– Jimmy Traina of Sports Illustrated recently interviewed CM Punk to promote WWE’s SummerSlam pay-per-view. Here are some highlights:
SI.com: You’re fighting, I mean, wrestling Brock Lesnar at SummerSlam.
Punk. I think you had it right the first time. We’re fighting.
SI.com: OK, fighting. Are you happy with the build up for the match?
Punk: I think we’re doing what we’re supposed to be doing. We’re selling tickets and we’re selling pay-per views. I think behind the scenes a lot of people want to see this match and I’m excited for it. It’s not every day you get to wrestle somebody that can push you and make you better. I think there’s a lot of eyes on us that normally wouldn’t be because people want to see what I can do. It’s an interesting dynamic.
SI.com: What are the challenges in facing a guy like Lesnar?
Punk: There are always going to be detractors who will say I don’t look like I’ll be able to hang with Brock Lesnar. But Brock’s a freak of nature and I don’t know anybody who looks like they can “hang” with Brock Lesnar. But anyone can be choked out in seven seconds.
SI.com: You wrestled the Undertaker at WrestleMania. Were you happy with the match?
Punk: I think everybody is always selling me short and then I always prove them wrong. It keeps me pissed off and that’s where I need to be, I guess. I’m sick and tired of pulling main event matches and not being in the main event at WrestleMania. Eventually it’s just gonna get to the point of, “OK, I deserve to play with this toy, you’re not gonna let me play with it, then I’m gonna find some other toys to play with.” It gets me down when I really think about it and analyze it, but in the end it keeps me sharp and like I said, pissed off. But I don’t think I’m the guy you want pissed off forever.
SI.com: Do you voice these concerns to Vince McMahon?
Punk: Absolutely. All the time. We have conversations about it. Hell, if you’re in this business and don’t want to be in the main event at WrestleMania you shouldn’t be in this business. This past WrestleMania, I proved it to the one person that I needed to prove it to, that I should’ve been in the main event. I’ve shattered every negative stereotype people had about me. I proved to the one person that mattered that last year’s main event should’ve been mine and that person is me and I don’t give a sh-t about anyone else.
SI.com: Who would you like to wrestle down the road?
Punk: I’m in a very unique position. I can have a viable WrestleMania main event with anyone. I can do it with John Cena. I can do it with Daniel Bryan. I can do it with The Undertaker. I can do it with Stone Cold Steve Austin.
SI.com: Do you think Austin will ever wrestle again?
Punk: Yeah, my gut tells me that he will. Whether he makes the right decision or not to wrestle me is up to him.
SI.com: That seems like a money match for the WWE. You’d think they’d get that going.
Punk: You would hope. They tend to miss the mark on a lot of common sense stuff sometimes.
SI.com: There’s a new reality show about the WWE Divas on TV. Would you ever do a reality show?
Punk: Reality show? What the hell is reality TV any way? It’s as scripted as anything. I wouldn’t want my life acted out on television in some weird drama. If somebody wants to follow me around with a camera, I do think my life is pretty entertaining on its own without trying to spice it up. But it doesn’t sound like anything I’d sign up for. I do like the small sliver of privacy I’m afforded.
