CM Punk has worked with many top names in the world of professional wrestling but its clear just how much influence Paul Heyman had on his career in WWE. Punk is viewed as one of the true Paul Heyman Guys and he has now revealed how that happened.
CM Punk was managed by Heyman from 2012 until he was eventually betrayed by Heyman at Money in the Bank in 2013. Long before then, Paul Heyman was the one person who would support The Second City Saint backstage when Punk joined WWE.
While speaking to the No Contest Wrestling podcast, CM Punk revealed his journey to becoming a Paul Heyman guy, starting when he signed with Ohio Valley Wrestling. He explains that wrestling was very different back then, almost like two separate worlds compared to now. When he first signed, John Laurinaitis was his main contact, and he was told he would go straight to the main roster. However, that didnt happen, and he ended up in OVW.
After signing, Punk received a message from Jim Cornette, who was excited about him joining the team. Cornette had big plans for him, which made Punk feel hopeful. Unfortunately, just a week later, Cornette called to say he had been fired. This news made Punk worried about his future, especially since he was surrounded by so many successful wrestlers.
At that time, the main roster included big names like The Undertaker, Kane, Triple H, Shawn Michaels, Ric Flair, Edge, Rey Mysterio, Batista, Randy Orton, and John Cena. Punk felt intimidated by the thought of competing for TV time against these legends. After Cornette left, Punk felt alone and thought he would be released soon since he didnt have many friends in the business.
Things changed when Paul Heyman came to OVW. Although Punk was initially sad about not learning from Cornette, he became excited about working with Heyman. He committed himself to learning as much as possible during the time he thought he had before he might get fired.
Punk talked about how Heyman would arrive in Louisville late on Tuesdays, and Punk would pick him up and take him to the Davis Arena. He watched how Heyman created TV shows, learning how to write and format them. Punk admired how easily Heyman handled the work, which taught him a lot.
As they worked together, Heyman would ask Punk for his opinions and ideas. Punk realized that some of his suggestions were actually making it onto the TV show. While he felt proud, he also worried that people might find out about his contributions, which could cause him more trouble.
After tapings, Punk spent long hours in a small room with Danny Davis and Heyman, editing the show and learning from both of them. However, Punk quickly realized that Heyman was at OVW because he had issues with others in the business. This made Punks connection to Heyman tricky; while he learned a lot, it also led to more people disliking him.
CM Punk is already back in WWE and has obviously interacted with Paul Heyman on television, even giving him a hug back in June this year. Heyman also believed that Punk had to go through hell in order for him to make his return to WWE last year, something that resonated with many. Nonetheless, Punk will forever have respect for Paul Heyman and fans truly believe their partnership was one of the best in WWE history.
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