Steve Carrier on July 28, 2025
CM Punk isn’t interested in being the unstoppable, unbeatable face of WWE—and he definitely doesn’t want to follow the Hulk Hogan blueprint.
During a recent JoBlo Celebrity Access interview promoting WWE Unreal, Punk reflected on how his perspective on wrestling storytelling has evolved, and he made it clear he no longer sees winning as the only path to greatness.
Punk was asked about how he felt seeing behind-the-scenes conversations on the show that mentioned him as a possible Royal Rumble winner or WrestleMania headliner. Rather than showing frustration about those outcomes not happening, Punk got philosophical—and threw in a jab at the old-school mentality that Hogan once represented.
“I think it’s more frustrating for my fans probably, because I think obviously super Rhea Ripley fans, they want Rhea Ripley to be all the champions and beat everybody. And CM Punk fans, they—‘Oh, Punk can’t lose. He’s gotta do this, he’s gotta do that.’ And I am now of the age and my perspective is—there’s much more to do with a character on a television show with a loss. And to me, it’s about how you rebound and respond to that.”
Punk doubled down, saying the idea of being on top and constantly winning just doesn’t interest him anymore. His tone took a sharp turn as he referenced Hogan directly, even using the WWE icon as an example of what not to emulate.
“To me, being king and on top of the world and beating everybody is very one-dimensional now. Like, you know, if you would have asked me when I was 25, I would have been like, ‘Yep, that’s it. I’m Hulk Hogan. I got to beat everybody. I got to be the champ.’ And it’s just—from a storytelling perspective—it’s not interesting to me.”
It’s worth noting the timing of Punk’s Hogan comparison—just a week after Hogan’s death. While Punk’s comment was meant to critique a philosophy and not the man, some fans may find the reference too soon.
Still, Punk’s message is clear: he’s not chasing dominance, he’s chasing depth—and fans should expect more from his stories than just gold and victories.
Do you agree with CM Punk’s view on wrestling storytelling? Or should top stars still aim to be unbeatable champions? Drop your take in the comments.
Please credit Ringside News if you use the above transcript in your publication.
July 28, 2025 4:11 pm
Disqus Comments Loading...