Phil Brooks

Phil Brooks, better known by his stage name CM Punk is an American professional wrestler. His Straight edge gimmick reflects his lifestyle that he lives, taken to another level in the ring. As CM Punk says to his opponents, "Straight Edge means I'm drug-free, alcohol-free, and better than you!"

Career

IWA Mid-South

Brooks trained as a wrestler at the Steel Domain. He was mostly trained by Ace Steel. It was in in the Steel Domain that he met Scott Colton, who later adopted the stage name Colt Cabana. Brooks befriended Colton, and spent most of the time working mostly in the same independent promotions as opponents or allies. Punk's home promotion for his early career could be considered IWA Mid-South. He, along with Colt Cabana, Paul/Chuck E. Smoothe, and manager Dave Prazak formed the Gold Bond Mafia. Punk, Cabana, and Smoothe (along with Chris Hero, among others) became some of IWA Mid-South's hottest young wrestlers. CM Punk also feuded with both Cabana and Hero. Punk's matches with Cabana led him to getting a job in Ring of Honor. Punk's matches in IWA Mid-South are not only considered to have given Punk recognition, but also are credited for putting IWA Mid-South on the map.

Related Topics:
Ace Steel - Scott Colton - Independent promotions - Ring of Honor

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Cracked skull

Punk cracked his skull when he attempted one of his signature moves at that time, a twisting springboard moonsault to flying neckbreaker. Punk refused pain medication due to his Straight Edge lifestyle. Doctors told him not to strain himself for a year. However Punk returned to wrestling only a few months later.

Related Topics:
Twisting springboard moonsault - Flying neckbreaker - Pain medication

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NWA:Total Nonstop Action and Ring Of Honor

Punk joined Ring Of Honor and started climbing in the ranks. Punk also joined , where he was soon paired as a tag team with Julio Dinero as sidekicks for Raven. Punk's feud with Raven in ROH was a big success, and soon they were put against each other also in TNA. Raven and Punk were originally slated to face off in aa hair versus hair match in ROH. TNA objected and insisted the match to be had in their promotion. ROH ended up arranging a Steel Cage Match between them instead. Punk's time in TNA ended when he had a scuffle with Teddy Hart outside of a restaurant shortly after a TNA show. Punk was still under contract, but was not used. The contract ran out almost a year later.

Related Topics:
Julio Dinero - Raven - Hair versus hair match - Steel Cage Match - Teddy Hart

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Samoa Joe

For an unpublished reason TNA forbid their main stars from working in ROH in the beginning of 2004. Around the same time the Rob Feinstein controversy hit, causing some workers to leave, and ROH found itself without most of its top stars. Punk decided to stay. Some months later Punk and Samoa Joe faced of in a three match series for the ROH World Heavyweight Championship. First two matches were draws, and the last one a loss for Punk. Those matches were very highly rated, and resulted in much stir and raise in ROH's publicity. It is generally thought that the company would not have survived its slump without Punk. Punk also left his previous full time job as a laboratory assistant, and became a trainer for ROH's wrestling school.

Related Topics:
Rob Feinstein controversy - Samoa Joe - ROH World Heavyweight Championship - Wrestling school

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To World Wrestling Entertainment

CM Punk accepted a deal with World Wrestling Entertainment in June of 2005, after wrestling try out matches on its Sunday Night Heat show. Not long after accepting the deal CM Punk beat Austin Aries to win the ROH World Championship at Death Before Dishonor III.

Related Topics:
World Wrestling Entertainment - Sunday Night Heat - Austin Aries

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On August 12, 2005 CM Punk lost his ROH World Title in a match against James Gibson in Dayton, Ohio, while Austin Aries replaced Punk as head trainer at the ROH Wrestling School. His final match in Ring of Honor took place on August 13, 2005 against his good friend Colt Cabana. Punk has now been assigned to Ohio Valley Wrestling, a WWE developmental territory.

Related Topics:
August 12 - 2005 - James Gibson - Dayton, Ohio - ROH Wrestling School - August 13 - Colt Cabana - Ohio Valley Wrestling

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As an inside joke to Punk's fans, asking him what "C.M." stands for yields a different answer each time. The most widely-believed theory is that Brooks was in a tag team early in his career called the Chick Magnets.

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