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CM Punk PROFILE |
CM Punk profile written by
Niko Krommydas
Phil Brooks, better known to fans as World
Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) superstar CM Punk,
is the true embodiment of a wrestler who has
both seen and done it all during his career.
Following a straight edge lifestyle, which
means he refrains from the use of any drugs and
alcohol, CM Punk has gone from independent
wrestling internet darling to popular WWE
superstar. However, this transition did not
occur overnight.
In the mid-to-late
1990s, Punk enrolled as a student at the Steel
Domain wrestling school in Chicago, Illinois,
where he was trained by Danny Dominion, Kevin
Quinn, and future Second City Saints partner Ace
Steel. While training at the Domain, he began to
travel the independent wrestling scene of
Chicago and the entire Mid-west, working for
promotions like CHIKARA, Mid-American Wrestling,
and his first true home, IWA-Mid South.
It was here in IWA-Mid South that Punk would
begin his climb to the top of the independent
world, engaging in high-profile feuds with
wrestlers like Chris Hero and Colt Cabana.
Punk's domination of IWA-Mid South resulted not
only in winning the Light Heavyweight
Championship twice, but also capturing the
Heavyweight Championship an unprecedented five
times.
As a result of both his accolades
in IWA-Mid South and his fast-growing reputation
as a skilled ring technician, Punk found himself
joining the Ring of Honor (ROH) roster in 2002.
Not long after starting with ROH, Punk picked
his first target: former Extreme Championship
Wrestling (ECW) Champion, Raven. With a
well-documented history of drug and alcohol
abuse, Raven was the perfect foil for Punk's
straight edge lifestyle that detested all
poisonous substances. The two battled in a
series of matches that not only saw Punk hold
his own with the ring veteran, but actually
leave with the upper hand.
This momentum
was needed for Punk's next feud with then-ROH
Champion, Samoa Joe, who was making easy work of
the entire roster. A series of three hard-fought
matches ensued between the two friends outside
of the ring, which saw Punk doing all he could
to try and take the prestigious belt off of Joe.
Punk ultimately came up short at the end of all
three classics the second receiving a five star
rating from the Wrestling Observer newsletter.
Punk continued to fight for the ROH title,
and in June 2005, defeated Austin Aries with his
deadly finisher, the Pepsi Plunge (top-rope
pedigree). Unfortunately for all the ROH fans
that had been behind him the entire match, Punk
announced to the crowd that he had signed with
the WWE and would be bringing their beloved
title with him. This swerve shocked the entire
wrestling world and displayed Punk's power he
possessed over the fans.
After pressure
from ROH fan and former WWE champion Mick Foley,
who urged Punk to do the respectful thing and
defend the belt before leaving, Punk put up the
championship in a four-way against Samoa Joe,
Christopher Daniels, and James Gibson in August
2005. The match would see Punk dropping the belt
to Gibson, ending his short but effective reign
as ROH Champion. However, while one chapter was
coming to an end, a new and even bigger one
would be just around the corner.
Punk
made his WWE debut in June 2006, after a
successful stint in developmental territory Ohio
Valley Wrestling (OVW) that saw Punk capture the
Television, Southern Tag Team, and Heavyweight
Championships in under a year. Joining the ECW
brand as a confident and dedicated newcomer,
Punk worked his way up the roster, feuding with
the likes of Mike Knox, Hardcore Holly, and Matt
Striker. During this time, Punk also made
appearances on the Raw and Smackdown brands, and
even competed in a "Money in the Bank" ladder
match at WrestleMania 23.
However, while
Punk was clearly making an impact in the WWE,
one thing had seemed to elude him - a
championship belt.
That all changed,
however, when Punk successfully defeated John
Morrison in September 2006, after several
attempts to beat the champion proved
unsuccessful. On that night, Punk had officially
become a WWE Superstar.
Although Punk is
no longer ECW Heavyweight Champion, he remains a
top contender for the belt. If his past success
in the wrestling business is any indication of
what the future may hold, that was certainly not
the last time CM Punk will wear gold around his
waist.
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