While addressing his MMA debut in the most depth he has since falling to Mickey Gall at UFC 203, CM Punk told Ariel Helwani on today’s edition of the MMA Hour that he’s pretty confident that he will fight in the UFC again.
“Yes,” Punk said when questioned if he would fight again before being asked if it would be in the UFC. “To me, yeah, but that’s up to Dana. I had a good conversation with him, I told him, ‘Hey if you want to cut me, yeah I get it. But I’m fighting whether it’s for you or somebody else.'”
“I told him I want to fight again. We’re back at it, we’re back to the drawing board. It’s up to him. He floated me an idea, and we’re kind of going back and forth on it right now. I’m at the point where I kind of want to get something on paper, so you might hear an announcement in the coming weeks, I really don’t know.”
Punk said he thought White would’ve killed the idea when he talked to him if he wasn’t going to allow him to step into the Octagon again. Helwani pressed Punk on the details of what White pitched him but Punk said it was a private conversation.
“Until anything is official, I don’t want to say either way what he’s thinking or saying, but, yeah, I’m pretty confident it’ll be in the UFC.” Punk said.
Punk noted that he hasn’t thought much about who he was going to fight next and said he was focused on getting better. He mentioned possibly fighting in January or February if he does get another fight in the UFC.
After taking a break in October to go to Chicago Cubs games, Punk said that he’s still training at Roufusport in Milwaukee and wants to get a win for his team. He was back training in Chicago the Monday after losing to Gall and told Helwani that he hasn’t watched the fight back because he was there and knows what he did wrong.
Video of today’s episode with Punk’s appearance is available below:
A lot can happen in a week and for Phil “CM Punk” Brooks, the seven-day stretch from Tuesday, September 6th through Monday, September 12th was one that he, and both the MMA and pro wrestling worlds, will never forget.
What’s happened since Punk got dusted by Mickey Gall has been something to behold. While he had some critics prior to his MMA debut, he really had critics afterward as media, fighters, and fans came down on him hard for a variety of reasons. On the flip side, he unsurprisingly had plenty of backers, also for a variety of reasons. The online clash has been ugly, pointed, and a lot like the U.S. presidential race at times. (Here’s hoping Punk didn’t have pneumonia Saturday.)
Regardless of where you stand, you can probably agree that this whole situation has been historic — not for the athletic part of it, but for the overall story. Much like when boxer James Toney stepped into the cage against Randy Couture at UFC 118, there’s something to this that had people talking and will continue to do for quite sometime.
Here’s a reminder of exactly what that seven-day stretch was all about:
Tuesday, September 6th:
Punk arrived in Cleveland, and began with the process every fighter has to go through starting Fight Week: check-ins, promotional photos and videos, signing posters, and even a Facebook Live chat for UFC. The first two episodes of Embedded dropped, mainly focused on Punk’s preparation at home.
But the big news of the day were the questions raised about how Punk got his fight license, and how Ohio essentially coined “the Lesnar rule” as justification for waiving their usual requirements. At the end of the day, it was just more voices in the choir of anti-Punk sentiment as we all knew there was no way he wasn’t going to get a license. It’s money, it’s the fight game, it’s common (well, uncommon) sense.
We published a column by amateur fighter and daily update contributor Dan Velten on how he would coach Punk on how to beat Gall, given his own experience and size similarities to Punk. Additionally, we posted ‘The Day In Punk‘ recapping the license news, Embedded videos, etc.
Wednesday, September 7th:
Punk took part in the open workouts which typically are pretty boring and just an opportunity for fans to pull out their iPhones and media to get some post-workout soundbites. Punk did about two minutes of grappling/rolling before calling it good, so we didn’t learn too much…if we really expected to at all.
He talked to the media for about 10 minutes and addressed the license issue from Tuesday, attributing any controversy to ‘hack journalists’ who were unable to get access to cover the event. Also, his demeanor continued to be downright upbeat — amazing considering his reputation.
Punk got to sit in on his first pre-event press conference, flanked by Miocic, Overeem, Fabricio Werdum, and Travis Browne. Honestly, this was a snoozer from all angles with Punk answering many of the same questions he had been asked 50 times before.
More media pieces began to come out like SI.com’s Justin Barrasso’s sit-down with Punk in which he didn’t completely discount the idea of returning to Japan to wrestle for NJPW if the situation was right. Our Jeremy Peeples, who isn’t a huge MMA fan, put a column out about how he thought Punk’s bravery already made him a winner.
But the two content pieces that got the most attention were Mick Foley’s video shoutout, and Punk’s sitdown interview with Ariel Helwani. In that talk, he discussed issues cutting weight, and lightly discussed WWE with some headline-grabbing quotes about the current state of the locker room, and how the lawsuit has been affecting him mentally and financially.
Punk successfully made weight (170) in the morning, and appeared confident while not physically looking too bad. We all knew that perhaps the weight cut issue talk from earlier in the week mayyyyybe was a bit of a swerve. He is a former pro wrestler, you know.
Later in the day, Punk made some headlines by not shaking Gall’s hand after the two squared off at the ceremonial weigh-ins, leading to he said/he said about what was actually being said between them at the time. Punk showed emotion to the crowd, and genuinely looked like he was relishing in the moment.
Media-wise, the fourth Embedded came out as did Punk’s post for the Players Tribune where he talked about being happy in this latest pursuit. All that was left between him and fighting was time.
Also, yours truly released a podcast with The Fight Network’s John Pollock on Punk’s big week…and the rest of the card as well.
Then, the fight happened. Yeesh. Despite the one-sided defeat and mangled ear, Punk said he wanted to come back and that he wasn’t done.
In the post-fight presser, he got emotional in talking about the loss, his wife’s comments to him when he came to the back, and his thoughts on everything that was UFC 203. He did what he set out to do, but the story was far from being over.
Sunday, September 11th:
I wish I could say “And everyone rested/watched football” but the discussion about Punk’s performance was just beginning. There was the positive. There was the negative. More positive. More negative. Our Zach Dominello (another non-MMA watcher) kept on the positive, while our Tom Lawlor, a UFC light heavyweight, wasn’t as nice. (That was just the beginning.)
And then, Monday happened.
Monday, September 12:
Talk about a pipe bomb.
The revelation that Punk took home $500,000 (at least) sent Twitter and the Internet into a craze. It turned the smoldering ashes into a raging inferno, only amplifying the sentiment we started to hear on Sunday.
What was interesting is so many voices who hadn’t come out strong against the Punk fight prior to Saturday suddenly became anti-Punk, vociferously arguing that this fight should have never happened and mainly pointing at Punk as the problem while somewhat pointing the finger that the organization that signed him.
The big debate that will continue to rage on until we know what’s next is whether Punk’s next fight should be in UFC. The aforementioned Pollock brought up an interesting idea: do an Invicta-style deal where you still retain Punk’s rights but have him fight in one of your UFC-friendly Fight Pass affiliated organizations instead of releasing him to the open arms of Bellator.
So after all that, here we are. We saw something resembling a fight, ugly on the inside of the cage and now very ugly outside it.
Saturday’s UFC 203 prelims were watched by 870,000 viewers, headlined by Bethe Correia defeating Jessica Eye in a lackluster three-round decision.
The number was down 33% from the 1.3 million viewers who watched the August UFC 202 prelims, but prelim numbers are usually way up for shows with Conor McGregor or Ronda Rousey on the main card.
Taking UFC 200 out of the comparison, as that was a special case, non-McGregor and Rousey shows have averaged 841,000 viewers since the start of 2015.
Prelims ratings are usually a fair indication of interest in the main card, but this may be an exception. Google Trends, which are also an indication of PPV interest and buy numbers), were way up from normal levels for Saturday’s show, headlined by Stipe Miocic vs. Alistair Overeem, and CM Punk’s MMA debut.
Given the fairly stiff competition on cable — three college football games did a total of 10 million viewers opposite the UFC prelims — it’s possible, and maybe even likely, that casual viewers interested in seeing Punk’s debut fight would have only watched the main card and skipped the prelims.
UFC gets another crack at FS1 this coming Saturday with a Fight Night show from Hidalgo, TX, headlined by top lightweight contenders Dustin Poirier and Michael Johnson.
There were three main events at UFC 203: one man lost his fight after taking a “time out” because he hurt his finger. Another man lost after literally running away from his opponent for half the fight. And the third, he walked into the centre of the cage, put all his food on the table, and was bested by a younger and more experienced fighter.
CM Punk may not have won his fight last night. But from his preparation to his execution to his five-star post fight promo which was inspirational and humbling, encouraging kids to follow their heart even if it’s not popular and you don’t win every time out, I can’t imagine having more regard for the way he conducted himself than I do.
Yes, his first fight would have made WAY more sense to do at a local show with people of his experience and maybe even age. But he got the chance to live his dream, he had the balls to do it in front of the world, knowing the odds were against him, and he left it all on the table. That’s a winner in my book.
– Blake Norton
Thumbs up
– Best: CM Punk vs. Mickey Gall – Worst: Uriah Faber vs. Jimmy Rivera
This show was just like a SEG UFC show. Think about all that happened: A random pre show injury canceling a fight, a pull apart with a fighter and a cornerman, claims of a phantom tap which didn’t happen, a referee who doesn’t understand the rules and allows a timeout, and a total squash with an inexperienced fighter who had no business being in the cage. It made me oddly reminiscent.
How hysterically incongruous and tone deaf was CM Punk’s post fight interview? I love the sentiment behind his message but to give a speech saying “don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t do something” after he just literally showed he couldn’t do something was like a bad SNL skit. Taking a beating without landing a significant strike after training for almost two years isn’t an accomplishment and for him to treat it like such showed a level of self delusion that bordered between amusing and pitiful. I hope we see him back in pro wrestling and far away from the octagon.
– Nick Randall
Overall thoughts: thumbs up.
You had two 1st round finishes (I.e., Andrade over Caldwell & Miocic over…Overeem) sandwiched between 2 decisions and a mercy killing.
Best: Overeem and Miocic was a high level heavyweight fight, w/ power and ‘Reem’s questionable chin on display. The avoid punishment/Kaleb Starnes-esque performance almost paid dividends.
Worst: Werdum V Browne. Granted, it would be easy to place Galll’s mercy killing of Browne in this spot, but the rematching heavyweights managed to underperform without the charm we’ve come to expect. Not only did both fighters gas near the end of the 1st RD, Browne inexplicably called timeout, Edmond Tarverdyan lost his voice saying nothing, & Werdum kicked said head coach in the chest to close the show…just too much HW weirdness in one fight.
– Austin Grout
WWE Backlash 2016
Thumbs Up
– Best Match: AJ Styles vs. Dean Ambrose – Worst Match: The Usos vs. Hype Bros
Mauro doing play-by-play for an entire WWE PPV was a glorious thing. They somehow managed to get me to legit care who won the Slater & Rhyno vs. Usos tag title match. AJ Styles as WWE World Champion needed to happen and was the right call, in my opinion.
– Lou Pickney
Thumbs Down
I skipped the Sunday NFL game because I had watched enough football for the day and was looking forward to this show.
– Best Match Styles/ Ambrose – Worst Match: Both Usos matches
A few notes:
– Women’s six pack match was good. Love Alexa Bliss and Carmella. They are working real hard. – The Miz is getting better. Ziggler is in No Man’s Land, again. – The Usos (and those in power) have no clue that it’s not “heat” that they’re getting. It’s “not caring or indifference” and they play the worst thuggish heels. Kind of what Roman was forced into.
If you would have told me a year ago that AJ would have kept his momentum and walked out Champion last night, I would have woke up and thought that they wrestled control out of Vince’s hands. Match was awesome.
– Mike Stack
Thumbs down
Best Match: Women’s Six-Way – Great match with the best heat of anything on the show. Aside from Naomi’s botch and Carmella’s slaps, the action was consistently entertaining. Didn’t get the constant breaking up of pin/submission attempts, or why everybody was throwing everybody out of the ring, but that didn’t ruin it for me. I was sure the main event would top it, but this way the only match on the show that caught and held my attention.
Worst Match: Usos vs. Hype Bros – Assuming Orton/Wyatt doesn’t count, this was probably the most uneventful match on the card. Heel Usos are doing absolutely nothing for me, though I didn’t care for them as faces either.
UFC 203
Best Fight: Miocic vs. Overeem
I can’t say much more, as I missed a few fights, and was only really paying attention to Punk/Gall and the main event. Hearing Cult Of Personality and seeing Punk come out and be so genuinely happy was heartwarming, and everything after that was profoundly sad. Seeing a good guy strive to make a dream come true and end up getting smacked back to earth was just depressing as all hell.
– Tyler Shillman
Thumbs up
– Best match: AJ vs Dean – Worst match: Usos vs Hype Bros
I loved everything about the main event. Seeing AJ, maybe the best in the world right now, have this at the top in WWE despite all the reasons you’d guess he wouldn’t get to, is really something special to watch. Women were solid and they made the right choice with Slater getting the win as well. Only real negative is the announcing. Mauro is obnoxiously bad. Over the top, corny and annoying.
– Erin Hotovy
Thumbs in the middle
– Best match: Ambrose-Styles – Worst match: Divas (too long)
The Ambrose-Styles title match was quite good,and nice to see Styles get the belt. Miz-Ziggler both tried, but in the end, this is not a marquis match. Slater’s tag title win was fun, albeit expected. Divas match was too long. Could have lived without “qualifier” tag – this is TV filler. Most of the show was actually standard TV fare, outside of the world title match. This doesn’t excite me for more watered down PPVs.
– Mike Omansky
Thumbs Up
– Best Match: AJ Styles vs Dean Ambrose – Worst Match: Bray Wyatt vs Kane
The crowd liked Ambrose but they loved AJ. Clearly he has a babyface run coming sooner rather than later, especially since the Smackdown babyface side is so weak. But then again, the heel side is also so incredibly weak. Unless they’re going to do a brand-to-brand trade of Apollo Crews for Cesaro, the only real main event option for next month is a rematch of Styles vs Ambrose, unless they’re going to somehow insert Cena and make it a three-way. If they want to be comical, they could have Ziggler demand a second chance and have Cena beat him on Smackdown to get into the three-way. But perhaps they’ve buried Ziggler far enough underground for now.
No idea if the Randy Orton injury was suspected for the past couple of weeks and that’s why Kane has been getting comic squash victories on Smackdown. But it sure feels that way now.
Miz worked harder than he has in several years. Perhaps he saw this as a wake-up call to finally get pushed back into main events. Except he’s been buried far enough underground for the past couple of years.
Becky won the other ladies title, however it feels ominously like a placeholder position until they can fluke Eva Marie into the champion, to transition to Nikki.
Slater and Rhyno seem to have lucked into the Smackdown tag belts. For Rhyno, it’s payback for years of utility work. For Slater, it’s the biggest (albeit comical) push he’s gotten with a victory since his days in the Nexxus (remember them?).
– Jeff Cohen
Thumbs in the Middle
– Best Match: Styles vs. Ambrose – Worst Match: Usos vs. Hype Bros
Corbin vs. Crews kicked things off on the preshow with a pretty decent match. Corbin picks up the win. Crews needs to get some victories, because right now he is a super athletic enhancement guy. Womens elimination starts the main show. Pretty entertaining, although a few botched things. Glad to see Becky get a title.
Usos vs. Hype Bros was nothing special. Usos win and move on as expected. Why Uso’s would be rewarded after what they did to Gable makes no sense, but at least they brought that point up on the show as well. Miz vs. Ziggler for the I-C Title was a good solid match, but Ziggler loses again even if it wasn’t clean. Not sure what they should do with Dolph at this point. He has lost too many times.
Kane vs. Bray Wyatt was filler really. No offense to Kane, but his time has past and Wyatt should have picked up the win despite the Orton thing. Kane isn’t going to get a push and Wyatt needs to be protected. Slater & Rhyno vs. Usos for the Tag Titles. Not great, but not bad and Slater and Rhyno are entertaining as a team and people are into it so why not. I’m sure they won’t hold the titles for too long.
AJ Styles vs. Dean Ambrose for the title was very good. Saved a lackluster show from being thumbs down. Not as good as the Summer Slam match with Cena, but still very good. I like Dean, but glad to see AJ get a title in WWE. I think the crowd was actually favoring AJ from what it sounded like.
Well only two weeks until Clash of Champions and then another two weeks after that until No Mercy. I think ultimately there are going to be too many shows too close together to make them feel special. But at least I don’t have to pay $50 per event because that got out of hand the last time they did this.
– Robb Block
Thumbs down
– Best: AJ Styles vs. Dean Ambrose – Worst: Usos vs. Hype Bros
I love that AJ Styles is WWE World Champion… And that’s about it. Everything else showed how desperately SmackDown needs some more talented workers, ASAP. Not the best start to the brand split shows.
– Nick Randall
Wow! What a great show, big thumbs up! I was very much surprised. Going into this show it appeared rather weak, I was not expecting much. I’m not really a fan of the brand split since I didn’t think it was very good the first time around years ago. Smackdown has always been treated as the “Secondary” brand, which always made no sense to me at all. But now I have to say I’m more of a fan of Smackdown so far then Raw. Smackdown seems to be the more wrestling oriented brand, less pointless promos and bad acting. And tonight was a huge surprise and a great show. I would have to say the best match of the night was the main event for the World title between Styles and Ambrose, and the worst match was probably the tag match for the tag titles, although it was ok. Just not very good compared to all the other matches of the night.
1. Women’s title match – Lynch, Carmella, Nattie, Nikkie, Alexa, Naomi – Match was good. Naomi is very impressive. Good dive to the outside on all of the women. Good choice with Becky Lynch as champ. My pick would have been Naomi as she is the most talented of this group in my opinion. Hopefully she is next as champ.
2. Hype Bros – Uso’s – Well, the tag teams in this tournament have been lacking, with the best team of American Alpha having been eliminated for seemingly no reason. Hype Brothers are annoying, Mojo gets on my nerves. Uso’s just seem to have a problem getting over regardless if they are heels or faces. But good win for the Uso’s to elevate them as heels I guess.
3. Miz VS Ziggler – Good match between the two, Miz has been really good as I/C champ and his seemingly out of control promo on talking smack was awesome. Who knew that letting these guys cut loose with a good promo is a thousand times better then a scripted promo from TV sitcom writers? lol. But Miz is doing a great job as champ and good to see the I/C title being elevated.
4. Kane VS Wyatt – Good match for what it was, last minute replacement for no Orton. Not sure why Kane got the pin, this made no sense in getting a pin over the biggest heal on Smackdown. The point is to keep one of your top heels strong, especially in the middle of a feud. Odd finish in my opinion, but good brawl.
5. Slater / Rhyno – VS Uso’s – Didn’t seem like a good match and lagged in parts, but not sure if it was because the other matches were so much better or having to see the Uso’s do the same heel gimmick in one night. But cool to see Slater and Rhyno win the titles, good pop by the crowd.
6. Styles VS Ambrose – Wow! Awesome match and was very surprised that AJ got the win and the world title. The treatment and booking of Styles has been rather lackluster since he made his debut with WWE. Was not really liking his heel push. But anyone who gets a win over Cena is already my favorite, lol. But what an awesome match. And great to see Styles get the world title. This makes him I think the only person to hold the IWGP, TNA, and now WWE World title? But not sure. Awesome match and a really good show.
– Jon Southerland
Thumbs In The Middle
Thought it was an ok show. Substandard line-up & match quality wasn’t as high as many of their other shows, for me, but it was an easy watch & had a real good main event.
Crews vs. Corbin
Thought it was a decent match. There was a couple of awkward moments, Corbin showed his inexperience/limitations on occasions, but I thought Crews did a good job leading & it was decent stuff with a fairly hot crowd for the opener.
Women’s Six Way
Thought there was a little untidiness at times, mainly involving Carmella & Bliss, as well as the flow not being perfect at times, but it was a real good effort from the women. Very happy for Becky who I’m very fond of. Think Carmella needs greater alteration to her character with the turn as well as improvements with her aggression as a heel. Athletically & offensively Naomi is really good, as well as a good bumper, & she’s much better suited to working babyface with her ability to shine on offense – if she could just iron out the kinks & remain consistent during her matches, I think she could be a real good in-ring performer.
Hype Bros vs. The Usos
Not much say about it, standard solid tag match. Like The Usos as heels, think it’s a breath of fresh air
Ziggler vs. Miz
They always have good matches & I thought this was another good solid one here. Was slightly annoyed by the backstage skit involving the celebrity child actor. For one the lack of consistency is Miz’s character – in that he seemed to have evolved into this bitter guy with a chip on his shoulder, but then here regressed back to the smug, comedic, deluded actor. Secondly, him getting “punked-out” by a little kid like that is lower-card heel stuff. If they’re going to keep the title on him, use him in the upper-card & want you to take him a little more seriously, that stuff really isn’t productive. Surely Ziggler has to be turning which is long overdue.
Wyatt vs. Kane
Nothing outstanding, but thought it was the best Kane match I’ve seen in awhile. They obviously smoke & mirrored it up with the No Holds Barred stipulation & what came with that, but regardless he worked hard, they sensibly weren’t overly generous with the time & I thought it was a good match.
Worst Match: The Usos vs. Slater & Rhyno
Much like the prior one just a standard solid tag match. Took it pretty easy building to the hot tag & enhancing reactions for when they turned-it-up in the final few minutes & it was fine. Honestly would’ve preferred an Usos victory, but people are enjoying Slater & Rhyno’s antics & I suspect it won’t be a long title reign.
Best Match: Styles vs. Ambrose
Thought it was a very good main event. Really liked the layout, paced great, flowed well, some nice spots, another crazy bump or two from Styles, Ambrose showed some good fire on a couple of occasions, tweaked his offense for the better, on the other hand there was a couple of things I felt he rushed, also there was a couple of occasions where they weren’t completely on the same wave length, but really liked it & look forward to the rematch.
– Tom Griffiths
Thumbs Up
– Best Match: Styles Ambrose – Worst Match: Usos v Hype Bros
String of solid shows continues! Especially nice on a show a lot of folks wrote off or may have passed up for a possible Super Bowl preview. Glad I watched live as was very entertainied. Slater winning was a great story. Will be interesting to see how they can keep advancing this now that hes “made it” while being a champ for a third time. I would have to go back and check but this could be best match of Miz’ career. Sure a lot may be ziggler but hes been doing a good job. Was the second best match on the card. Could be in the minority but do not like the Usos turn. Sure they could have been stale to “us” but theres only a few acts all the younger fans cheer regularly and would have liked to see them stay for that. Need to keep and grow that fan group. Me personally will be interesting to see them with an edge. Nice to see Becky have a chance to shine. Killer performance by Styles in the main event. Probably best match involving Dean since one of the Evolution-Shield matches? Welcoming the rematch either on Smackdown or whichever the next will be – Hell In A Cell?
– Michael O’Brien
I would give this pay-per-view a thumbs up.
The women’s match was surprisingly good (I’m probably in the minority for this), and it was my second favorite match of the night behind AJ and Dean. I was very surprised of the mixed reaction to Dean, but I attribute that to the all-out love that the hardcore fans give to AJ, rather than any real slight against Dean. For what it is worth, I wanted AJ to win as well, and Dean is my favorite wrestler. It just feels like his time.
– Ricky Ray
Big thumbs up for Backlash.
– Best Match: AJ Styles vs. Dean Ambrose
– The Women’s Six-Pack Challenge comes at a very close second.
– Worst Match: Bray Wyatt vs. Randy Orton
There were no bad matches on this card. All around excellent PPV, best of the year so far.
– Kastros Drakan
– Best match: AJ Styles vs Dean Ambrose
– Worst match: Bray Wyatt vs Kane
Most of the show was ok at best. I am ok with Slater and Rhyno winning the tag titles, but hope it is a quick turnover to allow American Alpha and the Uso’s to feud over the belts.
Becky Lynch winning the women’s title was a good way to start the show. I though Miz and Ziggler had a good match, especially considering their rivalry is fairly played out. I had no interest in Wyatt vs Orton and even less in Wyatt vs Kane.
The world title match was one of the best WWE matches of the year. It was a great showcase for both Styles and Ambrose and I hope they continue the feud. Styles may be one of the best guys to get the title in recent WWE history. I like both Rollins and Owens in the role but Styles is probably the best in the world.
The 37-year-old was soundly beaten and submitted by Gall, who took home $30,000 ($15k show/$15k win) for the winning effort. Punk earned a flat fee, meaning there was no win bonus on the line.
As most who follow the sport know, that amount doesn’t include any non-disclosed bonuses or PPV points, so it’s fair to say that Punk — a former WWE star that is no stranger to PPV — may be getting even more for his debut effort.
Despite the performance, Punk said he will fight again. However, Dana White told Fight Network’s John Pollock that if he does fight it again, it probably won’t be in the UFC which raises some interesting options should TV-ratings hungry Bellator MMA take an interest. UFC 203 estimated PPV buyrates likely won’t be available for a few weeks, which may tell a bigger story about where Punk fights next.
Other large take-homes include UFC heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic ($600k flat), Alistair Overeem ($800k flat), Fabricio Werdum ($375k which included win bonus), Travis Browne ($120k flat), and Urijah Faber ($160k flat).
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.”
CM Punk vowed to fight again after his loss to Mickey Gall at UFC 203, but it doesn’t look like it will be in the UFC if he does.
According to Live Audio Wrestling’s John Pollock, Dana White told him that Punk’s next fight probably shouldn’t be in the UFC if he chooses to continue to pursue his mixed martial arts dreams.
Punk tapped out to a rear naked choke just minutes into his fight against Mickey Gall at UFC 203. Gall immediately took Punk down, and Punk never once looked competitive in the fight. He was able to avoid being finished for a bit, but eventually was forced to submit
In a post-fight interview, Punk called it the second best night of his life (only behind his wedding night) even in defeat. He talked about following his dreams and said that you go big or go home in life.
Video of Pollock’s interview with White is available to watch below:
When all the punches and kicks are thrown, all the blood is wiped off faces, and we get answers to all of our burning questions, there will be the UFC 203 post-event press conference, streamed live here in the early Sunday morning hours.
What are those questions we want answered? We’re glad you asked.
– How did former WWE star CM Punk fare in his MMA debut?
– Did Stipe Miocic successfully defend his UFC heavyweight title for the first time?
– Did Alistair Overeem claim his last major fighting title with UFC gold?
– Did youth or experience win out in Urijah Faber vs. Jimmie Perez?
– Did anyone else get attacked by an elevator like C.B. Dolloway did?
– Did any major future fight announcements get made, especially for UFC’s NYC debut?
Watch all of those questions get answered and more after UFC 203: Live From Cleveland wraps up.
The evolution of CM Punk from professional wrestler to mixed martial arts fighter was completed at UFC 203 on Saturday night, but Punk was never really competitive in his UFC debut.
Mickey Gall immediately took Punk down. He started hitting Punk with shots and looked to get a choke. Punk valiantly avoided being finished for a bit, but Gall locked in a rear naked choke and Punk was forced to tap out just minutes into the first round.
In the post-fight interview, an emotional Punk said that in life you go big or you go home. He said the loss doesn’t mean that he’s going to quit or he’s going to stop. He vowed to fight again, and called it the second best night of his life behind marrying his wife.
After getting the win, Gall called out Sage Northcutt for his next fight.
Punk’s transition from the squared circle to the Octagon was a bumpy one, and many questioned whether this night would ever come. After leaving WWE in January of 2014, Punk announced later that year on the UFC 181 pay-per-view broadcast that he had signed with the UFC and would begin training for his debut.
Shortly after, Punk started training at Roufusport in Milwaukee, WI. But the road to his UFC debut was longer than expected. Punk suffered a shoulder injury in training in 2015 that delayed his progress. And just days after Gall defeated Mike Jackson at UFC Fight Night 82 to earn the spot as Punk’s opponent in his debut fight, Punk announced that he would have to undergo surgery for a herniated disc in his back.
Welcome to F4WOnline.com’s live coverage of UFC 203: Miocic vs. Overeem, eminating from the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio.
We’re looking for your thoughts on this show, as well as tomorrow’s Backlash show, so you can leave a thumbs up, thumbs down or thumbs in the middle along with a best and worest match to [email protected]
The event is headlined by UFC Heavyweight Champion Stipe Miocic making his first title defense against challenger, Alistair Overeem. In the co-main event, it is a heavyweight battle as former UFC Heavyweight Champion Fabricio Werdum meets Travis Browne in a rematch of their April 2014 bout won by Werdum. Also on the card is the MMA debut of former professional wrestler C.M. Punk, who makes his much-hyped Octagon debut against Mickey Gall.
********** YANCY MEDEIROS (12-4 1 NC, 3-4 1 NC UFC) VS. SEAN SPENCER (12-5, 3-4 UFC)
First round: Medeiros with a body kick. Low kick by Spencer. Medeiros with a body punch. Left by Spencer. Spencer with a nice right. Body kick by Medeiros. Low kick by Spencer. Low kick by Spencer. Body kick by Medeiros. Left by Spencer. Medeiros with a body kick which knocked Spencer to one knee. Body kick by Spencer. Lots of Whoo chants which often happen s at UFC shows. Very close round. 10-9 Medeiros.
Second round: Medeiros landed a left kick to the head which knocked Spencer down. Medeiros grabbed a guillotine, but then let it go and got behind him and grabbed a choke and had it in deep for the submission.
DREW DOBER (16-7 1 NC, 2-3 1 NC UFC) VS. JASON GONZALEZ (10-2, 0-0 UFC)
First round: Gonzalez hurt him with a punch. Dober kicked him low. Dober was given a warning. Dober landing a flurry of punches. He’s landing a lot of punches and the ref stopped it as Gonzalez went down. The sequence was a right to the jaw, left to the jaw, a few punches missed or grazed, then a huge right, then a left and another right and it was over. 1:45
NIK LENTZ (26-7-2 1 NC, 10-4-1 1 NC UFC) VS. MICHAEL MCBRIDE (8-1, 0-0 UFC)
First round: McBride missed weight by two pounds. Lentz landed some punches. He landed a knee to the head but McBride spun out of a choke attempt. Lentz got behind him and took him down into back control. Lentz with a knee to the body and another trip takedown. McBride back up. Lentz got him down again. McBride trying for a leg lock. Lentz throwing punches from back position. Lentz tried a guillotine again but McBride out. Lentz throwing punches. Lentz throwing some punches and elbows from back control. 10-9 Lentz.
Second round: McBride landing punches. Lentz landing punches. McBride seems real tired but put Lentz down and has his back. Lentz is back up. McBride with punches and took him down again. Lentz is trying for a guillotine. Lentz got his back. Lentz working for a head and arm choke. Lentz landing a lot of punches from back position. McBride put his thumb up like he was okay but the ref stopped it.
First round: Magalhaes with a body kick. Magalhaes got the takedown. Tavares back up. Tavares pushing Magalhaes up against the cage. Not much happened this round. Both trading knees at short range. Magalhaes 10-9.
Second round: Body kick by Magalhaes. Body kick by Magalhaes Good right by Tavares. Front kick by Tavares. Low kick by Magalhaes. Magalhaes got a takedown but Tavares right back up. Another close round, could go either way. 19-19
Third round: Tavares pushed him into the fence. Magalhaes working for a guillotine. He let it go. Tavares landed punches. Low kick by Tavares. Both traded. Body kick by Tavares. Right by Tavares. Body kick by Tavares. Magalhaes with a left hook. Right by Tavares and a high kick. Magalhaes in with some punches. Tavares with a knee. Tavares definitely took this round, so I’ve got 29-28 but the first two rounds were close.
First round: Eye is from Cleveland and is the big crowd favorite here. Eye landed a right. Nice right by Correia. Right by Eye. Eye took her down but Correia was let back up. Eye landing more punches. Eye 10-9.
Second round: Eye landing punches. Both were landing punches. Both were bleeding at this point. Eye 20-18.
Third round: Eye landing body kick. Correia landed. Both traded. Eye landed a left. Correia landed a left. Correia landing more punches. Both in a clinch and landing punches. Correia’s round so 29-28 Eye.
Scores: 29-28 Correia 29-28 Eye 29-28 Correia. The crowd is really upset. Fact is this fight could have gone either way.
First round: Andrade took her down. Andrade cut over the left eye from an elbow. Andrade with a high takedown into side control. The cut look s nasty. Andrade landing punches. Short power bomb by Andrade. Andrade landing punches. Andrade with good punches. Andrade back in side control. Calderwood got half guard back. Andrade working for a guillo0tine. Calderwood tapped. This was a strong one-sided win for Andrade.
Jimmie Rivera (19-1) vs. Urijah Faber (33-9)
First round: Front kick by Faber. Nice right by Rivera. Low kick by Rivera. Very little happening. Both are moving. A quick trade. Very hard to score because so little happened. Faber may have a right hand injury because he’s not throwing the right. Rivera 10-9.
Second round: Low kick by Rivera. Accidental low blow kick by Faber. Rivera landed a few punches. Low kick by Rivera put Faber down. Right by Rivera. Another low kick by Rivera. Another low kick by Rivera. Another low kick by Rivera. Faber’s left knee looks swollen. Another low kick by Rivera. Hard low kick by Rivera. Another low kick by Rivera. They traded punches. Rivera’s round I’ve got it 20-18. Boring fight.
Third round: Both swinging. Body kick by Faber. Faber tried for a takedown but didn’t get it. Right and left by Rivera. Rivera dropped down for the takedown. Low kick by Rivera. There was an accidental eye poke by Faber. Rivera back with punchds. Rivera landed more late. Rivera said he couldn’t see out of his right eye from that eye poke as soon as the match ended. Rivera 30-27. Boring fight.
Scores: All three had it 30-27 for Rivera. It’s sad to see Faber in this position.
Rivera was almost in tears about fighting Faber saying he grew up watching him. He said he couldn’t see out of his right eye the last three minutes of the fight. He told the doctor he wanted to finish the fight. He kind of apologized for not finishing. Rivera said he knew Faber doesn’t check kicks so he took advantage of that.
C.M. PUNK (0-0, 0-0 UFC) VS. MICKEY GALL (2-0, 1-0 UFC)
First round: Mickey Gall came out to “Hey Mickey” after all the controversy so Dana gave in on that. Punk came out to “Cult of Personality.” Punk looked so happy coming out and just being in the cage. It’s so weird how this is the real main event. Punk got a big reaction. Gall took him right down. Gall landing big shots from the top. Gall working for a guillotine. Gall go this back and working for a choke. Gall gave it up and punching and again working for a choke. Gall landing lots of punches. Gall is landing a lot of punches and again working for a choke. Punk escaped. Gall got it again and Punk tapped. This was a one-sided slaughter. This is just reality. 2:14
Gall said this has been crazy, it was a great opportunity, said people hate too much, he hated all the things people have said with Punk. We’ll all be dead in 100 years fuck the hate. He said this was a great opportunity for me, he said people may say you’re a gimmicky fight but I’m no gimmick. He challenged Super Sage Northcutt next. That’s exactly who he should have called out. Exactly.
Punk’s right ear looks like hell. Punk said this was a hell of a mountain to climb. He said this doesn’t mean he’s going to stop believe it or not. Said Mickey was a hell of a fighter. Said this was the second best night of my life other than getting married. Life’s about falling down and getting up and said to believe in yourself. Sometimes the outcome won’t always be what you desire it to be but the true failure is not trying at all, This was the time of my life.
First round: Werdum came out with a flying side kick that landed to the chin which was one of the best moves of the fight. Wedrum went for takedown. Werdum tried a Jushin Liger koppo kick but that missed as well. Werdum looks so slow. Browne suffered a dislocated finger and popped it back in. The dislocation came from a punch. The referee went to stop the fight as an injury time out which makes no sense. The fight should have been stopped. They all argued about whether to allow the fight to continue and they let it continue. Werdum with a body kick. Werdum is now landing. Werdum landing all kinds of punches. Browne actually landed some punches. Werdum with a spin kick to the body. Browne landed a left. Another left by Browne. Low kick by Werdum. Brown landed a right. Front kick by Werdum. Browne threw him down. Werdum with low kick. Werdum dropped him with a right. Werdum landing punches on the ground. Werdum got his back. Werdum working for a choke. Werdum landing lots of punches from back position until the round ended. 10-8 Werdum.
Second round: Spin kick by Werdum. Werdum landing punches. Werdum with a body kick. Fans are booing as nothing is happening. Browne with a front kick. Werdum with a right to the chin. Uppercut by Werdum. Left by Browne landed. Werdum is so slow. Brown with a left hook to the body. Crowd booing now. Browne with a left. Low kick by Browne. Werdum tried another Liger kick that missed. Werdum 20-17.
Third round: Browne with low kick and another. Werdum with a low kick. Werdum tried a takedown but Brown easily blocked it. Side kick by Werdum. Werdum landing punches. Werdum landing more pucnhes and knees. Browne with high kicks. Right by Browne. Browne landed a right. Werdum dropped down for a takedown that didn’t come close. Werdum landed a right. Left by Werdum. The crowd is booing this like crazy. It’s really bad fight with both looking slow and doing little aside from Werdum having him in trouble late. Werdum 30-26
Wedum started mocking the fans booing. Werdum threw a kick at Edmond Tarverdyan (Browne’s trainer) when Tarverdayn started mouthing off to him. There’s going to be trouble for that. It was broken up quickly. Bruce Buffer went to calm Werdum down. Werdum’s corner was hot as well.
Scores: 29-28, 29-27 and 30-27 for Werdum.
The crowd is booing Werdum heavily in his interview. Werdum said it was a good fight blamed the booing on this being Stipe Miocic’s house.
First round: Loud Stipe chant. Overeem moving backwards. Body kick by Oveeeem. Overeem just running away. Overeem deked him with a left and put on a guillotine but Miocic is out of it. That was insane. Miocic landed a left but Overeem with a body kick and a left. Miocic landed a right. Miocic with good punches. Miocic landed a good right. Miocic landing good punches. Miocic landed punches and Overeem is running away. Overeem with a body kick. Overeem with an uppecut and knee to the body. Loud “Stipe” chants. Body kick by Miocic. Left by Overeem and a body kick. Body kick by Miocic. Miocic landing several punches. Miocic took him down and is pounding on him. Miocic finished him with punches on the ground. Overeem was out after a series of punches on the ground. That was a hell of a round. This is one of the biggest celebration pops in UFC history. Overeem was out cold. They tried to get him on the stool and he fell back down. 4:27
Miocic interview. Said Overeem kicked harder than he thought. Said he kicked hard as f***.
Overeem said Stipe was the better man today, he’s a great athlete and he came to fight. Overeem said that Miocic tapped from the guillotine and the ref didn’t see it. He said it’s a bummer. He said he’s the better fighter but he wasn’t the better fighter.They showed the replay and no tap and the fans booed the hell out of it. Now theyr’e going to look at it again. There was no tap. Overeem looked like the kid who lied and got caught red handed.
In talking about CM Punk’s road to UFC 203, I feel like I’ve said once or ten times that it feels like that announcement about Punk signing with UFC came a decade ago.
I guess in today’s society, though, 21 months can feel like 10 years.
Since so much has happened between that fateful day and September 10, 2016, I wanted to look back at the timeline of events that brought CM Punk (aka Phil Brooks) to Cleveland, OH.
January 27, 2014 —
CM Punk tells WWE he’s done with the company and leaves Raw that night without appearing on camera.
December 6, 2014 —
Punk appears on the UFC 181 PPV broadcast alongside Joe Rogan and tells the viewing audience that he has signed a multi-fight deal with UFC. He doesn’t know where he’s going to train, what weight class he’s going to fight in, or when he’s going to fight. As you can imagine, there were a lot of questions and little answers.
December 31, 2014 —
UFC president Dana White tells Fox Sports Live that Punk has chosen a fight camp: Roufussport in Milwaukee, WI. There is no anticipated date or opoonent for his debut.
June 24, 2015 —
Ariel Helwani reports that Punk is renting a home in Milwaukee in order to cut down on the 90 minute drive from Chicago, allowing him to train more.
June/July 2015 —
Between meetings with the UFC and how his body is responding to training, welterweight (170 pounds) is the chosen path for Punk’s weight class.
October 5, 2015 —
Duke Roufus tells ESPN’s Brett Okamoto that Punk suffered a shoulder injury that will delay any thought of his debut. He said he still hoped Punk would debut in the next six to 10 months. Punk said there was only a loud pop, and no tear or major damage, and expected to return to more physical action in a few weeks.
February 6, 2016 —
Mickey Gall cruises to an easy first round submission win over Mike Jackson at UFC Fight Night 82, cementing him as Punk’s first opponent. The two square off in the cage to little fireworks. No date is given for the fight.
February 10, 2016 —
Ariel Helwani reports that Punk has been diagnosed with a herniated disc in his back that will require surgery, putting him on the shelf for four-to-six weeks.
June 23, 2016 —
On the UFC Unfiltered podcast, Punk reveals that he will fight Gall at UFC 203 on September 10th in Cleveland, OH.
September 9, 2016 —
Punk makes weight, hitting 170 pounds on the nose. Gall also makes weight, making the fight official.
A freak accident has caused the cancellation of C.B. Dolloway vs. Francismar Barroso at tonight’s UFC 203 at Cleveland, OH, as Dolloway was injured in an elevator accident at the host hotel.
Dollaway suffered a back injury at some point Friday afternoon when the elevator dropped several floors and then made an immediate stop due to malfunction.
The UFC released this statement:
“UFC announced that C.B. Dollaway has had to withdraw from his scheduled bout at UFC 203 due to an injury he suffered last night as a result of an elevator accident at a hotel in Cleveland. UFC officials have been in communication with hotel management, and the hotel is currently evaluating and investigating issues surrounding the incident.”
The Jason Gonzalez vs. Drew Dober fight that was scheduled to open the show has been moved to the FS1 prelims to replace the Dollaway vs. Barroso fight. The show will now begin at 7:30 PM EST with just one Fight Pass fight: Sean Spencer vs. Yancy Medeiros.
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While Robbie Lawler vs Donald Cerrone hadn’t formally been announced for UFC 205 in Madison Square Garden outside a Dana White radio interview, there was considerable excitment for the possible fight given both guy’s fighting styles.
However, fans will have to wait a bit longer as Lawler has pulled out of the fight, citing needing more time off to prepare after his knockout at the hands of Tyron Woodley. That new bit info comes from Ariel Helwani after TMZ first reported the news about the fight being scratched Friday night.
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.
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:
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?
