WWE World Heavyweight Champion CM Punk appeared on Mostly Sports to discuss various topics, including the differences between his current title reign and his first title reign.
Punk said, “Oh gosh. I definitely think when I won the belt the first time, it was just like, ‘I need to hold onto this thing, And I need to prove to everybody like why I’m the champion.’ It’s like almost this unhealthy obsession with it, and not living in the moment, always thinking ahead. Like, ‘What’s coming next? How can I further, you know, raise my stock and prove to people that I belong here.’ And there’s absolutely none of that. Now I’m pretty secure and like, you know who I am. I have the empirical data to prove that I am exactly everything I’ve ever said I was to back it up. So this time I’m just kind of in the moment. I’m just loving it, just staying present.”
On the combative nature of the previous era:
“I mean, it was definitely combative with me. But it was also combative with like everybody else too.”
On that not being as much of a thing now:
“I mean, the business has radically changed. It was a different place when I signed than when I debuted. And then when I came back like, it’s such a radically different place. This — the thing with the title too is, it means you made more money. That does not exist anymore.”
On the positives and negatives of that change:
“It’s good and bad. Like we all make more money now, which is thumbs up. But we, — like, my paycheck was always predicated on how many people were in the building. So I was driven towards ticket sales and the business of it. And when you’re in the main events, you got paid more money. And now, everyone’s just kind of on salary. So I think that’s good and bad. It’s good for the boys. But also, I feel there’s not the same ambition. I always wanted to be in the main event because it got me more money. And now I think it’s — now I don’t care if I’m the opening match, because I’m still gonna make the same. And I can shower and watch the show.”
You can check out the complete podcast in the video below.
(H/T to 411Mania.com for transcribing the above quotes)
