10 Best Times Wrestlers Kept Kayfabe Outside Of Wrestling
This lot don't break character until the DVD commentary!
Kayfabe can be a tricky ol' thing.
In the old days it wasn't unheard of to see wrestlers maintain their characters and attitudes towards their rivals long after the show was over, with some even going as far as to make children cry in order to get their villainous character over. That being said, that last act is still somewhat prevalent today... as you'll see.
In modern times, however, it's become increasingly difficult to consistently portray your character and keep up a storyline outside of the ring simply because of the multitude of ways information can now leak out onto the internet. Be it through wrestling journalists discovering the ruse, careless Instagram posts from the performer in question or a fan interaction being captured on an iPhone, wrestlers have never had it harder when it comes to keeping up the facade.
But, that doesn't mean it's impossible and a whole host of creative superstars have still found ways to convince the world that their distinct personas and narratives don't just apply to what goes down on weekly television or whatever PPV is being flogged that weekend.
So, let's dive into these 10 brilliant examples of a variety of contemporary oddities keeping up kayfabe outside of the wrestling ring... with a few golden oldies thrown in for good measure.
10. CM Punk - Comic Con
In 2011, after confirming that he would indeed be leaving WWE at the end of his contract, CM Punk set his sights on exiting the company with their sparkly bejewelled WWE Championship.
Various attempts to stop this from happening, from in-ring contract negotiations to typical McMahon shenanigans on the night of the Money in the Bank PPV were not enough to derail Punk's quest and the 'Voice of the Voiceless' left that arena in Chicago with Vinny Mac's prized possession.
Punk quickly threw it in his fridge once he arrived back home and posted a picture on Twitter which was both hilarious and astonishing in equal measure.
Was Punk and the title gone for good?
Punk had promised to defend the belt all over the world and true to his word he did actually turn up at an AAW Indie show a couple of days after winning the belt - though he didn't defend the title.
However, it was Punk's appearance at Comic Con - a couple of days after winning the title - which really got people talking.
Storming a WWE Q&A, Punk took aim at Triple H and co by asking how life was in 'fantasy land', before unveiling his recently claimed title in front of the panelists and fans in attendance. Trips kept up the facade by ensuring that 'the door was open' for Punk to return to the company.
As we all know, Punk would return to the promotion shortly after and it was revealed that he did actually sign a new contract with WWE on the night of MITB. This exchange, though, made Punk's initial exit feel legitimate and added more excitement to what was (at that point) an enthralling Summer of Punk.