CM Punk Recalls Pro Wrestling Spot That Scared Him

Former multi-time WWE Champion CM Punk was on a recent episode of The Movie Crypt with Adam Green and Joe Lynch. The three discussed horror movies and Punk's latest film Jakob's Wife. Green and Lynch also asked Punk when he realized pro wrestling was a career path for him.

"I think when people started paying me money to do it," Punk stated. "It's the equivalent of you're a kid, you cut your neighbor's lawn and they hand you $7, and you're like, 'Whoa, wait a second, what?' You instantly become a capitalist, and there was obviously a point in my career where I was wrestling and yes, I was getting paid, but I needed a real job to support my wrestling habit.

"And then there just came a time where slowly, incrementally, you're making more money and you're going to wrestle in different states. I think I got booked in my first tour in Japan, and that's when I was like, 'Wow, I really made it.' There's no looking back now. I need to do this and make money at it, and I think I did okay."

Punk was later asked if there was ever a pro wrestling moment that scared him heading into it and or in the moment. Punk recalled a spot from a 2009 SummerSlam match where he successfully defended the World Heavyweight Championship in a TLC match against Jeff Hardy.

"I remember wrestling Jeff Hardy in the Staples Center, and he was jumping off a very tall ladder onto me and I just had to kind of lay on a table for an extended period of time, which really makes you think about it," Punk noted. "And it's one of those things where I was just looking, I'm like, 'Man, he's really high up there. This sucks,' and you stew in that moment. And I remember being like, 'I should just get up and walk away. Why am I laying here? This is stupid,' and then he finally jumped on me.

"And I was like, 'Yeah, that hurt. Alright, great,' because at that point, you want to protect Jeff more than you want to protect yourself because he's the one that's jumping, but you realize there's a 200-pound man hurtling at you from a great height and this is not going to end well for either of you."

If you use any quotes from this article, please credit The Movie Crypt with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.