Known as one of WWE's best talkers, CM Punk's 2011 "pipe bomb" promo remains his most acclaimed piece of work by most fans. Speaking on "All The Smoke,"Punk recently offered some additional insight into the famously unscripted segment."I was told to air my grievances. I was leaving. I think my contract was up the 17th of July, so like five [or] six days before that pay-per-view," he said, before recounting how he'd been signed to WWE since 2005 and had been on the road and at every show, which left him feeling burnt out. "They were actively trying to get me to re-sign and my headspace was: I think I just need some time off."Punk explained that, at the time, he had just had his first surgery and simply wanted downtime to enjoy life. Additionally, he claims that he warned Vince McMahon that what he might say won't be received well, but the then-WWE Chairman gave him the leeway to continue."I know [McMahon] wouldn't have approved anything I wanted to say, so this became a: 'Well, I'm leaving anyway, what the f**k are they gonna do? Fire me?' But I'm also responsible and I'm professional, soI'm not gonna swear, I'm not gonna get us kicked off the USA Network, I'm not going to do or say anything that's low-hanging fruit or edgy," he said.
Punk continued by asserting that his instincts were spot-on at the time, and he was full of "piss and vinegar" with a major chip on his shoulder. As a result, he cut "two promos" at the same time. One consisted of his genuine grievances against the company and his situation, while the other referenced his onscreen storyline and issues with the fans, and the segment has Punk weaving between the two. The wrestler made the decision to be open with his grievances and ask permission rather than forgiveness, which worked for him that night, though it hasn't always worked for others in WWE."It's really about knowing what buttons to press," Punk said. "Say three things that are irrefutably true and then one thing you can just wildly lie about." Punk further claimed that he purposely turned on the crowd when they'd start to cheer for him, asserting that he didn't go out there to be a babyface or say things that were meant to resonate with fans.Looking back, Punk feels that the promo is misunderstood by many, including those who have tried to imitate it in the years since.
According to Punk, part of the magic of the promo comes from its impromptu nature. The wrestler compared it to a 1991 track written by rapper-turned-actor Ice Cube."The greatest diss track of all time is 'No Vaseline,' and he wrote and recorded that in one take," Punk noted. "'Pipe Bomb is 'No Vaseline' in a pro wrestling setting. I did not dwell on it; I did not have days or weeks to think about it." The veteran further explained that he was mentally checked-out of WWE by the time they let him cut the promo that he had far more issues than Vince McMahon might have realized."I know if I wrote that all down or explained to him what I was going to say, he'd be like, 'No, you can't say that, you can't mention Paul [Heyman],'" Punk further claimed, stating that McMahon spit on the ground whenever Heyman was mentioned in conversation."My fans knew what fans were talking about, and that was just enough [of a] peak behind the curtain to get people to go, 'What is he talking about? Oh, he's not supposed to say this.'" Additionally, Punk revealed that one of the most memorable moments of the promo happened totally by chance. "When I waved at the camera and said 'Oh, I'm breaking the fourth wall!' it's because I lost my train of thought."If you use any quotes from this article, please credit "ALL THE SMOKE" and provide a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.
