CM Punk’s impressive tenure in WWE may never have transpired if not for WWE Hall of Famer Ricky ‘The Dragon’ Steamboat.
After signing with WWE in 2006, Punk would debut on TV the following year and would be regularly featured until walking out of the company in 2014.
Speaking on a recent edition of the “Wrestle Binge” podcast, Steamboat recalled working at a Ring of Honor event where he would first see potential in the future WWE & AEW World Champion. He said,
“It was Ring of Honor and they brought me up to be the special guest referee, and he was working with Samoa Joe. It was 12-15 years ago and they brought me as the special guest referee for the main event match. So I was the third guy in the ring and I listened to CM Punk lead the whole match for the whole hour, and that told me right there that this kid’s got it.
“The psychology part, what to do, when to do it, why to do it at this time, why to do it at the beginning and not at the end, so forth and so on. He had all the nuts and bolts connected and that impressed me.
“At that time, I went back to John Laurinaitis, who was talent development, and said that you need to take a look at CM Punk and get him up here for an audition. John said, ‘We’ve had him up here for a couple of times, we put him in the ring with one of our regulars for five minutes and didn’t see much.’ I said I was a referee in his match and he went through an hour Broadway and he called the whole match and this kid has the ‘I got it’.
“He’s got the ‘it’ thing and I think you should take another look and put him with one of our better, topper guys and let him do a 15 or 20-minute audition instead of a 3 to 5-minute, quicky in and out. So they got him up, he got in the ring for 20 minutes and he got hired.”
CM Punk was released from AEW earlier this month following an investigation into his backstage altercation with Jack Perry at AEW All In.
Punk has claimed that he will be busy for the next two months, which would make him free in November, leading to speculation among some that he will return to WWE at Survivor Series 2023.
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CM Punk, one of the most iconic figures in professional wrestling, owes a significant part of his success to WWE Hall of Famer Ricky ‘The Dragon’ Steamboat. Steamboat recently shared a story on the “Wrestle Binge” podcast about how he recognized Punk’s potential during a Ring of Honor event.
It was around 12-15 years ago when Steamboat was invited to be the special guest referee for a match between CM Punk and Samoa Joe. Throughout the hour-long match, Steamboat observed Punk’s exceptional skills in leading the match, showcasing his understanding of psychology, timing, and storytelling. Impressed by Punk’s ability to connect all the elements of a match, Steamboat immediately saw the potential in him.
Steamboat wasted no time in sharing his observations with John Laurinaitis, who was in charge of talent development at WWE at the time. However, Laurinaitis mentioned that they had already brought Punk in for auditions but didn’t see much potential in him. Steamboat insisted that Punk deserved another chance and suggested putting him in the ring with one of WWE’s top performers for a longer audition.
Eventually, WWE took Steamboat’s advice and gave Punk a 20-minute audition. This time, Punk’s talent shone through, and he was offered a contract with the company. This marked the beginning of CM Punk’s impressive tenure in WWE, where he became a fan favorite and achieved numerous accolades, including multiple world championships.
However, Punk’s journey in professional wrestling has been filled with ups and downs. After leaving WWE in 2014, he took a hiatus from wrestling before making a highly anticipated return to the industry in 2021 with All Elite Wrestling (AEW). Unfortunately, his time with AEW was cut short due to a backstage altercation with Jack Perry, leading to his release from the company.
Despite this setback, rumors have been circulating about a possible return to WWE for CM Punk. With his schedule reportedly free in November, some speculate that he may make a comeback at Survivor Series 2023. Fans eagerly await any updates on Punk’s future in wrestling.
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CM Punk’s journey in wrestling is a testament to the impact that mentors like Ricky Steamboat can have on a wrestler’s career. Steamboat’s recognition of Punk’s talent and his persistence in advocating for him ultimately led to the rise of one of the industry’s most influential figures.