The moment a wrestler knows they’ve truly arrived is often marked by winning a major event or championship. However, for CM Punk, that realization came in a rather unique way.
In a recent ESPN interview promoting WWE Unreal alongside Rhea Ripley, both WWE stars were asked about the point they felt they had “made it.” Rhea Ripley highlighted her memorable matches from the 2018 Mae Young Classic and her bout against Iyo Sky.
CM Punk, meanwhile, took a different approach. He reflected on how WWE now offers more backstage support to talent, unlike during his early days when the makeup table served as a significant marker of status.
He shared a story about a makeup artist named January who wasn’t very friendly. When he first got a contract, he tried to use a spray bottle from her makeup kit to wet his hair. She yelled at him, insisting the spray bottle was only for the wrestlers. He quietly backed off, realizing then he had reached a new level.
Years later, after becoming a main roster fixture, the same makeup artist approached him in 2011 and asked him to cut his hair, indicating his rise to being a top star. That moment, he said, was when he truly understood he had “made it.”
Recently, CM Punk won Raw’s big gauntlet match, further proving his star power in WWE.
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Fan Take: This story highlights the often unseen struggles and milestones behind the glitz of professional wrestling, reminding fans that success comes with grit and humble beginnings. CM Punk’s journey from backstage tensions to top-tier stardom offers inspiration and shows that perseverance can redefine what it means to “make it” in WWE.
