Before he was the ‘Cult of Personality’, he was the ‘Straight-Edge Superstar’. From being one of the biggest heels in WWE to becoming ‘The Voice of the Voiceless’, CM Punk has come a long way since 1997.

Ever since joining WWE in 2005, he has held multiple championships and had one of the longest reigns as a world champion. Once disillusioned with the WWE, he even held the world championship belt of its rival promotion, AEW, before coming back to WWE. But despite all the accolades and love that he receives, the story of his life revolves around severe hardships. Especially his personal life and relationship with his family.

CM Punk his complex past

Punk has always been open about his rebellious persona and his straight-edge lifestyle. In fact, the WWE has also used it as a part of its storylines involving him multiple times. But what seemed to be a layer of wrestling plotline to many seemed to be a part of the intricate details that made up his personality.

The 45-year-old has never shied away from sharing his dark past, which led to him cutting off ties with his family. But many fans are still unaware of what happened. Well, it all starts with his father, who has become the primary reason behind Punk abstaining from consuming alcohol or any other form of drug.

The ‘Straight-edge superstar’s father was an alcoholic, who would often drown himself in alcohol. In a particularly harrowing incident, he once even ended up puking in front of the superstar. This led him to believe, as a child, that his dad had cancer. The trauma of having an alcoholic dad led him to lead a straight-edge lifestyle. So did he find support from his mother?

Unfortunately, the answer to that is no. His mother suffered from bipolar disorder, and according to a 2013 restraining order against her, Punk claimed that he had already given her over $100,000, but she still wanted more. Going as far as blackmailing him that she would commit suicide or reveal some dark secrets from the superstar’s past. He even claimed that his mother actually did not keep in touch with him since his high school days. Moreover, she only came back to claim money from him once he was successful.

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While for some who suffer through such hardships, they find solace in their siblings. But as we witnessed earlier, Punk suffered from another strained relationship, this time with his brother. Alongside his brother Mike, Punk once opened a backyard wrestling promotion named Lunatic Wrestling Foundation. However, Punk caught his brother embezzling funds.

In an interview with the Chicago Tribune, Punk opened up about his friends and close ones being more like family to him than the ones he shares blood with. He said, “The people who were willing to accept me with open arms weren’t blood-related to me. To me, that’s what family is. Family supports you. So like my Mom, my Dad, my brother – the only thing my brother ever did to me was steal a (crap) load of money from me.”

Maybe the troubled past is the reason behind his straightforward persona, which often rubs people the wrong way. Despite his troubled past, Punk has managed to become one of the greatest wrestlers to ever grace the ring. And now he is looking forward to making more out of life by winning the upcoming Royal Rumble.

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