CM Punk’s headlining panel for Starrcast III took place is Schaumburg, Illinois (just west of Chicago) on Saturday afternoon. With Mike Johnson running the interview panel, the former WWE Champion spoke a wide variety of topics from his time in WWE, his film career, and if he had any intention of joining AEW.
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Check out some of the highlights of the panel below.
- Punk says he feels like he never really left the pro wrestling world because every crowd is a pro wrestling crowd. Calls it a staple of American culture
- Punk says it’s flattering that so many fans ask him if he’ll ever come back. Says it’s much nicer than being told to go away.
- In regards to the Fox Sports rumors and the AEW speculation — “I’m not going to be anywhere.” He said he plans on hanging with his wife, AJ Lee, on Saturday night.
- Punk said he’s “over the moon” with how proud he is of the the new horror film, Girl on the Third Floor, which stars him.
- After seeing it for the first time, Punk said his review was “I didn’t hate it,” which is high praise for him. Said he was worried that so much of the film features his face, which he admits he doesn’t like.
- Punk says during a dark match in 2010 he asked Steve Austin to come out and hit him with a stunner during a dark match in San Diego, which Austin agreed to it. Punk said from there he was pushing hard for a match between he and Austin to take place and said there was a “sliver of time where it almost happened.
- In regards to current wrestling, he says he doesn’t watch beyond the clips he’ll see on Twitter. Spoke highly of Marty Scurll and Will Ospreay, said he probably couldn’t keep up with Kenny Omega.
- Punk looks legitimately shocked when Johnson tells him that wrestlers can freely ask for vacation time, jokes about it several times throughout the rest of the panel.
- Johnson asks if there’s anything WWE could have done in order to stop Punk from leaving. Punk says had people within the company actually reached out and communicated with him during his two-month suspension, things could have been different. “Could they have done something? Yeah, they could’ve f—ing talked to me!”
- Punk says he wouldn’t take the call if Vince McMahon or Triple H tried to contact him.
- Punk says there’s a toxic environment in the WWE which causes so many wrestlers to work hurt, also says they need better docots.
- On the subject of his WrestleMania 29 match with Undertaker, Punk says he wasn’t upset that he got booked, but rather that he was never presented as a legitimate threat to the undefeated streak. Says match helped him realize that he’d never get the main event spot, and that he would turn his attention to getting paid the most. Later revealed that the “ashes” he poured on himself leading up to the match (which were supposed to be Paul Bearer’s) was actually cat litter.
- Punk recalls a funny story of driving a drunken Harley Race back to his hotel, including the part where Race vomited all over the inside of Punk’s new car and hugged him afterwards.
- Punk spoke about the Ring of Honor feud with Samoa Joe, saying the two weren’t thinking about saving the company when they had their famous trilogy of matches. He adds that he cried like a baby after his last match in ROH
- Punk recalls a funny story involving Tony Atlas. After an awkward conversation between the two in the OVW locker room, Atlas called him an a—hole. Said people tried to make it a big deal with WWE management by ratting him out, but nobody cared.
- Punk says he doesn’t think Vince or Triple H ever “got” him, then calls the loss to Triple H back in 2011 “garbage.”
- Punk speaks very highly of John Cena, saying he always liked working with him
- Punk says it was “a complete trip” getting to write the Drax comic for Marvel, especially since he and Dave Bautista are friends.
- Punk says he’s thought about writing a book, but says it would take three to full cover his life story and that it might be too much work. Also mentioned that he’s tired fo getting sued.
- Punk thinks it’s wild that fans still chant his name at WWE shows
- Punk recalls the moment after an episode of Monday Night Raw where The Rock tried to call him in front of a live audience at the Staples Center. Punk couldn’t pick up because he was in an elevator at the time and had no reception.
- Puk is working on getting his own show via Stadium
- Punk say it’s “so rad” to see Kofi Kingston as WWE Champion, particularly now that he has two sons who get to see him wrestle.
- When asked about possible comic book move roles he’d love to play, Punk mentions an updated version of Kraven the Hunter and Moon Knight.
- On the Wednesday Night Wars, Punk tells the fans to not let WWE or AEW try to sell you on an “us vs. them mentality” saying you should be able to watch both and enjoy all of it.
- Punk pushes for tolerance, says he has no patience for people who dislike others based on the color of their skin. Says he recently was in Milwaukee where a woman yelled at a AJ to “go home.” Said if that ever happened again he’d make sure he was on the nine o’clock news after settling it.
- Punk says he finds happiness in being with his wife and his dog. Says he thoroughly enjoys Twitter now that he can filter who he sees in his feed without needing to block people.
- Thanks fans for taking listening to his panel. The crowd chants “Thank you Punk” to close things out.
