During a sit-down interview with WWE executive and What’s Your Story? podcast host Stephanie McMahon, reigning WWE Champion CM Punk discussed his rise from an abused Chicago youth to a global wrestling icon.
The two-hour interview is packed with nuggets of advice and wild wrestling stories, but few stand out more than Punk discussing how WWE legends Jeff Hardy and the late Eddie Guerrero helped spur his career.
CM Punk Says Facing Eddie Guerrero is “One of His Favorite Matches”
Before the days of NXT, most WWE stars began their careers on the independent scene. CM Punk was no different. Back in 2002, several years before his WWE debut, CM Punk got the opportunity of a lifetime.
The Chicago-born wrestler was slated for a Triple Threat match against Eddie Guerrero and Rey Mysterio.
You may be wondering why Guerrero, who made his WWE debut in January 2000, was wrestling in the indies.
Well, as Punk described, Guerrero was battling some tough times and was forced to step away from the business, which led to a brief run on the indies.
“There’s a three-way that I had with Eddie and Rey in Indianapolis. Eddie had just gotten fired because he got a DUI. Plus, he was getting a divorce. I walk in the locker room and Eddie is just kinda sitting there. He probably had just flown in and was probably exhausted.
“He was struggling to stay sober at this moment because he wants his family back and wants his job back.”
Punk continued, “I walk to him and I say, ‘Hey Mr. Guerrero, I’m gonna be wrestling you tonight. Then he looked at me and smiled and said, ‘Hey, is it okay if you and Rey put it together? I’m not good at three ways.'”
Punk said that, despite organizing the match in one night, it remains one of his most iconic matches.
“To this day, it’s one of my favorite matches. Anytime I see it come up on my feed, I send it to Rey. And vice versa. Every time I see Rey, I grab him and say, ‘Hey I love you. We’re still here.'”
CM Punk Says PPV Match With Jeff Hardy Turned Him Into a Star
During the same interview with Stephanie McMahon, Punk recalled how a pay-per-view match with Jeff Hardy helped build his stardom.
However, he was not referencing their famous feud in 2009, in which Punk ultimately “retired” Jeff Hardy after winning the Heavyweight Championship.
Instead, Punk recalled Survivor Series 2006, which was his first career PLE.
Team DX, captained by Triple H and Shawn Michaels, led The Hardy Boyz and Punk to battle with Team Rated RKO, comprised of team captains and World Tag Team Champions Edge and Randy Orton, as well as Gregory Helms, Mike Knox, and Johnny Nitro.
The event took place in Philly, where Punk was a resident and fan-favorite at the time. Still, WWE producer Pat Patterson didn’t think Punk, just four months into his main roster WWE career, had enough buzz to be the main attraction of the match, and opted for them to “put the heat on Jeff Hardy.”
However, after hearing the crowd’s reception to Punk throughout the night, Patterson apologized to Punk backstage. From then on, Punk said that he was “Pat’s guy” and received favorable booking moving forward. This led to several pay-per-view matches in 2007 and 2008, a Money in the Bank win and, eventually, Punk’s first world title reign.
CM Punk Recalls How Eddie Guerrero and Jeff Hardy Elevated His Career