Mind Over Body: Thoughts On CM Punk in 2025

Before we start, I need to preface this with the fact that I am a little more lenient on the personal feelings of Phil Brooks than other people are.

I am among the belief that all people are inherently flawed, and wrestlers are no different. The issue in that community though is that most of these performers tend to make their flaws very apparent and everyone else's problem, and (for the most part) Punk seems to be a somewhat decent human being, which is saying a lot for the promotion he works in.

In a field that is full of trials and tribulations, Punk has managed somehow to keep himself as the center of attention for over 20 years. That accomplishment on its own means that he is one of the greatest in the eyes of higher-ups and people who's opinion is worth more than mine. You see, wrestling is an individualistic career field. I will always be pro-wrestler and anti-company. Punk has built his career as the renegade not supposed to be here type.

"Before I was ever CM Punk, I was just a punk rock kid from Chicago. I was born lonely at Christ Hospital, blue in the face, with the cord around my neck! Because they've been trying to kill me since the day I was born!"

Let me also state that I myself am included in the lapsed wrestling fan community. I'm not ashamed to admit that the jeers I got in school when I talked about it to my friends turned me away from this glorious art form.

I only really came back to wrestling post Punk return in AEW. I was enthralled with the idea of my childhood antagonist coming back and seeing what he had left to give. For the most part, I enjoyed his AEW work (sans Bobby Fish and House of Black). I was one of the people that was really looking forward to his AEW World Title Run after he beat Adam Page. But alas, Fragile Phil made his first appearance in that promotion.

When Punk returned to WWE in November of 2023, I don't think surprise is the right word to use for how I felt. I think scared probably describes it better. There was a sense of emptiness among me after the return settled in a little. I was worried that the man I myself had grown up on that was putting on fantastic matches and cutting scathing anti-establishment promos every given week, was gone to never return. I was worried that he would become company man, and be kissing up to everyone in charge. I was worried that the Punk that I grew up despising because he beat John Cena at MITB 2011 was gone. And I was partly correct.

That leads us to now;

When you watch CM Punk now, it is very easy to tell that he simply cannot do what he could in 2011, or even 3 years ago anymore, which means that I was right when I was a little cautious that he wouldn't be the same. But damnit his mind is still the best in the entire North American Wrestling scene and maybe the "Best In The World." It seems that as his body deteriorates, his mind gets stronger. He knows what he is capable of, what not to do, and what he can do to make up for what he can't do anymore.

Despite the in-ring and on-mic theatrics, it is hard to get past the fact that he has become a corporate symbol (not as much as others ie; Cody, Roman, Seth). WWE has him do media events, has him go on tour to sell the product, etc. It is tough to see the man that has built himself as the outsider, who always wanted to be on the Marquee, who wanted to be on the programs, finally get what he wanted, but feel a little less like himself in my mind in the process.

Punk continues to draw in interest even as he approaches 50. He believes that this business is predicated on selling tickets and not having good matches. I say that Wrestling is about selling tickets BY having good matches. And he is still doing both somehow.

How much time does he really have left? I'm not sure. I thought he was done after Rumble 2024, but he came back, and has had a great run with McIntyre, Zayn, and Reigns and co.

As controversial as he is, he is still one of the best to ever do it. When he decides to hang it up, I'm anxious to see how that mind transfers into behind the scenes work. In my mind, I do believe that Punk is one of the greatest of all-time. On that Microphone, and in that ring. The only shame is that he was born 20 years too early, because if he was he would've been wrestling in WCCW in six-man tags and having a solo run as the biggest heel in all of southern wrestling.

If I had to sum up my thoughts on him in one word, it's flawed. But I cannot deny the greatness that he has created, and the way that he still makes me watch. And at the end of the day, if you can keep me interested, you are doing your job the right way.