10 Wrestling Moments That Broke The Internet

8. The Art Of Leaving

art of wrestling
art of wrestling

Months after leaving, Punk disclosed his reasons for doing so in a sensational Art of Wrestling podcast appearance. This wasn't merely shocking enough to send fans tumbling to Twitter; the accusations levelled within remain the source of much litigation over three years later.

Fans were spellbound by the revelations. Punk painted a toxic picture of WWE as an anti-meritocratic, medically negligent, hypocritical place in which to work. Ryback was castrated for his dangerous working style which, given how tame his stuff looked, places every last power move of his on the pedestal of a Shane McMahon worked punch. Punk called Ryback out for his recklessness, to which the Big Guy responded: "I am as dumb as f*ck." Based on his recent podcast activity, this proves that Ryback isn't entirely a pathological liar. Punk also raged about WWE's spiteful mentality and its propensity to take the ideas of its independent contractors and transfer them onto others which, while not untrue, is sort of how they became the biggest company of its kind.

Punk, in one two-hour torrent of venom, clarified with a position of some authority the most torrid of unseemly WWE practises - and he had plenty of surplus Z-Paks to help treat those burns.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick (Creative Writing BA Hons) is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over a decade of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential UK 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 AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and 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!