"He was no alcoholic guy" - Teddy Long comments on former WWE star walking away from wrestling (Exclusive)
WWE veteran Teddy Long recently stated that CM Punk wisely saving up his money allowed him to become a rebellious and outspoken person.
It's no secret that The Second City Saint is one of wrestling's most decisive performers, solely owing to his forthright personality. Since he rarely hesitates to share what's on his mind, Punk hasn't had a smooth ride in the business. From his bitter WWE exit in 2014 to his rocky relationship with his current employer AEW, it has all been due to CM Punk's insistence on not filtering his thoughts.
Speaking to Sportskeeda Wrestling's The Wrestling Time Machine, Teddy Long explained that not all wrestlers enjoy the luxury of speaking their minds as Punk does.
The WWE Hall of Famer stated that since the former AEW Champion had his finances in place, walking away from the business couldn't affect his livelihood.
"CM Punk was no druggie. He was no alcoholic guy. He saved his money. He owns a bunch of apartment buildings in Chicago. So, CM Punk is a guy that could do that because he could walk away from the business and it wouldn't faze him at all."
Long added that, on the contrary, many talents have saved little money and wouldn't be able to survive if they walked away.
"A lot of guys can't walk away from the business because they haven't saved their money. They haven't done anything with their money the whole time they have been here. So this is all they have," said Teddy Long. (15:14 - 15:38)
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WWE veteran Teddy Long on how wrestlers hold on to secrets
Furthermore, Teddy Long revealed that many performers hold on to secrets since they can't afford to go out in public for fear of losing their jobs.
Long added that if one could speak their mind, they could go ahead and spill the beans.
"So, once they walk away from this, there's nothing nothing else for them to do. So, they hold on to secrets and keep stuff in just to continue keeping the job. So that's the way I look at it. If you can walk away from this business, then you are able to tell secrets and whatever you can do, but if you can't, then a lot of guys keep things to themselves," added Teddy Long. (15:38 - 15:56)
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Despite being with AEW, Punk has been absent from its programming since All Out 2022, where he went on a rant during the media scrum.
Moreover, CM Punk engaged in a scuffle with The Elite after the show. Though there have been rumors that his return could be in the works, it remains to be seen if it materializes.
Do you agree with WWE legend Teddy Long's take on why CM Punk could afford to leave the wrestling business? Sound off in the comments section below.
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