3 current WWE stars apart from CM Punk you probably did not know were from Chicago
The latest episode of Monday Night RAW featured the celebrated return of WWE Superstar CM Punk to his hometown of Chicago. The Straight Edge Superstar has been away from television due to his ongoing recovery from surgery.
The former World Heavyweight Champion always remains associated with his city. He wears gear and merchandise based around the city of Chicago and has arguably the most die-hard fanbase in all of professional wrestling. Needless to say, the live audience was ecstatic to see the Second City Saint again.
While Punk is undoubtedly the wrestling star who is most associated with Chicago in the modern era, he is not the only name from there. Other stars from the past and present, such as The Road Warriors and Colt Cabana, were known for being from there, but there are a handful of other performers still active in the Stamford-based company.
This article will take a look at a handful of performers from the city of Chicago. This includes a star from NXT, a tag team sensation from SmackDown, and a staff member on RAW. Who else is from the same city as Punk?
Below are three current WWE stars apart from CM Punk you probably did not know were from Chicago.
#3. WWE RAW General Manager Adam Pearce
Adam Pearce is one of the most important names in WWE. Not only is he a producer and an official, but Pearce was promoted to the position of RAW General Manager last year by Triple H. He is a counterpart to Nick Aldis and Ava, who run SmackDown and NXT, respectively.
While Pearce is currently known for his role as the General Manager of Monday Night RAW, Adam had a long wrestling career before joining the Sports Entertainment juggernaut. In fact, he is a former NWA Worlds Heavyweight Champion.
Adam was born in Lake Forest, Illinois, which is part of the Chicago metropolitan area. He went to high school in Waukegan, which is also a part of Chicago. He spent much of his career wrestling in the mid-west, oftentimes with and against CM Punk himself.
#2. Cora Jade is from the Windy City
Cora Jade is one of the brightest prospects the women's division has in WWE. She is only 23 years of age, yet she has been wrestling for over five years now. Cora joined NXT in 2021, meaning she has around three years under her belt in the Stamford-based company.
The talented Jade has had some success in WWE. Despite her young age, she is already a former champion, as she and Roxanne Perez held the NXT Women's Tag Team Championship together. The team had a lot of potential, but it was cut short when Cora turned heel on Perez.
Unfortunately, Cora is currently out of action with a serious leg injury. Her return date is not clear, but it likely won't be for many months. The 23-year-old star had just made her comeback and ended up getting injured shortly thereafter, which is unfortunate, to say the least.
Jade is a proud Chicago native. While she lives in Florida now, courtesy of needing to train at the Performance Center and compete on NXT, her Chicago roots are well known. In fact, she grew up as a massive fan of her hometown hero, CM Punk.
#1. The incredible Montez Ford called Chicago his home
WWE Superstar Montez Ford is currently performing on the Friday Night SmackDown brand. While he does represent the blue brand, Ford has been part of NXT and Monday Night RAW in the past, as well, making for quite a career in the Stamford-based promotion thus far.
Ford is best known for being one-half of the Street Profits alongside Angelo Dawkins. The pair have managed to win gold on RAW, SmackDown, and NXT. On top of winning tag titles across all three active WWE brands, the pair also won tag team gold in EVOLVE Wrestling back when the indie promotion still existed.
Just like the other entries on this list, Montez Ford is from Chicago. He grew up there and later joined the United States Marine Corps. He eventually moved to Florida and stayed there while training at the Performance Center. Montez is certainly a good representation of the Windy City.