7. Holding Out For More Money
The circumstances surrounding CM Punk's big match at the Money In The Bank pay-per-view in 2011 against John Cena were very real. His contract was coming to an end with WWE, and the man was considering walking away, but also seemed willing to talk terms and come to an agreement. Of course, this meant that he wanted more money than he had been making previously. Nobody can have a problem with that, because Punk had been one of the hardest working men on the WWE roster for years by 2011. Therefore, he probably deserved a raise in pay, but he also recognised that he had Vince McMahon over a barrel. McMahon was thin on the ground when it came to genuine headline stars in 2011, and he was clearly eager to keep someone like Punk around. Knowing he had the upper hand when it came to negotiations, Punk went for broke. He asked for his own private tour bus, more money and also appeared eager to be a little closer to the creative side of things when it came to his own involvement. McMahon handed Punk everything he asked for, which came across like a moral victory for Phil Brooks more than anything.
Jamie Kennedy
Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood. Jamie started writing for WhatCulture in 2013, and has contributed thousands of articles and YouTube videos since then. He cut his teeth penning published pieces for top UK and European wrestling read Fighting Spirit Magazine (FSM), and also has extensive experience working within the wrestling biz as a manager and commentator for promotions like ICW on WWE Network and WCPW/Defiant since 2010. Further, Jamie also hosted the old Ministry Of Slam podcast, and has interviewed everyone from Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels to Bret Hart and Trish Stratus.
See more from
Jamie