Neither CM Punk nor Daniel Bryan are active pro wrestlers anymore, but they’re both keeping very busy. Bryan is pulling double duty as general manager of Smackdown Live and as a brand new dad, and Punk is currently hard at work trying to get a second UFC fight. And, presumably, also training for that fight. We really, really presume that very hard.
Anyway, the two men were longtime pillars of both the independent scene and WWE, and were “founding fathers” as sorts for Ring of Honor. They’re also regarded as the two greatest examples of fan favorites who reached the pinnacle of professional wrestling based on sheer talent and hard work. So you’d think the two are great friends, right? Well … maybe. But as you might expect, Punk isn’t really the type of person to reminisce or get all touchy-feely.
In a new interview with Sports Illustrated, Bryan talked about the last time he had a conversation with the Punker.
“I haven’t talked to Punk since I texted him when he came on the UFC show in a suit and said he was going to fight in the UFC,” said Bryan. “I just texted him and said, ‘Hey man, I just saw that and think it’s awesome. I hope you do great.’ Punk texted back, ‘Thanks.’ That’s the last I’ve heard from him.
“I’ve always respected and appreciated Punk, but we never really hung out. We came from the same route, but we didn’t necessarily hang out in the same circles. I’ve always had a great appreciation and respect for his hard work.”
Yep, that seems about right! Given what I know about CM Punk, anyway. Hey, maybe he didn’t text back because Daniel totally jinxed him. Here’s hoping that UFC can book Bryan Danielson vs. CM Punk when D-Bry’s WWE contract is finally up. You know that Bryan is totally down for anything that involves him fighting, be it cage or fake.
