CM Punk has always been a person who says exactly what’s on his mind, even if it’s controversial to some. It’s part of his brand and a big reason why he’s considered one of the greatest modern wrestlers of all time. Punk recently revealed he’d love to use that title to help those in the business around him and talked about other greats like Stone Cold Steve Austin while also disparaging others, including Hulk Hogan.
Punk appeared as a guest on the Barstool Wrasslin’ program and answered what it’s like to receive the type of crowd response at shows that only other major names like Stone Cold Steve Austin or The Rock get. He also talked about reaching the point in his career where he's considered the "top guy," and the privilege that comes with that territory that he’s actively trying to avoid.
It's like the kids say, there is levels to this, and you don't know until you ascend to those levels. One of the things I've always hated about the wrestling business is it seems that people -- there are exceptions to the rule, some people are good about it -- there have always been people who have gotten to a certain level and they are almost taught, and the culture is fostered for them to believe that they need to make sure nobody else gets to that level. They don't want anyone to 'steal their spot.' Throwing my name in the hat with someone like Steve Austin, who arguably is the biggest star the business has ever seen. A lot of this is subjective. You can make the argument that Hulk Hogan is a bigger star than Steve Austin. Then you look at business periods and eras and box office receipts and all that other stuff. I think Hogan is a piece of shit, so obviously, I'm like, 'Steve Austin, yeah.' What it feels like, I don't have the words to describe. I know what I feel like is, I want to help everyone on the AEW roster fucking get there.
CM Punk was honored to be mentioned in the same breath as Stone Cold Steve Austin as a top performer, but also definitely took that opportunity to take a shot at Hulk Hogan and make his thoughts known on the legendary superstar. It's hard to be more specific than calling out someone as a "piece of shit," really.
In addition to the various controversies throughout Hogan’s life, he was also someone who reportedly worked to ensure other wrestlers weren’t put above him throughout his career. Truthfully, there’s also a ton of evidence Stone Cold Steve Austin also tried to stifle talents throughout his career, so Punk’s dislike for Hogan isn’t entirely tied to what he talked about in his response.
This wouldn’t be the first time CM Punk has openly talked about his disdain for Hulk Hogan. The wrestler mentioned once he met Hogan in person backstage when he was working on Monday Night Raw, and when he went up to introduce himself, Hogan blew right past him. Shortly after that Stone Cold spotted Punk and gave him a big hug, so perhaps that’s why Punk may be more forgiving of one individual's shortcomings as a top WWE talent compared to another's. Ultimately though, he has committed to say he won’t be that guy in AEW, so we’ll see how he’ll help other talents try to reach his level of fame.
AEW has Night 2 of its Grand Slam event happening on Rampage Friday at 10:00 p.m. ET on TNT. For more on AEW and its wrestlers, read up on Bryan Danielson’s recent debut and the odd request the WWE made before he switched to the rival organization.
