“That One has been Obvious for Years” CM Punk Shoots at AJ Styles

Former WWE Superstar CM Punk has always been a rebellious voice within the company. He is famous for an anti-establishment persona, sometimes also going past kayfabe, getting extremely real and personal.

Most famously, Punk threw down the legendary ‘Pipe Bomb’ promo, which broke kayfabe into pieces, getting extremely real with the audience, even referencing rival wrestling promotions.

Punk has publicly come out in support of the Black Lives Matter movement in the USA. He has now called out famous personalities for being something other than their true self, on social media.

Punk took to Twitter, warning his audience about fake personalities, and that the people fans idolize may not be the best.

“Lotta people snitching on themselves. When people tell you who they are, believe it. Might be unfortunate and disappointing if you’re a fan of that person”

Punk is referring to the fact that many pro wrestlers may not be exactly who fans think they are. Although Punk is cryptic about specifics, he is clear in his message. He is calling out those who have conservative or extremist political views, within the WWE Universe.

Has CM Punk pressured AJ Styles to take a stand?

He was met with a response from some of his followers, who pointed out that AJ Styles may not be as supportive of the Black Lives Matter movement as Punk is.

Punk responded, stating it was extremely obvious that AJ Styles wasn’t as politically liberal as fans believed. 

This raises the question for fans, about the separation of the character and person in the WWE. If the real people behind pro-wrestling personas are racist, sexist, or horrible in any way, should that matter to fans, who are here to see great and interesting performances?

The WWE has tried to exist outside politics for several years. The last notable political gimmick was with The Iron Shiek. This was when the Shiek openly took up an anti-American gimmick, as a part of his heel turn.

The Shiek became a Saddam Hussein sympathizer during the Gulf War and used it to become a villain. Outside of this, the WWE has stayed relatively apolitical. 

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Punk’s statement may place pressure on apolitical performers, but has highlighted issues within the pro wrestling world that need to be addressed.