CM Punk, the AEW superstar and “Real” World Champion, recently reflected on his early days in the wrestling industry and how his straight edge lifestyle became a defining aspect of his persona. In a conversation with Sports Illustrated, Punk discussed his time at Mid-American Wrestling and how he initially felt like an outsider due to his straight edge beliefs.
Punk reminisced about his early wrestling days, particularly his time at Mid-American Wrestling run by Carmine DeSpirito. The promotion held monthly events at a Knights of Columbus Hall in West Ellis, Wisconsin, where cheap beer was a big draw for the fans. Punk, being straight edge, felt like he didn’t fit in anywhere except for the “freaks and geeks” in the wrestling locker room.
However, Punk’s girlfriend at the time, Natalie Slater, suggested that he embrace his straight edge lifestyle and incorporate it into his wrestling character. This idea proved to be a game-changer for Punk’s career.
Punk recalled Slater’s suggestion, stating, “I had not done this straight edge gimmick yet. I was racking my brain to come up with a great idea, and I remember my girlfriend at the time, Natalie Slater, who is still to this day a great friend of mine, pointed out the pot of gold was right under my nose. She was like, ‘Why don’t you just be you? Why don’t you just be straight edge?’ All credit to her. That’s where it was born.”
Continuing the conversation, Punk explained the significance of the X symbol that he has painted onto his world title. He stated that the X represents everything he is and why he has chosen to embrace his straight edge persona in AEW.
“That’s why I tape my wrists, that’s why I X-up my hands, and that’s where ‘Straight edge means I’m better than you’ comes from,” Punk said. “Looking back on it now, there’s a lot of people I currently work with who are not only wrestlers because of me – their words – they’re straight edge because of me. It’s time to go back to that. Look how powerful it is. That’s a nice itch I get to scratch now.”
To read the full interview with CM Punk, visit Sports Illustrated.
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