11 WWE Wrestlers Who Lived The Gimmick In Real Life
8. CM Punk
The gimmick:
CM Punk debuted in WWE as an ardent follower of a straightedge lifestyle, and that aspect of his character remained with him throughout his career, right through his 2010 run in the Straight Edge Society and his 2012 angle with Chris Jericho that saw him defend the WWE Championship at WrestleMania XXVIII.
But his finest hour unarguably came in 2011, when his anti-establishment shtick propelled him into the main event. Along the way, he’d put down the company at every opportunity, targeting the likes of Vince McMahon, John Laurinaitis, Triple H and basically any other authority figure who represented the organisation.
In real life:
CM Punk—or rather, Philip Brooks—is also straightedge in his real life (although, admittedly he doesn’t run a skinhead cult that dedicates itself to the lifestyle).
He does, however, have issues with the wider WWE organisation, and plenty of them at that. Frustrations with the company and the way in which they’d treated him saw Brooks dramatically walk out on his contract before quitting the business altogether back in 2014.