Quite the comeback: CM Punk returns to television

While many thought that he needed WWE to stay successful, wrestler has shown he has it to succeed on his own

KARACHI: Like him or not, there isn’t an iota of doubt over former WWE superstar CM Punk’s talent in the ring, on the microphone. And while he has his detractors, nothing can stand in the way of his determination to do something he wants.

Punk, whose real name is Phillip Brooks, quit his successful WWE career in 2014 to pursue his passion of MMA. He debuted last year against another rookie Mickey Gall and suffered a humbling defeat in the first round. Since then, the ‘Best in the World’ has been out of the spotlight. But now his fans can again watch him on television, just not in the WWE. Punk is set to participate in a reality television show The Challenge: Champs vs Pros on MTV, according to Rolling Stone.



Competing against the likes of Olympian and fitness expert Louis Hazel, retired NFL linebacker Shawne Merriman and Olympic medalist Gus Kenworthy, Punk is one of the top ten American professional athletes who will compete on the show, which starts on May 16, for a chance to win $50,000 for their favourite charity.

According to MTV’s official press release, each episode of the six-week long show will test the competitors’ different strengths (agility, ingenuity, brawn, brains, endurance and guts) and the finale will include one ultimate task, showcasing each strength in order to win The Challenge.

If the longest running WWE Champion of the last 25 years has shown us anything, it’s that no one can count him out as long as he is determined to do something. His 16-year-long career in pro wrestling saw Punk become a two-time WWE Champion, three-time World Heavyweight Champion and two-time consecutive Money in the Bank winner, among countless other accolades including winning the Ring of Honour (ROH) World Championship.



After his infamous promo in 2011, he became the most popular superstar in WWE, even surpassing John Cena and eventually accomplishing the historic title reign. While the soured relationship between WWE and Punk resulted in him leaving, there has been no end to his passions. Since then, Punk, a longtime comics fan, has entered the Marvel universe and even wrote the Drax comics, which coincidentally is played by his friend and another former wrestler Batista.

“It’s just really a surreal thing, and it’s just a crazy coincidence. We were buds before either one of us had entered into the Marvel universe. It’s just like a crazy coincidence, and now I’m playing Drax on film, and he’s writing Drax in the comics,” Batista said in an interview with CBR.com.

And while Punk for now has swapped his UFC career for a reality television one, it doesn’t his fighting career is over. Since his loss in 2016, he has been feverishly working to return to UFC for another fight. And although UFC President Dana White wasn’t so sure about Punk’s return, the superstar has expressed his keenness to continue fighting, be it UFC or any other promotion.



For six weeks though, he will be busy with The Challenge. While many thought that he needed WWE to stay successful and quitting the company was a mistake, Punk has shown he has it to succeed on his own. He is continuously making effort to be involved in things he likes and even trying out different aspects of the showbiz.

And as fans of the Chicago-made superstar, we are all pumped up to see one of the best showmen of all time return to our television screens.

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