Black Widow
08-11-2008, 07:45 PM
CM Punk, 30, started life as Phil Brooks before he went into wrestling and hit upon his 'straight edge' punk gimmick. For five years, he worked his way through the amateur ranks before signing up with World Wrestling Entertainment. Today, he is the WWE World Heavyweight Champion. WWE SummerSlam can be seen Monday morning at 1am on Sky Box Office.
What does CM stand for?
‘Championship material’ ha, ha. [It actually stands for Chick Magnet, after the first tag team he joined.]
What perks come with the championship title?
Everyone calls you ‘champ’, which is the best perk. I get first-class travel. That’s the only thing that’s changed. I don’t get paid a bonus. It’s just the honour of it.
You’ve got a punk gimmick. What’s your favourite band?
Bouncing Souls, Rancid, The Clash, The Misfits… There are lots.
What are your musical hates?
Modern country. There’s a song by Carrie Underwood about smashing her boyfriend’s truck and keying it. It’s the worst song ever written.
Why did you go into wrestling?
I was always into it and went to a wrestling school in Chicago at 18. They beat you up and try to make you never come back. The trainers taught me how to treat people, how to conduct myself in the locker room, how to call promoters and get bookings. It wasn’t all: ‘Here’s how to do a headlock.’
What inspired you to go into it?
I liked watching it when I was little. I remember Roddy Piper smashing coconuts over Jimmy Snuka’s head. The kids at my school were obsessed with who would win – Hulk Hogan or Ultimate Warrior. I never thought of doing anything else for a living.
Is it easy to go from being a baddie to a goodie?
It is if you’re good at it. There’s an art to both. WWE fans have never seen me be a villain. I’ve always been a good guy, which is a shame as I’m rather proficient at being evil.
What’s the most serious injury you’ve sustained?
My skull was fractured in 2002. I was giving a guy a neck-breaker and his head landed on top of mine when we hit the mat. The doctor told me not to exercise for a year. I was in the ring two months later, like a complete idiot. I had horrible side effects for 18 months – bad vertigo, loss of balance, spinal fluid leaking from my ear.
Were you concerned that the time off would ruin your career?
Yeah, I was obsessed with it back then. I wrestled for two years straight with no weekends off.
What’s the most serious injury you’ve inflicted on someone?
I broke Snitksy’s nose two weeks ago. My knee landed on his face. I felt a bit bad. I don’t want to cause anyone to lose any work.
What’s the worst job you’ve had?
Lab technician. It was hard to get away with stuff and I had to wear a white coat. I lasted two years. I got sacked but it was a happy day for everyone.
Wrestler Chris Benoit killed his wife, child and himself last year. How has that affected WWE?
He was a friend of ours. We had to deal with his death, then couple it with what he did… How do you come to terms with something like that? I’d love to ask him why he did it. He could have called someone. He had his family and a locker room full of guys he could have called.
Is steroid abuse as rife in wrestling as people assume?
In any competitive sport – and ours is competitive entertainment: we compete like football players and behave like movie stars – there will be people who take shortcuts. All we can do is implement policies to stop them. People are being suspended now. It’s public knowledge when someone gets caught taking steroids. As long as people want to get away with it, though, they’ll find a way.
Have you ever been attacked by an animal?
I was attacked by a wild turkey when I worked at a gas station. Everyone was in their cars – no one was pumping gas. Then I saw this crazy, gigantic turkey attacking people when they opened their doors. I corralled it and he pecked me, so I punched it in its face – that bewildered it – then I locked him in a cage.
metro.co.uk
What does CM stand for?
‘Championship material’ ha, ha. [It actually stands for Chick Magnet, after the first tag team he joined.]
What perks come with the championship title?
Everyone calls you ‘champ’, which is the best perk. I get first-class travel. That’s the only thing that’s changed. I don’t get paid a bonus. It’s just the honour of it.
You’ve got a punk gimmick. What’s your favourite band?
Bouncing Souls, Rancid, The Clash, The Misfits… There are lots.
What are your musical hates?
Modern country. There’s a song by Carrie Underwood about smashing her boyfriend’s truck and keying it. It’s the worst song ever written.
Why did you go into wrestling?
I was always into it and went to a wrestling school in Chicago at 18. They beat you up and try to make you never come back. The trainers taught me how to treat people, how to conduct myself in the locker room, how to call promoters and get bookings. It wasn’t all: ‘Here’s how to do a headlock.’
What inspired you to go into it?
I liked watching it when I was little. I remember Roddy Piper smashing coconuts over Jimmy Snuka’s head. The kids at my school were obsessed with who would win – Hulk Hogan or Ultimate Warrior. I never thought of doing anything else for a living.
Is it easy to go from being a baddie to a goodie?
It is if you’re good at it. There’s an art to both. WWE fans have never seen me be a villain. I’ve always been a good guy, which is a shame as I’m rather proficient at being evil.
What’s the most serious injury you’ve sustained?
My skull was fractured in 2002. I was giving a guy a neck-breaker and his head landed on top of mine when we hit the mat. The doctor told me not to exercise for a year. I was in the ring two months later, like a complete idiot. I had horrible side effects for 18 months – bad vertigo, loss of balance, spinal fluid leaking from my ear.
Were you concerned that the time off would ruin your career?
Yeah, I was obsessed with it back then. I wrestled for two years straight with no weekends off.
What’s the most serious injury you’ve inflicted on someone?
I broke Snitksy’s nose two weeks ago. My knee landed on his face. I felt a bit bad. I don’t want to cause anyone to lose any work.
What’s the worst job you’ve had?
Lab technician. It was hard to get away with stuff and I had to wear a white coat. I lasted two years. I got sacked but it was a happy day for everyone.
Wrestler Chris Benoit killed his wife, child and himself last year. How has that affected WWE?
He was a friend of ours. We had to deal with his death, then couple it with what he did… How do you come to terms with something like that? I’d love to ask him why he did it. He could have called someone. He had his family and a locker room full of guys he could have called.
Is steroid abuse as rife in wrestling as people assume?
In any competitive sport – and ours is competitive entertainment: we compete like football players and behave like movie stars – there will be people who take shortcuts. All we can do is implement policies to stop them. People are being suspended now. It’s public knowledge when someone gets caught taking steroids. As long as people want to get away with it, though, they’ll find a way.
Have you ever been attacked by an animal?
I was attacked by a wild turkey when I worked at a gas station. Everyone was in their cars – no one was pumping gas. Then I saw this crazy, gigantic turkey attacking people when they opened their doors. I corralled it and he pecked me, so I punched it in its face – that bewildered it – then I locked him in a cage.
metro.co.uk