CM Punk is widely regarded as one of the biggest names in professional wrestling over the past 15 years, having shared the ring with countless stars. However, for Punk, there’s one opponent who eluded him: Steve Austin.
Punk and Austin appeared on-screen together during the June 13, 2011, episode of WWE Raw. While speaking with Shannon Sharpe and Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson on NightCap, Punk revealed that Austin tops his list of dream matches. He also expressed his admiration for Bret “Hitman” Hart, citing Hart as a key influence in his career.
“One name always comes to mind, and that’s Stone Cold Steve Austin,” Punk said. “Unfortunately, he had to retire because of injuries, and he had a stroke. Bret Hart is another one. Bret Hart would be a dream for me because that’s a guy I looked up to when I was a kid. That’s a guy that helped get me into this sport from an interest perspective, and that’s a guy who, to this day, I could text right now and be like, ‘What’s up? I have a question and need some advice.’ He’ll hit me back right away. Much love to him.”
Punk went on to highlight the current WWE roster, praising its depth of talent. “We have a pretty wealthy locker room when it comes to talent right now. There are a lot of people I would love to get in there with—Gunther, he’s the champ on Raw. Would love to mix it up with my boy Cody [Rhodes]. As far as legends go, the ones that probably aren’t going to happen but are dream matches, Austin is number one with a bullet.”
Punk’s comments come on the heels of his recent main event victory over Seth Rollins during WWE Raw’s premiere on Netflix.
