CM Punk comments on wrestling ratings and what the initials mean on his shoes
CM Punk thinks pro wrestling is hot right now, but he doesn't worry about the ratings and demos like so many other people do.
The Straight Edge Superstar recently sat down with Joseph Staszewski of The New York Post to talk about all things AEW. When asked about the current television ratings and if professional wrestling is heading into another boom period, Punk said he doesn't put a lot of stock into ratings. He said his goal is to entertain the fans that are here now instead of trying to bring back the lapsed fan that doesn't watch anymore.
"I think people will always harken back to, ‘Oh, X amount of people used to watch this, where are those millions and millions of people? Where did they go?’ It’s why I don’t put a whole lot of stock in ratings and demographics. It’s not my job," CM Punk said. "I know TNT, I know the executives love that stuff, but I don’t like movies simply because somebody else likes a movie. I don’t go to restaurants simply because it’s highly rated. They serve something I’m allergic to so I’m not gonna go ahead and eat it.
"I definitely think stuff’s trending upward and it feels hot right now. I don’t know if I can call it a boom period. Attitude Era, how many people were watching? So there are a lot of people out there who are not watching. I think chasing all those fans who don’t watch any more can be detrimental. I’m about giving our fans, who are here in the arena, I’m about giving them what they want and making them happy.
"Yes, mainstream popularity for television shows, yes that stuff is great and I think that audience can eventually come and that’s what AEW has. You watch it on television and you go, ‘Look at those people in the stands, they’re having a blast. I need to go to that. I need to watch that. I need to get into this.’ And if you are just trying to chase people who aren’t watching, people who maybe watched 10 years ago, that’s a crapshoot. You could be shooting yourself in the foot," said CM Punk.
CM Punk talks about the initials written on his shoes in recent weeks
Many fans have been speculating about the initials on CM Punk's shoes on recent episodes of Rampage and Dynamite. But if you listen to Punk, it's more about LeBron James than Adam Cole or Charlotte Flair.
"I stole this from LeBron James," CM Punk revealed. "A lot of basketball players will write messages on their shoes and stuff. I wrote AC on my shoes and CF on the other foot. AC is Always Chicago and CF is Chicago Forever."
While this is an easy explanation for CM Punk to provide, if these initials mean something else, he's not going to admit it. Much like he wouldn't admit his AEW debut ahead of time while on a media tour for Heels.
Even if this is what the initials meant on Rampage, it doesn't explain the "BW" and "BD" on Dynamite. Will we all look back on these easter eggs a year from now with a better understanding of the story? Only time will tell.
Do you buy CM Punk's explanation about the initials on his shoes? Or do you think he's teasing fans about who they can expect to be coming into the company over the next few months? Let us know your thoughts by sounding off in the comments section.