CM Punk admitted long before the latest WWE hotel controversy that he does not enjoy being famous and views celebrity as a burden attached to his wrestling career.
Those comments now hit harder after Punk found himself at the center of two separate hotel incidents involving fans, including two over WrestleMania weekend and one that even turned physical and led to police being called.
Punk made his feelings about fame clear while speaking with Stephanie McMahon on What’s Your Story? He explained that becoming a celebrity was never the reason he entered professional wrestling.
“I became a wrestler because I wanted to be a wrestler. It wasn’t like, ‘Oh, I want to be rich and famous.’”
Punk then contrasted that mindset with people whose main goal is simply to become well known. Punk did not hide how he feels about the attention that comes with being one of WWE’s biggest stars.
“I think a lot of kids today, if you ask them what they want to be, they tell you they want to be famous.”
“I don’t enjoy being famous at all. To me, fame can be a burden. Fame is an apparition.”
He said fame is not a real accomplishment by itself and is simply something that follows success.
“It doesn’t really exist. It’s just a side effect of being good at what you do. That’s it.”
Those remarks were made before the recent controversy involving a 6-year-old boy and his family at a WWE hotel after the company’s live event in Las Cruces, New Mexico. Punk posted a since-deleted Instagram Story the next day thanking the crowd while warning people not to follow him back to his hotel.
“Ahi for breakfast. Breakfast of champions. Please do not follow me to my hotel. Las Cruces, you were lovely—loud and fun. See you all soon. Albuquerque on deck. Thank you.”
Punk did not name anyone or explain what happened, but the message gave the impression that someone had tracked him from the arena to the hotel. The mother of 6-year-old Matthew later denied that her family followed or stalked Punk. She said they arrived at the hotel around the same time as several wrestlers and that her sons merely recognized him.
“We did not stalk him or invade his space. We arrived at the hotel at the same time as some of the wrestlers. A little smile or wave would have been nice, but instead, he totally ignored the boys and walked past them after the boys acknowledged him. No pasa nada.”
The mother also shared photos of the children meeting Trick Williams, Charlotte Flair, Oba Femi and other WWE stars at the same hotel.
This was not Punk’s first hotel issue involving a fan. Over WrestleMania weekend, another encounter at a hotel turned physical between Punk and a fan, and police were called to the scene.
That earlier situation, combined with the Las Cruces controversy, adds to to Punk’s comments about celebrity being a burden. Punk may love performing in front of thousands of people, but he has made it clear that he is far less comfortable with the attention that follows him once he leaves the arena.
Do you think CM Punk’s comments about fame explain his reaction to fans at WWE hotels, or does being a top star come with an obligation to handle those encounters differently? Leave your feedback in the comments below.
