CM Punk again has gotten the wrestling world talking by breaking his silence — on Colt Cabana's Art of Wrestling podcast — about his controversial departure from WWE last January.
The two-hour recording is entertaining. It's genuine in its presentation. The recording takes place as they sit in Punk's apartment. You can hear the echo of their voices from the walls. If you listen closely, you can hear what I would assume to be his wife, current WWE Diva AJ Lee, in the background. At one point, you hear a female voice chuckling at a few comments made by Punk such as the food they had to get during intermission at a recent NHL game when Punk was stopped by a fan and the interaction with the fan made wrestling news site headlines.
Punk gave his side of things, dating to a couple of years from injuries, booking decisions and opinions on other employees. The response to his side of the story from Vince McMahon or Triple H would not only balance things but would be equally entertaining. We probably won't get that because WWE doesn't need to.
WWE doesn't owe the fans a statement. Punk owed the fans because he's the one who left the company. The ball was in his court as far as filling in the blanks. I'm glad he gave some closure, if that's what some want to call it, because WWE goes on the air every week no matter what. Punk was a major player in the company and left. His side of the story needed to be heard, whether it's completely accurate or you agree. He needed to make some type of statement providing explanation to what led to his walking out on a Monday in Cleveland.
No, I don't think this podcast was part of a work to set up a Punk return to WWE as I've heard some fans suggest or wish. Just like when he walked out in January, I said it wasn't a work. I said maybe it could turn into one down the road if the two sides came to an agreement, but we've passed that point.
WWE would never partake in a work like this in which Punk gets to say the things he did about some of the people and procedures in the company. The rant and remarks on this podcast makes the “pipe bomb” speech in 2011 on RAW seem like a sparkler.
Going into this podcast, I didn't expect one of the biggest feuds to come out of it being Punk against the WWE doctors. It's hard to comment on injuries and physical limitations which built up, and which Punk claimed to be a big part of his leaving. There are so many variables — it's Punk's body, the medical staff's interpretation of his injuries and the grueling life of a professional wrestler — that make it impossible to analyze.
Punk sounded banged up in a lot of his timeline of events. All I can say for sure is the desire to get Punk back on television quickly, whether he wanted it or not, was a showing of how important he was to WWE programming. His life goal was to be the top guy. Unfortunately, potentially cutting years off your life comes with the territory of being a top guy.
The comments about Ryback are intense as it relates to his abilities and safety. There isn't one comment Punk made about working with Ryback that surprised me coming from his point of view. That's not to say it's all true or that Ryback doesn't deserve to respond one day when he can, but I wasn't shocked.
Punk also said that since he left WWE, those in the business who have tried to reach out to him were only doing it for their blogs or podcasts. Makes you wonder who he is referring to? Who has blogs and or podcasts that would be reaching out to him? Stone Cold. Jim Ross. Chris Jericho. It's all speculation as he purposely didn't name anyone, but it was an interesting statement.
Speaking of Stone Cold and podcasts, he'll be doing a live podcast interview with Vince McMahon after RAW. Stone Cold is a tremendous listener and interviewer. If anyone can make the most out of a rare interview with McMahon, it would be him. If anyone can get away with speaking or asking some tough content to McMahon, it would be him. If there was a time to quickly respond with the WWE side of things, it could be on this forum only on the WWE Network. I doubt McMahon will. As I said, WWE doesn't need to.
The number one thing I agree with Punk is his issue with the WWE Network and the pay for the wrestlers. Having the pay-per-views as part of a $9.99 monthly WWE Network purchase changes the structure of traditional payouts. Punk never got an answer on this issue and walked out before the WWE Network launched. Hopefully in the future, as the WWE Network is around longer and gains stability, it will allow for a structure that's fair for both the company and talent in the long term.
I was happy Punk explained what happened in the Royal Rumble with Kane. It gave me closure to a comical memory of confusion. I was front row at the event when Kane sneaked out to ringside looking like he was going to do something to Punk. I watched Punk motion to Kane not to do whatever he was about to do. Kane then crouched down on the ground staying as low and out of sight as possible right in front of me. Punk revealed Kane came out early and was going to pull Punk out of the ring due to Punk getting a concussion.
I disagreed with Punk walking out when he did, and I still do today. If a lot of what he's saying is true, I shake my head in disappointment of how chaotic his relationship with the company seemed to have gotten. I feel bad for both him and WWE for what seemed like such a toxic relationship developing as they approached Punk's breaking point and departure.
He makes a comment in the podcast about being an independent contractor and how he can leave whenever. He's gotten out of WWE where he was unhappy and says he's come to some settlement with the company. So who am I to say he and his lawyers don't know what they're doing or saying?
I personally just don't agree with it. He's an independent contractor, but he still had an agreement to work with WWE up until a certain point. WWE made him a lot of money, and he made them a lot of money.
For example, in a typical work setting, someone can walk out from their job at a retail store. They should give proper notice, but they can walk out and likely will get away with it. However, a retail store isn't paying the type of money Punk was being paid by WWE. A retail store doesn't have the type of investment in its employees as WWE did in the character of CM Punk.
WWE is far more demanding than a retail store, but the stakes are far greater. I think you have to take the great reward with the great risk and the great frustration.
Punk can say money isn't everything. He proved that by breaking his silence for free on a podcast with his buddy. However, he still became a rich man from WWE, was a focal point on WWE programming and is a role model/leader to so many younger wrestlers coming up. Even with giving context to his rationale in leaving, I don't agree with it and wished his final months with the company could have ended in a better way for all involved.
He seems to feel giving his side of the story justifies why he can leave despite all of the money involved and why he can leave even if he is a leader to other wrestlers. Everyone listening to his side of the story has to form their opinion of whether they would have done the same.
After listening to his side of things, I sympathize with him mostly in that WWE was the goal his whole life, and it turned into such a negative part of his life. Everything else he said on the podcast can be disputed or have a justification by WWE if they ever wanted to engage in responding to Punk. The one thing that can't be disputed is Punk got to a point where he hated his passion which is a sad situation for anyone — wrestler, retail worker or anyone else.
At the end of the day, he says he's happier than ever and is financially set. That's the end goal for everyone. Despite my opinion of disagreeing with how he left, which I'm sure he won't lose sleep over, he still comes out with everything he wants.
So do we ever see him do anything with WWE again?
We never thought we would with The Ultimate Warrior at one time. We never thought so at one time with Bret Hart.
Warrior and Hart never gave a two-hour free interview in their time away from WWE like the one Punk just gave. I feel we've seen the last of Punk wrestling in a WWE ring. I think the two sides eventually will make some peace, and Punk will go to the WWE Hall of Fame ... many, many years down the road.
To listen to the podcast, click here :
Justin LaBar is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. He can be reached at 412-320-7949 or jlabar@tribweb.com.
