| Wrestler: | C.M. Punk |
|---|---|
| Real Name: | Phil Brooks |
| Birthday: | October 26, 1978 |
| Hometown: | Chicago, ILLINOIS |
| Marital Status: | Once Dated Daffney Once Dated Tracy Brooks Now Dating Maria Kanellis |
| Height & Weight: | 6’1″ – 220 lbs |
| Trained by: | Kevin Quinn Ace Steel & Danny Dominion @ Steel Domain Wrestling School |
| Debut: | 1999 |
| Previous Gimmicks: | |
| Finishing Move: | Pepsi Plunge (Top-Rope Pedigree) |
| Favorite Moves: | Shining Wizard Welcome to Chicago, Motherf*cker (~Double Underhook Backbreaker) Devil-Lock Split Leg Moonsault Devil Lock DDT/Hammerlock DDT Punk-Handle Piledriver Inverted Hurricanrana Crooked Leg Moonsault Suicide Dive Neckbreaker over the Knee Delayed Vertical Suplex Pepsi Twist (Hammerlock into Clothesline) Catapult Sommersault Senton Tiltawhirl Backbreaker The Jackie Chan The Face Wash Running Low Yakuza Kick to Corner Rolling Samoan Drop Flying Corkscrew Crossbody The Blockbuster Arm Wrench Mule Kick |
CM Punk Title History
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.
written by Niko Krommydas
