CM Punk

Brooks is currently signed to both the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he competes in the welterweight division, and to Cage Fury Fighting Championships (CFFC), where he works as a commentator. He is perhaps best known for his time in WWE, where he is recognized as the sixth longest reigning WWE Champion of all-time.

Brooks began his professional wrestling career on the American independent circuit, primarily with Ring of Honor (ROH) until 2005, when he signed with World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). During his 15-year career, Brooks won the WWE Championship twice, WWE’s World Heavyweight Championship three times, and the ECW and ROH World Championships once each. By winning WWE’s World Tag Team Championship (with Kofi Kingston) and Intercontinental Championship, he became WWE’s 19th Triple Crown Champion and the fastest to achieve this feat, in 203 days. He was voted WWE Superstar of the Year at the 2011 Slammy Awards, and Wrestler of the Year in 2011 and 2012 by readers of Pro Wrestling Illustrated.

Brooks used the CM Punk moniker his entire career, and consistently portrayed the character of an outspoken, sharp-tongued, anti-establishment, straight edge iconoclast. Most of the straight edge principles he portrayed, such as not drinking alcohol or not taking recreational drugs, are his real life views. Depending on his alignment as a hero or villain, he emphasized different aspects of the straight edge culture to garner the desired audience reaction.

After becoming disgruntled in WWE, Punk retired from professional wrestling in 2014. He pursued a career in mixed martial arts and was signed by the UFC in December of that year. His first professional fight took place on September 10, 2016, at UFC 203 against Mickey Gall, where he was defeated via submission in the first round. He lost his second bout to Mike Jackson via unanimous decision on June 9, 2018, at UFC 225.

In August 2021, CM Punk made his return to wrestling after seven years, by making his All Elite Wrestling debut on their second episode of Rampage in front of a packed out Chicago crowd. Punk won his debut match against Darby Allin at All Out.

Notable Matches

vs. John Cena at Money in the Bank 2011

vs. Brock Lesnar at Summerslam 2013

vs. John Cena on Raw 25th February 2013

vs. Samoa Joe on ROH Joe vs Punk II

vs. The Undertaker at Wrestlemania 29

vs. Chris Jericho at Extreme Rules 2012

vs. Jeff Hardy at Summerslam 2009

vs. Daniel Bryan at Over the Limit 2012

Notable Feuds

vs. Colt Cabana

vs. Chris Hero

vs. Raven

vs. John Morrison

vs. Rey Mysterio

vs. Jeff Hardy

vs. The Undertaker

vs. Randy Orton

vs. John Cena

vs. Chris Jericho

Other Notable Achievements

WWE Intercontinental Championship

World Tag Team Championship – with Kofi Kingston

ROH Tag Team Championship (2 times) – with Colt Cabana

OVW Heavyweight Championship

OVW Southern Tag Team Championship – with Seth Skyfire

OVW Television Championship

Second OVW Triple Crown Champion

IWA Mid-South Heavyweight Championship (5 times)

]IWA Mid-South Light Heavyweight Championship (2 times)

NWA Cyberspace Tag Team Championship – with Julio Dinero

IWC World Heavyweight Championship

MAW Heavyweight Championship

NWA Revolution Heavyweight Championship

SDW Northern States Television Championship (2 times)

SPCW Northern States Light Heavyweight Championship