On Sunday night and on his home turf, C.M. Punk returned to the WWE ring for the first time in months. This dramatic resurfacing during a pay-per-view event at Allstate Arena had been planned for some time.

Not as deeply premeditated: The Chicago native’s wardrobe and spontaneous Stanley Cup Final prediction.

Punk wore boots and tights emblazoned with a Blackhawks crossed-tomahawk logo that included a subtle personal touch. Just before his match with Chris Jericho ended, Punk looked at a camera and shouted “Blackhawks in seven!”

So a day after demonstrating his puck love for the world, the WWE star talked with the Tribune about the Hawks, the Cup and his lifelong affection for hockey. Continue reading »

Cult of Personality: An Interview With WWE Superstar CM Punk (A WWE Pay-Per-View Preview: “Payback” Live at Allstate Arena – Sunday, June 16)

via Deadline

Warner Bros and WWE Studios are tag-teaming to co-produce a Flintstones animated movie to be released in early 2015. Here, fixtures of the ’60s Hanna-Barbera cartoon including Fred and Barney will be joined by WWE staples including Vince McMagma (voiced by Vince McMahon) and such WWE superstars and divas including John Cenastone (John Cena) and CM Punkrock (CM Punk). They will take part in a prehistoric WWE main event.

Considering the cartoon’s love for all things named for all things geological, it seems a glaring absence not to have Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson here, particularly since he occasionally gets in the ring. But maybe that’s too obvious, or too expensive. After all Johnson has been killing it this summer in G.I. Joe: Retaliation, Pain & Gain and Fast & Furious 6, and this one doesn’t look like it’s going to hit theaters.

Warner Bros Home Entertainment will handle worldwide distribution on Blu-ray, DVD, VOD and digital download. The film will be co-produced by Warner Bros Animation and WWE Studios, and WWE will do its branding thing through its TV, digital media and print assets to market the movie. Bradley Buchanan, SVP Business and Legal Affairs, negotiated on behalf of WWE Studios.

“WWE is family-friendly entertainment, so partnering with Warner Bros on a Flintstones/WWE project was a natural extension of our Scooby Doo deal,” said Michael Luisi, President, WWE Studios. “This new, animated feature allows us to showcase our brand with young fans and loyal Flintstones enthusiasts alike.”

Purchase tickets here.

It’s not surprising that CM Punk cites the radical “Rowdy” Roddy Piper as a childhood influence. After all, Punk is the embodiment of the anti-establishment, whose skill at igniting verbal “pipe bombs” is rivaled only by Hot Rod himself. Continue reading »

CM Punk takes a seat to address the media before WrestleMania 29. Photos by Mike Mastrandrea

Most wrestlers wouldn’t think of themselves as underdogs after a 434-day reign with the most prestigious title in the business. They also probably wouldn’t feel they had anything to prove after they just took part in a match that was nearly universally acclaimed as the high point of WrestleMania 29.

Clearly, CM Punk is not most wrestlers. Even with everything he’s accomplished over the past few years, he’s still driven by his desire for more. It’s an unwillingness to rest on his laurels, of course, but it’s also the first of many contradictions that help explain his character both in and out of the ring.

Punk is a former indy star who has made it near the top of the WWE. He’s one of the top guys anywhere with a microphone in his hand, yet he’s currently paired up with Paul Heyman — something he says was to “get people to hate me more.” And though his WWE tagline has been “Best in the World” for some time, he’s a perfectionist who could still do more, a least in his own mind.

“This is a problem I’ve been struggling with lately,” Punk said to the media assembled Sunday afternoon for the pre-WrestleMania press conference. “I’m never happy with anything I do.”

That didn’t mean he was upset at working with The Undertaker and getting the (ultimately unsuccessful) opportunity to break “The Streak.” Punk made it clear that he was grateful to be up against the Deadman, but that his ultimate goal was to be in the last match on the WWE’s biggest show. Continue reading »

In his final interview before going into the WWE Hall of Fame, Bruno Sammartino spoke with Inside The Ropes. Here is what he had to say about CM Punk:

What he thinks of CM Punk as a performer: “I think his interviews for a villain…I think he’s very, very good. That’s why it surprised me that Billy Graham would say anything when he used to be a villain who would say things to put down his opponents, even myself. I think he does a very good job when he gets on the microphone, how he talks, how he says it. I took no offence at CM Punk, I know he was doing it to be a villain, that’s what he does. But I think he does a very good job when he gets on that microphone as a villain, what he says, how he talks, how he says it. As a villain I think he does a tremendous job and as a wrestler, I’ve seen him a few times and I think he’s pretty darn good. He’s not too bad at all. The only thing is I think if he was in my era, he would be a little bit too small, we had bigger built guys back then.”

If the above player isn’t working listen to the interview HERE

He’s the Best in the World, the Second City Saint, and record breaking WWE Champion. He’s CM Punk. This Sunday, Punk steps into the ring for what many may consider the real main event of WrestleMania 29 against the Undertaker. It’s plain to see that Punk is comfortable with himself and his spot in WWE, and thus, opens up and is very candid on a number of topics like his interest in MMA, the new title belt, the Streak, WWE’s direction, and Stone Cold Steve Austin. Continue reading »

The Super Bowl of pro wrestling is Sunday, and one of the Windy City’s own will occupy a huge part of the spotlight. Chicago native CM Punk will take on The Undertaker at Wrestlemania, set for 7 p.m. Sunday on pay-per-view; the event takes place at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J.

Both competitors are no stranger to streaks. Punk held the WWE championship for 434 days, and The Undertaker is 20-0 at Wrestlemania. Punk spoke to RedEye about his records, passionate fans and “the only thing that matters” to him.

You have a history with the Undertaker. You had a feud with him for the World Heavyweight Championship and have had a mixed bag of results, so what makes you think you’re going to come out on top at Wrestlemania?

CM Punk: I’m so much better than I was back then. Wiser. Smarter. And I’ve been doing this every day for the past God knows how long. Undertaker’s been off for over a year. And on top of that I’ve got the [Undertaker's] urn.

How important is it to you for your match against the Undertaker be touted as the main event of Wrestlemania?

CM Punk: I think it’s the only thing that matters to me, you know? I think I’ll go out there and make it unfollowable, you know, make people talk about it the next day.

You held the WWE championship for 434 days, a record in the modern era (past 25 years). How did you feel when your streak came to an end?

CM Punk: Hey, records and streaks are made to be broken. I look forward to the next guy who breaks the 434-day streak to beat my record. Just like I’ll beat the Undertaker’s record.

Did you hear about the reaction on the Internet when you lost? Did you see that video that went viral, of that guy who was really upset at you losing?

CM Punk: I never bothered to watch it. Everybody sent it to me, and [we] were laughing, but I never set eyes on it.

How do you feel when you hear fans expressing that sort of sentiment about you?

CM Punk: That’s nuts, that’s crazy. That’s dedication and passion to being a fan. So it’s always interesting to hear those stories.

Finally, I understand you’re a comic book reader and have sung the praises of Jason Aaron’s “Scalped” from Vertigo. Is there anything you feel others should read?

CM Punk: I think the best thing coming out currently, that I’m reading, is probably “Locke and Key.” It’s got a horror overtone to it and it’s so well-written. It’s characters are nicely fleshed out; it’s very good.

Link

To navigate the world of high school, some teenagers start rock ’n’ roll bands. Others build wrestling rings in their backyards and have throw-downs with dreams of sports entertainment glory. CM Punk fell in the latter category.

“There was no manual when I was a kid to deal with my parents or high school or bullies or whatever, so a lot of the time you figure it out yourself and you do it yourself,” said Punk.

Punk, a 34-year-old Chicago native, wasn’t your standard bloody backyard brawler, either. “My mindset on everything – everything I do is like punk rock – is do it yourself,” Punk said. “I wasn’t jumping off my roof, I was trying to technically wrestle like (wrestling legend) Bret Hart in a backyard.”

Over the years, Punk has gone from backyards to the biggest show of them all: on Sunday, April 7, he’ll compete at WrestleMania 29 at East Rutherford’s MetLife Stadium. Continue reading »