CM Punk’s latest acting appearance got people talking—but not just because of his performance. After ABC released the first look at Punk’s guest role on R.J. Decker, social media immediately turned its attention back to his noticeably bulked-up physique.
The official R.J. Decker account released a preview for Punk’s guest appearance on September 22, showing the WWE star training at a beach gym before getting into a heated confrontation with another character. Around the same time, new photos of Punk from WWE SmackDown also made the rounds online.
Instead of focusing on his acting role, plenty of fans went right back to the same debate that’s followed Punk over the past several weeks. One fan took to Twitter and made it clear they believed he was using steroids.
“I fully believe he’s on the gas. I’m sure this physique was achieved naturally bro. Look at the size of his forehead.”
Another claimed CM Punk’s appearance reminded them of athletes accused of using performance-enhancing drugs, stating that his skull has changed shape.
“Punk seems to be getting that ‘his skull has changed shape’ look to him that’s associated with the use of certain substances but I know that can’t be the case…”
Others focused less on steroids and more on Punk’s appearance overall, with one fan commenting: “For someone who doesn’t drink or do drugs, he has aged incredibly badly.” Another joked that Punk now resembles someone from bodybuilding’s past.
“He’s finally aged to the level of a steroid abusing 22 year old from 1981.”
One more fan summed up the speculation by stating that CM Punk using steroids when he’s almost 50 is simply something he can’t even accept.
“cm punk going on the juice when he’s nearly 50 is frying me. most obvious midlife crisis I’ve ever seen.”
The latest round of comments comes not long after Punk’s trainer, Jay Ferruggia, publicly defended him against similar accusations. Ferruggia insisted Punk’s transformation is the result of strict dieting, hard training and consistency, saying the WWE star has been fully committed to the program.
Whether fans buy that explanation or not, the Second City saint’s appearance on R.J. Decker has clearly kicked the conversation into gear all over again. So it’s clear it won’t die down anytime soon.
What do you think of CM Punk’s transformation? Are fans reading too much into his new look, or do you understand why it’s become such a talking point? Let us know in the comments below.
