In a recent interview with 670 The Score in Chicago, former AEW World Champion CM Punk opined that although professional wrestling should have a union, “stupid” and “selfish” wrestlers are the reason why the idea of a union may remain a distant dream.
You can check out some highlights from the podcast below:
On a union in pro wrestling: “For professional wrestling, yeah, wrestlers should 100% have a union. I’ll always say this, and I mean it in the most loving way; wrestlers will never unionize because wrestlers are stupid and selfish. That’s just the way it is. There is always going to be somebody else around the corner that wants what you have or possibly doesn’t want you to have what you have and they will do whatever the promoter wants you to do for less money. That’s unfortunate. The boys never stick together.”
On why wrestlers don’t want to push for a union: “I think it’s a lack of places to work. It’s really a wage gap disparity, it’s a class war. When your boss is a billionaire and you don’t want to rock the boat — this isn’t in wrestling, this applies to anything. More often than not, people will want to keep their head down, not get in trouble, and just go about their day. For better or worse, people have mouths to feed. There are people with kids, families, taking care of other people, and they can’t afford to lose their job. Fortunately, for me, I’ve never been that guy. I’m always like, ‘I don’t need the money. This is wrong and I get to tell people it’s wrong.’ I don’t think the platform I have is worth anything if I don’t speak from the heart about issues that I feel are important.”
On researching a strike: “I have researched. Probably not as extensively as I should if I was going to act on this. I’m just me. There is strength in numbers. If it were to ever happen, just like it happened any other time people have risen up and created a union or strived for better working conditions for workers, it has to be a group of people. People have to stick together, and wrestlers are just never going to stick together. It’s sad.”
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CM Punk, the former AEW World Champion, recently expressed his opinion on the possibility of a union in professional wrestling. In an interview with 670 The Score in Chicago, Punk stated that while he believes wrestlers should have a union, the reality is that many wrestlers are “stupid” and “selfish,” which hinders the formation of a union.
Punk acknowledged that the lack of unity among wrestlers is a significant obstacle to establishing a union. He explained that there will always be someone willing to do the same job for less money, making it difficult for wrestlers to come together and demand better working conditions. According to Punk, this lack of solidarity is unfortunate but prevalent in the industry.
One reason why wrestlers may be hesitant to push for a union, according to Punk, is the fear of losing their jobs. He pointed out that many wrestlers have families to support and cannot afford to risk their livelihoods by speaking out against their employers. Punk emphasized that he has never been in that position because he doesn’t rely solely on wrestling for income. This financial independence allows him to speak out on issues he believes are important without fear of repercussions.
Although Punk admitted that he has researched the idea of a strike, he acknowledged that his individual efforts would not be enough. He emphasized that for a union to be successful, a group of people must come together and stand united. Unfortunately, in the wrestling industry, wrestlers have historically struggled to stick together and support each other’s causes.
In conclusion, CM Punk believes that professional wrestlers should have a union, but he recognizes the challenges in making it a reality. The lack of unity among wrestlers and the fear of job loss are significant obstacles to overcome. While Punk has been vocal about his support for a union, he acknowledges that his individual efforts are not enough and that wrestlers need to come together as a collective force. Whether or not a union will ever materialize in professional wrestling remains uncertain, but the conversation surrounding this topic continues.