Why do CM Punk and Kevin Owens have real-life heat? Exploring their contentious relationship
CM Punk has had squabbles with several professional wrestlers throughout his stint in different wrestling promotions. Interestingly, most of the wrestlers he had beef with in the past are on the WWE roster now.
While the likes of Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns have been pretty open about their thoughts on Punk, Kevin Owens has kept his real-life heat with the Voice of the Voiceless a tad private.
All about the Kevin Owens - CM Punk feud
Before Kevin Owens was cannon-balling everyone in WWE, he was Kevin Steen on Ring of Honor for almost seven years, from 2007 to 2014. During that time, CM Punk was the head of the roster, something that Producer Joe Feeney regards as a 'head trainer' position.
Feeney spoke about the CM Punk - Kevin Owens feud on an episode of the 'Keepin' it 100' podcast and revealed intricate details:
“They were in Ring of Honor at the same time and Punk was like one of the locker room leaders there, He was the head trainer and all that. He had a lot of sway and stroke. Owens was trying to get in. He did CZW and some Canadian indies and stuff like that." [h/t pwmania]
Feeney revealed the initial reason that led to a disagreement between the two wrestlers:
"Punk didn’t like Owens for the shape he was in and that Kevin would wrestle in a T-shirt. He kind of wanted him to wrestle in a singlet and the word got back to Kevin. So he wrestled a match in a singlet. It was against Vordell Walker and the match wasn’t good according to Owens, and then he came back to the locker room and he said jokingly to Punk, ‘Are you happy now?’ or something, and Punk got in his face, but that’s really it.
Feeney also revealed Kevin's reaction to the altercation, and said that The Headlock Master 'downplayed it.'
He’s always kind of downplayed it but that’s a story that people keep telling. They just had a little altercation in the locker room about his gear I guess and the quality of the match.”
But Owens didn't forgive and forget, as we eventually found out. Back in 2022, CM Punk ripped apart AEW by demonizing the Young Bucks during the post-event media scrum, During that time, Owens quietly updated his social media profile with a picture of him during a match with the WWE icon Stone Cold Steve Austin.
That photo depicted Owens wrestling in a t-shirt. He had headlined Wrestlemania with that bout, something that Punk had not achieved. The Voice of the Voiceless once had a match-for-the-ages against The Undertaker at Wrestlemania 29, but it was overshadowed by the Rock Vs. Cena II match.
In retrospect, the Kevin Owen -Stone Cold feud brought out one of the most brutal Wrestlemania matches at 'Mania 38, with Stone Cold returning to the ring after 19 years.
On to something bizarre, Dave Meltzer once famously revealed pizza as one of the reasons for the CM Punk - Kevin Owens rift:
"I’ve been told that the story [Cabana attending a WWE show] is essentially correct, but it wasn't (…) Cabana didn’t go to a WWE show. He actually went out for pizza with Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn, and PAC a couple of years ago. That’s what caused the start of everything basically because he [Punk] felt that they shouldn’t have contact with anyone in WWE because of the lawsuit. Cabana went for pizza with guys he’s known on the independent scene for years and years and was good friends with. (H/T Wrestling News)
CM Punk is now out of AEW, and his return to wrestling is a matter of debate. With him burning bridges all around, it doesn't seem to be an easy task to have him back in the fraternity.
Is CM Punk a problem magnet? Sound off in the comments section.