10 Things We Learned From Something Else To Wrestle With: CM Punk

8. CM Punk Vs The Road Warriors

CM Punk
WWE Network

Discussion of Punk's various tryouts and dark matches in 2003 before eventually getting signed revolves mostly around the unvarnished Ring Of Honor star not quite yet being a fit for the company. Comments from Prichard are set to images of the 'Straight Edge Superstar' sporting his straggliest purple hair and long white shorts.

Not receiving a contract offer proved something of a blessing in disguise at the time - Conrad himself remarked that iconic battles with Raven and Samoa Joe couldn't have occurred had he entered the system long before he'd seen through his development in ROH.

It's during this patter than the WWE Network editors splice in fascinating footage of Punk taking a sh*tkicking from an ageing Road Warrior Animal during whilst partner Hawk stands on the apron. The pair had worked against Rob Van Dam and Kane on Monday Night Raw a night earlier, and whilst they were less than impressive there, they were tenured enough to squash Punk and partner Doug Delicious ahead of a May SmackDown Taping.

None of the four were hired as a result, though Animal was coincidentally rehired by the organisation in 2005 - the very same year they brought Punk into Ohio Valley Wrestling.

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Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation nearly 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett