IGN CM Punk Interview - 1 Dec
ECW's showstopper explains the origin of his name, the Extreme Elimination Chamber, and his Straight Edge lifestyle.
I'm preparing to interview CM Punk, trying to think of a variety of questions I can cram into whatever time he has to talk, but no matter how much I think Straight Edge, ECW, ROH, and pay-per-views, my mind can't seem to get past one basic question: what the hell does CM stand for?
"It's mostly my fault," laughs Punk when I ask him the question, "because every time someone asks me, I tell them something different."
The real answer?
"Originally it stood for Chick Magnet. I got put into a tag team with this other dude on a whim because somebody didn't show up to a show. It was only supposed to be a one-shot deal, I wasn't even ready to wrestle yet, I didn't have gear or anything, they just put me in the ring and beat the crap out of me. I had to come back the next month and the next month and it was something that stuck. I tried to get rid of it, and it wound up getting shortened to the initials. I was always Punk, but Chick Magnet at least got shortened to CM. I tell people it stands for C. Montgomery Burns, as in Mr. Burns from The Simpsons. I tell people they are initials for my real name, Chuck Mosley, which is not true at all. I'll say it stands for Crooked Moonsault, Charles Manson…Cookie Monster is another good one."
Cookie Monster Punk, I like it.
Mystery solved.
What's not a mystery is Punk's undeniable talent and charisma in the ring. What does he attribute to his instant success in ECW?
"I think it's because I'm real. Inside and outside of the ring, what you see is what you get. I'm CM Punk. I'm not trying to be something I'm not. I'm not trying to lie to the people or be fake. I'm not trying to be some crazy, outlandish character. I'm real and they appreciate that. Everything I say, it comes from the heart. It's all real."
CM Punk, the choice of a new generation.
IGN Sports: Survivor Series, you're in the ring with HBK and Triple H, but the crowd is chanting your name. What was that like for you to experience?
CM Punk: It was pretty surreal, but trust me when I say I enjoyed every single minute of it. It was awesome. I didn't expect anything like that at all. To be honest, I just wanted to go out there and have fun. I'm competing in a match that I loved, that I grew up watching as a kid. Survivor Series is something that was very surreal to me to be a part of, but now, I just want to do it again. I can't wait until next year.
IGN Sports: Harley Race once compared you to a young Shawn Michaels. Were you a big HBK fan growing up?
CM Punk: When he super kicked Marty Jannetty through the Barber Shop window, that was a big deal. I remember always loving the bad guy Shawn Michaels. Everyone else always hated when he played the bad guy, but there was just something about that character I connected with.
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IGN Sports: Do you see any comparisons between the two of you?
CM Punk: Yes and no. He's a hell of an athlete, and I don't know what kind of athlete I really am. [laughs] But early on, he was definitely someone that I, I'm not going to say emulate, but literally borrowed from.
IGN Sports: You have the Elimination Chamber at the pay-per-view this Sunday. Have you ever been in a match with this much potential for violence?
CM Punk: Hands down, no. This is by far the most dangerous match that I've ever been a part of. It's not dangerous enough that there's like millions of miles of steel chain, that's hellacious enough on its own, but now there's a barbed wire bat inside, there are all kinds of weapons…that's always good. [laughs]
IGN Sports: When I met The Big Show, I was floored how giant the man really is up close. Do the wrestlers feel the same way, or since everyone is pretty big, it's not so much of a shock?
CM Punk: Everybody feels that way. You just said the shock of what it's like standing next to him, we all feel it, but now imagine what it's like for him picking you up and throwing you. That's not cool. The guy is huge.
IGN Sports: What was the most violent match you've ever been in leading up to this match? Does it go back to the Ring of Honor days?
CM Punk: Yeah, I had a Chicago Street Fight a couple of years back in Ring of Honor that was really bloody and really violent. That is probably the closest thing to the Extreme Elimination Chamber I can think of.
IGN Sports: Do you enjoy the gimmick matches or would you rather just perform in a straight one-on-one wrestling match?
CM Punk: It depends. If the story's there for it, if there's a reason for it, then I'm all for it. But if you throw in a barbed wire match just to do a barbed wire match, then it makes no sense to me. I like all kinds of wrestling, I like pro wrestling, so if there's a guy I've been feuding with for over a year, and damn it, the only thing left to do is beat the crap out of each other in a steel cage, then it's time to do it.
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IGN Sports: There seems to be more and more of a mixed martial arts influence on pro wrestling. Is that the future, more of a blend of the two styles?
CM Punk: Yeah, 100%. It's just the progression. I think it's good to have different styles, though. I think it's good to have a lucha on a show, some Japanese flavor, I think MMA is a good thing, a little bit of the hardcore and the blood and guts is good. That is what makes a show for me. A few different things across the show. If it's just the same match over and over, that gets awful boring. I think Mixed Martial Arts is going to be a huge thing coming up in pro wrestling, and I like to think of myself as one of the first guys to try and implement that into my style.
IGN Sports: What made you choose the Anaconda Vice as your finisher?
CM Punk: It's a Brazilian jujitsu hold, a choke, and I don't recommend you actually try to put it on anybody; I don't want kids trying to put it on their little brother or anything because the move is very real. It's something that looks cool, and you can really choke someone out using it, so it was a no-brainer for me to use as my finisher.
IGN Sports: You worked as a wrestling trainer before, what was the first piece of advice you used to tell people trying to get into the business?
CM Punk: Shut your mouth, be respectful, and keep your eyes and ears open. You will learn a lot, and asking questions is okay, but talking back is not. The best thing you can probably do is keep a low profile, keep your eyes and ears open, your mouth shut, and you will learn a ton.
IGN Sports: Do too many meatheads with big muscles think they can just go out there without listening to anybody and be a star?
CM Punk: Yes, that happens all too often. People get hired based off of a certain look or something like that and they have no intention of paying their dues or even respecting the business. It's not a good idea to do that.
IGN Sports: Personally and professionally, you follow the Straight Edge lifestyle. For those who don't know exactly what that is, can you explain the lifestyle?
CM Punk: I don't smoke, I don't drink, I don't use drugs. That may be boring for some people, but that's just me. That's how I live my life. That stuff never appealed to me and I never understood getting so messed up that you can't even walk home or remember the previous night. I choose to live my life without it.
IGN Sports: When did you first start doing that?
CM Punk: When I was 15.
IGN Sports: Was there a something that triggered you going that direction with your life>
CM Punk: My dad was an alcoholic and my parents…we didn't have any money and I grew up really poor. I watched them spend all of their money on cartons of cigarettes and stuff like that and I didn't understand how if we were broke and we couldn't afford Christmas presents, why could you smoke all of those cigarettes? It's not like they are making you better…they are killing you. It seemed real idiotic to me.
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IGN Sports: Do you ever feel a conflict of values living life on the road with the other pro wrestlers?
CM Punk: I'm Straight Edge for me, so what everyone else is doing, it doesn't matter. I've never been pressured to drink or smoke or anything by any of the boys, and if anything, a lot of them like me because I'm always the designated driver. I'm the one who makes sure everyone gets home alright and I'm happy doing that.
IGN Sports: As you look around WWE, there are so many potential future match-ups for you. What's your dream match?
CM Punk: My dream match is me and Chris Benoit against Fit Finlay and William Regal. That way I get to work with Benoit and I get to beat up and get beat up by Finlay and Regal. That's the dream. [laughs]
