Billy Corgan Says He Hasn’t Reached Out to CM Punk to Join NWA, Says Punk Deserves ‘Top Money’

– During a recent conversation with Andrew Zarian for The Mat Men Pro Wrestling Podcast, NWA owner and CEO Billy Corgan discussed CM Punk and was asked if he had any interest in signing Punk to NWA, now that he appears to be a free agent and is no longer in AEW. According to Corgan, he has not reached out to Punk, noting that he “deserves top money.”

Corgan did note that he thinks Punk would have “fun” in the NWA if he wanted to join them. Below are some highlights (via Fightful):

Billy Corgan on not reaching out to CM Punk: “Many people behind the scenes have asked me, ‘should we make a play for Punk? Have you reached out to Punk?’ The answer, in terms of reaching out, is no. I respect him a lot. He deserves top money. He’s a top star. That sounds almost self-defeating, ‘you’re almost admitting that you wouldn’t want him.’ No, trust me, the NWA would go hand over fist to have Phil walk through the door and be part of the NWA, even for a pay-per-view,” said Corgan. “What I would say to Phil, and I’m not trying to use this as an open forum, I’m saying to you what I would say to Phil, and again, I have not reached out and I certainly know how to get in touch with him. What I could say to him is, he would have a lot of fun in the NWA. I think Phil, the person, loves professional wrestling. He’s had his public confrontation….I’m very similar, I got sued by a record company for $150 million. I eventually made a deal with them and continued working for them. I’ve had massive battles behind the scenes with every segment of the record and touring business, some of which aren’t public. I have a reputation in rock n roll, behind the scenes. If Phil, the person has a rep with whoever, he doesn’t have that rep with me because I feel I understand where he’s coming from.”

On hoping CM Punk recaptures his smile: “I’m a rockstar, I’ve been a rockstar for over 30 years. There are moments in my life, as a rockstar, where I’ve played Madison Square Garden. Sold it out, I’ve done it. There is no argument, but there are times where you’ve been there and done that, like Phil has, where you need to go back to the ground and say, ‘How did I get here, where this thing that I love doesn’t feel like the thing I love? Where it’s gotten so twisted and turned around, and somehow, I’m the bad guy on something I don’t feel like I’m the bad guy in.’ I’m not trying to get in the middle of what happened. I wasn’t there, but I do understand the man’s heart, I feel. I’m not his friend, I wouldn’t claim to be his friend, but I would like to see him, whether it’s with the NWA, or any other promotion, that he recaptures his smile. He deserves that. The business should rally around guys like Punk because the business benefits from stars.”

On CM Punk belonging in this business: “Punk belongs in this business, he’s a star, he needs to be treated like a star. I don’t think anybody deserves to be treated like a primadonna, including myself, but there has to be a way to balance those forces where the guy who loves professional wrestling can do what he loves to do, even if it’s behind the scenes. Maybe he doesn’t work in front of the camera for a while.”

CM Punk was fired from AEW last month stemming from an incident that took place backstage at AEW All In London at Wembley Stadium on August 27. It was recently rumored that WWE turned down an offer from Punk to return to WWE.