CM Punk On the Current State Of Pro Wrestling, What It Was Like Returning To the Ring For Heels Role

CM Punk was recently interviewed by TV Insider ahead of the series premiere of Heels on Sunday, and he discussed a variety of topics, including what it was like returning to the ring to trail for his role, the state of pro wrestling, and much more. Here’s what he had to say:

CM Punk on what it was like returning to the ring to train for his acting role: “I think I did that stuff for so long that it’s cliche, but it was like riding a bike. I was a little bit worried about how I would feel the next morning, especially running the ropes. Bumps I think are easier because I have built calluses in my body to a point where I can. I haven’t taken a bump in seven or eight years. Then also the other training I do is akin to throwing yourself to the ground. When I’m doing jujitsu, any kind of grappling and MMA training. It’s super physical. It’s similar but different. I hit the ground running. I was like, “You’re good here. You still got it.” [Wrestling coordinator] Luke Hawx was a big help and a great dude to have around.”

On how he’s grown as an actor and his appreciation for pro wrestlers who get into acting: “I just know that every time I do something people will tell me how pleasantly surprised they are. Following in the footsteps of some pretty heavy hitters: The Rock, John Cena, Dave Bautista. Bautista to me is number one with a bullet just because of the challenging roles he seeks. He truly loves acting. He wants to get better. It’s truly inspirational. I draw on a lot of what he has done when I choose my roles. You can say yes to everything then you are Jesse Ventura doing Abraxas, Guardian of the Universe. You don’t necessarily want that. I want to be somebody who takes even the smallest role and takes it very seriously and can learn from it. I think pro wrestlers are always better than what people give them credit for because what is pro wrestling if not doing live theater.”

On his interest in returning to wrestling: “Well, I’ve gotten the bug to act. Really, it makes me realize through a show heavily involved in the world of pro wrestling I can draw from my experiences and be a better actor because of it. There are other experiences in my life, whether it’s triumph or tragedy, and realizing how I can use it in future roles to be a better actor to make characters come to life. I’m chomping at the bit to get back to work in front of the camera. I got a couple of irons in the fire, but I never talk about it until it’s done. You’ll just have to wait and see.”

On his thoughts on the state of professional wrestling: “I think the older the stuff is the better. I think it’s partly unfortunate that WWE owns the super good libraries in pro wrestling. I think that stuff is classic and they don’t even put it on their network. They are sitting on it. I want to watch Austin Idol versus Jerry Lawler in Memphis. I do think the landscape of pro wrestling in general really needs a kick in the d***. I think we are about there. I think there are people out there stirring the pot and causing trouble in a good way. It’s a fun world. There is nothing like it. Pro wrestling gets crapped on by a number of people. But when it’s done on a high level and it’s really good, there is nothing better.”