WWE Champion CM Punk Talks Chael Sonnen, Brock Lesnar and MMA Aspirations
By Ariel Helwani
Jan 27th 2012 12:35AM
CHICAGO — MMAFighting.com caught up with WWE champion CM Punk Thursday evening to discuss his relationship with Chael Sonnen, his thoughts on UFC on FOX 2, his take on Brock Lesnar’s potential return to WWE, whether he would ever fight in an MMA fight, and the connection between MMA and pro wrestling.
Source: mmafighting.com
WWE.com has posted two new features: Bring it Back! SmackDown’s Fist Set and Top 25: Stunning Royal Rumble Match Statistics. Digitals of Punk are included in each feature; these have been added to the gallery.
Related Links:
Digitals > Other > A fistful of classic Smackdown set photos
Digitals > Other > Top 25: Stunning Royal Rumble Match Statistics
Thanks to the amazing Kim of Ted-DiBiaseJr.com and Jillian-H.com, we have scans from the February 2012 issue of WWE Magazine. Click the link below to view.
Related Links:
Books and Magazine Scans > WWE Magazine > February 2012
Radar: After years of working his way up through the ranks, current WWE champ CM Punk has made an unlikely rise to the top; do you see his rise as similar to your own?
Mick: I see parallels that it’s unlikely! He’s doing things differently than everyone else. I see more parallels [with myself] in Steve Austin’s character.
I certainly enjoy Punk’s character, and I’d like to think that I have something in common with him.
Source: radaronline.com
Which Mattel Elite figure do you want to win the third annual Toy Royal Rumble? Only five figures remain standing! Vote now and each day to determine which toy will prevail »
Sonnen starts talking about Punk around 05:37 – 07:16.
CM Punk was interviewed on 98KUPD this past Monday. Listen below.
By Adam S. Levy – Radar Staff Writer
After his epic promo went viral and set Twitter abuzz, WWE champion CM Punk emerged as pro wrestling’s biggest star last summer; what you might not have known is that the Chicago-made grappler was nearly handed his walking papers — twice — but saved by a faithful behind-the-scenes backer: Tommy Dreamer.
“He had little-to-no chance of ever making it in the WWE — he wasn’t their type of guy,” Dreamer, who moonlit between the ring and the WWE front office during his decade-long tenure with the company, told RadarOnline.com exclusively about Punk, whose 6-foot-2, 235-pound frame is a far cry from the bodybuilding look synonymous with wrestling heroes like Triple H, John Cena and, in his heyday, Hulk Hogan.
“I saved his job two times when he was about to be let go — I was saying, ‘Ya gotta keep this kid, ya gotta keep this kid,’” said Dreamer, who credited Punk for his fortitude in overcoming obstacles to become a worldwide phenomenon.
Source: radaronline.com
I wasn’t a fan of the WWE pushing John Laurinaitis as an on-air talent at first. As he began to become more and more of a jerk, he started to become bearable. After his promo to end “WWE Monday Night Raw” on Jan. 16, I was pretty much sold on him
.
WWE has been pushing the Laurinaitis and CM Punk feud as a call-back to the days of Vince McMahon and “Stone Cold” Steve Austin but that never really worked for me. Laurinaitis just doesn’t have the presence of McMahon and it never seemed to be a realistic feud. However, on the Jan. 23 episode of Raw, he finally agreed to fight CM Punk.
Things got interesting real fast.
First of all, the match never happened and I knew it wouldn’t even when it was announced. The big problem I had with the promo was that Triple H will come back next week to determine whether he will fire Laurinaitis or not. If they end the angle then, I consider the entire Laurinaitis push to be a failure. However, when CM Punk hit the GTS on Laurinaitis at the end of the show, I finally saw the McMahon-Austin comparison fulfilled, thanks to years of memories of Austin stunning McMahon.
What finally started to sell me on Laurinaitis was the fact that he is pretty different than McMahon-Austin.
McMahon was always an authority figure who could not control Austin. That was the dynamic in that feud and carried it well. Austin was the disgruntled employee and McMahon the power hungry boss. That never applied to Laurinaitis and Punk.
Yes, Punk was the antagonist but Laurinaitis was the third man, after McMahon and Triple H to lock horns with him. Laurinaitis has never had to power to be a realistic substitute for McMahon. What makes it different and unique is the fact that everyone has been pointing out how Laurinaitis hates Punk because Punk is a self made star and Laurinaitis never made it in the U.S.
This angle is the polar opposite of the McMahon-Austin feud. Laurinaitis is the disgruntled authority figure while Punk has most of the power. The roles have been reversed and that is why this angle is finally starting to work.
On a recent article on WWE.COM, Laurinaitis’ brother, Road Warrior Animal, talked about this exact topic.
“That’s one thing that eats John from the inside, deep in his gut,” Animal said. “I think he carries animosity over that, because he never got to be ‘the guy’ in the U.S. the way that CM Punk is today. I think he’s getting on Punk’s case because Punk is living the dream that John wishes he could have accomplished.”
Punk has always pointed that out but I think it is nice that the WWE is still pushing that angle.
I don’t think Laurinaitis will get fired next week. At least I hope that is not what happens. I have been watching him sending text messages continuously for weeks now and there has to be someone pulling the strings. If Laurinaitis is fired after the Royal Rumble, the WWE will have dropped the ball big time on this angle.
[ Digitals | Screen caps ]
WWE Champion CM Punk called out Interim Raw General Manager John Laurinaitis
One week after unloading a verbal tirade on Mr. Laurinaitis, The Voice of the Voiceless opened WWE Raw SuperShow by calling out the Executive Vice President of Talent Relations, and demanding he admit that he will screw Punk at Royal Rumble. To the surprise of the WWE Universe, John Cena made his way to the ring as Mr. Laurinaitis did not. Cena took the opportunity to demand a match with Kane on Raw and to grant Zack Ryder a U.S. Title rematch.
The Interim Raw General Manager finally appeared and announced that Zack Ryder would face Kane in a Falls Count Anywhere Match tonight. He also declared that if Cena interfered, Long Island Iced-Z would never have another U.S. Title opportunity. Mr. Laurinaitis then announced that CM Punk and John Cena would battle Jack Swagger and Dolph Ziggler next!
