Paul Heyman took a look back at the iconic March 2014 promo revolving around CM Punk, after the superstar left WWE abruptly after the Royal Rumble.
Speaking with Justin Barrasso of Undisputed, Heyman took us back to the March 3 episode of WWE RAW in Chicago. On that night, he walked to the ring while Punk’s music played.
The interview included several highlights, and here are some of them:
On the context: “My thoughts about the situation brought back memories of The Untouchables, a film directed by Brian De Palma. Olive Ness, portrayed by Kevin Costner, leads a group known as ‘The Untouchables’. Throughout the film, one of the antagonists eliminates one of ‘The Untouchables’ and inscribes ‘Touchable’ in blood on the elevator wall. That scene marked a powerful pivot in the movie’s plot.”
Regarding the opportunity that the perceived challenging situation in Chicago presented: “The situation in Chicago didn’t intimidate me, instead, I saw it as an exceptional chance to hype the Brock Lesnar versus The Undertaker match. It was evident to me that I could use my persona to point out that Punk could have defeated The Undertaker the previous year if he had heeded my advice and disregarded the applause from the crowd. By attributing Punk’s exit to the fans’ adulation, which he could not have processed without my guidance, I was able to direct my vitriol at them, thereby depriving them of The Streak through Brock Lesnar, the only beast capable of breaking it. It might sound complex, but in that atmosphere, on that night, it was perfectly logical. There was no other option if we didn’t want to grapple with CM Punk chants all night and fail to attract a crowd for WrestleMania. Thus, for me, the path was clear. In that instance, I realized that it was the only and best course of action.”
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