- 2 days ago
The Dark Side of CM Punk - Wrestling Documentary
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00:00:00Everybody looked at me like, you, why are you here?
00:00:04He's a weird cat.
00:00:05Empty-headed, dumb .
00:00:06He doesn't communicate well.
00:00:08And a huge brawl broke out.
00:00:10It was one of the most selfish things
00:00:11I'd ever seen out of a human.
00:00:13He's pretty much a full owner.
00:00:14That's egos.
00:00:17CM Punk may be the most controversial figure
00:00:20in all of wrestling.
00:00:21The spotlight is his addiction, his drug of choice.
00:00:25Nowhere in the world does he feel more at home.
00:00:28Do I have everybody's attention now?
00:00:32That's exactly what Punk craves.
00:00:35Attention.
00:00:36He doesn't drink.
00:00:38His high comes from being the main event,
00:00:40being the center of attention.
00:00:43He refuses to play second fiddle, won't ever toe the line.
00:00:47When authority figures try to reign him in, he lashes out.
00:00:52He can be a real moody prick.
00:00:54CM Punk isn't likely to win any popularity contests.
00:00:58Many colleagues describe him as insufferable.
00:01:01There is no one else in the wrestling business
00:01:03who has stirred up as much drama as Punk.
00:01:06His list of enemies could fill an entire roster.
00:01:09There's that crabby side of Punk.
00:01:11It's as close to hatred as you can get.
00:01:14No matter what promotion he's in,
00:01:16Punk leaves a trail of heated arguments.
00:01:19But it's not just superiors or other wrestlers he doesn't get along with.
00:01:23Even the fans got the worst of his wrath.
00:01:25Nice Mohawk, you homo!
00:01:28In this documentary, we explore the psyche of a complex character.
00:01:32An incredibly talented man with a serious dark side.
00:01:36He's hard to get to know, he doesn't talk.
00:01:47I would hear from everybody that,
00:01:48oh my god, he's livid today, he's quitting, he's this, he's that.
00:01:51And I'd go to him and say, what's going on?
00:01:53And I'd get, well, nothing, he's fine, you know?
00:01:56And, okay, it's tough.
00:01:59Many colleagues take issue with CM Punk's mode of communication.
00:02:03Ironically, he's actually a silver-tongued devil.
00:02:07One of the most articulate wrestlers of all time.
00:02:10Your arms are just too short to box with God.
00:02:15Maybe this company will be better after Vince McMahon's dead.
00:02:19Punk's mic skills are off the charts because he doesn't put on an act.
00:02:23He wears his heart on his sleeve and freely speaks his mind.
00:02:27That's what creates those unforgettable moments.
00:02:30We've got similarities.
00:02:31We don't smoke, we don't drink, we don't do drugs.
00:02:34Anymore.
00:02:35How many times did you say,
00:02:37I just don't think he has what it takes
00:02:39while you're lying in bed with your wife?
00:02:41I have the balls to say things that nobody else has the balls to say.
00:02:46I wasn't paying attention, I apologize.
00:02:49Yeah, you didn't pay attention in wrestling school either, jerk.
00:02:52These verbal jabs showcase Punk's brutally honest and in-your-face attitude.
00:02:57Colleagues say the Punk you see in the Pipe Bomb promo
00:03:00is the same guy you see backstage.
00:03:03The shoot promo Punk is more than an act in front of the cameras.
00:03:07What makes him so brilliant on TV is the same thing
00:03:11that makes him a despised egomaniac behind the scenes,
00:03:15ultimately leading to his downfall.
00:03:17Today I terminated Phil Brooks, CM Punk, for cause.
00:03:21Punk fans value his honesty.
00:03:24Critics argue his truth-telling loses its merit when it's ruthless and hurtful,
00:03:30when he deliberately mocks or belittles others.
00:03:34And we got in a big argument and I was thinking like,
00:03:37what are the balls? Like the audacity of this dude.
00:03:39Punk is not a people person.
00:03:41Bad experiences have left their mark.
00:03:44He's been the odd man out too many times.
00:03:47Punk rubs people the wrong way wherever he goes.
00:03:51So he prefers to go alone.
00:03:52I run because it's the only thing you can do by yourself
00:03:57to kind of get away from everybody.
00:03:59He's turned into a lone wolf.
00:04:02Punk is happiest in his own company.
00:04:04In his mind, there's no one better than him.
00:04:07I am the best on this microphone,
00:04:10in that ring, even at commentary.
00:04:12Nobody can touch me.
00:04:14I say I'm the best in the world.
00:04:16And yeah, that's a little cocky,
00:04:17but confidence is nothing that I've ever lacked.
00:04:20He's not entirely wrong.
00:04:21Punk is considered one of the best wrestlers of his generation.
00:04:25A jack of all trades.
00:04:27He's good at everything.
00:04:28You can go out there and have a 30-minute wrestling match.
00:04:32CM Punk will be great at it.
00:04:33You can go out there and have a 30-minute brawl.
00:04:35CM Punk will be great at it.
00:04:37You can go out there and do a 30-minute promo.
00:04:39CM Punk will be great at it.
00:04:40The phrase best in the world is plastered all over his merch,
00:04:45and nobody buys into that hype more than Punk himself.
00:04:48He wasn't always the best in the world,
00:04:50but he always believed he was.
00:04:52CM Punk probably has as big of an ego
00:04:56as anybody I can think of that I met in the business.
00:04:59Punk's oversized ego constantly lands him in hot water,
00:05:03but his inflated self-confidence is also dangerous.
00:05:06Overrated, attention-seeking,
00:05:09puts a little bit too much stock in his own hype.
00:05:12The worst thing that can happen to you is to believe your own hype.
00:05:16It's dangerous.
00:05:18CM Punk calls himself the world's greatest wrestler.
00:05:22Critics call him an egotistical, arrogant, troublemaking crybaby.
00:05:27But Phil Brooks, the man behind CM Punk, calls himself deeply traumatized.
00:05:34The first time he's been in the world's greatest wrestler,
00:05:45June 10th, 2013, in Chicago.
00:05:49CM Punk is hanging out in his house when he gets a text from his mom.
00:05:54He hesitates to open it, then does.
00:05:58The content leaves him stunned.
00:06:01You don't give a s*** about us.
00:06:03You just care about your money, your fame, and your money-hungry friends.
00:06:09Punk's mother had recently re-entered his life.
00:06:12Not out of love, but because she was broke.
00:06:16Punk reportedly gave her $100,000, but she demanded more.
00:06:21She suffered from bipolar disorder and allegedly threatened suicide on four occasions.
00:06:27She also used private information as leverage, threatening to go public with details about
00:06:32his high school arrests if he didn't cough up more cash.
00:06:36The situation spiraled out of control until Punk decided he had to cut her out of his life.
00:06:44In 2013, he filed a restraining order against her.
00:06:48Punk accused his mother of abusive, harassing, and threatening behavior.
00:06:53The pain over his fractured family has affected him deeply.
00:06:59I think a lot of how I handled things was a trauma response
00:07:05from not getting what I needed when I was a kid.
00:07:12Broken home, no money, and the people who were supposed to take care of me never did.
00:07:19Phil's childhood was a mess.
00:07:21I never got what I needed from my blood family. I was always neglected.
00:07:27This isn't crying, this isn't therapy hour, but I watched my parents, when my brother turned 16,
00:07:32buy him a new car. My brother had the opportunity to go to college and flunked out and spent all
00:07:36their money. I was never afforded those.
00:07:38His dad had a serious drinking problem and often drove drunk.
00:07:44You know, I remember what time my dad being extremely late to pick me up.
00:07:49You know, I remember driving home and he was throwing up the whole time.
00:07:53That was a very eye-opening experience.
00:07:55Okay, you drink, that's what happens to you. I'm never drinking.
00:07:59Brooks later said he never really had a home.
00:08:02There was no safe haven, no place to feel secure.
00:08:07His birth family always felt like strangers.
00:08:10I just found it weird that, like, you know, parents could have a kid and not,
00:08:15like, just 100% fully support them.
00:08:18As a teenager, Brooks moved in with his best friend, Shay.
00:08:21He's always had a really hard relationship with his mom.
00:08:25They've always been really distant. They never got along.
00:08:28Punk says he loved his mother, but she didn't seem to return that sentiment.
00:08:34He never did what he was told, had a mind of his own, and a problem with authority.
00:08:40This rebellious streak became a lifelong pattern.
00:08:44He played up his teachers, too. Hardly anyone liked him at school.
00:08:49Everyone just made fun of me because I had, like, one pair of shoes and one pair of jeans and
00:08:54would wear the same stuff all the time.
00:08:57As a teenager, Phil discovered wrestling.
00:09:01He dove head first into this bizarre world where no one made fun of him for his clothes.
00:09:07No one excluded him for being different because everyone there was a little off-kilter.
00:09:13He and his friends started wrestling in their backyard and started the LWF,
00:09:18the Lunatic Wrestling Federation. Phil quickly became their biggest star.
00:09:23They started charging admission. Over a thousand people were showing up to their shows.
00:09:28Pro wrestlers in the area looked down on them and mocked them.
00:09:32But in the end, the amateurs completely outdrew the pros.
00:09:36Punk worked with his brother Michael, who handled LWF's finances.
00:09:41The teenagers put their own savings into the project.
00:09:44Together, they'd built up a budget of several thousand dollars.
00:09:48But then, it all fell apart.
00:09:51She stole all the money.
00:09:53It wasn't like a small chunk of change. That's not what brothers do, man.
00:09:57Brothers help each other.
00:09:58A few years later, Michael tried to make amends.
00:10:03He paid everyone back and asked for forgiveness.
00:10:06The others let bygones be bygones.
00:10:09But Punk wouldn't speak to him.
00:10:12To this day, he doesn't speak to his brother.
00:10:16It's okay to be bitter about stuff.
00:10:19Punk found a new brother in Colt Cabana.
00:10:21The two hit it off right away.
00:10:23And years later, CM Punk versus Colt Cabana matches
00:10:27would become box office gold in the indie circuit.
00:10:31Wrestling became Punk's escape from the deep pain of his broken family.
00:10:36His whole life revolved around wrestling.
00:10:39Punk put his passion above everything else, even his love life.
00:10:45He is a much better friend than a boyfriend.
00:10:49Because he's so focused and he's so dedicated that wrestling always came first.
00:10:55Punk built a reputation as an indie darling.
00:10:59During his time in TNA, he butted heads with fellow wrestler Teddy Hart.
00:11:04They took their animosity into the public.
00:11:07Then before a show, tensions came to a head in the parking lot.
00:11:12I offered my hand to him and like a wrestler, guess what he does?
00:11:15Sucker punch.
00:11:17Tried to slap me across the face.
00:11:19He got two shots.
00:11:20I hit him twice.
00:11:21Punk started the fight but ended up on the losing end.
00:11:26It was a falling out between Punk and TNA.
00:11:29They didn't want him around anymore.
00:11:31Punk got the boot.
00:11:34Fearless.
00:11:35Unapologetically confident.
00:11:37I didn't like him but I respected him.
00:11:40Despite the drama, Punk's talent kept him booked all over.
00:11:44But he was constantly at odds with wrestlers and promoters.
00:11:47Among others, he had beef with Kevin Owens, then known as Kevin Steen.
00:11:53The exact reason is unclear.
00:11:56Punk told Steen he better wear a singlet, not a t-shirt.
00:11:59Steen recounts what happened next in an interview.
00:12:02I did the match in the singlet and I came to the back and I said,
00:12:05are you happy now?
00:12:06He got very upset.
00:12:07He yelled at me and he said I was disrespectful and all this stuff.
00:12:10Before his time in WWE, Punk gained popularity in Ring of Honor.
00:12:17The hottest indie promotion at the time.
00:12:20It was here that WWE scouts took notice and wanted to sign him.
00:12:25Just before jumping ship, Punk turned heel in ROH.
00:12:29He insulted the fans and signed his WWE contract on the ROH title.
00:12:35But in his farewell match, he broke character.
00:12:38One last time, he faced off against his best friend, Colt Cabana.
00:12:43Punk tried to blink away his tears, but they just kept coming.
00:12:46I think I loved this place.
00:12:51That last night, it was a pretty emotional night.
00:12:55Not just for me, I mean for everybody.
00:12:57Leaving was tough for him.
00:12:59His goodbye was incredibly emotional.
00:13:02He loved this place.
00:13:04Because it was the first place that was all about him.
00:13:08Where he had everyone's undivided attention.
00:13:11Here, he was the center of the universe.
00:13:15The spotlight was on him.
00:13:17He was the biggest star.
00:13:20At WWE, it was the complete opposite.
00:13:24He had a very rocky start.
00:13:26Punk expected to be thrown right into RAW and SmackDown.
00:13:30Instead, he landed in the developmental system OVW.
00:13:34He walked in with a real chip on his shoulder.
00:13:38Punk was the top guy for Ring of Honor.
00:13:44He was pissed beyond belief that he had been relegated to the developmental area.
00:13:52Punk's ego took a hit.
00:13:54The scouts recognized his talent, but failed to see his potential star power.
00:13:59That made him angry.
00:14:01In his eyes, no one was on his level.
00:14:04In ROH, he was the top dog.
00:14:06But in WWE, he was stuck training with the rookies.
00:14:11After two weeks of frustration, Punk chose to make the best of it.
00:14:15First guy in the door every single week, CM Punk.
00:14:21Last guy out the door, CM Punk.
00:14:24While everyone else was out partying or trying to sleep, I was awake for six months.
00:14:32Just six months straight.
00:14:34Punk wanted to keep using his finisher from the indies, a top rope pedigree called the Pepsi Plunge.
00:14:40But the higher-ups didn't allow it, since Triple H used the standard pedigree as his finisher.
00:14:47This didn't sit well with Punk at all.
00:14:48Bit by bit, the rebel in him started to resurface.
00:14:54Every tattoo I have tells its own story about who I am.
00:14:59In a war against this system.
00:15:01I feel like I have a responsibility to the younger wrestlers on the roster,
00:15:12the ones who aren't signed yet, in the future of pro wrestling as a whole,
00:15:16to help make this place better and to change this place.
00:15:20I certainly can't change it by sitting on my couch in Chicago.
00:15:23It could be a strange guy, bad communication, folks did not know how to deal with him.
00:15:36Word got around backstage that Punk was defiant and disrespectful.
00:15:41For instance, toward wrestling legend and trainer Tony Atlas.
00:15:45I was just like, listen man, you come down here and I know why you were brought here.
00:15:50You were brought here to tell people not to do drugs and to save your money,
00:15:53because that's something you didn't do.
00:15:55And going, you're going to criticize me.
00:15:57They went straight to Vince and they're like literally, we're going to get you fired.
00:16:02This and other incidents put Punk's career in jeopardy.
00:16:06But with Paul Heyman, he had the right supporter.
00:16:09In the right place, at the right time.
00:16:12Heyman always fought for Punk.
00:16:14Punk was on a list of thanks for coming and best of luck on your future endeavors.
00:16:20They said, fired his kid.
00:16:22And I'm like, what do you mean, fired his kid?
00:16:24I don't fire talent.
00:16:25I don't even hire talent.
00:16:26I develop talent.
00:16:27I worked with him and I directed him and I protected him.
00:16:31Heyman got Punk on TV.
00:16:33The two were determined to prove the higher ups wrong.
00:16:36They wanted to show that Punk really had what it takes to captivate the masses.
00:16:42I don't drink, I don't smoke, I don't do drugs.
00:16:46My addiction is wrestling.
00:16:51Punk recalls that the backstage atmosphere at the time was extremely toxic.
00:16:56The other wrestlers couldn't stand him.
00:16:58Shark Tank, cutthroat, super competitive.
00:17:01Everybody looked at me like, you, why are you here?
00:17:04You don't belong here.
00:17:06At the same time, his colleagues had sky-high expectations.
00:17:10They'd heard the rumors about this mega star from the indie scene.
00:17:14And it wasn't that he wasn't good or wasn't polished.
00:17:17He is.
00:17:18But when you come in with the legend of John Henry's hammer and you can't live up to that.
00:17:24So immediately I became like, hey, who's this guy?
00:17:29That's it?
00:17:31Punk wasn't winning any popularity contests, but his performances were solid.
00:17:36That's why he got to stick around.
00:17:38Why he kept getting TV time.
00:17:40And the fact that CM Punk was getting this momentum
00:17:46almost rubbed everybody the wrong way.
00:17:48Because it wasn't supposed to happen that way.
00:17:50The attention was supposed to be on other people.
00:17:53CM Punk was never considered for the main event
00:17:57because he didn't look like the guys in the main event.
00:18:01Next to Undertaker, Batista and John Cena,
00:18:04CM Punk doesn't look like a credible opponent.
00:18:07You look at the dude and think, oh, this is the guy that's going to go park our cars.
00:18:10Or this is the guy that's going to steal our car.
00:18:12One of the two.
00:18:13But it was precisely this alternative look that fans loved about him.
00:18:18And one thing was undeniable.
00:18:20Punk made up for his lack of muscle mass with other qualities.
00:18:24People were still telling him, you're not what they're looking for.
00:18:27You don't have the look of what WWE wants.
00:18:30They want guys like John Cena.
00:18:31They want guys like Randy Orton.
00:18:32They want guys like Batista.
00:18:33They don't want guys like you.
00:18:35But CM Punk can make you care.
00:18:38They want guys like you.
00:18:43March 30th, 2008.
00:18:45WrestleMania 24.
00:18:47By this point, Punk had been under WWE contract for three years.
00:18:51Nobody thought he'd last this long without getting fired.
00:18:54On this WrestleMania night, he scored his first big break.
00:18:59Punk won the money in the bank briefcase, guaranteeing him a title shot.
00:19:04It was the first time I think, at least in my mind, it's his friend saying,
00:19:10wow, they're going to go with him.
00:19:12His fans were still a bit skeptical.
00:19:14Many feared Punk would be the first to cash in the briefcase and lose,
00:19:19making him look like a chump.
00:19:21But that was not the case.
00:19:23CM Punk became world heavyweight champion.
00:19:27He'd finally made it to the top.
00:19:29At least, that's what he thought.
00:19:32He may have been carrying a big title, but he was presented as a minor champion.
00:19:37The champion that the bosses saw as the true champion was John Cena.
00:19:42Punk was still far from taking the leading role.
00:19:45And the very least thing he got was the proper recognition of being a champion.
00:19:50Matter of fact, a lot of people thought he tarnished the championship.
00:19:53I would pretty much say most of the locker room at that time
00:19:56really thought it was the wrong move.
00:19:59Triple H even publicly criticized Punk's first title reign as disappointing.
00:20:05The title doesn't make the guy, the guy makes the title.
00:20:09And I think it was kind of like the championship was trying to make him.
00:20:15And I don't think it works that way.
00:20:18A long-standing feud developed between Triple H and Punk,
00:20:21but never with heated arguments, more like underlying negativity towards each other.
00:20:28I knew, I mean, he never, he never liked me.
00:20:31Me and him in a room together, never any good vibes, always negative,
00:20:34the way he would always look sideways at me, the way he always treated me.
00:20:40But by this time, Triple H was already Vince McMahon's right-hand man.
00:20:45His word carried weight.
00:20:47Vince decided that Punk should be stripped of the title.
00:20:50Randy Orton hit him with a punt kick in a backstage attack.
00:20:56According to the storyline, this left Punk unable to defend the title.
00:21:00In reality, Punk actually did get injured and he handled it unprofessionally.
00:21:06I had a fracture in my arm and I kept it quiet.
00:21:12Punk kept the injury under wraps because he didn't want to be sidelined.
00:21:16Not now, when his career was just picking up speed.
00:21:20When it came out that Punk had concealed his injury, management was furious.
00:21:26That was a little political and a little necessary.
00:21:30I believe Punk had an injury that he had to take care of.
00:21:33And I believe that was great timing for those that didn't think that that was a great idea
00:21:40for him to have the title in the first place.
00:21:42The gap between them and Punk grew wider than ever.
00:21:46Punk was earning far less than his colleagues, but he didn't care much about the money.
00:21:52The only currency that matters to him is attention.
00:21:54There are a lot of people who just do this for money.
00:21:56There are guys who are hiding in the back right now, hoping that they don't get picked
00:22:01for a Superstars match tonight.
00:22:03Because they just like to chill out and earn their money and just not do anything.
00:22:07Punk is not one of those guys.
00:22:08Then Punk's career took a turn.
00:22:12The reason?
00:22:13A change in his character.
00:22:14Michael Hayes finds me and he says, Vince and I need to talk to you.
00:22:20And Vince looks at me and he goes, I have a challenge for you.
00:22:22We're eventually going to see if you can run as a heel.
00:22:26I have my reservations, but Michael here thinks you might be able to do it.
00:22:31And now I'm insulted.
00:22:33Now I'm like, I'm literally, I'm sitting there and I'm going, fuck, fuck, fuck.
00:22:37Once again, I go, what's the challenge?
00:22:40So I want to see if you can be a heel.
00:22:41Vince, what's the challenge?
00:22:43I want to see if you can do, I want to see if you can pull this off.
00:22:45I don't know.
00:22:46You know, I don't know if you can pull this off.
00:22:47And I was just like, sit back in three months.
00:22:50I'll be the best heel and come.
00:22:53Punk flourished in his role as a bad guy against Jeff Hardy.
00:22:57And he made good on his promise.
00:22:59In no time, he became the best, most hated heel.
00:23:03However, this success came with one controversial condition.
00:23:07That was the first time somebody would hand me, oh, we wrote your promo.
00:23:11And it was written from somebody else's perspective about how I view the world and
00:23:16everything like that.
00:23:17Nobody could ever know what's in my brain.
00:23:19Very opinionated.
00:23:21The more successful Punk got, the more he wanted to control what he was doing.
00:23:25Punk wanted to write his own promos and demanded creative freedom.
00:23:30The higher ups refused, but boss Vince McMahon quickly learned that Punk was a rebel.
00:23:36Anytime anybody would hand me something just to prove a point, I would rip it up right in
00:23:40front of them and just throw it in the garbage.
00:23:43Sometimes it's on the floor.
00:23:44And they'd be like, oh, here's you.
00:23:45And I'd be like, hey, thanks a lot.
00:23:48Punk did his own thing and it paid off.
00:23:51Vince gave him free reign because the self-written promos were the best of the program.
00:23:56Just like me, he had no idea what he was going to say when he went out to the ring.
00:24:00He was just doing it.
00:24:02Shoot promos that didn't get wrapped around into the storyline that were telling,
00:24:06that he fervently believed in his heart that he was telling the truth.
00:24:11The microphone is truly Phil Brooks' best friend in wrestling.
00:24:15However, he used a controversial strategy.
00:24:18He blurred the lines between reality and storyline, delivering so-called shoot promos.
00:24:24Punk brought up Jeff Hardy's real-life alcoholism on camera.
00:24:29The only way you obtain this is with a prescription.
00:24:33You know a thing or two about prescription medication.
00:24:35What I don't think you realize is that you have to go to a doctor to legally obtain some.
00:24:40Why don't you try living a clean lifestyle?
00:24:43CM Punk told Hardy about some of the things he was going to say beforehand.
00:24:48But not all of them.
00:24:50And he reportedly didn't really give him a chance to say no.
00:24:53Punk was dead set on delivering these controversial promos.
00:24:57Jeff, look at yourself.
00:24:59You're a joke.
00:25:00And you can boo all you want.
00:25:02I know why you boo.
00:25:03You know why you boo.
00:25:04It's because I tell the truth.
00:25:07And the truth sometimes hurts, doesn't it?
00:25:09Jeff Hardy went along with it, but later said he wasn't really comfortable with it.
00:25:15The two quickly became enemies, not just on camera, but backstage too.
00:25:20Jeff, the professional, never let it show and swallowed his anger.
00:25:25But after leaving WWE, he dropped the facade in a video that showed him intoxicated.
00:25:33CM Punk, I think you're a nerd.
00:25:35You, my friend, are way too cocky.
00:25:38Inside and outside the ring.
00:25:41According to Jeff Hardy, CM Punk isn't as straight-edge and drug-free as he likes to claim.
00:25:47You take AMI to go to sleep, my ****.
00:25:50That's a prescription if you didn't know it.
00:25:54The reason why Punk works so well as a heel is simple.
00:25:57He knows his role of the unpopular, outcast booed person from his real life.
00:26:04And he excels at playing that role arrogantly.
00:26:07In an interview, RVD said that Punk couldn't confine that arrogance to just his gimmick.
00:26:13It was a part of him.
00:26:14You guys who do the promos, they convince you that they really think they're the best.
00:26:19They're the ones that make it to the top.
00:26:20They're also the ones that I can't stand because I think they're **** crazy.
00:26:24I think they're the ones that make it to the top.
00:26:26Moreover, RVD and Booker T criticised Punk for acting like a locker room leader,
00:26:31even though the veterans didn't accept him as such at all.
00:26:35Undertaker, the true leader among the wrestlers, had a serious talk with Punk.
00:26:40Taker criticised his arrogant behaviour, the know-it-all attitude, the selfishness.
00:26:46He also suggested that as champion, he should dress more professionally
00:26:51and not walk around in worn-out jeans and t-shirts while representing the company.
00:26:57Punk's response, of course, was rebellious.
00:27:00He said that he would wear what he wants to wear.
00:27:03The differences between them persisted for months.
00:27:07The Undertaker didn't respect Punk.
00:27:10But when the two faced off in a feud, that changed.
00:27:13I know for a fact that Punk earned The Undertaker's respect inside the ring,
00:27:19which The Undertaker never thought he was going to give to Punk and admitted he was wrong.
00:27:25In the ring, Punk was beyond reproach.
00:27:28His wrestling skills impressed even the legends on the roster.
00:27:32He was athletic, had outstanding timing and a good feel for the audience.
00:27:36He also showcased innovative moves, like his finisher, the go-to-sleep.
00:27:42For a while, he bragged that he came up with the move himself.
00:27:46Later, he admitted that wasn't true.
00:27:48CM Punk, how did you come up with your finishing move?
00:27:51Uh, I stole it.
00:27:52The GTS was a move invented by Japanese wrestler Kenta.
00:27:56He was angry at Punk and lashed out against him on Twitter.
00:28:01Punk had managed to anger a wrestler he'd never even met before.
00:28:06In 2010, he got into a conflict with Chris Jericho.
00:28:09Punk was furious because Jericho was watching the Hockey World Cup shortly before a tag match,
00:28:15instead of helping to plan spots in the match.
00:28:18Punk found it unprofessional.
00:28:20And since it didn't seem like Jericho wanted to take part in the process,
00:28:25Punk didn't tag him in at all during the entire match.
00:28:29And he worked the whole match himself.
00:28:31And I was like, you son of a .
00:28:33He's like, you're so unprofessional because you guys watched the hockey game.
00:28:35I'm like, dude, you're unprofessional for not tagging me in.
00:28:39People might have paid money to see me today and you robbed that from them.
00:28:42And we got in a big argument.
00:28:43And I was thinking like, the balls, like the audacity of this dude.
00:28:46He doesn't care.
00:28:47He doesn't care what anyone thinks.
00:28:49Some colleagues got the impression that Punk was even deliberately trying to be disliked
00:28:53and make enemies.
00:28:55In the ring, he mastered this like no other.
00:28:58As a radical atheist, he founded the Straight Edge Society cult.
00:29:03One nation, under Punk'd, indivisible, with integrity and sobriety for all.
00:29:10Was I trying to be wrestling Jesus?
00:29:13Yeah, absolutely.
00:29:14Because it was extremely offensive to a lot of people.
00:29:16In this role, Punk mocked religion and faith and imitated preachers in his sermon promos.
00:29:23Ladies and gentlemen, at home, if you feel the need to put your hand on the television screen,
00:29:30you go right ahead and do that.
00:29:32Many fans were beside themselves, throwing objects into the ring and hurling insults at Punk,
00:29:38which is exactly what Punk wanted to achieve.
00:29:41Exactly what he had promised Vince McMahon.
00:29:45There was nobody who was getting as much heat from those people as CM Punk was.
00:29:49He was the most hated man in the company.
00:29:51I had a grandmother jump the rail to slap me in the face.
00:29:54And the quote was, you are not Jesus Christ and you are burning healthier sins.
00:29:57And that was the desired reaction.
00:29:59I want people to slash my tires, set my car on fire, chase me out of town with pitchforks and torches.
00:30:07Wrestling needs good heels.
00:30:09Because the more the audience hated Punk, the more they cheered for his opponents.
00:30:14Fan favorite Rey Mysterio had a big moment when he won against Punk in a hair versus mask match.
00:30:19Punk had to shave his head.
00:30:22It was sweet satisfaction for the fans.
00:30:25Punk had to shave his head.
00:30:29As unpopular as Punk was with the audience, he was inversely popular with the ladies.
00:30:35As a teenager, he gave himself the name CM Punk.
00:30:39CM stands for Chick Magnet.
00:30:41And throughout his career, he lived up to this nickname.
00:30:44Shannon Sprill, Natalie Slater, Tracy Brookshaw, Maria Kanellis, Kelly Kelly,
00:30:50Mickie James, Becky Bayliss, Alison Danger, Lita, Beth Phoenix.
00:30:57Then he met his future wife, wrestler AJ Lee.
00:31:02She says she's drawn to Phil's rebellious side.
00:31:05It's scary and uncertain to kind of go against the grain and do your own thing and challenge authority.
00:31:15And so you kind of just have to have the guts.
00:31:17And he has that and he's one of the few people that has that.
00:31:23CM Punk had one big goal in his career.
00:31:26He wanted to be in the WrestleMania main event, the biggest match of the year.
00:31:31He wanted the brightest spotlight in wrestling to shine on him.
00:31:36He worked day and night for this dream.
00:31:38But it was a dream he couldn't fulfill.
00:31:41And it ate him up inside.
00:31:45Frustration level was at a 10, maybe an 11.
00:31:49I don't think there was anybody in the company that was more pissed off.
00:31:52I could detail so many different things.
00:31:54But a big one was Miz being in the main event of WrestleMania.
00:31:59There wasn't a better bad guy in the business than me.
00:32:02And to watch somebody literally just get handed this is a monumental slap in the face.
00:32:08Punk still wasn't the top guy, still wasn't the big star.
00:32:13It made him angry that he wasn't on magazine covers, not in the movies, not on the WrestleMania poster.
00:32:20In his dissatisfaction, Punk flirted with the idea of leaving WWE.
00:32:25He wanted to go back to his beloved indies, where he was the real deal.
00:32:30While still under contract with WWE, he tried to buy Ring of Honor.
00:32:35He even texted the owner asking how much he wanted for the company.
00:32:39The owner wasn't interested in selling.
00:32:41Vince McMahon also caught wind that Punk was frustrated.
00:32:45And he made him an incredible offer.
00:32:47One of the writers came up to me with a big smile on his face.
00:32:51He goes, you're going to love this.
00:32:52They're going to give you a microphone and they want you to air your grievances.
00:32:54And I just looked at him and I was like, well, surely you can't be serious.
00:32:58Management told Punk that he could actually say anything he wanted.
00:33:03Vince's idea was for Punk to vent his frustrations, hoping it would make him feel better.
00:33:08That's exactly what he did.
00:33:10And I'd like to think this company will be better after Vince McMahon's dead.
00:33:14But the fact is, it's going to get taken over by his idiotic daughter and his doofus son-in-law
00:33:20and the rest of his stupid family.
00:33:22Maybe I'll go back to Ring of Honor.
00:33:25Hey, Cole Cabana, how you doing?
00:33:28Punk was unapologetically himself, wreaking havoc on the mic.
00:33:33But he crossed a line when he wanted to tell a private story about Vince McMahon.
00:33:44Vince McMahon guessed which story it was and actually had the microphone deactivated.
00:33:51The production team was instructed to make sure Punk's voice couldn't be heard at all.
00:33:56That's why the camera microphones in front were also muted.
00:34:00The McMahons didn't know Punk would shoot so hard against them, but they took it in stride.
00:34:06After all, they had given him the opportunity to get his frustrations off his chest.
00:34:11But Punk claimed that it wasn't just his frustration, but also the frustration of his colleagues.
00:34:17I am CM Punk, and I am the voice of the voiceless.
00:34:24The vibe backstage was so indescribable.
00:34:26Like, just people freaking out, like on eggshells.
00:34:29You felt it, you know?
00:34:31Like, I'm getting goosebumps thinking about it right now.
00:34:34Backstage colleagues praised him for his guts.
00:34:37For some, he was actually speaking truths they had never dared to utter.
00:34:42CM Punk had more media appointments than ever before.
00:34:47He managed to bring a certain credibility back to wrestling.
00:34:50Ticket sales went through the roof.
00:34:52It was palpable that Punk wasn't just putting on an act, he meant business.
00:34:58Mr. McMahon, he is a greedy, soulless b****.
00:35:03These real shoots evolved into a legendary feud.
00:35:07Punk versus Cena.
00:35:10For years, the two had been in a real-life rivalry.
00:35:13Punk wanted to be the best, and Cena was always standing in his way.
00:35:18For instance, CM Punk was supposed to win the 2008 Royal Rumble.
00:35:22But then John Cena came back from injury in record time and threw a wrench in the works.
00:35:28When Punk first worked with Cena, he made it clear right off the bat who was boss.
00:35:33Who determines the move sequence in the match?
00:35:36In other words, who does the so-called calling?
00:35:40Mike Chiodo was the referee, and I remember locking up with John, and he started going,
00:35:45tackle, drop down, hip toss.
00:35:48He started calling all this s**t, and I remember just looking over at Chiodo, and I go,
00:35:51Mike, who the f**k is calling this match?
00:35:54John just went, oh, okay.
00:35:57It's like John Cena, you know what he does.
00:35:59He does the five things, and that's it.
00:36:02At Money in the Bank 2011, CM Punk reached the pinnacle of his career.
00:36:08He was in the biggest storyline, for the biggest title.
00:36:12People were coming to the arenas and tuning in to see him.
00:36:16He surpassed John Cena in merchandise sales.
00:36:19It was Punk's golden summer.
00:36:21He was now the top star.
00:36:26CM Punk was without a doubt the hottest talent in all of pro wrestling.
00:36:31Cena vs. Punk.
00:36:34One of the biggest matches in the history of WWE.
00:36:40Punk says he's never been as nervous in his life as he was that night.
00:36:44For many, this showdown is considered the best match in both of their careers.
00:36:49They created something extraordinary.
00:36:51CM Punk had now truly reached the top of the wrestling world, but for him, it wasn't enough.
00:37:05This peak wasn't high enough, because it wasn't the WrestleMania main event.
00:37:10From there, it was all downhill.
00:37:13You gonna punch me in the face, or do you gotta go ask your wife's permission first?
00:37:20I would, but I know where that hand's been.
00:37:25CM Punk was now the absolute fan favorite in front of the cameras.
00:37:29His promos were original, and once again peppered with real jabs.
00:37:33Hey everybody, the click's back!
00:37:35Which is kind of ironic, because click is the noise the audience's remote control makes
00:37:40every time Kevin Nash pops up on their TV screen.
00:37:43Kevin Nash and CM Punk didn't get along particularly well,
00:37:47so Punk came up with a few special lines to hit Nash where it hurt.
00:37:52OMG, Kevin Nash, WTF, thought he was dead, LOL.
00:37:58And here you are, live and in living color.
00:38:00It's just your career that's dead, right?
00:38:04Later, Nash said he almost lost his cool.
00:38:07Because I'm thinking to myself like, I'm scripted not to say anything, but you know what?
00:38:12Either you apologize to Mr. Nash, or I'm gonna smack you in the mouth, or we can go.
00:38:18I'm thinking to myself like, don't do it.
00:38:25There's that crabby side of Punk that we all know, that you all see at the airport,
00:38:29trying to get an autograph.
00:38:30We're seeing the true colors of CM Punk.
00:38:33And that's real, and that comes out in those microphones.
00:38:36Throughout his career, Punk repeatedly had unpleasant confrontations with fans.
00:38:41Punk was very dismissive when people asked him for autographs or photos.
00:38:45Then, an incident made headlines that painted Punk in a very bad light.
00:38:51CM Punk went into the crowd during a show,
00:38:53thought he was being attacked and knocked down an innocent fan.
00:38:58First with the back of his hand to the face, then he hit him in the jaw.
00:39:03The attacked fan's name is Charles Schmidt.
00:39:05Next thing you know, he comes at me, pops me, and my glasses go flying and I go down to the ground.
00:39:10These images show minor injuries.
00:39:13And Schmidt says Punk's attack damaged his glasses.
00:39:17Did somebody touch him?
00:39:19I didn't see anybody touch him, but there were a rush of people.
00:39:22Police filed a report, but the fan declined to press charges.
00:39:25Various media outlets, including CNN, reported on the incident.
00:39:30Schmidt says he is a little upset with Punk, but really he's just shocked about how his night of
00:39:36entertainment ended with him getting smacked on live TV.
00:39:40It just doesn't seem like it would be something that you'd do.
00:39:42In the fall of 2012, CM Punk injured his knee.
00:39:48And he noticed something surprising.
00:39:50He was happy about the injury because it finally afforded him a much needed break.
00:39:56But things turned out differently.
00:39:59Vince calls me.
00:40:00Hey pal, hurt surgery went good.
00:40:02We just announced on the website, in three weeks you're wrestling Ryback in a TLC match.
00:40:06It's the first bra of the year, it's going to be huge.
00:40:09And I was just like...
00:40:12Punk developed wrestling burnout.
00:40:17And above all, he had no desire to work with Ryback.
00:40:21In Punk's eyes, he was stupid and couldn't wrestle safely.
00:40:26The Ryback stuff, that took 20 years off my life.
00:40:29I'm already beat up and then I have to wrestle steroid guy.
00:40:33First night out, gorilla press through a table, misses the table.
00:40:37Dumps me on the concrete, me up for weeks.
00:40:42C.M. Punk doesn't suck up to people.
00:40:47He criticizes those who do.
00:40:49The Rock, for example.
00:40:51Behind the scenes, the atmosphere between the two was tense.
00:40:55The Rock had caught wind that Punk regularly took shots at him.
00:40:59He insulted him.
00:41:00Said he always told the bosses what they wanted to hear.
00:41:03Punk also criticized his movies and scoffed at his Hollywood success.
00:41:08But Vince McMahon put the two in a heated rivalry with each other.
00:41:13The Rock had his team from Hollywood with him, writing promos for him.
00:41:17And for Punk too.
00:41:19But Punk didn't want words put in his mouth.
00:41:22He had no desire to be told what to say.
00:41:25The Rock eventually accepted this.
00:41:27But the change of plans created negativity.
00:41:31The underlying problem was Punk's deep frustration that The Rock got to be in the
00:41:35WrestleMania main event and he didn't.
00:41:38Jealousy.
00:41:39Vince McMahon had something else in mind for him.
00:41:42Oh, The Undertaker needs to beat somebody at WrestleMania.
00:41:47Here you are.
00:41:47I had ideas to actually build it up and make it look like a threat.
00:41:52And I never felt I was.
00:41:53I was disappointed in that.
00:41:55Out of frustration and rebellion, Punk crossed a line in a match on Raw.
00:42:01In a highly praised match against John Cena, he performed a Piledriver.
00:42:05The move had been banned for years due to the risk of injury.
00:42:10Vince McMahon greeted them both with a lecture backstage.
00:42:14I feel like I'm constantly fighting, whether it's opponents in the ring or the office,
00:42:20to get what I want.
00:42:22Another point of frustration was his dietary change.
00:42:25Punk became a vegetarian and regularly complained about WWE's backstage catering.
00:42:30There were hardly any vegetarian options.
00:42:34I can't eat anything.
00:42:36And he's like, yeah, you know, I'm not gonna eat meat anymore.
00:42:40It's like, what are we talking about?
00:42:41Like, this is what we do after the matches.
00:42:44There's nothing else open besides like McDonald's and Wendy's and fast food.
00:42:48You're gonna try to be a vegetarian now?
00:42:52Punk's face off with The Undertaker at WrestleMania was the match of the night.
00:42:57At SummerSlam 2, CM Punk delivered what many fans considered the best performance against Brock Lesnar.
00:43:04The match and the feud thrilled the audience.
00:43:07Punk thinks just because he tapes his hand and takes MMA classes for beginners at his local gym,
00:43:14that he's a tough guy.
00:43:17Well, he's not.
00:43:17After two amazing performances, Punk was sure he would be in the main event at WrestleMania next year.
00:43:27But Vince planned Batista versus Randy Orton as the biggest match.
00:43:31He did become, you know, very disgruntled.
00:43:35Those are things that happen.
00:43:37Because at the end of the day, a person that runs this place, owns this place, and is responsible
00:43:43for this place, will make their decision. And that's the way we're gonna go.
00:43:47Out of frustration, Punk started bossing around younger talent arrogantly. For example, Rusev.
00:43:55Probably wasn't too much fun to be around. I was tired. I was sick. I was mad. I was feeling repressed.
00:44:02During this phase, Punk stopped talking to Vince McMahon. Before this, he still had the energy to
00:44:08complain when something didn't sit right with him. Now there was radio silence. But on the inside,
00:44:15Punk was fuming. There's a lack of communication. I think I can legitimately say that, you know,
00:44:20Punk has some degree of lack of communication skills. He's pretty much a full owner.
00:44:27The relationship between Punk and Vince was in tatters.
00:44:31He didn't really like the other guy that was in charge. But the truth is, he didn't really get
00:44:36along with the current guy that's in charge either. You know, that wasn't like they were pals.
00:44:41I was like, I'm going home. And they're like, what do you mean you're going home? And I was like,
00:44:57I'm going home. And I just looked Vince in the eye and I said, I do not love this anymore. I have zero
00:45:03passion for this and I don't want to do it anymore. Vince responded with a suggestion. Punk should win
00:45:09against Triple H at WrestleMania. But Punk refused, turned to Triple H and had some harsh words for him.
00:45:17I do not need to wrestle you. You need to wrestle me. I do not want to wrestle you.
00:45:22I seriously resent you for not putting me over three years ago when you should have.
00:45:28Stubborn as he is, Punk stuck to his guns. He wanted the WrestleMania main event.
00:45:35Triple H tried to mediate. He said that Punk was one of the company's most important stars.
00:45:41But Punk had a counter for that too. I turned to him and I said, tell me that I got paid
00:45:46the same amount of money as you, Brock, Cena, Rock. He had nothing to say. He didn't say anything.
00:45:53The salary figures made clear what Punk had known all along. Management didn't see him as a top star.
00:46:00Many earned more than him. Punk left. Vince hugged him goodbye with tears in his eyes. Triple H shook
00:46:09his hand. It's my regret of that we couldn't get past all this stuff with him. But if he didn't want
00:46:15to be here anymore, if this wasn't his passion anymore, then he shouldn't be here. You can't
00:46:19do this job if you don't love it. He was done. Burned out, I guess is the best way of putting it.
00:46:25I got a text like maybe four days later. And Vince was like, you're ready to come back to work? And I
00:46:31was like, it's been four days. And then he told me he was suspending me for two months. And I was just
00:46:37like, cool. Of course, the suspension ends exactly like the day after WrestleMania. I was like, oh,
00:46:43I'm being punished. I can't do WrestleMania. Fine.
00:46:47When Vince realized that Punk really wasn't coming back, he was disappointed and angry. He ordered
00:46:53Punk's name to be erased everywhere, never to be mentioned again, and to deny him any attention.
00:47:01When you walk out, no matter what the reason, then you're walking out on not just a company,
00:47:08you're walking out on the audience as well. The audience did indeed feel let down. At every show,
00:47:15fans chanted CM Punk. Production staff tried to dial down the crowd noise for TV. In 2017,
00:47:25three years after Punk's departure, even though The Rock was in the ring,
00:47:30the audience was still screaming CM Punk. The Rock, known for his authentic interaction with fans,
00:47:38called Punk live in the ring. Punk later said that he was in the elevator when the phone rang,
00:47:46about to walk his dog. He didn't pick up. But just the mention of Punk made Vince McMahon lose it.
00:47:52All hell broke loose behind the curtain. Colleagues informed Punk about it through texts.
00:47:59A couple people backstage were like, it's crazy back here right now.
00:48:05There's a couple broken headsets. There's s*** flying everywhere.
00:48:09There was a reason for Vince's renewed anger. After his departure, Punk had spoken extremely
00:48:15disrespectfully about him, his company, and his employees. To such an extent that there were later
00:48:22defamation lawsuits. On his best friend Colt Cabana's podcast, Punk trash-talked his former employer.
00:48:30The list of accusations was long. Upper management didn't care about wrestlers' health.
00:48:35They only cared about the company's image.
00:48:39The WWE doesn't do anything to protect the wrestlers. They do things to protect themselves.
00:48:45They don't let everybody know that they're doing all these fantastic things for concussions for the boys.
00:48:52They do it so it looks good on them in the public. Punk portrayed himself as an oppressed hero.
00:48:59He also praised his creative ideas. The Shield was my idea. The Shield members themselves found this
00:49:06statement from Punk rather ridiculous.
00:49:08See you, Punk. Made the Shield. Yeah. Okay.
00:49:14The only thing that he made was that Pessy tattoo on the show.
00:49:20Punk made many more claims and accusations that later turned out to be false or exaggerated.
00:49:25Vince says he never listened to the podcast, but Triple H informed him about the accusations.
00:49:30Steve Austin also asked Triple H about Punk's statements in his podcast, especially regarding Punk's booking.
00:49:47The decisions that were made were Vince's and were made to help him. And then they didn't work out for
00:49:52whatever reason. But I don't know, he held a grudge on that.
00:49:55Punk was starting to weave plots that negatively influenced his friends,
00:50:00that were still working for WWE.
00:50:03He didn't want people who were his friends to stay and work for the company because he felt like it was
00:50:08like it's some sort of betrayal to him.
00:50:11Punk was so angry that he even sorted out his friends. He gave them an ultimatum.
00:50:17His friends should leave the company. Otherwise, he would end the friendship.
00:50:23He wouldn't even explain to his friends like why he was so resistant to continuing that friendship.
00:50:29Like I never got an answer out.
00:50:31Were you friends up to that point?
00:50:32Yes. Like we were friends till he left.
00:50:36Chris Jericho confirmed these statements from Rollins.
00:50:40Many of his friends lost all respect for him.
00:50:43Punk's former colleagues could only shake their heads at many of his statements.
00:50:47For example, Punk claimed that the backstage atmosphere had been terrible. Lots of envy and hostility.
00:50:54Yet in the eyes of many wrestlers, he was considered one of the causes of this toxic atmosphere.
00:51:01He's a jerk.
00:51:02Would you like to see Phil Brooks back in WWE?
00:51:05Oh, Philly Phil. Stay away. Stay away, you cancer. Get away from me forever.
00:51:13I don't like Phil. He's a jerk.
00:51:16Everybody in the room is like, oh no, did he say that? Yeah, no, he's a jerk. Come on.
00:51:20We figured it out over there. We knew it over here. I don't want him back. Go do something else.
00:51:25In hindsight, Punk admitted that he let his anger guide him in the podcast.
00:51:30He vaguely said he regretted some of his past behavior.
00:51:34I knew I wasn't the easiest guy to deal with and I wasn't the nicest guy to deal with.
00:51:38Still, the podcast rant blew up in his face. He criticized and insulted the doctors.
00:51:44The medical care was supposedly abysmal. The doctors had allegedly put his life at risk
00:51:49through negligent handling of an infectious disease, a staph infection.
00:51:54He also claimed to have suffered a concussion. The doctors disagreed.
00:51:58Punk had problems with nausea, so the doctors gave him antibiotics.
00:52:03However, his body didn't handle the medication well.
00:52:07An embarrassing mishap at SmackDown was the result.
00:52:11They z-packed me to death so much that in December I s**t my pants on a SmackDown.
00:52:16Because that's what antibiotics do to you.
00:52:18I had diarrhea for like three weeks. Oh man, was I nervous I was going to s**t again.
00:52:22I was like, this is going to be my new gimmick. You know what I mean?
00:52:25Vince is going to be like, you're going to get all white gear.
00:52:27Oh God.
00:52:27You know, ringside physician Chris Amann sued Punk for his defamatory statements.
00:52:33And he sued Colt Cabana for publishing the podcast.
00:52:36According to various media reports, Vince allegedly financially supported the company's doctor
00:52:42in the lawsuit against Punk.
00:52:44Some juicy details came to light in court.
00:52:47Punk broke down in tears several times during his testimony.
00:52:51He admitted to never being officially diagnosed with a staph infection.
00:52:56More discrepancies came to light.
00:52:58Punk admitted that his statements were partly inaccurate or exaggerated.
00:53:03In the end Punk and Cabana were acquitted as a man couldn't prove sufficient damage.
00:53:08Punk and his wife were relieved.
00:53:10Both were crying.
00:53:13But the legal dispute still cost him dearly.
00:53:17Among other things, his friendship with Colt Cabana.
00:53:22Fans are still confused about how CM Punk and Colt Cabana
00:53:25became bitter rivals after being best friends for most of their adult lives.
00:53:30Money and lawsuits tend to destroy friendships.
00:53:32And that's exactly what happened here.
00:53:35Punk had promised to cover Cabana's legal fees.
00:53:38Later, however, he withdrew this offer.
00:53:41According to rumors, Punk was angry at Cabana
00:53:44for not ending his friendships with WWE colleagues.
00:53:48Punk already saw them as enemies during the trial.
00:53:52The two sued each other, later settling out of court.
00:53:57WWE announcer Corey Graves then took Punk to task.
00:54:01He posted a text on social media.
00:54:03Maybe abandoning everybody who stood by your side,
00:54:07even when we weren't supposed to,
00:54:09only to have you turn your back on us,
00:54:11wasn't the right move after all.
00:54:14No anger, only sadness.
00:54:17Graves said that Punk gave him the cold shoulder
00:54:20when he tried to meet up with him after a WWE show
00:54:23in Punk's hometown of Chicago.
00:54:26Punk allegedly said he was no longer interested
00:54:29in contact with WWE employees.
00:54:31Graves continued,
00:54:32The number one rule of Punk Rock is loyalty.
00:54:37And this guy has betrayed everyone.
00:54:42Do you think there's ever a chance
00:54:43we'll see you back in a squared circle?
00:54:45No, no.
00:54:46Punk was done with wrestling.
00:54:49He now sought his attention and spotlight elsewhere.
00:54:52In the octagon, he announced his intention
00:54:55to become a UFC fighter.
00:54:58Wrestlers like Batista, Bobby Lashley and Brock Lesnar
00:55:02had already achieved great success in combat sports.
00:55:05Brock Lesnar even became UFC champion.
00:55:09But next to them, Punk didn't look like a dangerous fighter.
00:55:13In an interview, host Michael Landsberg referred to him as an entertainer.
00:55:17Punk found this disrespectful and reacted visibly annoyed.
00:55:23Are you kind of pissed off with the questions that I've asked?
00:55:25Uh, they're very wrestling-centric.
00:55:27And, you know, I'm here to talk about UFC.
00:55:29You have an agenda.
00:55:30Oh, I don't have an agenda.
00:55:31But what am I going to ask you about UFC?
00:55:32You're not a UFC fighter.
00:55:33And you're laughing about that.
00:55:35And you have me on your show making a joke of this situation.
00:55:39One thing was clear, though.
00:55:41CM Punk was very good with words.
00:55:44And so Punk engaged the host in a verbal fight.
00:55:48The usually quick-witted Landsberg was no match for Punk.
00:55:53For every quip, there was a better comeback.
00:55:56Try to act like the cool kid in school.
00:55:58I like your gimmick, kid.
00:55:59You know, but...
00:56:00No, I love it. I love it.
00:56:01No, you don't love it, first of all.
00:56:02And it is disrespectful somewhat to be drinking coffee or tea
00:56:05while you're in the middle of an interview.
00:56:06I... I gotta stay awake on TSN.
00:56:08I need my caffeine.
00:56:10And I'm looking forward to saying goodbye
00:56:11so I can go back to being the nice guy
00:56:13that apparently you accused me of being.
00:56:14Oh, I'm sure you've been accused of a lot worse.
00:56:17On the mic, Punk remained undefeated, even in the UFC.
00:56:23At a UFC convention, a fan provoked him.
00:56:27Where others would have reacted with professional distance,
00:56:30Punk gave in to his anger and fought back with insults.
00:56:34Are you finished?
00:56:36No, I'm here all day, but guess who's finished?
00:56:39You are.
00:56:40All right.
00:56:40Stay away from the Mexican kid.
00:56:42Bye-bye.
00:56:42Oh, you're a Mexican?
00:56:44Oh, I feel bad for all the other cool Mexicans I know.
00:56:46I'm an American.
00:56:47I'm on the stage, bitch.
00:56:49Get the fuck out.
00:56:52In September 2016, Punk had his first UFC fight.
00:56:58At the weigh-in, he refused to shake hands with his opponent.
00:57:02He acted cocky and self-confident, only to be dominated by Mickey Gall in the fight.
00:57:09Punk lost decisively and everyone who had laughed at him before kept laughing.
00:57:14After the fight, he appeared emotionally distraught at the press conference.
00:57:19I'm just really, really hard at myself.
00:57:21I, you know, I lost and it sucks.
00:57:25And it was lopsided and it's upsetting.
00:57:28Stephanie McMahon used Punk's loss as ammunition to fire back.
00:57:33She put an end to the CM Punk chants that night.
00:57:36So if you guys could keep that up for about two minutes and 15 seconds,
00:57:45you'd last one second longer than Punk did.
00:57:47Punk also clearly lost his second fight.
00:57:52Twice he tried to be a real fighter.
00:57:54Twice he failed spectacularly.
00:57:57Punk then retreated from the public eye,
00:57:59but over time began to miss the spotlight.
00:58:02He wanted to stick to his word and never wrestle again, but then did it anyway, unrecognized.
00:58:08Punk interfered in a match in the small independent promotion,
00:58:12MKE Wrestling, wearing a mask.
00:58:16But his signature move, the go to sleep, was noticeably sloppy.
00:58:21For him, it was worth it.
00:58:24Those few seconds back in the spotlight were like a relapse where he felt alive.
00:58:30A big day for the two-year-old promotion All Elite Wrestling.
00:58:39Right at the start of the show, Punk blew the roof off the arena.
00:58:48CM Punk was back in wrestling.
00:58:50His comeback took his breath away.
00:58:53Thousands of times he had envisioned this moment.
00:58:56Now, he was experiencing it.
00:58:58He was moved to tears.
00:59:01The entire world celebrated his return.
00:59:07I'm back.
00:59:09At first, wrestlers backstage were hyped to have him on the roster.
00:59:13Everyone thought Punk had become more professional by now.
00:59:16He said as much in interviews.
00:59:18I would be confrontational when there's maybe no need to be confrontational.
00:59:23You know, if somebody cuts you off in traffic, like, really, who gives a s***?
00:59:26You know, you're just gonna, you're gonna see him at the red light, you know, and people,
00:59:30people who are racing to that red light, like, I'm not racing to that red light anymore.
00:59:34What he was saying soon turned out to be wishful thinking.
00:59:39He foreshadowed his own scandals.
00:59:42CM Punk is considered a master of artfully blurring fiction and reality.
00:59:48Punk taught his new co-workers to bring reality into the public eye.
00:59:53And so they did.
00:59:55You claimed you'd only come back for the younger town,
00:59:57and yet you also claimed you'd only come back for a boatload of money.
01:00:03For Punk, shoot promos are quite normal.
01:00:05But the strategy of incorporating real conflicts in the shows eventually backfired.
01:00:11Behind the scenes at AEW, tensions were at a boiling point after Punk's comeback.
01:00:17Because his former best friend Colt Cabana worked in the same promotion.
01:00:22Everyone knew about their falling out.
01:00:25Cabana didn't want their conflict to affect his career.
01:00:29So he tried to reconcile with his former best friend.
01:00:33And he was like, uh, hey, can we talk so it's not weird between us?
01:00:38And I just said, I won't ever talk to you without a lawyer present.
01:00:42That's egos, is what it is.
01:00:49Punk strictly blocked all of Cabana's attempts at reconciliation.
01:00:53According to various media reports, Punk was allegedly bothered by Cabana working at AEW.
01:01:00He didn't want to constantly share a backstage area with him.
01:01:03Rumors suggest Punk demanded Cabana's termination.
01:01:07Boss Tony Khan listened to Punk, took some time to strategize,
01:01:11and went along with it.
01:01:13After all, he didn't want to anger Punk, who was his biggest and most important star at the time.
01:01:19He almost fired Cabana, but an arrangement was made.
01:01:23He was transferred to the smaller sister promotion, Ring of Honor.
01:01:27At a press conference, Tony Khan refused to answer the question
01:01:30of whether this had anything to do with Punk.
01:01:34The Wrestling Observer reports that the handling of Cabana was the basis for many further conflicts,
01:01:40because Colt Cabana had many friends in the locker room.
01:01:43The wrestlers liked him.
01:01:44Adam Page, for example, was beside himself over the allegedly unfair treatment of his friend,
01:01:50Cabana.
01:01:51Adam Page's reaction added fuel to the fire.
01:01:55In a promo, he fired shots at Punk without prior agreement,
01:01:58giving him a taste of his own medicine.
01:02:02You talk a big game about workers' rights, yeah?
01:02:05Well, you've shown the exact opposite since you've gotten here.
01:02:10I love this place.
01:02:11I care about this place.
01:02:13This is my home.
01:02:14I will be defending all elite wrestling from you.
01:02:20Page portrayed Punk as a hypocrite, who behaved completely differently behind the scenes
01:02:25than in front of the camera.
01:02:27These noticeably hostile remarks exploded like bombshells over the wrestling landscape.
01:02:33Fans and media speculated how much of what he was saying was real.
01:02:38It later became evident there was a personal animosity behind it.
01:02:43Before a match with Moxley, Punk addressed Adam Page.
01:02:46He called him out to come to the ring.
01:02:49According to media reports, this action was neither planned nor agreed upon.
01:02:53No one knew what had gotten into Punk at the time.
01:02:56The general interpretation was that Punk wanted to deliberately embarrass Page.
01:03:00But Adam Page was sitting at catering and didn't catch any of it.
01:03:04Like Colt Cabana, Adam Page also tried to de-escalate the conflict.
01:03:09He apologized to Punk behind the scenes.
01:03:12But Punk wanted none of it.
01:03:14Responding again with a shoot-style promo in the ring.
01:03:17A little bit of advice and I suggest you take.
01:03:22The apology must be as loud and as public as the disrespect.
01:03:29In a scandalous press conference, Punk burst the bubble.
01:03:33Then, an angry reckoning.
01:03:35He fired live rounds, first at Adam Page.
01:03:38Our locker room isn't worth when you have an empty-headed idiot, who's never done anything in the business,
01:03:45do public interviews and say, no, I don't really take advice.
01:03:48Oh boy, I don't know, I'm stubborn, I don't take advice.
01:03:51It's a disgrace to this industry, it's a disgrace to this company.
01:03:55I'm tired of wrestling these kids and think they know everything.
01:03:58What bothered Punk the most was that Page didn't subordinate himself to him.
01:04:04That he didn't follow his advice.
01:04:06He had a hard time dealing with that.
01:04:09He wants to be the guy who everybody looks to for advice, for direction.
01:04:16He wants to be the guy who's the leader.
01:04:19But the public mudslinging continued.
01:04:21Punk also attacked the Young Bucks and Kenny Omega,
01:04:24the so-called EVPs, wrestlers with management responsibilities.
01:04:29In his eyes, he was the only EVP, the MVP.
01:04:33He knew how the business worked.
01:04:36Everyone should subordinate themselves to him, his advice and his tips.
01:04:41Kenny Omega and the Young Bucks were confused by how he was acting.
01:04:45They wanted to be treated as equals and not be looked down upon.
01:04:50And the fact that I have to sit up here,
01:04:52because we have irresponsible people who call themselves EVPs and couldn't manage a target.
01:04:58And they spread lies and and put into a media that I got somebody fired when I have
01:05:06all to do with him. Embarrassing.
01:05:09Tensions kept growing until shortly after all hell broke loose.
01:05:14And a huge brawl broke out.
01:05:16The brawl involving CM Punk, the Young Bucks, Kenny Omega.
01:05:21The Young Bucks reportedly stormed into Punk's locker room along with Kenny Omega.
01:05:26First a confrontation, then it turned into a brawl.
01:05:30Allegedly, it was Punk who first took a swing at Matt Jackson.
01:05:34Rumours spread like wildfire.
01:05:37It was also a hot topic behind the scenes at WWE.
01:05:41Amusement mixed with criticism.
01:05:43Some found Punk's behaviour selfish and arrogant.
01:05:47He was the opposite of a locker room leader.
01:05:50Tony Khan's passivity in the matter was another point of perplexity.
01:05:55Why did he sit idly by and let Punk insult his colleagues?
01:05:59AEW co-founder Cody Rhodes expressed disappointment
01:06:03about Punk's press conference in an interview.
01:06:07I just hated seeing that.
01:06:08Because it was just a bummer.
01:06:10That's not how we envisioned it.
01:06:13Meanwhile, WWE officials realised their competitor,
01:06:17Tony Khan, was not in control of his company.
01:06:20Punk was.
01:06:22Fox employees who had dealt with Punk also confirmed that he was difficult to work with.
01:06:27WWE laughed, mocked AEW's unprofessionalism.
01:06:31And CM Punk stood in the eye of the storm.
01:06:34In response, Tony Khan suspended everyone involved in the dispute.
01:06:39The solution then was to separate the quarrelers
01:06:42and only have them appear on different shows.
01:06:45Punk got his own TV show with Collision.
01:06:48I'm tired of being nice.
01:06:52Tell me when I'm telling lies.
01:06:55He deliberately kept friends of the young bucks away,
01:06:58including Christopher Daniels and Dolph Ziggler's brother, Ryan Nemeth.
01:07:03But until there is somebody in this company
01:07:06that can fill these boots, they belong on my feet.
01:07:11Tell me when I'm telling lies.
01:07:16To this day, the conflict hasn't been resolved.
01:07:19A big personal meeting for a discussion was cancelled.
01:07:22Kenny Omega in particular tried to settle the dispute,
01:07:26but Punk remained obstinate.
01:07:28Not everyone dares to shoot so offensively against colleagues in a press conference.
01:07:34That's what fans love about him.
01:07:36That he dares.
01:07:37That he doesn't give in to conventions.
01:07:39That he defies expectations.
01:07:42At WWE, Punk always demanded more creative freedom.
01:07:46But the price of this creative freedom can be very high,
01:07:50as became clear in AEW.
01:07:53The lesson was clear.
01:07:54If everyone is allowed to say anything,
01:07:56they can also make real accusations.
01:07:59Which leads to real conflicts that escalate in public.
01:08:06The last chapter of Punk's time in All Elite Wrestling ended abruptly.
01:08:11He made his last appearance in 2023 at All in London in a match against Samoa Joe.
01:08:16When Punk arrived in London, there was no driver waiting for him at the airport.
01:08:21Once again, he got worked up about the company's unprofessionalism.
01:08:25He had to take the tube.
01:08:27He left his match with Samoa Joe with his finger up,
01:08:30the gesture of WWE's top guy Roman Reigns.
01:08:34Punk wanted to make it clear that he was still the best.
01:08:37Shortly after, Tony Khan fired him.
01:08:40Because there was another brawl.
01:08:42In the weeks leading up to this point, another dispute had been brewing.
01:08:47Jack Perry wanted to do various high-risk spots, including one with real glass.
01:08:52Punk reprimanded him and tried to forbid it.
01:08:55But Jack Perry wanted to do his own thing.
01:08:58And that's exactly what he did.
01:09:00Jack Perry does the spot on a real glass car window.
01:09:05Looks at the camera and says, it's real glass, crime me a river.
01:09:10That was more than enough to make Punk boil inside.
01:09:13And I walk up to him and I'm just like, Jack, why do you insist on doing this dumb internet
01:09:18shit like on TV?
01:09:20And he's just like, well, if you've got a problem about it, do something about it.
01:09:23And I was just like, man, come on, man.
01:09:25You know, I would fucking kill you.
01:09:27Like, what are we doing?
01:09:29I thought I was doing a responsible thing.
01:09:31You know, I didn't punch anybody.
01:09:34I just choked somebody a little bit.
01:09:36I turned to Tony and I said, this place is a fucking joke, man.
01:09:40You're a clown, I quit.
01:09:43Punk's enemies, the Young Bucks, showed footage of the incident.
01:09:47They clearly positioned themselves against Punk.
01:09:50If you've got a problem with Jack Perry, chances are you're the problem.
01:09:55The other individual tried to make this entire show about himself.
01:10:00There was only one logical consequence.
01:10:03Tony Khan kicked Punk out.
01:10:05A step that, according to many wrestlers, was long overdue.
01:10:09Today I terminated Phil Brooks, CM Punk, for cause.
01:10:13This stems from a backstage incident at AEW All-In last Sunday.
01:10:18The incident was regrettable and it endangered people backstage.
01:10:23Punk then reacted defiantly.
01:10:25He responded as he did after his last firing from WWE.
01:10:29He trash-talked his former employer.
01:10:32Where others would say thank you for the opportunity
01:10:35and wish colleagues the best despite any grievances,
01:10:39CM Punk starts bad-mouthing, cutting off contacts.
01:10:48He's a good guy.
01:10:49He's a good guy.
01:10:50November 21st, 2023, Chicago.
01:10:54CM Punk is sitting in his house.
01:10:56He gets a call from the new WWE president, Nick Khan.
01:11:00Vince McMahon was gone from the company after numerous scandals.
01:11:04Khan was polite, but to the point.
01:11:06He asked one question, when are you available?
01:11:16Once again, CM Punk blew the roof off the place.
01:11:20Meanwhile, Seth Rollins was boiling with rage.
01:11:23He had just finished wrestling, was about to leave,
01:11:27but knew nothing about Punk's comeback.
01:11:29Enraged, he flipped him off.
01:11:31Once backstage, Rollins started cussing,
01:11:34refused to shake Punk's hand, and walked away frustrated.
01:11:38What I wasn't happy about was Randy had just come back from a long hiatus.
01:11:43That was his moment.
01:11:45We went out there and had a hell of a contest.
01:11:47Didn't really need him, but it's the most classic,
01:11:50make everything about me, CM Punk moment I've ever seen.
01:11:55Randy Orton was also initially annoyed by Punk's out of nowhere comeback.
01:12:00Some of the wrestlers felt that their moments were diminished by his.
01:12:04That Punk was stealing their spotlight.
01:12:07Throw that on the pile of disgusting CM Punk moments.
01:12:10But don't worry, he's not selfish.
01:12:12He's in it for, you know, helping, helping everybody else.
01:12:15He made my job a lot harder over, you know, five, ten years ago.
01:12:19I don't like the guy. I mean, I don't know many people that do.
01:12:22The WWE locker room was seething.
01:12:26Punk had to explain himself to a lot of people.
01:12:29The decision to bring him back was controversial.
01:12:32But according to media reports, those in charge assured that they had taken precautions.
01:12:37Punk's contract reportedly includes a behavioral clause,
01:12:42which dictates that Punk has to behave like a professional.
01:12:45Respect his colleagues.
01:12:47Follow directions.
01:12:48Avoid public conflicts.
01:12:51Violations reportedly incur hefty fines or immediate termination.
01:12:56The locker room was in turmoil, but most did something that Punk often failed to do.
01:13:02They treated him respectfully, forgivingly, without bitterness.
01:13:07There were, however, some exceptions.
01:13:10Most notably, Seth Rollins.
01:13:13I mean, he really was just a cancer to my career for many years while he was gone.
01:13:18An intentional one, you know what I mean?
01:13:19He was a parasite.
01:13:20Seemed like every time he could take a pot shot at me or the company, he was trying to.
01:13:27Most recently, CM Punk had made fun of Rollins on Fox in 2019.
01:13:32Seth needs to stop tweeting and realize that sometimes it's better to be viewed at as the
01:13:39fool when you shut your mouth or you open your mouth and remove all doubt.
01:13:44Despite the longstanding feud between them, Rollins and Punk were open to working together.
01:13:49Both knew real conflicts make for fiery feuds on TV.
01:13:55You wanted this place to die with the echoes of those CM Punk chants.
01:14:00You went on your buddy's podcast, tried to tear this place down.
01:14:05When that didn't work, you took every single shot you could to try to kill this place and you still
01:14:10couldn't do it. And then you took a big chunk of change to go join the competition. How that worked
01:14:16out for you. These are promos. These are things that I've thought about saying publicly. Things
01:14:24I've wanted to say to his face for a long time and haven't been able to or have said privately.
01:14:31Drew McIntyre was also negatively surprised when Punk returned. He said in an interview with the Daily
01:14:38Mail that he had often experienced Punk as a terrible person. But here too, they transferred their
01:14:44real tensions to television. And they enjoyed working together. Many praised their segments and
01:14:50matches. Their Hell in a Cell match is considered one of the best matches in recent memory. In the
01:14:56time following his return, Punk had his work cut out for him rebuilding burned bridges. For example,
01:15:03with AJ Styles. Punk had accused him of being a racist. Or with The Miz.
01:15:08I was just walking down the stairs and he was standing there and we just locked eyes.
01:15:13He left a long time ago to see him backstage. I was like, what? We kind of just buried the hatchet,
01:15:19I guess you could say. Incredibly enough, Punk even had a reunion with Vince McMahon,
01:15:25which he describes as strange. When he was at the corporate headquarters in Stamford, he wanted to use
01:15:31the gym in the building. I saw him walking down into the gym. He came in for his daily workout.
01:15:36Yeah, yeah. And what was that like? He gave me a big hug and said, welcome home. Good to see you.
01:15:44Let's connect after I work out. And I was like, all right. Haven't seen him since. You didn't connect?
01:15:50No, no. I'm a guy for all intensive purposes. Never should have even made it to the WWE.
01:15:59I've had roadblock after roadblock after roadblock thrown in my way. But not only did I get past
01:16:04those roadblocks, I did it while flipping off the people who put up those roadblocks.
01:16:10CM Punk is no saint, but although he provides material for countless negative headlines,
01:16:16colleagues also have a lot of good things to say about him. For example, his friend Joey Mercury.
01:16:21I got fired from WWE. My house was in foreclosure. Punk said, are you in trouble with your house?
01:16:30And I said, yeah, I'm going to lose it. And Punk said, no, you're not. I'm going to buy your house.
01:16:35Punk wrote me a check and the six figures to buy my house. I don't know if I'm his best friend,
01:16:42but he's my best friend. He was my friend. So yeah, I'd do anything to help out Joey.
01:16:48CM Punk looks back on a successful career. He's one of the best wrestlers to ever step into the ring.
01:16:55He's intelligent and understands better than most how wrestling works. But the self-aggrandizing
01:17:02tendency in his personality has always stood in his way. It says, I know better. I'm the best.
01:17:10So everyone, listen to me. Punk finds fault in everything. He wants things to change.
01:17:18Whether it's in WWE or AEW, he wanted things to change because they didn't suit him. Because they
01:17:25didn't revolve around him. Triple H and John Cena criticize Punk's egocentric personality. CM Punk says
01:17:33in interviews that he significantly contributed to the positive changes we've seen in WWE.
01:17:39Rollins scoffs at this. Critics like him argue that Punk left during the most important phase of that
01:17:47change. The truth is that Triple H and many tirelessly hardworking superstars drove the company forward.
01:17:54Vince McMahon's departure also played a big role. Meanwhile, all that Punk contributed to the change
01:18:01were negativity and hostility. Of course, he doesn't want to admit that to himself, but he hardly played
01:18:07a role at all. What he said came true. He couldn't bring change from his couch in Chicago, but others
01:18:14did it for him. And now he's enjoying the fruits of their labor and he takes the credit. On social media,
01:18:23many said it was only a matter of time before Punk gets fired again. People thought that pattern in his
01:18:29career would continue. But Punk is trying to do better. And so far, he's doing pretty well. Because
01:18:36he desperately needs WWE, he can't help it. His drug of choice is the spotlight. Nowhere else does he feel
01:18:45more at home.
01:18:51I did it as me, CM Punk. What you see is what you get. I've never tried to be anything else.
01:18:57I would say he's kind of a game changer. Like, there's guys that come along that change the direction and the whole
01:19:02way it works. He's done that. He's uniquely different than anybody that's come along.
01:19:07I got a lot of pride, you know, and I got a lot of heart. There's a lot of people who wouldn't be in
01:19:13the industry if it wasn't for me. I think the main thing that makes CM Punk the best in the world is
01:19:18that he believes that he's the best in the world. And whatever excuse that you could come up with
01:19:25to deny that he's the best in the world is going to make sure that he proves that wrong.
01:19:28Like, all these scars, like, I earned this s**t. They'll criticize all these things, all these things
01:19:34that I've done wrong. The way I look, the way I act, this, that. But they don't realize that all those
01:19:40faults make me who I am. That's who CM Punk is. I have to be doing something right.
01:19:58So yeah, this.
01:20:06Oh.
01:20:12So yeah.
01:20:17Yeah.
01:20:22Yeah.
01:20:26Yeah.
01:20:27Yeah.
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