CM Punk, the next chapter....
For die hard CM Punk fans, 2004 was probably the year when you first discovered that Punk was someone you could passionately get behind. The infamous "Summer of Punk" was a time of awakening for CM Punk, it was a time in which he first found out that this whole wrestling gig was going to turn into something much greater than he'd ever had anticipated.
Things were rocky when he first arrived in the WWE. Despite proving himself on the independent scene, he was still having a difficult time getting anyone to really believe he would succeed at that level. Thankfully for him, Paul Heyman has always been a pretty good judge of talent and if no one else believed in CM Punk, Heyman did.
We all know how the story went from there. Punk went on to have an incredible amount of success and the fans developed a cult-like following in support of him. For his fans, CM Punk was more than just a wrestler, he was, just as he claimed he was, the voice for the voiceless. He stood up against everything that was wrong in this disturbed society and when he spoke, we felt as if he was speaking on behalf of us all.
When he sat at the top of that entrance ramp and delivered the iconic pipe bomb promo, we felt vindicated, in some odd, supernatural way. For those who truly respected and admired his tenacity and unwavering determination, we felt a sense of connection with Punk and we hung on every word he spoke. Sure, we knew it was all merely for the sake of "sports entertainment," but we also knew it takes a special type of person to take the approach he took.
When Punk walked away in 2014, we took it hard, really hard. We no longer had our consistent voice of reason and now we wanted answers. We wanted answers for his sudden departure, but more importantly, we just wanted to know why he would leave without giving us some sort of an explanation.
We were bitter and confused and now the industry we all loved, was left with a significant void. The hard reality of that whole situation is that he doesn't owe us an explanation. He doesn't owe us some sort of apology or reasoning. His contributions throughout his 15 years inside the squared circle, that's more than enough of an explanation for me and it should be for you too.
Since that questionable day, we've all had time to let things settle and while most of us still believe professional wrestling is better with CM Punk, than without, we've come to terms with the fact that he did something he had to do, at a time that he had to do it. Essentially, he stood against the machine and walked away on his own terms, which is the attitude we all grew to appreciate him for.
Now that he's embarked on this new journey of mixed martial arts, some of us have questioned whether or not this was a good idea, or if he would even stand a chance inside an octagon, facing opponents that had training for this moment their entire lives. Simply put, we are afraid that in this scenario, in this situation, what if he doesn't win? What if he takes one subtle blow and goes down for the count?
After all, he's now entering a world of reality, where there is no script, there is no storyline and the outcome is not predetermine. It's a humbling reality for fanatics of The Second City Saint. Regardless of how we say we feel, we don't want to see Punk fail, we don't want to see him lose.
The time has come for CM Punk, the eleventh hour has arrived and no one, other than himself, truly knows whether or not he is ready for his debut UFC fight. However, knowing him the way we all do and recalling what he's accomplished throughout his life and all he's overcome, I have little doubt whatsoever about his preparedness.
This weekend, Punk steps into the Octagon for the first time, on the highest level. While some of us may still be slightly put off by the way he left the WWE, it's important to realize that the same man who stood for all of us in the world of sports entertainment, will be fighting for us inside the octagon against Mickey Gall.
It's time to realize that his message hasn't changed, just the platform from which he delivers that message. It's ok to support him and it's ok to hope for a win on his behalf. He's still CM Punk and that will never change.