee. Punk was determined to put their past differences behind them, knowing they were going to be working together again. Punk told Cabana,
“First night out, Gorilla Press through a table…fucking misses the table. Dumps me on the concrete fucking ground. Tilts my fucking pelvis, fucks me up for weeks.”
“I’m compensating because my knee is still fucked, both my knees, you know what I mean? The one I just had surgery on six months ago and the one that was fucking torn up and I refused to have surgery on. I just wanted to rehab it, which I did. And now it’s at the point where I walk up to him and I go, ‘You can’t tell me you didn’t do that on purpose because you’ve done it so many times now. You either tell me right now you’re dumb as fuck and you suck, or you did it on purpose.
And he was like, ‘I’m dumb as fuck. I’m sorry.’”
Ryback clearly hasn’t forgotten Punk’s comments and sent him the following message this week regarding his latest surgery:
Former WWE Superstar CM Punk is set to undergo back surgery today in Chicago to fix a herniated disc, according to MMAFighting.com. His planned UFC debut will be delayed once again as a result. Punk told MMAFighting,
“My back has always bugged me. Figured it was just wrestling sh*t. Turns out it was. It got bad enough to the point where I couldn’t do anything the week before I went to train with the New Jersey Devils last month. One day I could manage, the next day I couldn’t.
“I’ve been in agony for almost a month. Chiropractor, acupuncture, massage, cryotherapy … nothing worked.”
This past Saturday night, it was determined that 24-year-old Mickey Gall would be his first opponent after Gall defeated fellow UFC newcomer Mike Jackson via first-round rear-naked choke. Punk reveals that he was informed about needing surgery prior to Gall’s win and their subsequent stare-down.
Despite the setback, Punk remains positive, calling the back surgery “just a bump in the road.” He won’t be able to fight at UFC 199 or 200, but still expects to fight this year.
Posted February 10th, 2016 in News, WWE. Tagged: CM Punk.
Following his retirement speech on Monday’s RAW, two of Daniel Bryan’s most famous pre-WWE opponents paid tribute to him on Twitter. Current NXT star Samoa Joe and former WWE Champion CM Punk both reacted to the news of Bryan’s retirement — Joe with a heartfelt message, and Punk with an old clip of the two together.
As I sit here tonight, I do so with a mix of emotions. Everything from selfishly profound sadness to relief tinged.. pic.twitter.com/i63PWnaHds
Former WWE Superstar CM Punk was recently interviewed for Complex Magazine to promote his upcoming UFC debut and wound up cutting it off abruptly when he didn’t like the line of questioning. Things were going fine until Kevin Wong of Complex asked Punk if he’s anxious or intimidated making the transition from professional wrestling to MMA. Here’s an excerpt from the exchange:
Punk: “I get this question a lot, and it’s like you guys think I’m an idiot. Like I didn’t know MMA wasn’t pre-determined or something like that,” says Punk. “Have you ever tweeted at me, ‘Hey, do you know what you’re getting into?’”
Wong: “I never have.”
Punk: “Okay. It sounds like you might have.”
Wong: “I don’t mean to put you on the defensive…”
Punk: “I’m not on the defensive. Your question is insulting. You’re asking me if I know the difference between the WWE and the UFC?”
Wong: “That’s not what I’m asking.”
Punk: “That’s exactly what you’re asking.”
When he’s asked how he might respond to fans who question his motives for joining UFC or doubt if it will ever happen, Punk got hostile. “You say my fans say that? You’re mistaken,” he said. “My fans do not say that. I wouldn’t say anything to them [my critics]. I don’t justify stupidity with an answer. I don’t give a shit what anybody thinks of me, whether I’m going to fight or not. I know what I’m going to do.”
Wong then asked Punk about his time and WWE and that’s when things went off the rails. Punk said he doesn’t want to talk about his time working for the company. “I’ve been there, I’ve done that, and I’ve accomplished everything I was going to.”
Wong was soon escorted away and told that Punk never wants to talk to him again.
It’s a worthwhile read. Check out the full article at Complex.com.
Posted February 5th, 2016 in News, WWE. Tagged: CM Punk.
CM Punk recently spoke to Yahoo Sports about his new career as an MMA fighter. and revealed some advice he got from fellow former WWE champ Batista. Punk, who has yet to make his octagon debut, currently has an 8-fight deal with the UFC.
“Part of my reason for most of the decisions I make in life is I don’t want to have regrets,” Punk said. “I talked to Dave Bautista [an ex-WWE wrestler who has one pro MMA fight] and he’s a great guy to talk to about this kind of stuff because he did the same thing. He said, ‘You’ve got to do it. You’ve got to chase your dream. You’re going to wake up one day and realize that you were presented an opportunity and you could have done it, but didn’t.’ So it’s a big reason.”
“It was something that he wanted to do. He loves it so he put his mind to it and did it, and I think that amazing,” Punk told The MMA Hour. “I don’t think anybody can criticize that. He has no delusions of grandeur. He’s not trying to get a big, fat UFC contract. He’s not trying to coast on his name from the WWE. He’s just fighting because he wanted to experience it.”
CM Punk also tackled the issue of backlash from MMA fans in his Yahoo Sports interview this week. Punk says he loves the sport of MMA, and that fans should be more patient with him while he trains for his delayed UFC debut.
“The people who don’t like the UFC and want to see it fail are always going to find the negatives,” he said. “You hear them. They say, ‘Oh, they didn’t do this,’ or ‘They’re not doing this right.’ The people who like it are going to buy the pay-per-view, and I want to respect them and the other fighters and this sport by being as prepared as I can. But there’s always going to be people who don’t like it or who have a problem with it.”
“I love the sport, and I have for a long time,” he added. “I’d stay up late and watch the Pride New Year’s Eve shows. I watch all the UFC pay-per-views. I’m a fan. I love this stuff. Literally, I looked at it, and I said, ‘That’s something I want to do.’”
Punk is expected to make his MMA debut at either UFC 199 or UFC 200 this summer.