CM Punk Talks Slimy Backstage Politics In WWE, Taking Wrestling Too Seriously

Rolling Stone recently spoke with CM Punk about his debut. The full interview is at this link and you can read some highlights below.

Politics in WWE:

“For the longest time [in] what I did, the competition wasn’t that clean-cut. It didn’t matter if you were the best. There’s slimy backstage politics, there’s always somebody trying to undercut you. To me, there’s something romantic about just you and another guy locked inside a cage and the better man wins. In that time and space, nothing else matters. I definitely think it can be f*cking scary, but I like embracing the things that scare me.”

Taking wrestling too seriously:

“I think at some point in my wrestling career, I took myself way too seriously, and I took the wrestling business way too seriously. It probably helped sour me on the whole process. It probably helped burn me out.”

Wrestling being fake:

“People get so mad at me when I say this, but [pro wrestling] was fake. This is not. When we do jiu-jitsu, you’re getting hit. That changes everything drastically. When we’re in those situations, I’m too nice. I’m just wired that way, and I think it will work its way out.”