wrestling / News

Jimmy Jacobs on CM Punk Possibly Doing WWE Backstage, His Relationship With Punk

October 18, 2019 | Posted by Jeremy Thomas
CM Punk’s CM Punk WWE - Batista CM Punk’s Booker

– Speaking with Jeffrey Harris at the Impact media day for the 411 Wrestling Interviews Podcast, Impact producer and creative team member Jimmy Jacobs discussed CM Punk’s audition for WWE Backstage. Punk acknowledged trying out for the show recently and said it would be directly through FOX and not with WWE involvement. Jacobs has known Punk for a long time and weighed in on the possibility of Punk doing something WWE-related again. Highlights are below:

On CM Punk possibly doing WWE Backstage: “Who knows, man? It’s only never until it happens. And that’s just how it is. You know, he put a lot of time in WWE, left obviously very damaged, damaged a lot of ways he felt about wrestling and WWE. But you know, if the day comes when he wants to come back, he’ll come back. Because you know, he’ll get a huge reaction, make a ton of money. Look, it’s not fun working there sometimes, but it is fun and doing it’s fun, and wrestling is fun. It’s just like, if he wants to play, he’ll play.”

On his relationship with Punk: “I mean, Punk helped get me my job in Ring of Honor. I’ve known Punk since I was 16 years old. We were never like, friends. Friendly, you know, I went to his place after he won at Money in the Bank, him and Cena in Chicago when he puts the title in the refrigerator. I was at his house then. So we’re friendly, we haven’t spoken to in — it’s been a few years. I texted him a little bit not too long ago.”

On reports he cut off contact with everyone after leaving WWE: “I don’t know, I hadn’t heard that. It wouldn’t surprise me, I mean, he left on a Monday because he was done with it, right? And being there, I could see it. He was hitting his head up against a brick wall for so long and [was] like, ‘You know what? I’m out, that’s it, I’m good. Been on the road for the last 15 years, and I work for a crazy man, and I’m just done. It’s done.’ Of course I can see how that would happen.”

In the full interview, Jacobs talks about Impact heading to AXS TV, possible co-promotional efforts, his frustrations while working in WWE, working with Gabe Sapolsky in ROH, whether rumors about Vince McMahon are true, WWE putting NXT opposite AEW on Wednesday and more.

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0:00 – Introduction
2:53 – On his “Ballad of Lacey” song and storyline in ROH
4:18 – On Seth Rollins coming up with the Age of the Fall name and how the angle was booked
5:35 – On working with Gabe Sapolsky
6:50 – Talk about CM Punk possibly doing WWE Backstage and his relationship with Punk
8:40 – On if he was frustrated while working in WWE
9:30 – On rumors that Vince McMahon tears up scripts for Raw and starts over from scratch
10:26 – On scripted vs. unscripted promos
13:30 – On what happens when he sneezes in front of Vince McMahon
15:03 – On WWE putting NXT opposite AEW on Wednesday
15:46 – On whether WWE was looking for an excuse to fire him and if he was asked to join AEW
20:14 – On Impact moving to AXS TV and possible co-promotional efforts
25:00 – On having to AXS TV’s facilities and plans for future special shows
26:04 – On his creative method on if he likes to think of a goal or endpoint and then work backwards
31:06 – On surviving the wrestling business, not letting it drive him crazy, and what he’s learned since being fired from WWE

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