7 Huge Ways WWE Has Changed In The 7 Years Since CM Punk’s Pipe Bomb
2. "I'm Not On Jimmy Fallon."
In a nutshell: he did it. And more WWE Superstars do it than ever before.
During a WWE Title reign that spanned 434 days, CM Punk really did make it onto shiny floors and Grand Stages alike. Jimmy Fallon and Jimmy Kimmel both welcomed Punk as company figurehead, whilst Ariel Helwani's interviews with the 'Voice Of The Voiceless' in the years leading up to his tumultuous exit were fascinating insights into the (as it turned out, unravelling) mind of a frustrated pro wrestling perfectionist.
No, he never did get the press, praise and plaudits of John Cena, Randy Orton, Triple H or various other ripped leviathans that spent longer on top that he did as much for political power as technical proficiency. But therein lies the reality - they stuck at it longer.
Punk admitted that friends told him he "couldn't change the world on his couch", but in wrestling terms it's there he's resided since the end of the Royal Rumble 2014. In the years leading up to going dark, he had finally had a taste of the bright studio lights. Future guests such as The New Day, The Bella Twins and...er...Stephanie McMahon has since taken advantage of the opportunity.