Together, the two of them rose to fame in WWE through their hard work. They were the highly sought-after duo, engaging in epic battles across the nation. CM Punk and Colt Cabana were once inseparable companions, having navigated the industry side by side in Chicago.
They appeared to be destined to be lifelong friends, and the only person he trusted to tell his story was Punk. After almost a year of walking out on WWE as CM Punk, he decided to explain the reasons for leaving the business and vent his frustration on Colt Cabana’s podcast, The Art of Wrestling.
Both men entered into a lawsuit against each other, relating to a previous WWE lawsuit, reportedly speaking about it on Colt Cabana’s podcast with CM Punk. They share a locker room without speaking to each other, word to a saying each other without a room. Fast forward to this day, they reportedly stopped speaking to each other.
How did the relationship between CM Punk and Colt Cabana deteriorate? Did they transform from close friends who traveled the world and fought alongside each other into strangers filled with bitter resentment? Where did the friendship between CM Punk and Colt Cabana sour?
Entering the Business
In 1999, CM Punk and Colt Cabana entered the wrestling business as rookies. CM Punk had previously wrestled in his own backyard federation called Lunatic Wrestling Federation. After meeting Colt Cabana, CM Punk decided to train in real wrestling to further his career in the sport.
On that evening, whichever event had scheduled the duo, he grappled with Cabana on numerous occasions, participating in intense TLC bouts and engaging in 60-minute stalemates. Throughout the entire nation, they swiftly entered into competitions as allies and opponents, ultimately establishing a tag team. Following their formation as a tag team, they received guidance from Ace Steel during their training. The duo promptly solidified their status as a tag team.
They started training together since the first month, as Punk and Cabana revealed in an interview with PWMania.
I have been a member of the team and training with Punk for basically the first month. We have traveled together on the roads for a very long time. Same as our trainer and other members of the Saints, Steel Ace. He is my brother in life and wrestling. I talk to him every day.
Eventually, both men were signed by WWE and the company launched them into stardom. They started their journey in the indies, especially in the Honor of Ring, and then became stars.
WWE
CM Punk would aspire to reach the top by winning some of the biggest wrestling championships like The Rock, John Cena, and Undertaker, who have had very different careers in Vince McMahon’s promotion. Both men showed incredible talent and were signed to WWE, despite their contrasting paths.
Shortly after making his debut on the main roster, Colt Cabana was quickly released and primarily served as a lower-tier competitor on Smackdown and ECW. However, he underwent a name change to Scotty Goldman and his time with the company was short-lived.
Until 2011, at the very least, the camaraderie between CM Punk and Colt Cabana thrived. In the midst of his renowned “Pipebomb” monologue, during his now iconic speech, he took a moment to greet his companion by saying “Hello Colt Cabana, how are you?”. Punk even acknowledged his comrade on live television while participating in wrestling events across various nations, yet the duo’s friendship endured.
Once again, CM Punk famously walked out of WWE on Raw after the Royal Rumble. This was after a behind-the-scenes argument with Vince McMahon and H. McMahon, leading to his decision to leave WWE after the 2014 Royal Rumble.
CM Punk on Colt Cabana’s Podcast
CM Punk, his best friend, did not even mention anything about walking out on the company and leaving after the Royal Rumble 2014, knowing that no one knew why. CM Punk remained inactive for over ten months after being eliminated by Kane in the WWE Royal Rumble 2014.
When the newest episode of Colt Cabana’s Art of Wrestling Podcast aired, fans were absolutely shocked. So, it was a complete enigma when CM Punk walked out on the company and revealed all about his life in WWE, which fans who had not seen him in nearly a year were not expecting.
CM Punk lamented in the interview how he was forced to lose to every part-timer in the company, refusing to acknowledge WWE’s worth. Colt Cabana’s podcast has become one of the most famous and listened to interviews of all time, where he listened to CM Punk’s shoot interview the most.
He also complained about Dr. Amann, the WWE doctor, ignoring his multiple injuries and labeling him as “negligent.” He almost killed him. He also complained about the fact that he had earned the main event spot at Wrestlemania 29, which was supposed to be a match between The Rock and John Cena, instead of going for a second time in a row.
Former WWE superstar Ryback also expressed his grievances regarding the injuries he endured. Despite CM Punk’s current employment with the company, it appears unlikely that he will join AEW. However, rumors surrounding Ryback’s potential involvement with AEW have been circulating for the past few years.
What was the reason behind CM Punk’s departure from WWE?
CM Punk vs Colt Cabana Lawsuit
Neither man was pleased with the outcome of the lawsuit, which had spanned two decades and ultimately resulted in the termination of their friendship. Following the conclusion of the trial and their mutual acquittal, the two individuals turned against each other.
WWE and CM Punk’s conflict ensnared Cabana, a wrestler less accomplished than Punk, in the middle. Following the lawsuit against Dr. Amann, CM Punk agreed to cover all the legal expenses for the duo, according to Colt Cabana’s statement.
During Colt Cabana’s case, when Punk CM hired his own lawyer to represent him and absolve him of all legal fees, Colt Cabana claimed that Punk CM had offered to pay his legal fees. However, Punk CM saw it differently.
The argument ended with fans taking Cabana Colt’s side in the lawsuit against Punk CM, who had reportedly been known to be untrustworthy and deemed as a punk who cast even a tiny infraction aside, breaking their worthy friendship.
After the lawsuit, CM Punk took to Twitter to address the legal action taken against him by Colt Cabana. He claimed that his fans were wrong in calling him out and expressed his desire to settle the matter. Cabana, on the other hand, wanted to prove that he was right in his legal battle with his former friend. Instead of settling, Punk decided to go to trial to prove his innocence.
WWE Lawsuit
However, the lawsuits filed by Punk CM against Dr. Amann and WWE may have been a cathartic action for Colt Cabana and CM Punk, as they accused Dr. Amann of being responsible for contracting Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infection.
After Punk CM’s wife went to see the doctor (AJ Lee) who said that Punk CM could have died if his untreated left was longer, it was claimed that Dr. Amann, who failed to treat it during his time in WWE, heavily infected it and that the lump on his back was infectious.
Their enduring friendship – however, it came at a significantly higher expense than just money – Punk and Cabana ultimately emerged victorious in the legal battle. The CM Punk Colt Cabana podcast had resulted in more complications than anticipated since the podcast’s host, Colt Cabana, was also entangled in the lawsuit.
Future of CM Punk and Colt Cabana
In 2021, CM Punk had a remarkable comeback to the world of wrestling. Presently, both he and Colt Cabana are working for AEW. The bond between CM Punk and Colt Cabana is said to be strained at its best, and completely absent at its worst.
CM Punk’s enduring friendship with Colt Cabana is conspicuously absent from the screen. The absence of on-screen interaction is the most revealing aspect of their bond. They are never depicted together in backstage segments, outside the arena, or in skits on Being the Elite.
Throughout the years, the relationship between CM Punk and Colt Cabana had deteriorated. Punk utilized the opportunity to address certain leaked speculations regarding the disintegration of their friendship during a confrontational media gathering after their performance. After successfully capturing the AEW Championship from Jon Moxley, Punk proceeded to discuss his victory.
In the contentious photo session, CM Punk commented on Colt Cabana and their camaraderie.
I apologize, it’s not your fault. If you’re not to blame, I’m sorry. It’s quite embarrassing that we’re in 2022 and I have to deal with this situation. I have to face the fact that I’ve been put into the media for getting someone fired when I had nothing to do with it. It’s frustrating that people spread bullshit and lies and call themselves responsible EVPs. I’m stuck here, unable to do anything when I should be working somewhere else. I haven’t been friends with this guy since at least late 2013 or early 2014. And now, it’s 2022.
What the hell did I just read? I have no idea what you’re trying to say.
Was it not my decision, and I didn’t pay his bills until? Okay, am I the only guy stuck up for that more than anybody, I get it, I’m f*cking up, I understand sticking up for your friends. This sh*t was none of their business. There should be people who call themselves EVPs who better know f*cking that there’s. To make it very clear, Tony Khan’s position didn’t have anything to do with Punk not having anything [to do with being with Cabana moving to ROH].
The post-match press conference for All Out 2022 marked the initial occasion where both Colt Cabana and CM Punk spoke about their connection, as they had remained silent up until that point.
CM Punk is set to make his comeback to AEW on June 17th, 2023, participating in a colossal main event showdown against Jay White, Juice Robinson, and Samoa Joe.
Despite Colt Cabana not being scheduled for any matches since then, despite Punk’s extended absence from AEW, he only had a single wrestling bout against Chris Jericho. Meanwhile,
He has wrestled sporadically for ROH since the issue with the Cabana and Punk podcast, but it seems that he will not work with each other again.
CM Punk’s Beef Started When Colt Cabana Had Pizza With WWE Stars
According to Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer, CM Punk’s disagreement with Colt Cabana started after the former had a meal with several WWE celebrities.
During this time, Punk filed a lawsuit against WWE and Cabana, as it was clear that his former friend did not share the same sentiment. WWE employees were instructed to cut off all contact with Punk.
It is said that Cabana went out for pizza with Neville (now-AEW star PAC), Sami Zayn, and Kevin Owens.
All four individuals collaborated in the independent circuit collectively, and were close pals prior to joining WWE.
While facing legal troubles related to his podcast guest appearance, Punk, who severed all connections with Colt Cabana, perceived this as a form of disrespect.
Speaking on Wrestling Observer Radio, Meltzer mentioned:
Punk shouldn’t have felt that anyone in WWE should contact him. Actually, he went out for pizza with PAC, Zayn, Sami, and Kevin Owens, which caused the start of everything. He didn’t go to a WWE show with Cabana.
Throughout that period, “the t-shirt episode” emerged as one of the most notorious hearsays to arise from ROH, as CM Punk was recognized for having previous conflicts with Kevin Owens.