WWE Champ CM Punk Looks Back On 2011's Summer Of Punk, Pipe Bomb Promo

In 2011, WWE's CM Punk took his career to a new level by delivering the first "pipe bomb" promo, serving as a key moment of the second "Summer of Punk." Since then, Punk and several others have attempted to cut similar promos, but the original remains the most iconic, even to the "Second City Saint" himself.

"Fond memories. I remember, I think, feeling like I leveled up," Punk said about the promo on "What's Your Story? With Steph McMahon." "I busted my ass in my career to get to that moment where I was finally recognized, but I knew, you know, 'the rent's due everyday.'"

Punk further admitted that he actually wanted to slow down at that point, as he became tired of all the extensive touring while also feeling dissatisfied with where he was creatively. "And then, lightning struck with the pipe bomb, and that whole situation – to me – was like magic," he recalled, claiming that while he wanted to go home, he choose to push through instead. "It really made me feel like I had finally leveled up in management's minds."

However, when he cut the promo, Punk went out believing he would soon be done with WWE since he hadn't renewed his contract yet. The veteran explained that he was allowed to air his grievances, but while people were concerned, Punk claims he would never have put WWE in jeopardy with television. "It was approved and it wasn't," he added. "When I came back, it was 'I smell money,' is what [Vince McMahon] said, and at the time, that was the stamp of approval."

In recent years, wrestlers like Maxwell Jacob Friedman and Seth Rollins have tried their hand at emulating CM Punk's pipe bomb promo, but Punk believes his imitators have lost the plot.

"I have seen more people post that promo, try to emulate that, and completely miss the point," he expressed, explaining that the point was never simply to say wrestlers' real names or other outlandish things. "This is the formula: go out there and you tell them four things that you know are true, and then the fifth one can be 'I was born on Mars,' and they'll be like: 'Well, s**t, maybe this guy was born on Mars because those other four things he said were true.'"

Punk added that his promo wasn't revolutionary, and was simply done off instinct. He then referenced the late father of WWE Hall of Famer, Greg Valentine, Johnny Valentine, to prove his point. "Even back in the 60's, [Johnny Valentine] would say that 'They all know this is bulls**t; they all know this is fake. But when I go out there, they're going to point at me and go: but that motherf**ker? That motherf**ker is real!'" he said. "And that was the CM Punk that walked out on that stage, at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas on that July day, and I sat down Indian-style, 'cause I was just like: this is it; this is me."

If you use any quotes from this article, please credit "What's Your Story? With Steph McMahon," and provide a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.