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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Former AEW World Champion CM Punk recently shared his thoughts on the idea of a union in professional wrestling. In an interview with 670 The Score in Chicago, Punk expressed his belief that while a union would be beneficial for wrestlers, the lack of unity among wrestlers themselves is a major obstacle.
Punk stated, “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.”
According to Punk, the reason why wrestlers don’t push for a union is due to a lack of places to work and a wage gap disparity. He believes that many wrestlers are afraid to rock the boat and risk losing their jobs, especially when their bosses are billionaires. Punk himself has never been afraid to speak out against injustices, stating, “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.”
While Punk admits that he has done some research on the topic of a potential strike, he acknowledges that for a union to be successful, there needs to be a collective effort from a group of people. However, he believes that wrestlers are unlikely to stick together due to their individualistic nature.
The idea of a union in professional wrestling is not new. Wrestlers have long advocated for better working conditions, fair pay, and benefits. However, the lack of unity among wrestlers has hindered progress in this area. Despite the challenges, there are still ongoing discussions and debates within the wrestling community about the possibility of forming a union.
In conclusion, CM Punk’s recent comments shed light on the obstacles that prevent the formation of a union in professional wrestling. While the idea of a union may seem beneficial for wrestlers, the lack of unity and individualistic nature of wrestlers themselves make it difficult to achieve. However, the conversation surrounding this topic continues, and it remains to be seen if there will be any significant developments in the future.