By unanimous decision, both the judges and fans of UFC called for an end to the CM Punk Experiment, which started back in late 2014.
Punk had left the world of pro wrestling in January 2014 after he broke ties with the WWE in not the most amicable of circumstances.
Everything about Punk's jump into the world of MMA seemed to go wrong from the start. And it sure as hell seemed bad to the most of us.
Not only was Punk in his late 30s with no professional fighting experience or training, he also entered MMA with the baggage of a body ravaged by the wear and tear of two decades of pro wrestling bumps and bruises.
It just didn't seem like a good idea.
His debut also got delayed again and again. It became a common joke that Punk would never actually compete.
He finally did, on September 10, 2016, and ended up suffering a first round loss to Mickey Gall in 02:14.
The illusion was over.
CM Punk was now officially not a tough guy. He was not a fighter. He was not someone one could buy as a believable competitor in a combat sports setting.
The above was even further cemented by his second outing this past summer, which saw him suffer yet another embarrassing loss - this time to someone far less skilled than Mickey Gall. Punk got his ass handed to him by Mike Jackson who himself was a laughing stock of the UFC, and not even a full-time fighter.
All that was ever really needed was the first loss, but if the first loss dropped Punk's stock from the skies directly into the ground, the loss to Mike Jackson drilled his once high stock right into the core of the earth.
The question is: does Punk have any value left?
Immediately after his loss to Jackson, wrestling fans started to question whether he'd show up at the independent wrestling show All In in Chicago later this fall. Would he go to New Japan? What about a return to the WWE?
I never really felt those were possibilities. Furthermore, I've never even seen them as viable options, really.
CM Punk has now been exposed as a non-skilled fighter.
And while it's obvious that most, if not all, members of any given pro wrestling locker room would suffer the same fate as Punk did, the suspension of disbelief is paramount in the world of wrestling.
It's entirely different to KNOW Punk can't hold his own than it is to simply assume so. Unfortunately for Punk, we now know this to be true.
If Punk were to ever wrestle again, I'd have a seriously hard time buying him as a credible threat to anyone. It doesn't really matter if his opponent would do equally bad in the UFC; the point is that the suspense of disbelief is impossible now in the case of Punk.
With any other wrestler, I can suspend my disbelief.
Also, I'm not convinced the crowds would treat him too kindly. Sure, he was a popular figure back when he was active as a wrestler, but his pompous attitude, his illusions of grandeur regarding his UFC career, and to mention the recent lawsuit with Colt Cabana that has seen many people side with Colt... all of this has done a huge number on Punk.
And a guy as proud as Punk would probably not fare too well in an environment like that.
Personally, I'm pretty convinced Punk will not wrestle a pro wrestling match again. And even if he did, I would find it stupid and a waste of time.
I would never pay money again to see Punk wrestle. The UFC farce was too much.
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