Paul Heyman says CM Punk is more fascinating now than in 2012: ‘He has a deeper connection with the audience’

Paul Heyman has been in the world of professional wrestling for almost four decades. He’s seen almost everything the business has to offer and how wrestlers can connect with fans. So when talking about one of the biggest stars of the last 20 years, even he is surprised to say that he thinks the work CM Punk is doing at this stage of his career is more interesting than when he was a top star. promotion stars. from the early 2010s.

“If you had told me in 2012, 12 years later, CM Punk would be a much more fascinating character than he is now at the height of his rebel status, I would say that’s not in the cards for him,” Heyman said. CBS Sports. “And yet I look at what he did with [Drew] McIntyre and realizing that it’s a lot more interesting now. “Now he has a deeper connection with the audience, something I never imagined would have been possible.”

The story Heyman is referring to is the long feud between Punk and Drew McIntyre. It started with a legitimate injury Punk suffered from McIntyre’s Future Shock DDT maneuver at the Royal Rumble in January. Punk vs. McIntyre became a cornerstone of wwe programming until October’s Bad Blood, when Punk defeated McIntyre in their trilogy match. The dispute touched on envy, revenge and the crossing of personal boundaries.

“You realize that the rebels age and once they do, they can no longer be the embodiment of the disruption that advances against the establishment,” Heyman said. “And yet, now he’s the older rebel with a little more wisdom behind him and a little more tact involved and he’s a much more compelling version of a character and a person, let alone his ability to portray them, than ever before.” before”.

Heyman recruited Punk to complete Roman Reigns’ team in Survivor Series: War Games. The storyline decision reflected Heyman and Punk’s legitimate friendship dating back to 2005, and Heyman’s time managing Punk as wwe Champion.

“Paul Heyman saw something in me that no one else wanted to admit,” Punk said in his infamous pipebomb promo. “That’s right. I’m a Paul Heyman guy.”

Watch the full interview with Paul Heyman below.

Heyman and Punk’s friendship began during Heyman’s stint as head booker and writer for Ohio Valley Wrestling, wwe‘s developmental territory at the time. Punk had six title reigns (including an ECW championship reign) during his first run in wwe, but often feuded with former wwe boss Vince McMahon until Punk’s seven-year retirement in 2014. Heyman and McMahon argued. several times about Punk’s initial direction at the company. Only after Heyman parted ways with wwe was McMahon prepared to see the potential of Punk, who he reportedly thought was benefiting from Heyman’s “smoke and mirrors” marketing.

“CM Punk fought against the perception that he was just a ‘Paul Heyman guy’. Unfortunately, that label dragged him down,” Heyman said. “He became collateral damage to my fallout with management. Because of my fallout with management, they labeled him, that’s literally what they called him, ‘Oh yeah, the Paul Heyman guy.’

“This guy was a magnificent performer, an all-time performer, a WrestleMania mainstay, a top-of-the-card performer from the moment he walked in the door. But he fought that perception and proved himself to through his hard work, connection with his audience and the fact that no matter how stupid the concept they threw at him, he made it work… It was undeniable that progress couldn’t be stopped no matter how they self-sabotaged their product. “.