When we take a look at CM Punk's character and its story arc, we have to start at a time before he came onto the main roster to really get a perspective of how his story began and where it went from there. CM Punk was often criticized for his underground / backyard roots from which his background emerged.
Backyard wrestling was a sensation that grew its bedrock during the attitude era. Some would even argue that maybe, Mick Foley's home videos sparked this underground genre of wrestling. But for better or worse, this is where CM Punk sharpened his teeth.
He would eventually find himself wrestling for small promotions, and ROH until making his way into the Re-birthing of ECW, where his straight-edge society persona began to develop. However, being straight edge was not just a gimmick for CM Punk, it was his actual way of life, being drug free, steroid free and alcohol free.
This was a far different perspective from what wrestlers were traditionally known for which was hard hitting partiers that often did partake in drugs, alcohol and steroids.
However, coming off the backs of the Attitude Era, the WWE Universe was not necessarily the most receptive to having a straight-edge lifestyle being shoved down their throat, thus the days of CM Punk as a babyface came to an end when he finally went full throttle as a straight-edger on WWE TV.
Yet, it wasn't just CM punk playing up some gimmick so that his character could easily fit into the new PG Era of wrestling that had emerged partly due to Beniot's suicide/murder tragedy in 2007 which caused the WWE to go PG in 2008. No, CM Punk was truly already living a PG life.
But it was John Cena who emerged as the PG spokesperson for the WWE. The new face of the company, meant to bring in more children and offer a more friendly face to the public, was making the old fans from the attitude era sick and so they booed Cena out of every arena that he went.
The fans of the attitude era did not want to see another Hulk Hogan; they were tired of this kind of character. However, super Cena was protected, much like Hogan was, and Cena never had an opponent that could truly get the better of him the way fans wanted to see. Some tried like Edge, Randy Orton and the Rock, and while their popularity did get a boost from trying to dominate Cena, no one's popularity soared like CM Punk's did.
When he decided to speak out against the Super Cena character that WWE corporate offices created, the fans immediately got behind CM Punk and he soon became the voice of the voiceless. He was saying all things that they had been saying for the better part of a decade.
CM Punk tapped into stream of WWE universe consciousness that Stone Cold Steve Austin tapped into during his run. But in 2011, it was the summer of Punk and he was on fire. However, when the WWE decided to bring back the Rock and have CM Punk drop the belt to The Great One, CM Punk's wind was taken out of his sails; and by next year's Royal Rumble, CM punk had had enough and he left.
The story of CM Punk is about a character who was before his time, about a man who lived a certain lifestyle not because it was cool, or popular, or because it fit in with the current WWE trend to be PG; but because it was just who he was. And, when he tapped into the grievances of having corporate created characters being shoved down our throats to fit with the times, he was propelled into WWE legendary status.
Arenas chanted his name for years after he walked away.
