Stephanie McMahon allegedly wanted 2-time WWE Champion to be scripted word-for-word (Exclusive)
Greg Gagne has recalled how Stephanie McMahon once gave him instructions regarding CM Punk's promos.
Gagne, a legendary wrestler between 1972 and 1991, was a road agent for WWE in 2006. During that time, he worked with CM Punk in WWE's former developmental system Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW), in Louisville, Kentucky.
In an interview with Dr. Chris Featherstone on Sportskeeda Wrestling's UnSKripted show, Gagne revealed Stephanie McMahon's view of Punk's speaking skills at the time:
"In Louisville, I had CM Punk, Cody Rhodes and a number of others, but they were the two that really stood out," Gagne said. "CM [Punk] was struggling with his interviews and Stephanie was kinda mad at me. She said, 'Write out the interviews for him,' and I said, 'Stephanie, I want their own personalities to come out. I don't want to create a personality that they're not feeling comfortable with.'" [9:24 - 9:50]
Watch the video above to hear more from Gagne on several wrestling topics, including CM Punk's recent AEW controversy.
What happened after Stephanie McMahon's instruction?
A long-time fan of CM Punk's work, Greg Gagne did not agree with Stephanie McMahon's thoughts on The Straight Edge Superstar.
It was Chicago vs The World at MITB 2011 when CM Punk challenged John Cena for the WWE Title. Punk marched down the ramp & sat in the middle of the ring as the rabid fans cheered him on. One could never forget the crowd's roar once 'This Fire Burns' echoed through the arena. https://t.co/0pMESfPBEF
Instead of scripting Punk word-for-word, Gagne gave him the freedom to cut a brutally honest promo on the company he worked for:
"I was getting a little upset and CM Punk was mad, so one day he was getting ready to do his interview and I said, 'Hey, how do you feel about the WWE? Tell me how you really feel about them,'" Gagne continued. "He felt like he was being held down because he was too small. I said, 'I went through all that same stuff. Give me an interview how you feel.' And he did. A few weeks later, he was called up [to the main roster]." [10:00 - 10:22]
Stephanie McMahon worked on WWE's creative team in various capacities throughout the 2000s. After several years as Chief Brand Officer, she became the company's Chairwoman and co-CEO in July following her father, Vince McMahon's retirement.
How would you rate CM Punk's promo skills? Let us know in the comments section below.
Please credit Sportskeeda Wrestling's UnSKripted and embed the video if you use quotes from this article.