CM Punk has chosen the Roufusport MMA Academy as his training camp and start there in less than two weeks, according to MMA personality and podcaster @FrontRowBrian. The camp is located in Milwaukee, WI and specializes in MMA, Muay Thai Kickboxing, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Boxing.
The following are highlights of a new website Q&A update by WWE Hall Of Famer Jim Ross:
On CM Punk: “Cash and creative strikes again and Punk isn’t the first nor will he be the last to leave a wrestling promotion in less than favorable circumstances. Sounded like Punk was burn out, banged up and needing a sabbatical. I’d say his wresting days are over.”
On Lawrence Taylor vs. Bam Bam Bigelow at WrestleMania: “LT needed the money…Bam Bam was a great booking because of his skill set and professionalism. I think that Pat Patterson and Tom Pritchard worked with both men a great deal. No backstage ‘heat’ or no controvsersey…great performance by both men considering what their role was on the biggest show of the year.”
On whether or not he’ll attend the Royal Rumble in Philadelphia: “Not sure but not at this time. I will watch it nonetheless.”
On Rusev’s future: “Some day Rusev will be WWE Champion or so I feel. Might be sooner than we think.”
Check out more Jim Ross Q&A updates on his official website, JRsBarBQ.com. You can also order JR’s Bar-B-Q products online at WWEShop.com.
The following are highlights of a new Associated Press interview with CM Punk:
On closing the door on a return to WWE: “They didn’t like me long before I left and there’s no reason to pretend there needs to be any kind of working relationship.”
On a comparison to the UFC for not being featured in WWE main events: “Imagine if UFC took Conor McGregor and they just put him on Fight Pass prelims, and they wouldn’t let him main event the big PPV or a big show. That’s how I felt. I was the main event on all the house shows, I was the only guy that was touring live every single day. When it came time for the PPV main event, oh, someone else is coming in.”
2014 is coming to a close. Aside from two episodes of Raw that most likely be forgettable, fans have seen everything the WWE has to offer this year. Here is a look back at all 16 pay-per-views (including NXT), with each event ranked and summarized.
16. Battleground
This event took place during July, and boy was it a hot mess. The opening contest between the Usos and Wyatt Family was money, but it was downhill from there, as fans were subjected to one dud contest after another.
The biggest mistakes involved advertising a Rollins/Ambrose match that didn’t take place, and using the same predictable ending sequence during the main event. Overall, this was completely forgettable and easily the worst pay-per-view of the year.
Worst Match: Chris Jericho vs. Bray Wyatt
Best Match: The Usos vs. The Wyatt Family
15. TLC
The final pay-per-view of the year was certainly not the best the company has to offer. Overall, this event suffered from a thin roster and overcomplicated booking. Like many pay-per-view events, it started off strong before derailing.
Ziggler and Harper stole the show during the opening contest. However, lame gimmicks (Stairs/Chairs Matches) and cheesy endings (Wyatt/Ambrose, Cena/Rollins) really held this event back and prevented it from being a success.
The following are highlights of a new Big Lead interview with Jim Ross:
On what it was like on the road with Ric Flair: “Being on the road with Flair was like a never-ending party. He had two great passions: in-ring wrestling and his social life. He was always the life of the party, so if you traveled with him on the road you kind of agreed to those terms. If you’re gonna ride in a limo and fly first class, like he’d facilitate in one way or another, you were essentially signing up for very late hours and ample alcohol consumption. He would tell you himself that he was known to forget on occasion that he was a married man. That’s not a secret, he’s written and spoken about it. That’s just Ric, and the thing about him is that even in his mid-60’s he still loves to be … social. Sometimes you wanted to avoid the ride with him because you needed to sleep. He could operate on a higher level with less sleep than just about anybody I’ve seen — other than Vince McMahon. He’d get up early in the morning, go to the gym, and do over an hour of cardio. He and Ricky Steamboat used to have contests with each other on the Stairmaster machines that bordered on suicidal.”
On CM Punk’s problems with the WWE medical staff and his staph infection being misdiagnosed: “I was very surprised to hear that because I know from experience that WWE has invested untold sums of money on their medical staff. Full-time doctors, full-time certified trainers, CTE testing and things that are actually being followed by some of the other leagues. I know that the health of their performers is a high priority, and that anytime I ever had an issue that was job-related or in-the-ring, I always got excellent care and I communicated with the medical staff on a regular basis. They’d call me when I was home. I was obviously not a trained in-ring performer. I did a lot of bits, that I equate to being a cow on ice, and I was a little clumsy and untrained. But I was cast in that role for that show, so I did my job — because I certainly could cash the checks. So I was surprised to hear that. I’m not disputing his claim because I wasn’t there and haven’t seen the medical records, but the issue is that it seems like it comes back down to communication. If I was in Punk’s place — and maybe he did this, I don’t know — and I was displeased by the doctor’s feedback, I would have gone to Vince after that, and said I believed the diagnosis to be incorrect. I don’t know if that ever happened.”
On if Punk leaving WWE and Vince McMahon to go to work for Dana White and the UFC is a case of the “devil you don’t know”: “No, I don’t think so. This whole thing has been a very dramatic matter, made even more so by those of us who write about and speculate on it. I look at both Dana and Vince as smart businessmen. Are they alpha males? You’re damn right. Have I always agreed with everything McMahon wanted me to do or all of his basic philosophies? Not every one of them, no. He’s a very strong alpha male, and I broke into the business with one that is even stronger in his presence than Vince ever was — Bill Watts — so that’s how I thought the business was just always gonna be. I think Dana’s a smart businessman, and the Punk signing was money from the get-go. As we speak, Punk is going through the ESPN car wash. That’s a nice get for UFC. The reason he’s on there is the same reason everyone is gonna buy his first PPV — he has global name identity. Where did he earn that? WWE. Where did he earn the money to live the lifestyle and be able to establish himself for independent ventures? Same as me — WWE.
“He had these issues with McMahon. I’ve heard one side of the story. I’ve read about it a lot, but I have not heard the podcast. I’ve always said that wrestlers leave companies because of the two c’s — cash and creative. Apparently Punk had issues with those. Nothing new. Not a revolutionary statement. It’s just the way it is. I’m thinking the WWE opened a lot of doors for him, it’s unfortunate they got into a pissing contest at the end, but as I’ve said before I think this all came from a basic lack of communication. The problem festered and it was allowed to get out of hand where it got past the point of no return, for now.”
Check out the complete interview at TheBigLead.com.
WWE Hall Of Famer Mick Foley recently posted the following blog on his official Facebook page:
A BOLD CHOICE FOR PUNK
I’ve been asked quite a bit over the past several days for my opinion on CM Punk’s decision to sign with UFC. I applaud it. While I have no idea how Punk will fare with top level MMA competitors, I do know that no one will out-train him or out-work him, and that, whether he wins or loses, succeeds or fails, he’s likely to be responsible for a few incredible PPV buy-rates – which had been a cause of concern for him since the dawning of the #WWENetwork…which, last time I checked was only $9.99 a month.
Just as importantly, #CMPunk won’t end up sitting on his couch 10 years from now, muttering the two dirtiest words in the English language: “what if”?
As noted, Ryback was Chris Jericho’s guest on his “Talk Is Jericho” podcast this week. During the interview, Ryback addressed recent comments made about him by CM Punk on Colt Cabana’s “Art of Wrestling” podcast.
Below is an excerpt from the interview where Ryback talks about the subject.
“I went and heard part of it. Punk was always good to me when he was here and I felt I was good to him. He was never like that to my face and I felt we always had good matches for the most part on the live events. To leave and say the things he said, I try not to take anything personal anymore. So whatever he’s going through, if he feels the need to say that, I can tell you it’s not true.
It’s one of those things, it’s like, come on man. I don’t understand if it’s a personal thing with me. I don’t know but I have no ill feeling towards the guy, I wish him the best.”
You can listen to the full Ryback interview on Talk Is Jericho right now at PodcastOne.com.
Former WWE Superstar turned UFC fighter CM Punk continued his media rounds on Thursday, taping an interview via satellite with Michael Landsberg of TSN’s Off The Record. As if his list of adversaries wasn’t long enough already, you can add Landsberg’s name to the list of people who rubs Punk the wrong way.
In the preview clip above, Punk gets heated with Landsberg, who he accuses of being two-faced and portraying a different persona on television than he does in real life.
“You want to play innocent and defensive when you’re not on camera and then when you get on camera, you want to act like you’re hot sh*t. I appreciate that. I like your gimmick, kid. No, I love it, I love it.”
The full interview airs tonight in Canada on TSN4 and TSN5 at 5pm (EST).
Mr. Money In The Bank Seth Rollins was a guest on the This Is Awesome Wrestling Show this week, hosted by Glenn Moore. Rollins spoke in-depth about CM Punk’s WWE departure. Here are some highlights:
Thoughts on CM Punk leaving WWE: “Good for him. Kudos to Punk for finding himself something to do after WWE. He’s made a big splash over the last few weeks between his podcasts and signing with UFC. I wish him the best of luck. I really hope that he has as much success there as he has here. I think it will be very interesting for him to try something new. He’s only been a pro wrestler since he was 18 years old. For him, at his age, to step out of his comfort zone and try something new is pretty admirable and I’m looking forward to seeing how he does.”
The way CM Punk left WWE: “I think it could have handled better, probably, on both sides. And I think down the road, people involved will say the same thing. But as much as I don’t necessary agree with the way he left, I think I understand, mentally, where he was. This business can take a toll on you. You travel a lot. You get beat up a lot. There’s a lot of frustration that’s involved and mentally, over time, that can wear on you. It can put you in place where you’re a different person. And when you’re not happy with who you are and the person you want to be, you gotta take a step back. You gotta look at things outside the bubble a little bit. I think that’s what he did and I think he realized that he needed to take a step back and see what was going on. And if he didn’t like it, then he can move on. I think they agreed to disagree. Like I said, could have been handled differently from a public relations standpoint on both sides. I think once the dust settles, everything will feel itself out and it should be alright.”
If the locker room would welcome CM Punk back to WWE:“I don’t see why not. He’s a self-admitted jerk, first of all. And if you listen to his podcast, he didn’t say that he was in a great mood the last few months that he was there. He admitted how grumpy he was and how much of a jerk he was, even more than he already is. I think we would welcome him back. I’m not to hold too much grudges. I think everyone deserves a second chance; an opportunity to redeem themselves. I would welcome him back. I’m sure he would face some resentment, as far as the locker room is concerned. But guys get over that stuff pretty quick. I think if it was best for business, yeah, I would be open to it for sure.”
Rollins also talked about NXT, his TLC match vs. John Cena, his career, Crossfit, and what he wants fans to think about him when he retires.
– According to this week’s issue of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, officials for Lucha Underground have discussed bringing in Sarah Stock (formerly known as Sarita in TNA Wrestling). These days, the ex-TNA Knockout primarily competes for Mexican promotion Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL), while making occasional tours to Japan.
– Upcoming mixed martial artist and former WWE Superstar CM Punk appeared in studio today for an interview with Opie With Jim Norton.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6QqSVqhViEo
– Former WCW Superstar Buff Bagwell is scheduled to appear at Gulf Coast Wrestling’s “Slam Saturday” event on Saturday, January 31, 2015 in Morgan City, Louisiana. The show takes place at Morgan City Junior High, with concessions going toward the school. To view a flyer for the event, click here.
For those who saw the NXT Takeover: R Evolution special on the WWE Network last Thursday, you saw former wrestler Corey Graves talk about how WWE’s “world-class doctors” advised him to retire after concussion issues.
Apparently the Graves segment where he made that comment was purposely planned, partially designed as a shot towards CM Punk.
It’s said that Graves putting over WWE’s doctors as world-class and talking about how they identified his problem with no issues and did the right thing, resulting in him keeping a job with the company, was all aimed as a response to comments made by Punk on the “Art of Wrestling” podcast.
The following are highlights of a new Huffington Post interview with Global Force Wrestling (GFW) promoter Jeff Jarrett:
On Sting signing with WWE: “Finally! Very happy for him. Couldn’t be a better guy. He’s a good friend and I couldn’t be happier for him.”
On CM Punk signing with UFC: “Win, Win, Win! Win for Dana White at UFC, a win for CM Punk fans and whether CM Punk wins or loses in that octagon it’s a win for him because I’ve got a lot of respect for a guy that follows his heart and follows his passion.”
Former WWE Superstar turned UFC fighter CM Punk has signed on to write for another comic book series in 2015.
After it was announced last month that Punk will make his comic book writing debut for Marvel Comics’ “Thor Annual #1,” we can now confirm that Punk has signed on with DC Comics to write a story for “Strange Sports Stories #1”, which is a reboot of the old series from the 1960’s and 70’s.
Other creators involved with the issue include Brian Azzarello, Paul Pope, Gilbert Hernandez, and Darick Robertson. Strange Sports Stories is billed as a four-issue mini-series, with the first installment due out in March.
Below, you can check out the first artwork for the Strange Sports Stories #1:
Posted December 16th, 2014 in News, WWE. Tagged: CM Punk.
Here are some highlights from Chris Jericho’s recent interview with Wrestling101.com:
If He Thinks CM Punk Will Ever Return To WWE:
“That is something you will have to ask CM Punk, I haven’t spoken to him about it. I do know in 2005 I was very burned out from wrestling and I left for two and a halfyears. If Punk does come back it might take a while because when you’re burned out your done, like I said it took me two and half years before I decided I wanted to come back.”
“A lot of people forget that I left for quite a long period of time. It is a tough life, there is a lot of pressure and a lot of politics, you go through a lot of shit. If you’re not there 100% it can really drag you down that’s for sure.”
Who He Wants To Work With When He Returns To WWE For Another Run:
“When the time comes for me to go back, if I have some time and they’re willing to have me back I will look through the roster and see what works and makes sense. Seth Rollins is great, Dean Ambrose is great, I think Daniel Bryan as a babyface v myself as a heel would tear the house down.”
“There are a lot of great guys but it all depends on what they’ve got going on and what I’ve got going on. The last thing they are going to be doing is waiting around for Chris Jericho to come back, so when the time comes we will see what is going on and who is doing what with who and make some decisions from there.”
Comparing Vince McMahon, Eric Bischoff and Paul Heyman:
“Vince is the best boss I’ve ever had. The other guys were good bosses but to me they were just small time independent guys as far as the companies they had. Being in ECW and WCW for me was all about getting into WWE and I didn’t really care about anything else. Vince is the best boss I’ve ever had in the business and I wouldn’t work for anyone else but him and I haven’t for the last few years.”
– Former WWE Champion turned UFC fighter CM Punk will be interviewed on Fox Sports 1 tonight at 11PM (EST) to discuss his transition into Mixed Martial Arts.
– WWE Hall of Famer “Stone Cold” Steve Austin has commented on CM Punk joining UFC. On his latest podcast, Austin said it appears any chance of Vince McMahon and CM Punk doing business again is out the window.
“Right after I talk with Vince McMahon (on WWE Network) and I talked about maybe bridging the gap with C.M. Punk and Vince, he goes and does the deal with the UFC. It appears to me that, obviously, they are way further apart than I thought they were. And I knew things were bad, and I hadn’t talked to C.M. Punk, but it’s going to be interesting.”
– WWE Hall Of Famer Mick Foley will be featured on “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart” this Thursday night.
– Independent pro wrestler Scorpio Sky, who appeared on WWE television once as “Harold” during the Daniel Bryan and Kane storyline, has been tweeting about his desire to fight CM Punk in the UFC. Sky has fought three amateur MMA bouts in the past.
– Following the announcement that he had signed with the UFC, former WWE Superstar CM Punk was the sixth most-searched term on the internet in the United States with over 100,000 searches. UFC was third in the U.S., also at over 100,000 searches.
– Part-time WWE Superstar The Rock will be appearing on “The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon” this coming Thursday to promote his new reality show, “Wake Up Call,” which airs on TNT.
Regarding CM Punk’s comments about Ryback intentionally injuring him on the first Colt Cabana “Art of Wrestling” podcast appearance, there was said to be a feeling with WWE that it was unprofessional on Punk’s part and was seen as a cheap shot.
Additionally, many were under the impression that Ryback didn’t purposely kick Punk as hard as he could, nor did he intentionally try to break Punk’s ribs.
On a related note, almost no one had sympathy for Punk talking about how banged up he was. The feeling was that almost every top guy in WWE works under similar conditions, remaining on the road and working through a litany of injuries.
CM Punk signing with the UFC is said to be the hot topic among WWE Superstars backstage at this weekend’s live events. Many talents are said to be aware of the fact that acknowledging Punk’s UFC signing publicly will get them in trouble with WWE executives.
A lot of the discussion among the wrestlers was about how Punk will do in the UFC, in terms of whether or not he’ll be successful. There was also a lot of talk about how Punk has been the big thing over the past few weeks between his podcast appearances and his UFC signing. The talk was about how Punk is overshadowing anything in the wrestling world.
– WWE had their security team remove a fan sign that read, “Someone check my staph infection” that was in the crowd at last Monday’s RAW in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The sign was in reference to CM Punk revealing that WWE had ignored what turned out to be a staph infection that he was suffering from.
– WWE posted a storyline update on the “condition” of Dean Ambrose following his attack at the hands of Bray Wyatt on last week’s SmackDown. WWE noted that Ambrose has now been medically cleared to wrestle.
The pro wrestling and Mixed Martial Arts worlds are reacting to the blockbuster news of former WWE Champion CM Punk signing a multi-fight deal with UFC.
Congrats on @CMPunk signing apparently w/ @ufc is he going to fight? What weight? Will sell PPV's w/o question. Smart biz by @danawhite
– WWE Hall Of Famer Mick Foley told fans in attendance at his Valley Park, Missouri comedy show that he is “likely to appear on RAW again next week.”
– Chris Jericho held a Twitter Q&A recently and addressed the recent rumors that he could be appearing at Royal Rumble and WrestleMania 31 next year. The first ever WWE Undisputed Champion claimed that he will not be at either show. He also spoke about the CM Punk podcast, noting that he’s glad Punk got everything off of his chest. You can follow Jericho on Twitter @IAmJericho.
The following are highlights of a new Miami Herald interview with WWE Hall Of Famer Booker T:
Today’s independent wrestling scene: “You have a lot of good talent. Of course, there are not a lot of spots on the WWE roster for all of them at one time. They are essentially going to be out there for a while, which is a good thing in a way. They get a chance to travel around the world and seeing what it’s like out there and get paid to do it at the same time and hone their craft. So when they make it to the WWE roster, they’ll be ready. I watched that kid Adrian Neville before he ever made it to the roster. That kid was awesome. This new kid, formally Prince Devitt, I saw him on the scene doing his thing way before he made it to WWE. He was awesome. Now you have other young guys who are going to have that opportunity to do that same thing.
“With my Reality of Wrestling, it’s about getting these guys prepared for what it’s going to take to make it on the television roster and make it in the locker room. I love what is going on in the independent scene. This is really my first year getting the chance to go around and see what it’s like in other places. I love what I’m seeing out there with Pro Wrestling Syndicate, Northeast Wrestling, Big Time Wrestling and WildKat in New Orleans. There is a lot of good stuff out there.”
Not wanting to do one more run: “Never in a million years would I have thought I would have been able to go where I’ve gone in my career. It’s almost way too soon for me to be in the position I’m in, but I’m loving my position. Being able to give back and teach the game to these young guys, I’ve always wanted to be in this position. I was thinking about retiring when I was like 30 years old. All these wrestlers talk about having one more run in them. I don’t’ think I got one more run. I don’t want one more run. I don’t want it. To do a Rumble, I can do that. One night, where I can go in and it will be over real quick. I’d be happy with that.
“I don’t want to be one of those wrestlers that wishes to put their boots on when I’m 60. I don’t want to look at any of my old outfits then. My wife wants me to keep all my old outfits. I want to sell them all. I want to put them on eBay. You think I’m going to be 70 years old with all these action figures and outfits looking back at Harlem Heat’s glory days. It’s really for my grandkids. It’s been great. I’ve had the greatest life the last almost 25 years than any man could ask for. It’s a dream. I wouldn’t trade it in for the world. I always wanted to do the work and make it to the other side. That’s where I’m at in my life. It’s a great place.”
CM Punk speaking out on Colt Cabana’s podcast: “With me personally, certain business should be between yourself and the person you’re doing business with. You never know where you’ll have to go in the future. I’ve never been about burning bridges. I don’t know if he burned a bridge or not. I don’t know. It’s a personal thing more than anything for him to walk away. He had to have a certain feeling about something. It could be a lot of things, but it’s personal. For me, I can just say I’ve always looked at the business as a job. It’s never been nothing more than me getting a script and me going out there and performing. Of course, I’ve always wanted to make a decent pay like everybody else. You have to realize where I come from and a guy like CM Punk comes from. That may be the difference. Hopefully, Punk finds his way back to WWE. Me, personally, I was one of the guys who noticed his talent when I first saw him. I brought him to a wrestling show down here in Houston when he was a kid and before he was this ‘straight-edge superstar’ and all that stuff. I saw talent in him. Then when he did the whole pipe bomb thing, I saw even more talent in him.
“I felt he was really going to break out and last a long time in this business. I wouldn’t say a lifer, but a guy who was going to have a long career and give back. To see it abruptly end like that, there are so many fans out there that love CM Punk and want to see him in the middle of that ring. It’s the sad part.”
Check out the complete interview at MiamiHerald.com.
Next Sunday, the WWE will dust off the tables, ladders, chairs, and apparently stairs for its annual hardcore spectacular. This year’s event will be held in Cleveland, Ohio and will be the sixth incarnation of the pay-per-view.
This will be only the second TLC pay-per-view to not feature a WWE Championship match, as Brock Lesnar is still sitting at home collecting a paycheck. In the past, the WWE has used this event to lay the groundwork for the Road to WrestleMania while providing a sense of finality to various feuds with the hardcore element. With that said, here is a look back at the first five TLC pay-per-view events.
– The new season of WWE Hall Of Famer “Stone Cold” Steve Austin’s “Redneck Island” premieres on CMT tonight. Austin will be joined by a new co-host, Jessie James Decker, for what will be the fourth season of the program. For more information, visit CMT.com.
– In the interview below, Colt Cabana talks about his first podcast with CM Punk.
