CM Punk: Latest News and Buzz for Former WWE Star Before Money in the Bank

In the absence of CM Punk making a comeback to pro wrestling, WWE fans will have to settle for him engaging in a Twitter spat with Hulk Hogan and him goofing around with Colt Cabana. 

That's not exactly as entertaining as him competing for the Money in the Bank briefcase, but it will have to do. Punk's post-WWE life may occasionally overlap with the wrestling world, but he lives outside of it.

That hasn't stopped him from popping up in interviews with wrestling personalities. It certainly doesn't stop him from being a fan and tipping his hat to a legend of the squared circle.

And despite not being in WWE for over a year-and-a-half now, Punk clearly hasn't forgotten how to cut a promo. Hogan ended up on the wrong end of one as both former world champs supported their favorite hockey teams.

Heyman, Roberts Talk Punk

There was at least a discussion about Punk being the one to finally stop The Undertaker at WrestleMania. That in itself isn't surprising. Paul Heyman's reasons for bringing up the subject to Vince McMahon are, though.

Heyman spoke with Chael Sonnen on the You're Welcome podcast. The acclaimed manager said he pitched the idea of Punk breaking the streak, but that it was rejected.

Credit: WWE.com

He says of his motivation for pushing for Punk to win, "I thought it was the only thing that was going to keep Punk from eventually leaving WWE." Heyman also added that he knew that Punk was "itching to get out" of the company. Accomplishing the feat of ending Undertaker's streak may have inspired the Second City Saint to stick around, or so Heyman thought.

It's hard to disagree with Heyman here. This prize would have pacified Punk to a degree, even if WWE continued to refuse him a headlining spot at WrestleMania. 

Some fans may refuse to believe it now after the way he left, but Punk was dedicated to the business. Justin Roberts, a friend of Punk's and a former WWE announcer, says as much.

Credit: WWE.com

Roberts told Sports Illustrated, "Punk loved the business, and went that extra mile to make house shows more exciting."

In the interview, Roberts went on to talk about how he grew apart from Punk toward the end of his run. He noted that after the Royal Rumble, which would end up being Punk's last match, "He wasn't feeling well, and we didn't say much."

Punk didn't say much to anyone via social media shortly after his departure. He's since become more vocal, but he rarely touches on the subject of wrestling. During the lead-up to Money in the Bank, though, he did just that, twice.

Rare Comments on Wrestling

A fan recalled Punk cashing in his Money in the Bank contract on Edge. That comment led to a response from Punk and, in turn, the rumor mill churning away.

Punk gave a shoutout to Edge and to John "Bradshaw" Layfield (JBL), for being willing to put him over:

Some may view this as Punk thanking a pair of veterans who helped him along the way. Others see it as a passive-aggressive shot at other wrestlers.

Writing for WhatCulture, John Canton wonders if Punk was talking about Triple H here. He writes, "A name that immediately comes to mind is Triple H because he was a WWE or World Champion through much of the 2000s and while he did put over some wrestlers in his career, it wasn't like he ever put over CM Punk in a big way."

Regardless of whom Punk had in mind when he tweeted that, it's been enough to put his name back in the wrestling news cycle.

Punk also paid tribute to actor Christopher Lee and WWE Hall of Famer Dusty Rhodes, who both passed away this week:

The Straight-Edge Superstar joins the long list of wrestlers who have saluted The American Dream. 

Promos

Fans who miss the electricity Punk once brought to the microphone got a pair of unexpected treats this week.

In one, Punk shows off a sillier side. He appeared on Colt Cabana's Cut My Promo show and took over trash-talking duties for his friend:

(Note: Contains brief NSFW language.)

It's not exactly June 27, 2011 all over again, but it's still an entertaining clip. What he had to say to The Hulkster is more of a real, meaty wrestling promo.

Tension arose between him and Punk recently. They took shots at each other on Twitter, a pair of celebrity hockey fans butting heads.

Hogan supports the Tampa Bay Lightning, who are currently playing the Chicago Blackhawks for the NHL Stanley Cup. That set the stage for a Twitter exchange between the two wrestlers. Hogan took at a shot at Punk:

Punk responded with a NSFW tweet as well as a video that expressed the same sentiment:

Hogan clearly awakened something inside of Punk. He hasn't barked at someone like that onscreen since he was feuding with Brock Lesnar. 

Not counting old clips, Hogan vs. Punk is strangely the closest we will get to a Punk wrestling feud these days. While it doesn't compare favorably to Punk vs. John Cena, it's a glimpse of a side of him that he hasn't shown fans in a long time.

Unless he treats his UFC interviews like wrestling promos, this is the kind of thing Punk fans will have to settle for.