There’s no denying that CM Punk is one of the most talked about wrestlers in the industry, and on Sunday he got fans talking about his backstage altercation with Jack Perry prior to his match at All In. Since then there’s been a lot of speculation about CM Punk’s AEW status, but on Wednesday night he focused his attention somewhere else as he accepted the Iron Mike Mazurki award at the Cauliflower Alley Club banquet in Las Vegas.
CM Punk gave a speech that lasted for 45 minutes, and during his speech he noted that he probably rubbed some people the wrong way throughout his career as some people like him and some don’t. Punk then went on to explain why earning the approval of legends meant so much to him.
“Roddy Piper is the reason I’m a wrestler today and I remember the last time I saw him and he told me he was proud of me. So, when people tell me that they don’t like me or the internet’s mad at me, I just kind of chuckle because Roddy Piper liked me, Dusty Rhodes liked me. I had the respect and the backing of Harley Race before I went to the WWE, and to me, that means more than all the money in the world. Because these legends put their stamp on me before anybody even knew who I was, it gave me the confidence and it gave me the ability to succeed in a place where I didn’t think I’d ever fit in.”
At All In last weekend CM Punk successfully defended his Real World Championship against Samoa Joe. It’s been reported that Punk has been suspended following his altercation with Jack Perry at All In, but AEW has yet to officially confirm the suspension, and the company has not made any announcements regarding Punk’s status for Collision and All Out in Chicago this weekend.
