Tag: #PunkWeek

#PunkWeek: Even in defeat, CM Punk is a role model

Posted on by Zach Dominello

I don’t follow UFC, or any MMA for that matter, unless there’s a connection to pro wrestling.

I’ve seen a couple of Brock Lesnar fights, because he’s Brock Lesnar. I know who Conor McGregor is because he likes to play pro wrestler, and of course Ronda Rousey because she’s transcended MMA like The Rock did sports entertainment. That just about sums up my knowledge of UFC. When it somehow involves pro wrestling, I’m in. Other times, whatever.

As CM Punk’s widely discussed and criticized UFC debut has come and gone, I find myself once more misplaced in this strange, yet not entirely unfamiliar world of the UFC. Like a lot of people, I was intrigued to discover how the 37-year-old Punk, a former pro wrestler with no prior MMA training, would fare in a professional fight.

The answer was not particularly well to the surprise of no one.

But it wasn’t even so much the result of the fight that had me invested. In fact, before watching the UFC’s The Evolution of Punk series, I only had a passing interest in the controversial bout, based mainly on the curiosity factor and pro wrestling connection. But the series got me thinking a lot more about the fight, what it meant to Punk, and the idea of Punk as a role model.

See, I was never a huge CM Punk guy. I enjoyed his run during the “Pipe Bomb Era” which I inaccurately define as the time from his sit-down promo roughly through to leaving the company, but he was never my favorite. However, there’s no arguing that he was very, very good, and as a wrestling fan, I could appreciate that.

But what I appreciated more about Punk, especially after his 2012 Best in the World DVD release and even more so after Evolution, is how in the era of disgraced heroes and icons, he stands out as this shining example to children and adults alike.

Personally, I’m not sold on the whole “role model” concept. More often than not, people we look up to tend to disappoint us in the end, especially those coming from the world of professional sports and entertainment. Lance Armstrong, Jon Jones, Bill Cosby, the list goes on, and on, and on. But while others fall from grace, Punk inspires.

And his story really is an inspiring one. It’s clear in footage of him doing autograph signings and meet and greets just how many lives he’s influenced, whether due to his straight edge beliefs or his dedication to hard work and “earning what you’ve got” mentality. What I personally find most inspiring is that he’s managed to come out of the world of pro wrestling on his own terms, and more or less unscathed (not counting the lawsuit he claims is being “bankrolled” by Vince McMahon). Not a lot of wrestlers can say that.

But he did make it out. And not only that, he managed to escape with his now wife AJ. And from the glimpses into their home life that we got in Evolution, the two seem to be a totally normal, happy, boring couple. As a husband myself, I think that’s beautiful.

Here are two people who started in professional wrestling as nobodies, paid their dues on the indies, made it to the big leagues, achieved pretty much everything one could hope to achieve on the biggest stage of them all, left the business on their terms, and in the process, they managed to find love and develop a seemingly loving, healthy relationship with one another.

We sadly don’t get to see very many happy endings when it comes to pro wrestlers. While I understand some fans may have felt let down when their favorite wrestler just up and quit on them, I’ll take that disappointment if it means just one ex-pro wrestler is happy, healthy, and living life to the fullest.

But what makes CM Punk stand out as such a good role model is that while other professional athletes and celebrities are getting done for drugs, committing hit and runs, making racial slurs on secret sex tapes, or being charged with sexual assault, CM Punk has been training his behind off and overcoming obstacles to compete in his first ever professional MMA fight.

And as if that wasn’t enough pressure, he did it with a very expensive lawsuit lingering over his head. But you don’t see him complaining, at least not in public. Instead, Punk just focused on his current goal. No falling off the tracks. No cracking under pressure. Punk just pushes through.

In the end, Punk lost, like many expected he would. But it was never about winning or losing. It was about following a dream, and Punk did that. Sure, ethically, this fight never should have been allowed to happen. The arguments against Punk fighting in the UFC are all valid. Yes, he took a spot on the card from someone more worthy, but he also gave a huge boost to the career of Mickey Gall, a previous unknown.

At the end of the day, the UFC is in the business of making money, and if Punk can use his stardom, which he built from scratch and literally sacrificed his body to attain, to achieve a dream, and make him and the UFC some money along the way, then all the power to them.

I’m happy for Punk. He didn’t get to stick it to the naysayers, but he handled his defeat with grace. The most beautiful part of all was in a post-fight interview where Punk almost broke down when asked about his wife, who after the fight had told him she was proud of him. And that’s just it. When it’s all said and done, Punk is still in a happy, healthy relationship with the woman he loves.

He’ll set new goals, if he hasn’t already, whether they be in the world of comics, fighting, the squared circle, or something completely new, and put every ounce of effort he can into achieving them. That’s inspiring to me.

Of all the comments and jokes about CM Punk that flooded my timeline on Twitter, the one that sums it up the best came from Gran Akuma:

“I respect the guy that strikes out way more than I respect the guy that never steps up to the plate.”

#PunkWeek: CM Punk returning to WWE is a reset button that should never be pushed

Posted on by Mike DellaCamera

There’s an episode in season 6 of The Sopranos where Tony Soprano says, “Remember when is the lowest form of conversation”.

In the framework of the show, he’s saying that to antagonize one of his captains, but what he really is talking about is how people are generally conditioned to live in a place that consists of what was instead of what is. By not embracing change and moving forward, we are stuck being what we always are, much like the snake perpetually eating its own tail.

Nostalgia is fun for a little while; by its very definition, it is a longing for the things that made us happy in the past. But that’s all it is: a fleeting, ephemeral feeling, one that can’t last. Moreover, it hampers growth, individually and as a group.

For years, WWE has felt old and stale and a place where for years, you could just pencil in John Cena, Randy Orton, etc. for main event spots on any of the big shows. Progress towards something new and exciting is coming….slowly, but it is coming. Diving into the past pushes reset on the last two to three years.

CM Punk coming back to WWE is that reset button and it should not, and absolutely cannot be pushed.

Talking about the past is easy; it’s the whole ‘being in the present’ thing that is hard. That’s what Tony means when he talks about ‘remember when’. It’s taking the easy way out when you have nothing meaningful to say. Look at what WWE has done when it’s been desperate in the past – they constantly take the easy way out. Need a big WrestleMania main event? Just bring The Rock back. Can’t figure out that extra special WrestleMania moment? Have a 40-something father of 3 wrestle the Undertaker and fall off a cage through an announce table.

WWE is in a weird place where the roster is, arguably, the deepest it’s been in quite some time – deep enough the company was comfortable doing a full-on brand split. The company is beyond the point where they need relics from the past to move the company forward. They can use the nostalgia pops for what they should be: brief one-offs meant to elicit emotion. If Punk comes back, all the progress they’ve made toward this so called ‘new era’ goes right out the window.

Punk coming back wouldn’t make him a savior or a redeemer, but rather a pariah and everything he hated back when he worked for the company. He would come back and take the spotlight away from other people who have been on the road 300+ days a year grinding the house show circuit. He would take away the spotlight from guys that worked, guys that grinded through the indys, and struggled like he did to finally “make it” and become successful.

Guys like Kevin Owens, Seth Rollins, and Dean Ambrose would all lose time in the spotlight to Punk and what a bright light that would be. Look at the coverage Punk is getting for his UFC debut. A man with zero professional fighting experience got a full documentary series, and an immense amount of mainstream media coverage. I mean, he got an entire #PunkWeek on this site dedicated just to him and his fight.

Can you imagine what would happen if he came back to wrestling? There would be no B-storylines and no midcard. It’s would be The CM Punk Show, and everything else would pale in comparison. All anyone would care about is who Punk feuding with, when is Punk coming out, and what he would be going to say. The gravitational pull around him would consume everyone and everything. There would be no excitement or variety, there would just be…waiting.

Here’s the thing: people will never forget CM Punk.

How many people “got back into wrestling” because of him? The WWE version of Summer of Punk re-kindled my waning interest in the product. It was immediately something fresh, and something as close to new as the WWE will allow. He, and subsequently WWE programming, became must-watch television for the first time in years.

This is why his legacy is unquestioned, his mark on the industry is indelible, one that almost is above reproach.  Crowds will chant his name long after the idea of a Punk return is even a possibility. He will always cast a huge shadow as long as he remains in the public eye, but that does not mean moving from an 8-sided ring back to a square shaped one would be a positive thing. Punk was an advocate for change, someone who constantly and consistently pushed against the status quo. He made it possible for the current era of wrestling to even exist.

Without Punk there would, in all likelihood, be no Rollins, no Owens, and no Finn Balor. People often credit Daniel Bryan for breaking the glass ceiling and making a place for actual wrestlers to succeed in WWE, but Punk certainly put a few good sized dents in that ceiling before Bryan smashed his way through.

It is no secret that Punk hated and absolutely despised the fact that Rock came back to main event two Wrestlemanias while otherwise having nothing to do with WWE in the time between his appearances. He rightfully felt like those spots should go to someone who had been with the company through the years (specifically him) as a reward for all the work one puts in physically and mentally. By that logic, how could he ever come back? The second he did, he would become the thing he once hated most.

There’s also that people would have to buy in and believe that he would come back for anything other than a money grab or as a way to extend his time in the spotlight. Punk hasn’t missed many opportunities to take shots at WWE. On last week’s UFC media call, he spoke about how much it sucks to carry a company on your back, and how he doesn’t feel the need to engage in ‘a weird verbal, pissing contest’, which, ironically, was the part of wrestling that he excelled at more than anything else.

Remember when Punk poured out Paul Bearer’s ashes from the Undertaker’s urn? Remember when the Straight Edge Society essentially made Smackdown much watch? Remember when Punk dressed up like Jeff Hardy? Remember June 27th, 2011 – when Punk sat cross-legged at the top of the ramp and changed everything? Remember when Punk entered through the curtain in Chicago then left through the crowd?

Let’s remember those things fondly, but on our own. Let’s be able to remember someone who was (probably) The Best in The World, and not someone who came back and ruined all the good that he did. No matter what happens, Punk changed the game, but it’s more than time for us to wish him all the best in his future endeavors.

The Day In Punk: CM Punk declines a handshake, prepares for UFC 203 battle

Posted on by Josh Nason

After 21 months, all that stands between CM Punk and his UFC debut is time.

As expected, Punk made weight Friday morning, hitting 170 on the nose. So much for all that weight cutting talk, eh?

Then, Punk got to the public weigh-ins with Mickey Gall and didn’t care about shaking his opponent’s hand. Gall started talking to him, but got nothing by a stoic look back. As Gall left, Punk let out some emotion and seemed genuinely excited about what’s to come.

So why didn’t Punk shake Gall’s hand? Let Mr. Brooks tell you.

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The UFC Embedded series has been a little slow to come out, but here’s episode 4. 

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Punk did a post for the Players Tribune that got released Friday where he talked about his decision to fight. It’s a good read, but your tl;dr version is that he’s happier now pursuing something he wants to be great at rather than stay in something he was good at. He’s saying all the right things that makes one believe win or lose Saturday, he’s going to be back. Otherwise, what’s all of this been for?

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If you missed any of our #PunkWeek coverage, here’s your catch-up:

– JNPO: John Pollock on CM Punk’s big week

– CM Punk’s bravery already makes him a winner

– A look at other pro wrestlers who have fought professionally

– How CM Punk can win Saturday

– Day In Punk (Tuesday): The fight license twist

– Day In Punk (Wednesday): Media day, 2-minute workout & hack journalists

– Day In Punk (Thursday): Weight cut issues, Mick Foley, a return to wrestling?

JNPO: John Pollock on CM Punk’s UFC debut & grading the WWE brand split

Posted on by Josh Nason

On the eve of CM Punk’s UFC debut, The Fight Network and Live Audio Wrestling superstar John Pollock drops by for an hour of power to talk UFC, WWE, and even a little TNA.

Host Josh Nason poked and prodded John’s brains on the following:

– What John’s been up to this summer amid an insane combat sports schedule

– His thoughts on CM Punk’s fight week preparations and promotions thus far

– Have wrestling fans foresaken Punk or will they come out in droves to watch UFC 203?

– Thoughts on Mick Foley’s Punk shoutout

– What he would have done differently with “The Evolution of Punk”

– A look at Stipe Miocic vs. Alistair Overeem and UFC’s wild heavyweight division

– The overlooked Urijah Faber fight & the California Kid’s future options based on the result

– His pre-watch thoughts on TNA’s Delete or Decay

– Why John hopes “Broken” Matt Hardy never comes to TNA

– Grading the WWE brand split thus far & what he’s liked/not liked

This is a free show! Just click below to listen: 

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UFC 203 weigh-in results: CM Punk returns to publicly wearing underwear at 6 PM EST

Posted on by F4W Staff

While all of the offical weigh-ins took place Friday morning, the roster of sluggers and sluggettes for Saturday’s UFC 203 will publicly take to the scales at 6 PM EST for all of the world’s eyes to see.

That means CM Punk will (possibly) be stripping down to his Underoos for the first time in several years for public consumption. Punk hit the scales at 170 pounds, meaning there’s nothing else standing in his way, aside from slipping on a pipe or an attack by HHH, from him making his MMA debut against Mickey Gall Saturday.

The card also features heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic vs. Alistair Overeem, a redemption fight in Fabricio Werdum vs. Travis Browne, Urijah Faber looking to prove people wrong against rising prospect Jimmie Rivera, a Sempervive special in Joanne Calderwood vs. Jessica Andrade, and more.

For more coverage of CM Punk and UFC 203, visit the Related Articles links below.

#PunkWeek: CM Punk’s bravery already makes him a UFC 203 winner

Posted on by F4W Editors

CM Punk’s journey to the UFC and in life has been an interesting one. His WWE-produced documentary told the story of a man whose early life was a struggle and something that made him who he is today – for better or worse.

Since leaving WWE in 2014, he has been dedicated to becoming the best MMA fighter he can be. He’s not out to be a champion, or even the best “guest” fighter in UFC history – he’s just trying to prove something to himself. Before, he tried to prove that he could succeed at a high level in pro wrestling despite having size and his physique held against him and he did.

Now, he has to prove that he is worthy of this UFC opportunity.

When he was signed, everyone expected him to use his promo skills to hype up the fight. Instead, he has been doing the opposite, being honest to a fault and acting strangely humble. Instead of bragging and boasting, he’s been very realistic about his chances and is open about the potential of getting his ass handed to him by Mickey Gall.

It’s a unique approach to a fight as is the Evolution of Punk documentary series UFC has done on him. He comes off like an underdog just getting into MMA to begin with, let alone debuting in the biggest MMA group in history. You see that he is a driven individual and one that knows he’s a bit crazy to get into MMA at this stage.

Punk’s drive has defined him almost as much as his promos and personality, but it could be leading him to disaster here and he knows it. He’s quite brave to just go right into MMA without any real athletic background beyond pro wrestling.

Unlike Brock Lesnar going into MMA from pro wrestling, he didn’t have an NCAA-level wrestling background to fall back on as a base. His striking, grappling, and submissions were all about making things theatrical and keeping them within the confines of a pro wrestling match, not actually hurting someone to win a fight.

Having pro wrestling as his base works for his promos and he should have, at least, some familiarity with getting hit which also works in his favor. The Punk doc showed that he is fully aware of the risks, so even if his wife is terrified of the idea of him fighting, he knows it’s something he has to do. He has a point to prove to himself, and he knows that whether he wins or loses his fight with Mickey Gall, he will have proven something to himself.

Just competing is a victory in its own way, and his journey to the UFC even after starting training hasn’t been a smooth one. A shoulder injury set his return back several months, and as someone closer to 40 than 30, he knows his body takes longer to heal and fully recover from injuries. His mental toughness might be unmatched in either pro wrestling or MMA and that will probably carry him on even if he’s down two rounds.

Punk is heading into a whole new world on Saturday night and it could determine his future in and outside of MMA. If he wins easily, he could either choose to retire on a high note with one win and become a commentator, something that would be a longer-term (and safer) job than in-ring competition. He could also opt to keep fighting and try to make a run for the gold. That would be a tough road and a big longshot, but one that could pan out very well if the hands of fate deal him a favorable deck of cards.

A loss, especially a first round KO loss, would seem to spell the end of his MMA career as an active fighter. My hope is that he does well, wins, and retires. If he absolutely blows away Gall, maybe then see where things go with a second fight. Regardless, Punk is in for the fight of his life on Saturday night, and many will be crowded around TVs at their homes or at sports bars anxiously awaiting the result.

Many are watching simply to see him fight, while just as many want to see him lose, echoing a John Cena-esque fanbase that loves and loathes him. I just want to see him do well and, most importantly, hope that he feels like the time and effort he spent on learning the craft wasn’t wasted. He had the guts to try something new and expand his comfort zone, and should be applauded for it. He may not win the fight, but he will be anything but a loser on Saturday night.

UFC 203 press conference video: CM Punk, Stipe Miocic and more

Posted on by F4W Staff

UFC heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic, Alistair Overeem, CM Punk, Mickey Gall, and more will take the dais Thursday afternoon in Cleveland, OH, for the official UFC 203 pre-event press conference.

Watch the video below starting at 2 PM EST.

While much has been made of Punk this week due to his celebrity status, Miocic’s first defense of his heavyweight crown is being underplayed, especially since it will take place in his hometown. Overeem is a live challenger and poses a serious threat to Miocic if he can connect.

Also on the undercard is Urijah Faber who is quietly making his return to the Octagon for the first time since losing to bantamweight champion Dominic Cruz this summer. He faces unheralded Jimmie Rivera, winner of 18 straight with three of those coming in the UFC.

Should Faber win, expect a big push for him to face T.J. Dillashaw next as Cruz seems slated for fast-rising prospect and Faber teammate Cody Garbrandt. 

Watch all this unfold, likely sans bottle throwing, at 2 PM EST as part of our #PunkWeek coverage.

The Day In Punk: Interesting CM Punk fight license twist, Embedded, photo shoot

Posted on by Josh Nason

#PunkWeek is in full swing, kicking off Tuesday with amateur MMA fighter Dan Velten’s game plan on how he’d advise CM Punk to win in his debut…which is this Saturday at UFC 203 in case you hadn’t heard.

But that wasn’t the biggest Punk associated story of the day as how he got his fight license from Ohio became a point of contention, first raised by Combat Sports Law. Why? Because according to their administrative code, any fighter seeking a license must have at least five amateur fights and a winning record in those fights.

Punk, of course, has none. 

However, there is a process in which a fighter can appeal to “the executive director or the Ohio Athletic Commission to have this waived.”

MMA Fighting’s Luke Thomas conversed with OAC executive director Bernie Profato about the issue and got the following quote:

“CM Punk has a wrestling background similar to Brock Lesnar being permitted to fight in the past,” Profato said.

Thomas said that Profato mentioned his trust in UFC matchmaker Joe Silva’s efforts in past Ohio fight cards as also playing into the consideration for the license.

Brought up by the CSL blog was the intriguing Subsection F which establishes a “Master’s Division” for fighters 35 and older. The requirement here is three fights with a winning record which can then lead to an application for a license. This is supposed to be non-waivable. (Thanks to Brendan for bringing that clause to my attention.)

If anyone truly thought Punk’s fight license was ever in danger, you just don’t understand the fight game.

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In case you missed the first two episodes of UFC Embedded, both are here for your viewing pleasure.

Episode 1 features Punk doing some final wrestling prep and some running. We then get to see some of the other fighters on the card (there are other fights?) like Fabricio Werdum, Travis Browne, Alistair Overeem (interestingly evaluating the Arlovski/Barnett fight), and UFC heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic getting a kick out of hanging up on people.

We also get a look at Punk’s basement gym and sauna. Sadly, Mickey Gall is nowhere to be found in this episode.

Episode 2 is more of the same. We get to see Punk’s sauna and ice bath. And no, he doesn’t look anywhere near 200 pounds. Also, Miocic pulls a weird trick on a little girl, and Overeem’s sunglasses take center stage.

And yes, Gall is still nowhere to be seen.

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In case you were wondering, Punk has arrived in Cleveland and signed some posters Tuesday. He also did his pre-fight interview and had his photo shoot. Here’s what he looks like in his gear.