It’s been around two decades since CM Punk made his first appearance in WWE, but there was a time when The Second City Saint was not looked at as a top star in the industry.
Over two decades ago, WWE wasn’t as open to superstars from the independent circuit as it is now under the new regime. While the company gave them opportunities, management wasn’t fond of stars getting over with the audience without their creative blessing or becoming more famous than the star whom they crowned as the face of the promotion.
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Speaking on Wrestling Life with Ben Veal, Maria Kanellis, a popular Diva, recently addressed how things have changed in the industry. During this, she recalled how top stars in the Stamford-based promotion called her dumb for dating an upcoming star from the independent circuit like CM Punk. While she didn’t take their advice, indie stars are no longer looked at with the same prejudice anymore.
“So, the wrestling world has changed so much, and it continues to change. It used to be that indie guys were looked down upon, and I was around plenty of top guys that would tell me how dumb I was for dating CM Punk when I was dating him. And it was just the start of the indie wrestling takeover of WWE. And so there was that time where indie guys never made it into WWE,” Kanellis said.
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Former WWE star wanted to date CM Punk
After he arrived in the Stamford-based promotion, CM Punk got his start as a performer on ECW. The Second City Saint dominated competition and eventually held the ECW Championship before moving to Monday Night RAW. During this time on the extreme brand, he crossed paths with Shelly Martinez, fka Ariel.
Speaking on her YouTube channel, Martinez stated she wanted to date CM Punk when the two were on the same brand. However, they never ended up dating each other, as Shelly Martinez got involved with one of Punk’s friends. The Straight Edge Superstar ended up tying the knot with AJ Lee, and the couple is currently working in the Stamford-based promotion.
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Edited by Aakaansh Sukale
