10 Times Wrestlers Were HORRIBLE To Fans

6. CM Punk's Ugly Rant

Ultimate Warrior
WWE.com

[Content warning: descriptions of homophobia and transphobia follow].

It should be clarified that CM Punk immediately apologised for this rant. There was no excuse for it, and Punk had none to offer. He apologised.

Punk - who like the Young Bucks has said some repugnant stuff in his early indie days before anybody starts some tedious and unwinnable culture war in the comments section - has since become an ally of the trans rights movement.

At a house show in 2011 however, Punk, heckled by a fan, became the worst version of himself. He unleashed an ugly tirade at the fan, who had called him a "c*nt b*tch". Punk in response said "I only pick on women," which might bring to mind a certain shoot video, before saying "Nice faux-hawk, you [slur]".

This went beyond "What's the matter with a little bit of heat crybaby?" because Starbucks Phil - in addition to displaying rancid homophobia and transphobia - insinuated that having a vagina is bad and a person is weaker or lesser than for it.

If Punk wasn't a genius of a heel to begin with, he certainly was by 2011. This was beneath him, and when the red mist ascended, he knew it.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!