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Since CM Punk’s return to WWE, he has been a noticeable presence at the Performance Center in Orlando. He has consistently been there, offering guidance to NXT talents. In fact, Punk has now shared the reason behind his frequent backstage appearances in NXT.
While speaking on the No Contest Wrestling podcast, CM Punk talks about why he often visits NXT backstage. He feels happy and emotional when fans and wrestlers compliment him. He remembers moments when kids show him old pictures from autograph signings and say he inspired them. This makes him think of telling Roddy Piper how much he looked up to him.
Punk wants to help young wrestlers avoid the struggles he faced. He notes that while indie wrestling still exists, there are fewer opportunities now compared to when he started. Back then, he could wrestle almost every weekend, but now many indie promotions have fewer shows, which limits the experience for new wrestlers. Punk recalls feeling out of place at OVW after having success in Ring of Honor. He realizes he was young and may have taken that opportunity for granted.
“Every single one of them, I must have so many people giving me compliments. I go home to my wife feeling completely humbled and emotional about it. You know, like, going back to what I said earlier in the conversation, I woke up one day and I was this dude. When kids come up to me and feel comfortable enough to show me a picture of themselves when they were little at an autograph signing and tell me, ‘Hey, you inspired me to do this,’ it’s just like when I got to tell Roddy Piper, ‘Hey, you’re the reason I did this.’ I don’t know if it meant anything to him, but it meant something to me to be able to tell him that.
So, legitimately, on a daily basis, I think about what that has done for me mentally and spiritually. It’s like every athlete has that love for the game and wants to give back the way that I have, especially when people are willing to listen. Oh, bro, I just want them to not deal with any of the crap that I dealt with. That’s my thing.
You know, the indie scene, I feel, will always be there a little bit, but it’s kind of evaporating. When I started wrestling, I could work every weekend, maybe even twice sometimes. There were places to work. I really feel like there aren’t as many anymore. There’s just a handful of indies in different places, and if they only run once a month, how much experience are you really getting?
When I signed and got shuffled down to Kentucky to go to OVW, I was like, ‘I don’t want to be here,’ because I had already had a somewhat successful career at Ring of Honor. But I was almost too young to understand the opportunity and a little bit foolish. The conditions were drastically different back then.”
Punk describes NXT as similar to a college sports program, with everything available in one place, including air conditioning. He enjoys visiting NXT, where everyone greets him warmly. He loves the facilities, which have multiple rings, therapy options, and recovery equipment. To him, NXT feels like a paradise for athletes, with everything they need to succeed. He finds the atmosphere refreshing and compares it to the Fountain of Youth.
”Now, NXT is set up like a college sports program. They have everything in-house and air conditioning, which I always appreciate. When I walk in, everybody’s happy to see me, and I’m happy to be there and see them. They have six rings in one room, and they have physical therapy and massage facilities—everything you could possibly need. It’s just like a college program.
There will be kids laid up on the floor with Normatec boots on, someone getting worked on, people getting dry needled, and someone rehabbing an ACL over here. They have everything at their disposal to be the best they can be, multiple weight rooms, and even promo classes. To me, it’s like Disney World for an athlete, and that’s why I love going down there. It feels like the Fountain of Youth because I walk in and think, ‘This is great.’ I’m like Wilford Brimley in Cocoon.”
In fact, CM Punk was also backstage during the October 8th edition of NXT this week where he gave advice to talent. Nonetheless, CM Punk will always love appearing on NXT one way or another and fans wouldn’t have it any other way, as it’s clear he is a great influence there.
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