CM Punk News: Former Wrestler Talks About Leaving WWE, Plans for UFC in 2015
After CM Punk left WWE, fans were on tenterhooks as they waited to see if he would return to the ring. Though that didn't happen, the former wrestler, whose real name is Phil Brooks, announced earlier this month that he is set to fight again, but in a different ring this time—the UFC.
Last week, Brooks made the rounds to reveal his plans and to explain why he left the WWE. In an interview on Opie with Jim Norton, he said that he did the Art of Wrestling podcast to tell his fans why really left, and that he didn't want to be someone who constantly said negative things about the WWE. He also mentioned that there will always be someone to replace someone in the WWE, and that he is no different. He said that he didn't intend to bash the company, but just to tell his story.
When asked about a possible return to the WWE, he said, "You asked if I'm going back to WWE, and my answer now is I can't be sure. I don't want to be the guy who says 'never say never.' I don't plan [to go back], but I can't tell the future. Something could happen, but I personally don't see it."
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Of his plans for UFC, Brooks said that he'll likely compete at 185 pounds and will train most of next year. He also mentioned that jiu-jitsu is his strongest area and that he's confident fighting off his back. He said that UFC will announce the match and he'll go through a full training camp. Brooks also said that he will be at UFC 182 to watch Daniel Cormier—a good friend of his—and Jon Jones fight.
One of the highlights of the interview was when Brooks said that he would have been open to a WWE return when the company first suspended him, but nobody contacted him. He said he was prepared to sit out the rest of his contract and figured WWE would withhold his royalties. Then he found an uncashed royalty check and had to call WWE.
On his state of mind while wrestling The Undertaker at Wrestlemania 29, Brooks said, "Yeah I was [over it by then]. I didn't care, and that was big part of the problem. I was wrestling The Undertaker in front of 80,000 people and I didn't give a [expletive]. I was just like 'ah whatever.' I had zero passion … And [The Undertaker] might get offended at that, but it's nothing against him, it's just where I was. But I hope he gets it."
