After teasing his return to the WWE ring for a promo one week after leaving massive marks on Drew McIntyre's back with a leather strap, CM Punk didn't go full-on fire and brimstone, accusing his foe of being evil, heartless, or a bully – okay, he eventually got there – but instead to shout out the little people in the WWE Universe who don't sell tons of tickets, make millions of dollars, or have their faces on billboards but keep the show ticking with their support.
Recalling his weekend in New York City at Fanatics Fest to the fans in Florida, Punk shouted out some of the fans he met in the Big Apple, noting that their support has helped to fuel him into the future.
“We got a lot to get to, but is it great to be alive in South Florida on a Monday night or what? Happy Birthday! Before we get started, I just wanna say, Congratulations to your Florida Panthers for winning the Stanley Cup Championship. I know Roberto Longo is in the house. It’s good to see him. And how do I look? My hair look okay? The bags under my eyes are getting a little bigger, right?” Punk asked the fans in Miami.
“Alright, let’s not get carried away. I didn’t get a whole lot of sleep last night, because I have very exciting news, and I lie awake in bed staring at the ceiling excited to come here and share this news with you. But before we get to the news, before we get down to business, can I tell you a story? Y’all would have derailed this entire thing if you said ‘no,’ so I appreciate ya. Thank you very much. This weekend, I spent some time in New York City at a little event called Fanatics Fest. Somebody in the Green Room, in-between signing and taking pictures with a lot of you lovely fans, they ask me about this hot streak WWE is on right now – selling out buildings all over the world, and ask me why do you, CM Punk, think that you’re on such a hot streak? The answer is easy: It’s you.
“Why are we on a hot streak? It's you. It’s you animals up in the 300-level. Why are we at such a hot streak? It’s all you freaks, right here, live and in living color. And I met a lot of great fans. First person in line for pictures that day was this nice, young lady, and she was in a wheelchair, and she wheeled herself in, and she got up out of the wheelchair, and she walked up do me, and she told me with tears in here eyes that she just defeated cancer. And that somehow, little old me was a source of strength for her during her battle, and it makes me think of my friend, Chad Gilbert, or Lou Koller from Sick of it All, both currently fighting cancer of their own. And then, I met a young lady from Taiwan. Said she flew 15 hours just to take a picture with me. 15 hours just for maybe 15 seconds with CM Punk. And there was a young gentleman who had a sign that said ‘I traveled 5,785 miles from Jordan just to see CM Punk.’ That means something to me. It means something to every single person in the back. But it really means something to me because I missed you guys for 10 years.”
Interesting stuff, right? But wait, it gets even better, as Punker has a little more to say before the usual wrestling mic battle with McIntyre took place, including one line that is already taking the internet by storm.
Taylor Swift may be for girls, but CM Punk is for the boys
Continuing his comments to the fans in South Beach, Punk really brought it all together by centering his newfound inspiration around a single foe, McIntyre, but not before delivering the line of the night.
“So I get excited to come here to Florida for the first time in a very long time to share with you some news. It’s fans like you that drive me. It’s fans like you that take the time.. Why are we on such a hot streak? It’s because of the love. It’s because when fans hand me bracelets that they took the time to make, maybe it’s significant to other people, maybe a Taylor Swift thing, but let’s face it: I’m Taylor Swift for men,” Punk declared.
“And bracelets like these made by fans like you sharing the love is exactly like the bracelet that Drew McIntyre took off my unconscious body when he jumped me in my hometown of Chicago, Illinois. So we talked about the love, let’s talk about the hate, now. The flipside to the coin. Drew McIntyre. Well, Drew says he hates me, wants nothing to do with me, got the victory at SummerSlam and wants to wash his hands and walk away. But he made it personal. Drew says he hates me, I think he loves me, but I know he’s obsessed with me. Wants to stay connected to me. Wears a bracelet with my beautiful wife’s name on it.”
Welp, there you go, folks; Punk is the Taylor Swift for men, an idea fans have absolutely gone nuts over on social media thus far, and his alignment is now fully back on the babyface side after spending weeks as a tweener or even a heel-leaning bad guy. If fans really lean into this comparison and run with it, the real winner will be the fans watching along at home, as they will get to categorize the different chapters of his career into “Eras” and maybe even make a few fun fan cams for good measure, too.
CM Punk sharing the infamous pic of Taylor Swift with his action figure 😂 pic.twitter.com/7d6nVxLwnc
— Teffo (@Teffo_01) August 20, 2024