CM Punk says he has worked matches while dealing with vertigo, a condition he traces back to a fractured skull and one he says he has rarely discussed publicly.
Punk appeared on Hot Ones Extra Heat, the First We Feast series now on Netflix, taped at the WWE Performance Center with host Sean Evans. Asked whether there is a scar or an ache that takes him back to the moment of impact, Punk brought up the skull fracture.
“Well, we’re going to knock on wood because we’re talking about injuries. I have had my fair share. I fractured my skull once. This is the one that reoccurs every once in a while because after I fractured my skull, I developed vertigo really bad.”
He said he has kept it to himself because of how the condition is received. “Also, one I haven’t really talked about too much because you talk about that, and people kind of look at you, you know, like the doctors. They’ll be like, ‘Hmm.'”
Punk then explained what he was told was happening.
“What happened was I fractured my skull, and there are some bones in your inner ear that help with equilibrium, and those kind of basically were like dice inside a cup, and got rattled around and thrown around. So sometimes those still get knocked loose. And if I lay down and look straight up, the world spins.”
He said it has affected matches fans have praised. “So there’s been a lot of matches that you see that you know a lot of people are impressed with, where I’m full on going through about a vertigo, and I don’t know what’s going on.”
He closed the answer with a joke at his own expense. “And I will also now blame the crookedness of my moonsault on my vertigo.”
Punk also talked about the Pipe Bomb promo from June 2011. Asked how much coordination there is between a performer and the camera crew for a moment like that, he said there was none.
“Maybe not on this clip because it was just so raw, and it was one of the few times I could say that I was definitely in what they call the flow state, where you just know. You know every egg you’re laying is a golden goose. You know that they’ve already started to print money based on what you’re doing in live time, and man, that’s the best drug in the world.”
On AJ Lee’s return alongside him in Chicago, he said she had been overlooked in her first run. “Because she was one of the bright spots in an era that didn’t have a lot of bright spots. I think she did a lot for women, and she didn’t truly get the flowers. And now she got to come back, and she got to see the groundwork.”
Watching the clip back, he added: “I don’t watch any of my stuff back, so I haven’t seen this. This is so cool. What a fortunate dude I am.”
On how he works with opponents now: “I’m very much in my Marlon Brando stage of being a professional wrestler, where I would much rather hide from somebody before a match and not talk about it.” He added that clashing styles can help. “You can butt heads with an opponent. The magic of pro wrestling is sometimes that helps, and you won’t know until you’re in the ring.”
On why the word “fake” bothered wrestlers for so long: “Why I think wrestlers for so long would get upset at the word ‘fake’ is because everything we do is super real. You know, if it was fake, I wouldn’t be suffering from eating this last wing right now.”
On what cannot be taught: “I think some of the greatest wrestling superstars all had something prior to learning how the mechanics worked. Prior to learning how to run the ropes, I think Rock is a great example. He’s just somebody who is entertaining. Intangible is the greatest word I can possibly use. I can teach a monkey how to do this. It’s up to that monkey to show a little bit of flair and a little bit of specialty. Like what makes you stand out? Why should people open up their wallet and buy a ticket to come see you?”
On entrance music: “The song has to match up with who you are. Cult of Personality matches CM Punk in such an unbelievable way. Just rock and roll, kick ass. First three seconds, you hear it, you know what it is, and in turn, you know who’s coming out.”
A fan question asked what got him through when people around him did not believe in him. “That’s something I’ve always had, and I don’t know if it was born from people who were in positions to be my teachers and my mentors, who didn’t believe in me, and me thinking, well, that’s not how this is supposed to go. You’re supposed to be encouraging, and you’re telling me no, and you’re telling me words like impossible or can’t.”
Another fan asked how he coped with losing his dog. “I’m sorry for your loss. I don’t know. Obviously, I have my wife, and we both go through it. And the grief that I still feel to this day is just the price that I paid for unconditional love.”
Liv Morgan joined for a wing and left with a shot at him, telling Punk that Dominik Mysterio is better. Punk’s response: “Just like Dominik Mysterio, a real chicken s***, runs out of the ring when the action gets hot.”
Asked about Seth Rollins, Punk said: “I think it’d be easier to have people explain to me what’s good about Seth, what’s to like about Seth. Man bun. It’s 2026. I can’t say anything nice, so why say anything at all?”
Punk finished the gauntlet and was given the Hot Ones Extra Heat championship belt. He closed with a promo. “This is just what I do. I conquer not only wrestling, but I conquer all sports and entertainment. Doesn’t matter what venue it is, doesn’t matter what building it is. Open air, Fireside Bowl, Performance Center, arenas, stadiums. I collect belts and I collect heads and I collect hot wings, ladies and gentlemen. I am the best in the world.”
Punk lost the Undisputed WWE Championship to Sami Zayn on the September 11 SmackDown in Mexico City.
